Evening star., 1948-08-08


He knows that the States Right
ers" won't get far. Following strictly
the constitutional pattern, propo-
nents of civil rights still can give
us plenty of grief. Our reliance
must be placed on the sense. of JUS
tice of the American people and
their political representatives.
Fourteen years ago a speech IN
Senate debate over civil rights ended
with these words, do not enact
this legislation. 1t will awaken the
sleeping monster that brought on
the Civil War"
Cuts Into Fixed Ways of Life.
1t was the plea, not of South
erner, but of one completely above
suspicion on race matters and firmly
attached to the liberal tradition
the late great George Norris OF
Nebraska.
We of the South are quick to
disavoW revival of issues provok-
ing disunion (the occasional fears
of our Northern friends on this
score amuse us but the Truman civil
rights proposal goes deeply into the
basic assumptions and fixed ways
of life upon which our social sta
bllity rests. We will have none of it.
Please do not apply a harsh judg-
ment on us for repudiating the Tru-
man program in its totality. We are
not unreasonable. When we threaten
to be unreasonable, our better ma
lures always become assertive and
then we seek basis for compro-
mise.
The dramatics at the Democratic
convention this year overshadowed
the significant fact that every
Southern member of the platform
committee okayed the compromise
civil rights plank. We do not oppose
civil rights. We do oppose mix
ing civil rights with certain social
aspirations, even legitimate ones,
which are not subject to realization
by legal penalties.
Progress Made.
A fact that many OF our critics
overlook is that since Reconstruc-
ton most Southern lawyers have
been sensitive to basic rights OF
Negro citizens and have sought,
often without compensation, to pro-
tect them in court actions against
invasion of the rights of person and
property. Much remains to be done
toward the grand ideal of equality
before the law, but progress Is being
made. Every sensible observer knows
that Federal legislation would re-
tard rather than help this develop
ment.
What about the health of Negroes?
I know that any suggestion re-
lated to the physical well-belng OF
this race often is dismissed by those
who are absorbed in political con-
troversy. But my point is that prog
ress is being made in attitudes, and
through better health practices both
races are demonstrating how to at
tack a common enemy. Tremendous
progress is being made because the
intelligent leadership Of the South
knows that the penalty for nonco-
operation is a high mortality rate.
What about education? In Ar
kdllSdS, VIC d1S lllPetA oG&'SA f"So-
in economic resources. We have
at all times found it difficult to
maintain minimum school stand
ards for white children. Yet we
have made significant strides to-
ward providing equal facilities for
Negroes. Perhaps we we're late IN
getting started toward meeting this
obligation, but today an adequate
educational system for the Negro is
one of our important goals and we
are meeting this issue admirably.
Z. S. Education Aid Pushed.
In Arkansas we have provided an
increase of S5,500,000 for each of the
next two years to improve Negro
schools. This will mean better
buildings and transportation and
more and better teachers. There is
now in effect planned program to
equalize the two school systems.
This cannot be done overnight but
shortly. in those towns having an