St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-02-02

MS mouth. OCnerS
viewed such "a
prospect with McALPIN
alarm.
Powell, himself, was responsible
for the idea. During his campaign
in New York for nomination on the
Democratic, Republican and Amer-
can Labor Party tickets-on all OF
which he won-he said it was his
intention to talk back to Rankin.
That, of course, was in the heat
of campaign. Such a prospect ap-
pealed to a lot of people who emo
tionally resented Rankin's race
batting and droolings which dripped
of prejudice and un-Amerlcan
"white supremacy" theories. They
pictured Powell and Rankin in
regular tug-o-war.
But Powell, in a month Of Con-
gressional experience, has apparent
ly simmered down. He is to be
congratulated,
No one wants to see Powell
tongue-tied. His gift of oratory IS
an asset which can be realized on.
But certainly it should not be
wasted. If Powell jumps to his feet
every time Rankin makes fool OF
himself, though smart one, on the
floor of Congress, and INDUCES in
an exchange of epithets and plati-
tudes, he may get few headlines
the first couple of times-but after
that he would be in the same cate
CORY with Rankin.
I've heard a lot of criticism aimed
at Congressman Dawson, our other
Negro member of the House OF
Representatives, for his refusal to
answer Rankin's rawlings. But those
who know Dawson realize that he
is one of the smartest and smooth
est politicians on Capital Hill. His
friends among the legislators are
legion. And he doesn't "Uncle
Tom" to make them. His few pub
lie speeches on the floor do not
mean he is a shrinking violet.
No shrinking violet would be
unanimously elected by his state
Congressional delegation as their
sole representative on the Demo-
cratic Congressional Campaign
Committee. No shrinking violet
would be given the final say-On po-
litical patronage to Negroes. No
shrinking violet could have the Con-
gressional leaders handling him
with kid gloves on matters we can
not now talk about-but later.
Of course, the two men are diff
ferent types. Powell is going to
speak on the floor more than Daw-
son would. But Powell isn't going
to be the fool lot of people either
innocently naive or Intentionally
antagonistic-hoped he'd be. He'll
make himself heard on important
issues, and only then.
His very presence in Congress
has done two things already. 1t has
served as sort of a damper on Ran
kin, who in the past has rarely gone
a month without making a race
batting speech. Rankin even passed
up an excellent opportunity to COM
ment on the FEPC-Capital Tran
sit hearings. But even more, he
actually tried to picture himself as
a friend of Negroes in one of his
speeches. Gas Charley Cherokee
would say - "Not now, John
Henry.")
The only blast Rankin has made
was in a letter to Mississippi edi-
tor about Powell, which got into the
newspapers. Powell replied in
kind - with a statement to the
press.
Powell's being smart. He intende
to be legislator, not a show. Why
else would he introduce seven bills
last week?
hope his "well-wishing" friends
will not think he's welching or
wincing. No one can challenge his
courage. If he picks his way as
astutely throughout his Congress
sional career as he seems intent on
doing this first month, no one will
be able to challenge his wisdom,
either.
If there were more than two Ne
groes in Congress, we'd say fine,
let's have one of them a side-show
attraction to match Rankin. But
with only two, if one of them is a
fool, that's 500 - and that's too
high a ratio. Rankin is only one
among 433 other whites.
CoTohinoI TboSrcS