Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-09-21

OLaCeS. IL Is NATURAL LnerelOTe1
that men who have the backing and
sponsorship of one or more power
full Senators are likely to receive
priority consideration.
E. Barrett Prettyman, D. G.
lawyer, named to one of the va
cancies by President Truman, was
sponsored by Sen. Willard Tydings
of Maryland. Bennett Champ Clark,
former Senator from Missouri, who
was defeated in the 1914 elections,
was a close friend of the President
when both were serving in the
Senate. He was a close friend of
a number of other Senators, too,
and had the backing of several.
Wilbur K. Miller of Greensboro, KY,
was sponsored by Majority Leader,
Sen. Alben Barley.
Judge HASTE was not sponsored
by any Senator, though at the elev-
enth hour some interest was elicit
ed from Sen. Harley Kilgore of
West Virginia.
The first lesson to be gained from
this incident is the fact that 3,000,-
900 Negroes in the United States
are without representation in the
Senate. That is not news, but it is
significant and important.
OF course, getting into the Sen
ate would be a herculean task for
a Negro, subject as a Senator is
to election by the voting popula-
ton of the state at large. His
numerical strength is greatest in
those states where he is denied
the right to vote by poll taxes
and other ruses. But being repre-
scented in the Senate, even though
the Senator's face be white, is
another situation entirely. There
are a number of states in which
the active Negro vote is the bal
ance of power. No Senator could
be elected in these certain states
without a heavy support from its
Negro voters. Once elected, he
should represent" all elements
of the population. Many Senator's
have in their states Negro law
yers of outstanding qualifications
to whom they never give a
thought when a federal judiciary
vacancy occurs.
And therein lies the second les
son. Most Negroes are playing
the game of politics as strictly
amateurs. They are making few
if any inroads into the party ma
chinery of their states. They are
important only when an election
is in the immediate Offing, instead
of being an integral and cOntinu-
ing part of both the Democratic
and Republican organizations.
It makes interesting reading
when a Negro announces he is on
the fence and is going to throw
his weight to the side that prom
Uses" him the most. But when
the cake is cut, it is the winning
political machine that handles the
distribution. Everything is work.
ed from within, and the fellow
who stood alOOf on the outside
remains there.
That is one reason why I daily
admire Congressman William L.
Dawson more and more. He has
set for himself a goal-Over a
long or short periodic weave
the Negro into the fabric of the
Democratic Party so that he will
be a constant factor rather than
a periodic election bauble. He
needs a lot of cooperation from
a lot of people to succeed. The
same thing needs to be done with
the Republicans.
But Dawson will get little credit
for his wisdom. Instead he will be
blamed by some for HASTE not
being named to one of the court of
appeals judgeships. In cold-blooded
political circles, however, Hastie-
who resigned as Civilian Aide to
the Secretary of War to coura-
geously criticize the administration
and who threatened to resign from
the National Citizens Political Ac-
ton Committee at the height of the
Presidential campaign unless GER
tain things were done-was not
politically deserving, HASTE him
self probably would be the first to
admit it, and even more probably
would not have done differently in
either instance.
This country is still run on the
theory that to the victor belongs
the spoils. Right or wrong, that's
the way it is, and if Negroes want
to win in the game of politics, they
will have to first get in the park,
then play by the rules, and choose
teammates who meet all the eligi-
bility requirements.
DR.. Frederick Inge
Heads Hampton Dept.
Hampton Institute, Va. - DR..
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