Arizona sun., 1948-05-14
The People Speak:
MIR. TRUMAN'S CIVIL RIGHT:
DECLARATION


Dear Editor of The Sun:
Our chief executive has recently
seen fit to declare himself on a
subject which others in his position
have thought better to ignore.
do not believe that any person,
providing he is disinterested in the
economic results of the colored
vote, could sincerely deny the Ne
gro's ethical eligibility to the bal
lot. Many in the South do deny it.
Never have they defended their po-
sition on purely moral grounds.
They have, however, coined some
phrases, among the best of which
is "white supremacy" an indefin-
able intimation. Wherein lies this
supremacy-is it physical? Ridicu-
lous. Moral? More ridiculous; in
fact, I have never heard of Ne
gro elected to an office of public
trust who saw fit to abscond with
or embezzle any funds in his keep
ing. On the other hand, defalca-
tionS of this sort are so common
place among those designated un-
der "white supremacy that they
excite but. little comment. We late
ly heard of a banker in Holbrook
and a year or so ago there was an
odor around and about the asses
sor's office. We changed attorney
generals the other day. Bribery is
an ugly word. No man, white or
black, could have clearer con-
ception of right and wrong than
these. They are morally as we'll as
criminally guilty. I hold that the
average Negro is not so we'll edu-
Gated as the average white, and
therefore his moral guilt is less
stealing and borrowing may in
reality approach a kindred inter-
probation.
Many educators support the con-
tention that the Negro is mentally
inferior as a race to the white.
Must we, then, if this is true, deny
equal opportunities to our mental
interiors? Why not let supremacy
prove itself, and like the good
sportsman supremacy always is,
stop clamoring for an advantage
Gus position-a head start in the
race of life? Among good sports
men, so I was brought up to be-
lieve, the handicap is self-assigned
to the stronger. Not so it seems
with the supreme"
None of the foregoing affect the
case. Arguments have flourished
on this subject since the beginning
of this nation. The cause is an old
one-expedience. The Democratic
party in the South is in the hands
of the southern industrialists who
have somehow persuaded southern
white labor that their interests are
more closely aligned with those of
the southern capitalists than with
those of other southern labor. This
is falsity promoted by self-inter-
est. We all know any over-supply
or even cheap labor forces down
the price of all labor. These men
purchase labor as a commodity,
and it is subject to the basic law of
supply and demand as is any other.
However, by establishing a distinc-
tive group identified primarily as
low-priced labor, they have gone
far in controlling the price of all
labor.
Mr.. Truman may have admitted
ly made some mistakes and re-
but by his stand on this subject,
versed himself on some subjects,
and at a time when it may injure
him most, he has earned and COM
mands the highest respect of friend
and foe alike. Some of the voters
may prefer a man of established
moral responsibility in preference
to politicians who promise all and
are concerned mainly with being
elected-but who would under no
consideration, regardless of the
morality involved, dare ALLEVIATE so
large a bloc of votes as the "Solid
South"
LEE MONTS,
361 N. 3rd Ave-, Phoenix.