Hartford chronicle., 1946-05-25

y bill has resulted in a substantial reduction, so that lynchings today average only five or six a year. This is still five or six too many, and we have not been able to get a Federal Anti-lynching Bill passed. It is significant that when there was wave of kidnapping a few years ago, Congress very quickly passed a Federal Anti Kidnapping Bill; while more than 20 years of agitation for a Feder- al Anti-lynching Bill have proved unsuccessful. The reason is, of course, that the victims of kid nappings are the wealthy and their families, while the victims of lynchings, although not all of them are Negroes for about ten percent are whte, are always men ii overaHs or women in ginghams, the economically lowly in other ! words.
 'FWe are struggling for equal voting rights since the states in which the majority of Negroes
 live effectively disfranchse most of them. Partly this is done by re- quiring payment of a Poll Tax as necessary qualification for vot- ing. We are vigorously supporting the bill in Congress to abolish this tax.
 ''It was our attorneys, MT. Thurgood Marshall and William Hastie, (who has been recently appointed by President Truman as Governor of the Virgin Islands) who won the case outlawing the Democratic white primary system which prevailed in the Southern excluded from voting in the prim- states and by which Negroes were aries of the party which in those states was bound to win. Negroes today, because of the work of our legal department, are voting in increasing numbers in the South. The Negro voters were the deci- sve factor in the recent election to Congress of a progressive Demo- cratic woman, Mrs. Helen Doug las Mangan, in an election in Georgia used by the resignation of the previous Congressman.
 "The NAACP is fighting for equal rights in education. This re- quires payment of equal salaries to white and Negro teachers hav- ing equal qualifications. In this respect we have made substantial advances, and have won a number of notable victories in the courts. It also means reducing and event ually tabolishing the difference in the average expenditure for the education of white and Negro chil- dren in those states where sep arate schools exist. Tn this respect we have made some progress, but far more still remains to be done. We are endorsing the bill to pro- vide Federal Aid to Education in order to help in this direction, since this bill requires that Federal funds should be spent by states where there are separate schools in proportion to the Negro and white population.
 "We are now defending 32 Ne groes charged with attempted murder in Columbia, Tennessee for no other reason that that they defended their homes against at tacks by a white mob. The case every urge expenditure to win it, will be hisoric and will require since the whole record will have to be carried eventually to the United States Supreme Court in all probability. This is an example of the defense work which we are constantly called upon and always try to be ready to do."
 Other speakers on the program were returned veterans: Spencer Shaw, former lieutenant in ground forces, and James c. Walker, for mer Marine Sgt.
 MT. Shaw said: eve lust fight all things that are corroding American democracy, and that we must be citizens first and Ne groes, secondly" MT. Walker al so stressed interrogation of all peoples in the struggle for true democracy. He said: "that is the hearts of the common people, there is a common cause.
 MT. Percy Christian, recently elected president, and Dr. Allen IF. Jackson, honorary president, pointed out the need for large active local membership.
 Mrs. William Beckham, cam paign chairman, gave a report of $116 from already subscribed members to initiate the campaign.
 MT. Arthur L. Johnson, dirctor of the campaign, pl esided at the rally, and announced the years goal for 2O0O members.