Evening star., 1946-12-04
BiIbo
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Dido
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side polling place, after trying un
successfully to vote. He said ~
was charged with having been drunl
,, and disorderly, but denied that n
., took anything to drink.
, Mr.. ShankS also brought out b.
questioning that when Mr.. DAME
was tried and fined $40, Policeman
Williams was not called as wit
ness.
The Gulfport officer said he wa
inside the City Hall when a citizer
told him deputy sheriff needed
help outside. He said that after h'
brought sMr. Daniel back to Cit.
Hall, the colored man kept refusing
to be searched, which was regula'
ton, "and I hit Daniel two or thres
times with my open hand" The Off.
Ger admitted 1t produced blood ane
cut the prisoners lip.
! The policeman was shown Mr.
Daniels blood-stained clothing. HI
could not remember what Mr.. Dan.
ieI wore that day, but said If these
were the garments, the blood-stain.
probably were Mr.. Daniels.
Physician Testifies.
/ Dr.. S. M. Love of Gulfport, coloree
physician, told the committee today
he believes more Negroes would have
voted this year if Senator Bilbo hac
not made his speeches against
Negro voting.
DR.. Love told of treating two OF
the colored men from Gulfport who
claimed they were beaten on Demo-
cratic primary day, July 2. He told
the committee he voted at another
polling place without dificulty that
day.
Under questioning by Chairman
Ellender, DR.. Love said he Is a
Democrat but admitted he voted
for Dewey in 1914. Senator Ellen
der asked him how he could say
that he is a Democrat, in view Of
that admission.
1T thought I had a right to vote
for the man of my choice" the doc
tor answered.
A colored minister, the Rev. G.
M. Eiland, testified today that when
he went to vote a white man told
him, I'VE took this country from
the Indians and we're not going t<
let you take it from U.s."
Paid Taxes Is Years.
Mr.. Eiland said he first went tx
the polls in midday and was tolc
| If he came back at pm. he could
vote. The witness said he knew
the polls closed at 6. so he returned
at $50. This time, he said, they
told him fatty he could not vote
and recounted the story of the In
dians.
The minister said he told the mer
his father paid taxes after slavery
was abolished, and that he had beer
a taxpayer for Is years.
He quoted the man at the poll
ing place as replying that "a loi
of these soldier boys want to vote
and if we let you vote we'll have
to let them vote"
The overseas war service of many
Southern Negroes was one of the
factors prompting them to try te
vote this year, testimony before the
committee indicated.
Senator Thomas, Democrat, o1
Oklahoma brought out by question.
ing one colored veteran that hi:
four years spent in uniform, partly
in the Pacific, gave him and other:
an opportunity to discuss the righ,
to vote with colored soldiers from
other parts of the country.
Strengthening this exchange o1
ideas was the fact that while they
were overseas, the Federal soldier
voting law sought to make it easier
for them to cast q ballot.
Another Beating Case.
Another serious charge Of q
beating at the polls was made late
yesterday by vanardo r. Collier
colored, of Gulfport, who said he
and his wife both were struck by
white men at polling place on
primary day. He testified that after
he regained consciousness on the
porch of the building and started
back to find his hat, one man in
the group drew a long knife and
said, Don't come back in here or
you won't come out alive" He said
he and his wife left.
The circuit clerks of several coun-
ties, who handle registration OF
voters, took the stand yesterday
afternoon and gave testimony favor
able to Senator Bilbo.
The circuit clerks testified, in
response to questions by Senator
Ellender, that the people Of Missis-
sippi would have been just as intent
on maintaining a white Democratic
primary this year if Senator Bilbo
had not been a candidate. Their
testimony led to several sharp ex-
changes with Senator Bridges, Re-
publican, of New Hampshire.
Questioned on Statement.
G. E. Cooke, circuit clerk at
Greenville, was asked by COMMITTEES
Counsel Louis Wyman if he re-
called telling one group of colored
men that no matter how they
answered registration questions it
would not satisfy him.
The clerk said he believed he told
them, "in broad terms, they would
have hard time convincing me"
He contended, however, that this
conversation took place outside the
courthouse, after Office hours, and,
therefore, had no bearing on the
registration complaints.
Senator Bridges broke in to OBJ
serve that he could not 60 along
with the clerks reasoning that he
is one person inside the courthouse
and another when he gets outside.
Clifford r. Field, circuit clerk of
Adams County, at Natchez, also
testified Senator Bilbo's speeches
had no influence on what he did as
an election official.
Senator Ellender asked the wit
ness If it Is not common knowledge
that, not only Mississippi but the
whole South has tried through the
years to keep Democratic primaries
white. Mr.. Field agreed that is