St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1944-06-30
I TsS. H.alck Gertrude
linn I'm. : Historical Society
UncOvering
Washington
By Harry S. McAlpin

the eyes of this observer and of
many others, sank to a new low
in dignity last week during the de-
bate on the appropriation for the
Fair Employment Practice Com
mittee.
Senators Bilbo, and Eastlund of
Mississippi, Russell and George of
Georgia, Hill of Alabama, and Nc
Clelland of Arkansas could easily
have qualified as advance agents of
Hitler in the arguments for white
supremacy. The most impressive
thing about their speeches were the
paradoxes they contained.
All of them claimed to have no
prejudice in their hearts toward
colored people. They almost pro-
fessed their love for them. They
wanted to see them have equal OPP
portunities for work and wages, so
they said. They wanted them to
have freedom of choice-free to
choose to be segregated and ex-
cluded.
Bilbo was his usual self, making
subtle references to Negroes which
he knows are not true of any peo-
pie as a group. For example, he
warned the Senators that if they
passed FEPC's appropriation, they
may as we'll get ready to "select
one of these mulattoes or high
brown or yellow girls as their
stenographers." Then he said: at
is coming, and 1 assure them that
when they get one, all the B. o.
powders on earth will not dissipate
the odoriferous aroma they will
find permeating their offices day
by day."
There were many in the galleries
who could assure Bilbo that B. o.
is not Negro monopoly. Nor is
it a characteristic of the type of
Negro who qualities for jobs as
stenographers to Congressman and
Senators.
In rote fashion, he dragged in the
social equality bugaboo. He claimed
that it would be found that some of
the Negro agitators and some of the
Negro speakers and preachers say
"Oh, no: we do not want rights"
They lie, he said. Back in the
heart of every Negro in America
who is behind movements of this
kind is the dream of social equality
and intermarriage between whites
and blacks"
But Bilbo, like all the others of
his ilk, when making such argu-
ments, is not aware of the slur he
makes on his own womanhood.
Marriage, it has been pointed out,
is a contract between two persons.
McClelland of Arkansas joined
Bilbo in this social equality argu-
ment, as did all the rest of the
Southern Senators who talked
against the FEPC. But to drive
home his point - that Negroes
should be segregated, jimcrowed,
and ostracized he used these para
doxical words:
"Mr. President, after all, person
al liberty if it has any meaning at
all, gives man the right of choice
the choice of association, the
choice of utilization in organiza-
tions, and the choice of places to
work, the choice of political opin-
ions and convictions. Liberty grants
the choice to pursue happiness ac-
cording to the dictates of con-
science"
But no liberal could have framed
it better. No demagogue could have
twisted it more unsuccessfully.
But the real low ebb of the de-
bate was reached when McClelland
was deploring the practice in gov
eminent agencies of having white
and Negro girls working side by
side, eating in the same restaurants,
using the same rest rooms. 1t was
then that Eastland of Mississippi
jumped to his feet, seething with
hatred in his heart which he said
was not there, and literally scream
ed:
"The conditions the distinguished
Senator from Arkansas mentions,
of course, are obnoxious to white
people, but is it not worse that
white girls should be forced to
work and take dictation from a
group of burr-headed Mrs and
Mrs supervisors in the depart
ments 2"
The Congressional Record shows
Eastland said NEGRO" He didn't,
however, take pains to say mig
ra." But his words were not mere
ly so important or impressive as
his expression, dripping with vitriol
and hatred. In that moment, Hitler
could not have surpassed him.
The result of this display was
boomerang. The galleries moaned
in disgust. And instead of needing
the Republican votes to win, FEPC
had the support of % Democrats
out of its total of 80 votes, to only
81 votes against (which included
a few Republicans and the almost
solid South.
The vote spoiled the little game
Russell and Hill were playing to
run the debate up to train-time
for the Republicans, many of whom
were scheduled to leave for Chicago
and the platform committee meet
ings preceding the Republican con-
nfI.o Da.,,IIsoo,, 70 xrya NJ