Evening star., 1949-03-27
Cynical Politics Seen
In Civil Rights Defeat
Negro Vote in Eleven Pivotal States
Held Real Concern of Politicians
By Frank r. Kent

.
Held Real Concern of Politicians
By Frank r. Kent
The extraordinary manner in which Mr..
Truman's program has Topped makes plain
so many things that it is not feasible to
present them all in a single column. The
best way is to touch today only upon q
couple Of outstanding facts now too clearly
revealed to be denied
One is the absurdity of the claim that In
the last election either Mr.. Truman or his
program was indorsed in way to constitute
mandate" If such had been the case
public sentiment would have insured con-
gressional compliance. No such public SEN
timent manifested ITSELF 1t simply is not
there. 1t is unlikely we will hear much more
about those mandates s"-except from the
CIO and the professional liberals" Mr.
Truman just squeaked through last Novem-
ber and the only mandate" he justly can
claim is from the special groups to which he
especially appealed. to which he owes his
election and to which his promises were
made These are still behind his program,
but there is not the slightest evidence the
people generally want to go in its direction.
That is the real story of why Congress
which the Democrats fully control SO far
has refused to 60 along With a newly elected
the preceding Republican Congress did. The
second outstanding fact is the shocking
hypocrisy in both parties on the So-called
civil rights program, the heart of which
is the ending Of racial segregation and the
breaking down of all bars to complete politi-
cal and economic equality erected against
the Negro in the South. OF all public ques-
tions this racial equality issue is the one
most completely saturated with politics and
h.
sincere politicians about this business are
those in the South who oppose-and not all
of those. For the rest Democrats and Re
publicans. it is not question of conviction
it is solely question of votes. Ninety-hve
per cent of the breast-beating and believing
on this subject is sheer humbug.
Up to 1886 this was not the case-at least
not to the same degree. Up to that time the
Negro vote had been almost solidly Republi-
can-and the Democrats had been content
to leave it so. In that year. the then Sena-
tor Joe Guffey of Pennsylvania, the then
Democratic chairman James A. Farley and
the then President Franklin Roosevelt con-
cocted cynical political scheme without
trace of principle in it, to transfer the
Negro vote in IL pivotal Northern States
to the Democratic Party. The instruments
they used. in the order of their effectiveness,
were the late Harry Hopkins and his WPA,
the personal popularity of Mrs. Roosevelt.
the Federal patronage made available by
Mr.. Roosevelt, the Democratic National
Committee, payrollS and propaganda.
The scheme was so successful that Mr..
Farley still regards it as the greatest political
coup in the history Of American politics. The
appalling result, however, was to create
fierce competition, such as never before eX-
listed. between the two parties for the Negro
vote in the big cities of the North-the
Democrats trying hard to hold on to what
they had stolen the Republicans desperately
striving to get it back. In consequence.
Northern Negro leaders found themselves in
a position. not previously occupied. where
they could dictate to both parties. And both
parties found themselves in fix where they
could not refuse their demands and WeIe
compelled to make promises which honest
men knew would not be carried out and
most believed should not be.
*'a+
Under such conditions the failure of the
civil rights program in Congress Is not sur
priSing. The real reason for failure was not
the fllibuster of the Southern Democrats. A
real majority can always beat flibuster, If
it occurs at the beginning instead Of near
the end of q session and if the majority is
sufficiently earnest and not entirely inept.
The real reason was the utter lack OF convic-
tion and heart among the advocates of the
program The conviction and heart was in
the opposition and Walter White. the ablest
and most important of the Negro leaders, was
entirely right when after the administration
surrender he made that charge.
AS things stand now, the administration
program is in bad health. In modified form
some of it will 60 through but the civil
rights part seems really wrecked. Not only
is there slight chance it can be revived
this session, but prospects for the near future
are dim. This is privately admitted by
leading Senators of both parties. If. they
ask with both parties thoroughly COM
mitted, as they were. and the President
determined, as Mr.. Truman was, it. can
is not only that the Southern Democrats
are supplemented by others who, while
favoring, believe action must be left to the
States and that racial relations will be
hurt rather than helped by any attempt
to achieve the goal by Federal law-but.
in addition, there is no general public
sentiment for such attempt.
Despite the "hollering and whooping"
about discrimination and equality the racial
gulf is still the widest and deepest in the
world. Gradually it can-and Should-be
bridged. But it certainly cannot be sue
cessfully brdged through a Federal law
that violates the deeply rooted social as
we'll as economic customs and beliefs of
large section of the country Particularly. is
this true when it is so clear the movement
is not inspired by sincere desire to improve
the condition of the Negro, but is promoted
by hypocritical politicians competing for
Negro votes in elections. That is the simple
truth -..
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