The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-02-17

4. oNtG ~ sItFl
ss they p aycd tHc.u 90 bo We nave
fs,lec adequately g. analN2c rec
DDS beyond TIE tNo or ihrce
months jus; PRIOR 20 election ana
90 take M the entire PERIOD De-
tween one election and The n'N'
The potency OF the Negro vote
~n graphically illustrated nv the
v.sults in the last Presidential cleo
ton In eight pivotal states
The Republicans would IKE 10
vecapture this balance OF power
vote" They once had IL They kno"
that in Maryland, Michigan. MIS-
souri, New Jersey, New York
PENNSYLVANIA. Illinois. Kentucky
and West Virginia, there are lsi
electoral votes Roosevelt carried
them all. With these 49, votes
Dewey could have won the fresi-
dency nv 2s6-24S.
But II the Republicans Nant
chance n this vote ~ ls4S-eNcn
in the Congressional elections OF
ls46-ihey should realize and do
something now about the MONKEY
wrench" Sen. Robert A Taft
twhoSe initials arc RAT persists
on throwing into the machinery
He got away with his poltica
ehicsnery on the Federal Aid 10
Education Bill an 1913 when nc
threw al MS support behind an
amendment 70 force the southern
states by federal edict 10 spero
proportionste amounts on the edu-
cation OF each white and Negro
pupil knowing all the while that
the amendment would ALLEVIATE
southern support for the bill and
XII, II. AS soon as the amendment
passed. he threw his weight behind
recommiimcnt Of the bill 10 COM
mittee instead Of behind lis passage
into law
Now he has come up with
similar gesture. He has introduced
an anemic bill for . permanent
FEPC which turns out 10 be mere
investigative agency. Nothing
needs less Investigation OF more
sirm action than this problem of
Discrimination 10 America. But
TsftS I'LL. unless II Il Withdrawn.
might easily prove 20 be the death
kneiI 10 the prospects for obtaining
q permanent FEPC. II will divide
the supporters Of the bill and leave
the southerners In the saddle.
Taft Is pretty smart. He has prop
erly xauged the Negro i'm Ohio In
the past. But now he has a new
thinking Negro TO deal with In his
home state. And. he Is also, now,
the Republican symbol Of leader
ship In the Senate. Negroes all over
the country will take his move as
that Of the Republican party. de-
spite his statement ut the time Of
introducing his bill that he did not
want his bill interpreted as being
the Republican party's bill.
And Negroes are rot unmindful
OF the fact that on other important
issues. Republican support in the
House Of Representatives has been
nullifed by Republican Southern
Democrat coalition in the Senate
Joseph Martin. Republican leader
in the House given last week that
he will support an FEPC with en-
forcement powers. They appreciate
the sincere and effective support
Of Republicans like Clason and
Dirksen and Baldwin and La.
toilette and Vorys who are CO.
sponsors OF an FEPC bill with en-
forcepent powers
But they will remember too that
snti-poll tax and snii-lynching
legislation have passed the House
in recent years only 10 run INTO
lukewsrm support and even oppo-
sition OF Republicans IN the Senate.
Taft. himself said the Republicans
in the Senate were against the
srti-poll tax bill last year because
they did no, think the federal gov.
eminent should interfere with the
southern states The result was"
he confessed. in hat case mere
show 81 flIbuSter just wiped
the thing of me carpet
II takes both houses Of Congress
20 make = bill a law, and Negroes
are just about starved Ia despera-
ton from getting only half the
loaf.
= The members Of the delegation
Of Ohio citizens who conferred
with Taft a few days before he in
troduced the bill will not forget
that he said 10 them that the Re-
publican platform was never in
tended 10 mean an FEPC with en-
forcement powers. They will not
forget that he, himself, admitted
90 voting in committee for an
FEPC with enforcement powers
prior 10 the election, but with the
understanding II would not be
acted on bv the senate
The Republican party needs e
take stock They need - dc ,o
now whether IL IS better {, foDoE
Taft n MS persistence on Re-
publirsu-Sou,hern Dovoc'a, cos.i-
ton IN order 20 -oo0ruct liberal
lez station IN tho So stc. or Vhc'h.
- fhey should I've up "a ,rrir tro.
tampa ar promises and pledges So
~ 10 build hrncr footing IN
1876 and 1913 snd prevent 'Goo1
Republicans from SgfTerus for
the sins of Their leaders
You pays 70 NICKEL and takes
yo' Cholcg'