Evening star., 1950-06-16
1q South-No. 5
By Benz Price
Assoeioied Press StaH Writer

Assoeioied Press StuH Writer
COLUMBIA, s. c., June 49,
The Negro in the South has his
feet planted firmly on the political
road from second to first class cit
izenship.
Sometimes he takes a broad
step, but mostly he just inches
along.
That he moves at all is a trib-
ute not only to his own efforts, but
to the changing attitude of many
White Southerners who feel the
Negro should receive the ballot as
a matter of simple justice.
One by one, artificial barriers
to enfranchisement are toppling.
Gone is the discriminatory BoS-
well amendment in Alabama
which sought to bar the Negro
from the polls by leaving it to
the discretion of White registrars
as to whether he could interpret
the Constitution.
Likewise. after a long bitter bat
tie, he won in Federal court the
right to participate in South Caro-
lina's real election, the Democratic
primary.
Still Some Opposition.
He has advanced to the point
where in every Southern State ex-
cept Mississippi, he votes in the
tens Of thousands, though there
still are rear-guard actions
against his mass participation.
To the surprise of a great many
traditional" Southerners, there Is
q Negro alderman in Winston
Salem, N. c. Richmond, Va, has
O Negro city councilman.
Even here, headquarters for the
States Rights Democrats, a Negro
undertaken is in the race for city
council. Another is running for
the council In Chattanooga. Two
repeatedly may enter the race in
Nashville.
Weekly Editors Views.
Here, too, is to be found an ag-
gressive Negro political movement
similar to those found in other
large Southern cities. This one is
spanked by Editor John McCray
of the weekly newspaper. The
Lighthouse g. Informer.
To the broad question, what
has the South done for the Ne
gro?" McCray replied, Nothing.
Nothing they didn't have to do.
Anything that has been done has
been done by the Negro mostly,
through the Federal courts, the
threat Of Federal court action or
fear of action by Congress"
Implicit in the Negro movement
is the belief that politicians listen
only to voters and that only by
voting can they obtain the serv-
ices of their Government.
In an interview Mr.. McCray ex-
pressed the belief that this next
election will be the last in South
Carolina in which race will be
much of an issue"
The reason, said Mr.. McCray,
will be the emergence of the Negro
as a major political factor.
Out to Break Record.
He pointed out that after the
Federal courts opened the State
Democratic primary to Negroes in
1948 about 10000 voted. "This
time" he added, I'VE are out to
get 100000"
The young Negro editor, q ma
tive of Charleston, said the polit-
ical awakening of his people began
with the New Deal.
When the New Deal took the
Negro, chopping cotton at rs cents
an acre, out of the field and gave
him something, he began asking,
What can do to help this man
ROOSEVELT
Goal for Registration.
In those days there were six
branches of the National Associa-
ton for the Advancement of Col
ored People in the State. Now, he
reported, there are So with mem
bership of $4,000, largest in the
South.
Mr.. McCray said the goal for
South Carolina was to register
not less than SO per cent of the
entire adult Negro population.
"We didn't want to see the races
divided in politics." he continued,
land we went to the Whites to see
what could be done. We got va
rious reactions, but the majority
said 1t just couldn't be done"
Races Got Together.
Another great awakening to the
potentialities of the ballot came
in the municipal elections at Con-
way, s. c.. in 1914, Mr.. McCray
declared.
There, he reported. a White fac
ton known as the Reform" group
set out to oust the incumbent.
They actually met in barber
shops and church Easements at
night seeking the Negro vote.
When the election came the in
cumbents got 413 votes and the
Reform Negro group got 417-and