Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1944-09-30
The Columbus (Ga.) Case and
Negro Morals

Over in Columbus, Georgia, the other day, two Ne
gro girls after being arrested for the simple offense
wearing playsuits country highway being tried
before City Court Judge given straight prison
fences, thus arousng great amount of from
citizens Of both races of the city, and from the two white
daes the Columbus Ledger and the Columbus Enquirer
white woman reporter, university graduate saying
that what the two girls wearing reality dress
maker model bathing suits term which all ladies will
understand and adding 81 in ways shocked by what
the girls were wearing, They just about what you
everywhere"
While the Columbus Ledger undertook to ascertain
what in the situation would warrant such drastic action
the part of the Judge; the Columbus Enquirer said
that the action of the judge imposing straight
ces upon two Negro girls for wearing play suits
on country road in its opinion rather hasty, and
regretted that the ust deemed it necessary order the
offenders sent to the state farm to twelve months
futher commenting that it did not feel that the
decision contributed to the Improvement of relations be-
tween the The Ledger expressing similar regret
warned that while the Judge may have been acting from
the purest motives he had nonetheless committed Of
fetal act which served to aggravate racial misunderstood
ing; saying further that the rest of America will say that
the two girls would not have been
prison except for the fact that they Negroes.
AS bad the decision in this case, in which
the Judge to have stepped one of the cardinal prn
cipas of American Law the prohibition against the in
Fiction of cruel and unusual punishment while preserving
the deepest sympathy and for the two girls it
possible discern upon closer observation in the decision
of the Judge both for the Negro and the South
measure of good
No small amount of the good to be the decision
of the in this from closer observation af
fects the future of the Negro and the South will be found
in the fact that white newspapers in the very heart
of the deep SOUTH time of somewhat acute racial
dtions fit to- and edoray questions the action of
Judge in imposing sentence upon Negro thereby bring
forward the question of police and judicial action and
their effects upon relations in the South
One of the conditions in it's affect upon Negro
life and development in the south is the Indifference of
the law and the courts respecting anything having to do
with the Improvement of Negro morals product of the
Mill Quarters and plantation systems it permits Negroes
unlimited scope for racial and self degradation accounting
for the depravy and degradation of the uke points, boot
JninfC md bOuCpC Of ITO nd
other forms of to befound among Negroes while
existing in other parts of the community that is respon
sble for the many unwed couples living together with
children being constantly born of lawful wedock for
the widespread separating and remarryng among Negroes
without regard to the divorce laws and is responsible for
the failure to enforce the Mann Act and other such laws
of safeguarding and improving the moral life
of the Negro community.
If the action of the arrestng officers and the judge
in the Columbus be taken the beginning of the
recognition the part of BOTH of their responsibility for
the moral life of the Negro well for the other part
of the community in the SOUTH all though still of the
opinion that in degree the decision violated the prohibition
against cruel and unusual punishment still preserving
sympathy for the two girls AS between good and evil
there to have been struck and balance in the