St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1950-05-26

not near what we say DcCduSe
what we do keeps DINING in their
ears.
Ralph Waldo Emerson had the
insight OF a great philosopher
when ne reminded US that our
words seem empty but our actions
seem to fill the atmosphere.
The preservation and extension
of human rights is the paramount
issue of our generation. Basic
civil nights is the core of our
struggle against Communist total
ltarIanlsm.
There has been a great deal of
discussion on the floor of the
Senate about Communism. Our
antagOniSm to communism, our
hatred of the Communist philoso-
ply is based upon the fact that
communism denies basic civil
rights, denies mans relationship
to his God, denies the equality OF
men. So we hear all kinds of
speeches in the Senate about what
we should do about the COmmu-
nists, when the one thing we could
do to strike a real blow for free
dom as real blow against total
itarianism is to pass Senate bill
1928, which would open up the
benefits of opportunity to all peo-
pie, regardless of their race, color,
national origin, or religion. The
issue of civil rights penetrates our
foreign policy and l submit that
adulterates our domestic policy.
By denying basic civil rights TO
American people because of their
color or race or religion or ma
uOnal origin, we are denying the
basic principles of human equal
ity on which the foundations of
American democracy rest.
This year of 1850 is a rather
memorable and historic year, for
it was foursCore and seven years
ago, on January l, 1863, that a
noble American and a beloved
President, issued for his day and
for the pages of world history the
Emancipation Proclamation. Four
score and seven years ago, on No
vember 10, 1868, Abraham Lin
coin, standing bareheaded at
Gettysburg, rededicated our Ma
ton Ito the proposition that all
men are created equal"
We in the Congress of the Unit
ed States today, then, have the OPP
portunity and the privilege to say
to the world that the great mes
sage of human equality proclaim
ed to the world by Thomas JEFF
ferson and Abraham Lincoln and
Franklin Roosevelt still remains
the true beacon light which fash
ions and molds American life and
American hopes and aspirations.
Americans believe in the God
like principles of the Declaration
of Independence that all men are
created equal. Americans believe
in society based on human dig
nifty and equal opportunity. That
is the expressed purpose of Senate
bill 1928, namely, to create a body
of public law that will guarantee
the realization and the protection
of human dignity and equal oppor-
tunity.
Let us not allow a minority here
in America, though 1t be strong
here in the Senate of the United
States, to becloud the true nature
of the deep convictions of the
American people.
Let us not forget that a major
ity of the American people have
expressed their support for the
legislation which we now propose
to have the Senate of the United
States consider. They have express
sed their support through their
churches, of all denominations, as
the report of the committee of the
House and the report of the men,
bers of the Senate Committee re-
veal; through their labor organiza-
tons, through their civic and COM
munity councils, and through the
growing number of municipal and
State FEPC ordinances.
Today, 5O,OOo,OO Americans, or
more than one-third of the
country's population, live in COM
muniues governed by State and
municipal FEPC laws.
Permit me to digress for a |
moment to cite the Importance Of
this legislation for communities
not now covered by FEPC laws.
Many times during these debates
have heard our friends from the
South say, Why pick on the
South" Frankly, they have said
than in many instances southern
communities are more humane and
more fair in their treatment Of
minority groups than are northern
communities. l am not here to dis
pute that assertion. l simply say
that, because OF the migration of
people, and particularly at this
stage, the migration of Negro
American citizens into the north
ern cities, it is of paramount i'm
portance that social patterns be
established, and that we not allow
type of social pattern to be
established in the communities