Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-03-29
Dolly Poper on Dixie Demogogue

senator bllDO OF mississippi,
when taking over the filibuster
against the fair employment prac-
tice bill, announced the intention
of speaking for the protection of
white Gentiles." From what a
we'll Of wisdom does this man speak,
that his remarks should be the sole
business of the Senate of the Unit
ed States in these momentous days
when prosperity, peace and the
very existence of the world tremble
in the balance? A look at the
record may indicate.
There are two pieces of wisdom
the Senator from Mississippi has
to give the Senate, and on them he
has built a career Of 3S years in
public life. They are: "Sardines,
crackers and cheese will go long
way" And again: The people
will always forget" On the first
of these he has built his physical
vigor; on the second, his political
philosophy.
With these simple precepts Sen
ator Bilbo has become a symbol
Of bigotry. He stands for shame
and prejudice. He has exploited
the faults and weaknesses of the
voters TO keep his State in back
wardness and himself in office. For
a little man, Bilbo is a large por-
tent of what is wrong with politics.
His racial views are known wide
ly but not too well. His beau ideal
is the white Southern Democratic
Gentile-"the whites" as he usual
ly says for purposes of brevity.
God created the whites, know
not who created the blacks. Surely
the devils created the mongrels."
I'VE people of the South must
draw the color line tighter and
tighter" he has declared. THE
white man is the custodian of the
gospel Of Jesus Christ. We will
tell our Negro-loving Yankee
friends to go straight to hell"
In 1914 people Of Mississippi
the "votin," as distinguished from
the "eatin'," according to his own
classification-pronounced him fit
to be Governor.
He was elected Governor again
in 1928, and at the end Of his term
Mississippi had $ll 500. 900 in debts
and $l,326.27 in the State Treas
ury. Out of a job at the end of
his term, he was recommended to
the Agricultural Adjustment Ad-
ministration by the late Senator
Pat Harrison in phrases of quail
fed eulogy.
He is very talented and one of
the most brilliant and magnetic
personalities in politics" Senator
Harrison said. "Of course, | don't
think it would be wise to place
Bilbo in a position Of financial
responsibility. He's as honest as
the day is long, you understand,
but 1t wouldn't be fair to put him
under any temptation" Bilbo's pc
culiar combination of talents and
allergies was fitted into the Federal
service through creation of a job
clipping news articles and pasting
them up at a salary Of $4,000 a
year.
Tired Of shipping and gluing,
Bilbo ran for the United States
Senate on the sure-fire platform
that his opponent, the incumbent,
had given "a Damyankee Repub-
lican" a $9,000-a-year job.
Bilbo has distinguished himself
in the Senate as the blabbermouth-
piece of filibuster; as the author of
the Negro-deportation bill and an
extraordinary piece of legislation
which would have authorized Con-
gress to reverse Supreme Court
decisions by two-thirds vote; and
as the chairman Of the Senate Dis
trtct Committee, in which post he is
virtually Mayor Of Washington and
has opposed the franchise for the
Federal city's people on the grounds
that "the alleys" - by which he
means the Negroes-would out
vote "the avenues"-by which he
means the white Southern Demo-
cratic Gentiles.
Opinions Of Bilbo differ. His own
opinion is that he is "a man of
titanic energy and Of dynamic driv-
ing power, a wonder in sustained
power Of endurance and a marvel
Of intellectual brilliance." Allan
A. Niche and Frank RhyIick in
their book, Dixie Demagogues,
classified him as Mississippi's Bill
bonic plague" and the most chi
merical Of the cracker paladins."
The commentator Raymond Swing
showed what he thought of him by
including him in a book on Fore
runners Of American Faseism." To
the PASeagoula MISS Chronicle
Star he represents the worst that
Is in u.s."
Such is the picture Of Theodore
G. Bilbo, who will TO all practical
purposes be the Senate Of the
United States until il pleases him
to close his mouth. How do YOU
like IL Ameriear-St. Louis Post
Dispatch.