St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-04
Rankin Sheds
OratOrical Tears
Over Good Negroes
Rankin and MarcantOniO Debate
FEPC Measure in Sharp
Exchange

Exchange
Washington, D. C.-Shortly after
Representative Mary Norton placed
a discharge petition to discharge
the Rules committee from further
consideration of 81. R. 2232, the bill
to establish a permanent FEPC
Congressman John Rankin ID.
Miss.) attacked the bill.
He was answered by Congress
man Vito Marcantonio.
Rankin said:
Mr.. Chairman, I rise to sound a
warning to the Members of this
Congress.
You have been asked to sign this
petition to bring out this FEPC bill,
the most dangerous piece of totali-
tartan, cOmmunistic legislation ever
proposed in the Congress of the
United States. Already the people
Of this Nation are greatly dis
turhed over the prospect of the pas
sage of this legislation. Alreaoy
the peaceful, hardworking Negroes
of the country are disturbed, be-
cause they know it would stir up
race trouble such as this country
has never known before.
While communistic representa-
tives OF another race are demand
ing the passage of this legislation,
many patriotic members of that
race, notably those whose families
have struggled and toiled along
with the rest of US through the
years are disturbed because they
know the trouble this measure
would bring to them.
Every businessman in your dis
trict is disturbed. He knows what
it means. He knows it means a
dictatorship of the worst kind here
in Washington, harassing every
businessman, dominating him and
his affairs in the most vicious man.
ner.
Do not try to crawl behind q
smoke screen and get the idea that
you are tantalizing the white peo-
pie Of the South and stirring up
trouble there when you sign this
petition. You are stirring up more
trouble in your own districts than
you are in mine. 1t means total
permanent RECOMMENDATION, a COM
plete change in our form of gov m
ment to the worst type of totali-
tartan bureaucracy the world has
ever known. It would destroy the
very liberty for which our young
men are fighting and dying on
every battle front in the world.
The Communist party is behind
this vicious measure. It is a part
Of their scheme for stirring up
trouble in this country. They man
aged to get it slipped into the Re-
publican platform last year, AM
wrecked whatever chance the party
had.
The passage of this legislation
would probably mark the begin
ming of the end of this great Re
public. 1t is one of the most dan,
gerous measures ever proposed.
On your shoulders today rests
the responsibility of protecting oul
form of government and the Ameri-
can way of life. On your shoulders
rests the responsibility of main
tanning nfree enterprise, operated
by freemen and freewomen in this
country. Read the speech the gen.
teman from Texas (Mr. Fisher
made on the 18th. Read the speech
made by the gentleman from Ar
kansas (Mr. Hays) a few days ago
Read the remarks I made showing
who is operating in this set-up and
see what it means to the business
men in your district. Do not let
them tell you this is to guarantee
the Negro the right to work. That
is pure bunk. 1t is for the purpose
of putting this Bureau in control
even of our public school system
The ones who are pushing this
measure are the worst enemies the
Negroes have on earth.
If our boys who are fighting on
every battle front in the world
could march down this aisle and
know what is behind this move
ment and see those elements try
ing to destroy at home everything
for which they are fighting, de.
strOying American freedom, de,
stroying constitutional government
stirring up race hatred and race
prejudice in every State of the
Union, and destroying American
liberty itself, they would repudiat'
it in no uncertain terms.
Of course this proposal is being
advocated by the Communist Dali
Worker. 1t is Earl Browder's baby
But when your people back at home
realize what it means, when thu
people in Illinois, New York, Ohio
Pennsylvania, Texas, California
and every other State realize what