Evening star., 1946-08-23
BiIbo Proudly Defies
Constitution Of j. s,
DR.. Johnson Charges

An accusation that Senator Bilbo,
Democrat, of Mississippi, is openly
and proudly defying the Constitu-
tion of the United States" was made
last night by DR.. Joseph L. john
son, chairman of the Washington
Committee of the Southern Con-
ference for Human Rights.
Appearing on a national radio
network, DR.. johnson and DR.. Clark
Foreman, OF Atlanta, president of
the conference, we're interviewed by
Lowell Mellett, whose column ap-
pears in The Star.
At the outset of the program DR..
Foreman said the conference had
been formed as the result of a study
and report made by Mr.. Mellett eight
years ago when he was director of
President Roosevelt's National
Emergency Council.
Rebuttal to Bilbo.
Last nights remarks were in re-
buttal to those of Senator Bilbo
made over the same program-Mu-
tuafs Meet the Press"-on Au-
gust 8.
Invited by Mr.. Mellett to COM
ment on Senator Bilbo's statement
that the conference was "the head
OF the Communist party of the
South" DR.. Foreman said he was
permitted by the Senator's own
choice of words to say "the Senator
lied"
ANY one familiar with the Sena-
tors tactics knows he will stop at
nothing to smear organizations and
individuals who disagree with his
ideas and methods" DR.. Foreman
said.
Naturally, he doesn't like the
Southern Conference. We probably
are the greatest threat to Bilboism
in the South. The Southern Con-
ference is working to rid the South
OF conditions that make it possible
for Bilbos, Byrds and Rankins to
be elected
In spite of the Senator's rant
ings," DR.. johnson said, science
had proved" there was no diff
ference between the races in intel
ligence and potentialities.
But men like Senator Bilbo and
Adolph Hitler do not recognize
science and the Negro in the South
is denied equal opportunity in prac-
tically every field. He is even de-
MED the right of citizenship" he
charged.
Cites Call for Persuasion"
Recalling that Senator Bilbo had
urged followers to use persuasion"
to keep Negroes from the polls dur
ing the Mississippi primary, DR..
Johnson noted that in his broad
cast the Senator said the State
Legislature lis working to circum-
vent the recent Supreme Court
ruling against the white primary. :"
Senator Bilbo is openly and
proudly defying the Constitution of
the United States" DR.. johnson
charged.
People constantly speak of the
Negro problem and the race prob
lem There is no Negro problem
as such. 1t is all part of the same
problem - the Southern problem
>. BY isolating themselves and
refusing to face the issues the
Negroes can never overcome their
difficulties. 1t is only by working
together with other forward look
ing, Southerners that the Southern
Negroes can help themselves.
johnson Scores Poll Tax.
Scoring the poll tax, DR.. johnson
claimed that 10000 600 persons were
prevented from voting in the South
last year, 10 per cent of them white.
DR.. Foreman said that when Con-
gress reconvenes the Southern Con-
ference will work toward introduce
ton of Federal civil rights bill, to
back up. the 14th and 18th Amend
ments to the Constitution.
THE recent wave of lynchings
has shown that this bill is sorely
he said.