St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1948-05-14
Virginius Dobney - Pulitzer Winner

The Pulitzer Prize is highly esteemed The that
Vrgnius Dabney editor Richmond Times Dispatch had
awarded prize editorial writing look
through back issues of his what editorials had
good writer a very good Whether
periOr equal to those of his
Of opinion In the opinion Of the Judges the,
One phase of Mr. Dabneys writing that would interest Ne
concerned with the editors attitude toward President
Trmans Civil Rights program He was against -bierly
against The attitude of Mr. Dabney conforms the of
most editors of Southern conservative But unlike
most of his fellow editors of the South Mr. Dabney has
being intelligent Southerner genuinely Interested
in lettering relations in the South How well Mr. Dabney
deserves this reputation is a matter of dispute.
Vrginus Dabney is no Rankin. He is Tamadge He
certainly no crude racebaer like Senator Eender of Lou
SOuthener LIBERAL of whom she eau
ton has become cherished habit conscience has been split
off long from words easy
hasm between them Into that chasm flow the Of South
ern liberalism and its integrity We just don't love human
freedom enough to take real risks for it."
A little time Mr. Dabney made speech before the
American Society of Newspaper Editors This speech confirms
in this writer's opinion that he belongs that we'll
described by Lillian Smith The speech Mr. Dabney will
have far reaching effects among his fellow editors partcu
ary those who feel that best the Negro nuisance
whose only another difficult problem To them
to Mr. the best approach Even
tually. they hope things will turn out all right.
1t would be impossible give all of Mr. Dabneys speech
here but would like mention of its points The
specifically that the North does prob
lem. The South burdened by the oneparty system The
of the South has made great advances His standard
of comparison is the ncendary editorials" of the Atlanta
Evening News of 1906 The standard
but we would agree that the South has not been completely able
resist the tide of Mr. Dabney is against Nnchng
and also against Federal anynching bill Lnching, he
has almost been completely wiped out and Federal bill
would not help but rather might be nammaory Chs would
imply that the few individuals who nched now
not important enough justify proposed Federal legsa
tom Then he continues there possibility that ant lynch
legislation might nfamc the hotheads Of the South
going and ynching few Negroes spite the Federal
government
Mr. Dabney also believes that the South should fair
to the Negro but he does not think FEPC is the
10 do it, He also with good authority that all South
not racial bgot He backs the claim with nds
putable evidence who said that all Souherners racial
bgots? Does Mr. Dabney himself fear they might be-?
In conclusion Mr.. Dabney that President Truman's
proposed Civil Rights makes the election
almadge Governor Of Georgia almost inevitable
Of SranVest Of paadoxes is that ndg
nantly denouncing the contempt with
zion and Souheners people held peoples other
sections and next breath indctng
unfit 70 govern themselves This Mr. Dabney
hoes when that because Of the Presidents Rights
roTam the people Of Georgia will not elect
O the governoshp but Herman Tamadge in order to spite