The Omaha guide., 1945-03-17

les undemocratic labor unions, bar
ring American citizens from mem
bership, the right to act as bargain
ing agents for labor.
The war has also taught us sign
ificant and important lessons in e.
economies. Hitherto we have as
sumed that freight d~ifferentials
were fundamentally the cause of
traditional poverty IN the South
land. The current spending power
that war industry has placed in the
hands of Southerners both black
and white is convincing proof that
withholding Of spending power
has in large measure formed the
basis of our economic ills. We are
learning down in our section If the
United States that basic prosperity
depends upon higher wages, and
that this spending power must be
placed within the reach of all of
our citizens, both black and white.
Already around a half million
Negro citizens have located in the
West and Northwest. They may
never return. In fact in the post
war era there is likely to occur an
other exodus similar to the one fol-
lowing the first world war. / feel
that unless Immediately the South
plans definite programs dealing
with housing, education, health and
\ ffraoa tharn Min -
from the South and there is prob
ability hat the new industrial era
in our section will see the influx
of citizens from the already indus
trial North and East, who may not
accept and adopt without friction
the traditional sectional sanctions
of our region.
l think my own state OF Okla
homa has pointed in many respects
the way towards liberalism in the
South. Oklahoma has no poll tax,
but for many years disfranchised
black citizens through the admin
istration Of a registration law
which is Still upon the statute
books of Oklahoma. / wish to say
tonight there is no place in Okla
homa today where any citizen is
denied ballot privileges. $4,000 Ne
groes vote in the democratic prim-
airy, and the Negroes of my state
have proven to their white breth-
ern thai they are willing to pro-
mote n cause that points towards
the ideals of democracy.
This fine democratic relationship
has not developed in Oklahoma sole
-ly through pressure that has come
from the suppressed. The fine lib
eral, justice loving spirits of form
er governors j. B. A.. Robertson
and Jack Walton, possessing the
moral courage of Governor Arnall
OF Georgia, in a large measure a.
chieved this ideal situation. 1t
proves conclusively that the South
has started thinking right and to
think right is finally to act right.
l think the lessons we have learn
ed from such resolute, fearless
souls as possessed by the First
J OoA AoAlds dllQ OlH6T SIeTl-
ing characters mentioned, who
were born and bred in the South, is
that progress through fac
ing-not lodging evil. Democracy
needs in this hour men and women
who will assume responsibility for
wrecking the temples Of evil, who
viii be willing to speak out In nm
derstandable language respecting
the new social order that must
come in the ideal world Of tomor-
row.
On behalf of the Southern Con-
terence for Human Welfare I SAL
ute at this moment Mrs. Franklin
Delano Roosevelt, this grand and
distinguished character, who in her
Interpretation of democracy n
freedom here in America, is to rs
as in the language of an ancient
bard. "as pure as the icicles that
hung in the Temple Of Diana, ana
as chaste as tn vestal virgins.