St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1947-09-19
Well Deserved Tribute

Voltaire said, by appreciation make excellence in
others property Frederick Douglass perhaps the
greatest American Negro who has lived said in his auto
biography Gratitude to benefacOrs wellrecognized
virtue and to express it in some form or other however i'm
perfectly is duty to ourselves well those who
helped us What these two great minds said
citation and gratitude must be in the thinking of the
OF Negro citizens who sponsoring testimonial banquet
in honor of Charles Lilly Horn of Minneapolis Monday night
at the Curtis Hotel
1t rs very fitting that-almost two years after the end
OF actual production at the plant Horn operaedthe
people OF the two communities have the good ppreca
ton and gratitude to in public way indicate their approval
OF the fine work he did in the interests of fair play for work
ers OF the Negro group.
Mr. Horn has already received honor and satisfaction
from the realization that his policies hailed nationwide
and that President Franklin Roosevelt wartime chief
took cognzance of his fine contribution and appointed him
the Presidents FEPC which carried the bulk the job
banning discrimination in employment against Negro citizens
He must also realize whether others do or not that his
ssence that Negroes be given opportunity to work
their highest skill has radically improved and affected the
t OF the Negro worker in the present peacetme industry
occupying with credit fifty different types of jobs from which
they were barred before New Brighton he get
There who will assert in attempting to bete
the experiment in industrial democracy" Twin Cities
ordnance Pant that the plant operator did in the
matter of Negro employment than he should have Mr. Horn
would be the first to with that theory-bu it takes no
peace has seldom dome what it should the matter of Civ
ing Negroes an opportunity to fully share in the benefits of
nght despite terrific opposition in some quarters
AT the end Of the war there were still plants in
minneapolis ana 81 Paul who would not hire Negroes There
still plants who would hire them only in the lower maid
and unsed jobs There others that would not hire
Negro the machines and the largest plant with
the exception Of TCoP in this with 1900 persons
us payroll until the last refused to employ than three
Negroes and refused those three upgradng
For many weeks Twin City Negroes took home in excess
OF 100000 per week from New Brighton Many of them
bought homes paid off mortgages fixed up their property
opened businesses and generally filled the pockets of neigh
oorhood and downtown stores Many the workers saved
considerable amounts of money in bonds Others saved
nothlng There are few who truhuly say that TCOP
was not good place to work There was not an empoye
at that plant white black who didn't know that Charles
Horn would not stand for unaess based on race or color
Whte workers got to know Negro workers on large scale
and the effect has gone into today's industry
So long after Mr. Horns signature has ceased to appear
on their checks of his former employees and other
czenS OF vision will Monday night to nav tribute TO
man who has made fine contribution to our communities
mat the tribute should come when there is no compu
sonno high pressure-no apple polishing of the boss-s
good because Mr. Horn will know that the people who are
here are present because they believe he has done good
job and the best he could N'''' " h''"