Evening star., 1950-06-04
Civil Rights Program
Termed Political
Writer Doubts Sincerity
OF FEPC Advocates
By Fronk Z. Kent

An incontestahle fact about politics in
this country-and. probably. In any coun.
try-is that lying and hypocrisy steadily
increase as the voting population grows.
The larger the vote. the more fruitful
the field for the demagogueS and fakirs.
Beyond dispute. this Is the basic reason
for the cheapening OF our public service
during the last two decades in which
the vote in presidential elections has
gone from 80. 900 900 in 1882 TO IS, 900 900
in le4S. The estimate for 1882 is ap-
proximately $4,000 900. Few will diSputs
that in those years. from the White
House down. ethical standards have been
lowered while the intellectual and moral
inadequacy Of our public representatives
has reached an all-t time high
Perhaps the most convincing illustra-
ton OF the situation Is in the so-called
civil-rights program OF Mr.. Truman, the
chief feature of which is the fair EN-
ployment practices proposal now pend
ing in the Senate. It is the simple
truth that among the proponents Of this
legislation there Is more humbug and
less sincerity than about any other pro-
posal that has been before Congress In
many years.
With rare exceptions. not 90 much
as trace Of sincerity on this issue exists
among the politicians In either party.
With these 1t is wholly o matter OF
politics. There Is and has been for IL
years contest between the parties to
hold the Negro vote in the 10 States OF
the North where 1t holds the balance Of
power. Particularly is this true Of the
Democratic Party, which since 1885 has
become more or less dependent on this
vote in most of these States and which
only began to be interested in the Negro
after 1896, when, for the first time, 1t
succeeded in weaving away from the
Republicans large percentage OF the
Negro vote which had been their basic
asset since the Civil War.
The story of how this was done has
been told before. but the present situa-
tion makes 1t worth briefly repeating.
In 1894, ex-senator Guffey Of Pennsyl-
vania sold the idea TO James A. Farley.
chairman Of the Democratic National
Committee. that with more patronage
for the Negro>he could carry Pennsyl-
vania. Mr.. Farley felt that II this could
be done in that State 1t could in others.
He and Senator Guffey sold the idea to
MFR. Roosevelt. who enthusiastically CO.
operated. The start was made by nam
ing a Negro editor from Pittsburgh as
an Assistant Attorney General. the high
est public Office ever held by Negro.
This was followed by an avalanche OF
Negro appointments to a large variety
Of Federal jobs.
In the 1896 campaign. the astute Mr..
Farley supplemented this by putting on
the committee pay roll a large number
OF Negro preachers, teachers, deacons
and others more or less oratorical who
were sent through the 10 States to spread
the gospel that Roosevelt and the New
Deal were the true friends Of the Negro.
AS result Of that campaign, more than
80 per cent Of the heretofore solidly
Republican Negro vote was transferred
to the Democrats-and most Of 1t is still
Democratic.
There was not an ounce OF principle
or sentiment in the whole performance
1t was a coldly calculated and cleverly
executed political plan. Ever since the
Democrats have coddled, cuddled and
cajoled the Negro vote in every possible
way. The climax came in the l94S con-
vention when the civil-rights plank, upon
which the FEPC is based, was adopted.
Now so deeply committed that, despite
the determined revolt in the South, ad-
ministration leaders cannot let go with
out risking loss Of vote that has be-
come vital.