Chicago world. (Chicago, Ill.) 1918-????, 1948-11-13
Gov. Rennebohrn
/ aIks ON Jim Crow

Governor Rennebohm, recent
ly returned to office bv the De
pie of Wisconsin said, what
can l do about Jim Crowism,"
Wfen asked what he intended to
do about jim Crowism in Wis
consin.
81 the Governor of our state q
man who actually does not know
what can be done about Jim
CTowism? We - hope not. We
hope he was just tired or not
thinking when ne made that re-
mark,-What can I do as gov
ernor of the state of Wisconsin,
a position Of trust, a position in
which l am responsible to God,
for the welfare of the people of
Wisconsin-all the people of
Wisconsin, not just those of light
complexion.
The two hundred who attend
ed a meeting, Sunday, October
81, at Miller Hall, a group OF
white and colored people, have
a few ideas about what Governor
RennebOhn can do about dis
elimination, in Wisconsin. This
group also sent in q complaint
to the national headquarters of
the NAACP.
This group has some very de-
finite ideas about what Cover
Rennebohn can do. He can
make it very clear that the state
OF Wisconsin as represented by
its governor, Personally and I'M
categorically dlsapproves Of jim
Crowism. He can make it very
clear that the state OF Wisconsin
is not mapping on this greatest OF
all social problems. He can make
it evident that the state OF Wis
consin is not a helpless little
corporation that can do nothing
but shrug it's shoulders and say,
well, if that's the way things
are, l guess that's the way things
are. You didn't expect us to DO
something did you?'
The point is Mr.. Rennebohm
can do something IF he desires
to and that's a. big IF, an IF
which twenty thousand people
in Milwaukee, white and color
ed, are vitality interested in.
In case My. lRennebQhm or
any other state official so lacks
information that he doubts the
existence of all the jim rCoW
evils Of the south, right in Wis
consin, we have only to remind
him again of an instance or two
from Beloit, Wis.
Miss Doris LaBundy who ask
ed the governor the question,
s'What are you going to do about
Jim Crowism in Wisconsin" and
received the limp answer, What
can l do?" writes thusly:
1.-TWO BeIoit dime stores re-
fuse to serve colOred people at
their soda fountain and lunch
counters. Since the CLIO officers
brought a damage suit against
a restaurant, they sometimes
dust ignore the colored patron
rnd go on, serving everyone else
who comes in.
''Archie S. oliver, Jr., Social
list candidate for Treasurer of
Wisconsin, came to Beloit to adj
dress a meeting. He went to the
Cczy Inn where he had been re-
fusd service in July. He asked
10 TOLL ~ t1no and tntI
him: When l was mere before
you said you Disseminated
against the colored people be-
cause the other restaurant own
ers did. Now if | get the other
owners to sign a paper saying
they will serve colored people,
will you serve they toe
The answer was no. The res
taurant owners care not at all
for the laws of Wisconsin. 90
Is this something Governor
Rennebohn can do nothing about
law enforcement in Wisconsin?
'"The city Of Beloit has a jim
Grow swimming pool policy with
beautiful pool for the whites,
a vastly inferior pool Tor the
Negroes.
The Governors office and the
Attorney General, upon pressure
of the League of Women Voters,
promised to help end racial dis
elimination in Beloit. The pro-
mise was made September 8.
Next summer will tell whether
the promise was good. The f-ty
of Beloit can be sentenced for
Jim Crowism in swimming pools.
This is one thing the Attorney
Generals office CAN do.
Yes, we hope the Governor
was just tired when he said,
"What can be done?" Even gov
errors, or maybe especially gov
eTnors do set tired. We can en-
derstand that. We can under
stand a slip Of the tongue.
We can understand it all IF
Governor Rennebohm shows US
he DIDN'T MEAN 1T!