Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1944-06-16
WiIlkie Calls
on Republicans
to Take Stand


in the fires of Civil War, the Re-
publican party's struggle to save
the union was transposed into the
great moral issue of human free
dom. By the Emancipation Procla-
nation and by amendments to the
federal Constitution, under Repub-
ican leadership, the Negro was
legally and constitutionally guaran-
teed exactly the same rights as
every other citizen of the United
States.
1t is therefore strange the Re-
publicans, year after year, yield
to the old states rights argument
and a narrow Interpretation of
federal power to prevent the pas
sage of federal statutes which con-
stitute the only practical method
by which the Negroes rights can be
assured him.
Inc Only Remedy
Zone of these basic rights is the
right to vote. Another is the right
to live free of the haunting fear
and the too-frequent actually of
mob violence. The first can be
guaranteed, under the circum-
stances existing today, only by a
federal statute eliminating state
poll taxes and other arbitrary
prohibitions against the free exer-
else of the voting franchise, the
other only by a federal statute
making the crime of lynching try
able in federal courts and punish
able by federal law.
The Republican party in its
platform and in the declarations
of its candidates should commit
itself unequivocally and specif-
cally to federal anti-poll tax and
anti-lynching statutes.
Knit by Sufferings
mo one who has not stopped
seeing and thinking could have
missed the events of the last few
years that have drawn together
100000 Americans - one-tenth
of the nation-into a determined
purposeful unit.
"In that time Negroes have
known the bitter humiliation of
seeing their men and women
eager to serve in the nations
armed forces, excluded from some
branches of the service or often
relegated to mental jobs in the
branches to which they have been
admitted. They have witnessed
the ugly and tragic results of race
hatred and riots. They have
known the brief security of good
jobs at decent wages while their
help was needed in order to make
the tools of war, only to be filled
with deep anxiety for fear that in
the readjustments of peace they
will be shuffled off into unem-
ployment and poverty.
Democracy in Battle
"At the same time, from the bat
tlefields of Italy to the gold-star
homes here in America, they have
learned that there is nothing
more democratic than a bullet or
a splinter of steel. They want
now to see some political democ-
racy as well.
millions of them distrust the
Democratic party which for years
has deprived the Negro of his
right to vote in Atlanta while
seeking his vote as the friend of
his race in Harlem. But in view
of the economic advances and So
cial gains which have come to
Negroes during the last IL years,
they will not leave that party for
vague assurances of future action
expressed in pious platitudes, or
for a 1914 version of the states
rights doctrine, or even for pro-
cedures which, however legally
correct, in practical effect indef-
initely postpone correction of
sore and desperate abuses.
Equality Made Specific
NEGRO leaders are alert and
educated and sophisticated. They
know that their problem is a part
of the worldwide struggle for
human freedom. For their people
they ask only their rights-rights
to which they are entitled. The
Constitution does not provide for
first and second class citizens.
"They are entitled to the same
opportunity to acquire an educa-
tion-an education of the same
quality-as that given to other
citizens.
'"They should receive the same
per capita expenditure of public
moneys for schools, housing,
health and disqualification as is
allotted to other citizens.
"Their right to work must equal
that of any citizen and their re-
ward should be the same as the
reward of any other citizen for
the same job.
Their economic opportunity
should not be limited by their
color.
"And last, they should have the
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