Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1947-09-20
RECENT ELECTION SHOW
GREATER EFFORT TO KEEP
NEGRO FROM VOTING
CONTINUED from Page II

Continued from Page u
lister, Chas. Isaac, Grandmaster,
King David Masonic Grand Lodge,
he was called up privately and
allowed to re-register in the new
book because of his long time i'd
entity as leader in the Perry
Howard faction of the Mississippi
Republican Party.
In Vicksburg, and Warren Coun-
ty, according to official count,
there are today 500 Qualified Ne
gro voters. In the recent governors
election, which also included lesser
county and state officials, the vot-
ing in the first primary, on Aug.
9Th indicated a run-off between
the leading candidates for sher-
riff Of Warren County. On August
226th, the day of the Second pri-
mary run-off, at each polling place
in Vicksbuurg Negro voters had
their votes taken and put in a
large envelope and sealed envelope
where all Negro vites were being
deposited instead of being dropped
into the official ballot box.
At Prentiss, in Jeff Davis County
there is heavily populated Ne
gro precinct where for many years
including the last Bilbo election
| there has always been a Voting
Box. Just before the recent cleo
ton it was learned that there
| OWuld be no box for the precinct.
Although Negro citizens from the
| district brOugh the matter to the
| attention of high state and local
officials, including the Attorney
General and Secretary of State,
there was no box on election day.
At Pass Christian, in Harrison
County all Negro voters who pre-
scented themselves on election day
were refused the right to vote,
Already a number of Negro Vet
Grams of Harrison County have ask
ed aid from the NAACP to help
in bringing suit against the res
nOnSih1a Officials
Presumably, all of the above ac-
tons, and many othesr reported
denying to Negroes the right to
vote were taken under the laws
adopted by the last extra ordin-
airy session of the state legislature
called by Gov. Wright to change
the primary laws to keep Negroes
from voting, which authorized
county election officials to call
for a new registration at will;
and the action Of the state and
county Democratic party organ
izations in establishing rules which
required all voters in the election
to declare himself for White SUI
remacy' and Estates Rights, and
against FEPC, anti-poll tax, and
anti-lynching laws and other ac-
ton by the Federal government.
The effectiveness of this new
| approach to the problem of keep
ing Negroes from voting in Miss
issippi may be more clearly seen
in the widely published claim that
only 800 Negroes voted in the re-
cent governors election, although
more than 5000 voted in the more
openly bitter anti-Negro Bilbo
campaign if Just one year ago.
Intelligent observers, both white
and Negro, who speak candidly,
and who have closely observed
and investigated the situation say
that what reduced the number of
Negro votes SO sharply in the re-
cent elections as compared with
the Bilbo election was not pathy
or lack of interest because of the
failure to raise the NEGRO Cues
tion' in the campaign, but was
largely due to the fear of personal
intimidation and violence that un-
der the new approach has become
more subtle and more evident
though les noisy than in prev
ious years. Thus emphasizing the
need for Federal Criminal Action.
In number of cases charges