Evening star., 1950-06-15
BY Benz Price
Associofed Press Stoff Writer

COLUMBIA, S. C.-This is the
headquarters for a point of view;
that of the Dixiecrat or States
Right Democrat.
No more logical place can be
found to ask What has the South
done for the Negro?"
It also is the logical place tc
seek opinion on those who woulc
challenge the South's traditional
race pattern.
The chief spokesman for the
States Fighters is, of course. Gov
j. Strom Thurmond, ex-Presi-
dental candidate and presently
a candidate for the Senate seat
held by Olin Johnson.
In a rather hurried interview
Gov. Thurmond was asked. What
do you think is the Negroes po-
litical future in the South?"
Won't Make Prediction.
To this the governor replied
that an answer would constitute
a prediction and he simply did
not care to predict.
AS for the broad question about
what the South has done for the
Negro. Gov. Thurmond pointed
out that he had recommended the
abolition of the poll tax as a pre-
requisite for voting in South
Carolina and that the issue would
be settled in the November gen.
eral election by submission to the
people as a constitutional amend
ment.
Gov. Thurmond also observed
that II have recommended in this
state the establishment of a train
ing school for Negro girls. Here
tofore they have just stayed in jail
when arrested. There also has
been adopted by the legislature a
recommendation for Negro
school for the feeble minded. ]
have recommended more parks
and schools"
Referred to Secretary.
For the answer to the rest of
the question, the governor referred
to his secretary, George McNabb.
Mr.. McNabb pointed out that
South Carolina was spending
nearly half it's annual budget OF
about $1O0,000,0O0 (minus about
$50 million for highway develop
ment) for education and that
Negroes were obtaining an in
creasingly large share.
The governors press secretary
then said that the governor s
best answer probably would be
contained in an address made u
a group of Negroes at Sumter
S. c. Here then is Gov. Thur
mond's answer:
Opportunities for the Negro
in the South are greater today
than ever before. His advantages
are increasing rapidly in educa.
ton, health, in agriculture anc
business.
Gives Illustration.
can illustration of the mannel
in which the Negro Is taking
advantage of his opportunities
in the South is that of the in
surance business. The nationa
Negro insurance association il
1916 listed As member companie'
of which 25. were in the South.
Another good example O.
Negro enterprise is that of tht
banking business. There art
IL Negro o-owned banks in the
United States and II of then
are in the South.
Opportunities in abundance
have developed in other business
lines such as undertaking. auto
repair, barber shops, beauty
parlors. cleaning and pressing
establishments. shoe repair and
the like.
secs ECOuOIN1C 1dlUS.
Improvement IN the economic
condition of South Carolina
Negroes, for example, is marked
in the occupation of farming
A large number of our Negroes
work and live on the farm. About
81 per cent of all the people in
agriculture in this state are
colored.
Cali our colored operators
began 80 years ago as either
tenants or share-croppers. Today
many of them own their owr
farms and many others are buy.
ing them.
"In 1945 the census showed
II, 1888 Negro farm owners in South
Carolina. OF all owners of farms
81 per cent were colored-which i
a high figure when you consider
that the proportion of colored il