Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-05
Letters to The Star
Private Enterprise Opportunities

Private Enterprise Opportunities
To the Editor of The Star:
Henry Wallace's Young Progressives re-
portedly are better versed in parliamentary
procedure than they are in the virtues OF
free enterprise. They ask for increased
security in their jobs pay and academic pur-
suits" but they will find out that If COM
petitive enterprise is replaced by socialistic
state, there will be no money to take care
of their demands.
Despite the teachings of some liberals that
individuals are not affected by socialistic
state, I challenge any New Progressiyes or
Socialists to prove that colectivism holds the
same economic opportunities open to them
that private enterprise does. READER.
Mr.. Kent's History Corrected
To the Editor of The Star:
Peerless newspaper political commentator
Frank r. Kent badly distorted his factual
background in doing column in The star
July "a on the so-called Negro vote as the
determining" factor in latterday presidential
elections He maintained that if the Negro
vote could be solidified in 10 States next
November 2, it should be so decisive that
the next President would have to be chosen
in the House of Representatives
Here. however, Mr.. Kent remains unchal-
lenged in his subjective realm OF "couldness"
-"wouldness." What's really
vital is how the facts tripped him. He re-
capitulated that prior to 1886, there was
no competition for the Negro vote; that it
was ex-senator Guffey, who during Mr.. Roose-
velt's first term, conceived the idea that, with
White House support Pennsylvania big
Negro vote 10000 in Philadelphia alone
could be made Democratic that Senator
Guffey sold this idea to Chairman James A.
Farley that Messrs Farley and Guffey took
their scheme to the White House; that Presi-
dent Roosevelt was enthusiastic, promised
whole-hearted support and, that, as result,
These unpublicized things swiftly hap
pened: Cd a Negro editor from Pittsburgh
was appointed an assistant attorney general
the highest public Office up to then any
Negro had held"
But this Negro editor from Pittsburgh was
appointed in 1933-a special assistant attorney
general. From 1920 up to that time he had
been leading. high7level Republican. and
served as director of Negro publicity for the
Republican National Committee in 1928. He
conceived the idea OF getting the big Negro
vote in Pennsylvania to go Democrat and sold
it to then Senator Guffey. Early in Mr..
Roosevelt's second term, nevertheless, the
Negro editor resigned, returned to Pittsburgh
that he might devote all his time to conduct
of his fast-growing publication and in 1910
he re-entered the Republican fold went all
out for Willkie Ito Mr. Guffeys avowed and,
perhaps, eternal DISCONTINUED.
The late editor from Pittsburgh, however
(whose memory I hold in hihgest esteem),
was not primary incumbent of the 'politico-
psychological" exigental office of special as
sistant attorney general; nor was it the
highest public Office up to then any Negro
had held" The place is creature of the
Harding administration; in the mira -depart-
mental category, it does not require conf1rma-
ton by the Senate, and the original appointee
was Perry w. Howard, then and now Republic
can National Committeeman from Mississippi.
A presidential act up to then unprece-
dented, until now unmatched, was President
Taft's appointment of Bostons William H.
Lewis as an Assistant Attorney General an
under cabinet position, which had to be and
was confirmed by the Senate. This was in
1910. Mr.. Lewis served until superseded by
the Wilson administration in 1918 and he is
the only colored person ever an Assistant At
torney General of the United States.
RIENZI B. LEMUS.