The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1950-07-08
Walter Whites Speech
AIT NAACP Convention

stczeE and the word is used
advisedly from public funds
from colored in the states where
there is segregation.
+ When you 60 back home, in
eidently, ask you to join in nail
ing the harmful propaganda oil
the undetermined who constant
~ grumble about the amount OF
money sent by branches to the
National Office. Your NAACF
has won % out of 80 cases which
it has carried to the. U. S. Sup
RENE Court. No other organic
ation in the history of America
has compiled such a brilliant
record. The total cost Of all thirty
cases is less than that OF one
single case in defense of property
rights recently before the Sup
rene Court - the Tidelands oil
case. The % victories in defense
Ct human rights - not only of
the colored but of all Americans
- have done more to preserve
the democratic process than al
most any other event in American
history. They have been won be-
cause able and unselfish lawyers
have given generously Of their
time and skill. Yet there still are
these who cannot see that human
freedom can never be won, unless
we are willing to pay for it.
Another important develop
ment of the past year which is a
portent for the future as well as
proof OF how scundly we have
builded was the great mobiliz-
alton for the civil rights pro-
gram which was held in Wash
ington last January. Roy Wilkins
and The committee which worked
Sc faithfully and successfully to
make the mobilization SO great a
success deserve the thanks of all
America. 1t was the largest and
most effective demonstration in
behalf of civil rights legislation
which has ever been staged. The
basic unity of civic, church,
labor and other organizations to
achieve the legislation which
both major political parties had
unequivocally pledged should be
a warning to slippery politicians
and political parties.
The Board Of Directors of the
NAACP has approved a recon-
rnendaticn that a meeting be
called this fall of interested or
CARNATIONS to plan united action
against those politicians in Con-
gress who sold us out on civil
rights. Notice is hereby served
that no political party will be
permitted either to participate or
to influence the decisions Of
actions of this conference. We
shall meet on completely nom
partisan basis as American
citizens and voters who are bitter
al the sellout we have suffered
and who are determined to ex-
press our disapproval, irrespect-
i've of political party, of those
who failed to keep their word.
1t will not be an easy fight
because our enemy is resource
full, determined and unscrupul-
Gus. Least dangerous among them
are the ranting race-baiters. We
know where they stand and what
at present, we can or cannot as
yet do about them.
Themore dangerous ones are
the more subtle politicians who
clothe themselves in the robes of
responsibility. smile unctuously
at those they are about to double
cross, and then piously campaign
for reelection on the spurious
ground that they were prevented
from, keeping their promises by
those pesky Dixiecrats. l have in
mind such men as Mr.. Taft of
Ohio who wrote the 1913 Repub-
lcan Party platform plank pro-
missing unequivocal support Of a
Federal FEPC. But a year later
heproposed toothless measure
without enforcement powers de-
spite the example in Cleveland
where an employer sponsored
voluntary plan proved so useless
that law with enforcement
power had to be substituted. No
word has come out OF Washing
ton, incidently, that Mr.. Taft pro-
poses to amend the Taft-Hartley
Act by excising its enforcement
powers in keeping with his posit-
ion on FEPC.
have in mind the Majority
Leader of the Senate, Mr.. Lucas
Of Illinois, who approached the
Senate fight for. FEPC with
quaking knee and quavering
voice much as one would march
to the electric chair.
The attitudes of MIR. Repub-
lean and "Mr. Democrat are
typical, with but a few except
ions in both parties. Of the gross
insincerity on the civil rights