Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1951-06-23
K ( N D RIX
co M M EN- IS

Atlanta will remember Benjamin
jefferson Davis as Little Ben
Too, they will remember the elder
and late Benjamin jefferson Davis,
ST., as Big Ben
Little Ben, an admitted Com
munist, now stands convicted of
what the courts call "conspiring to
teach and advocate the overthrow
OF the government, AMI the Su-
preme Court has upheld this conx
viction."
On the otherhand, the elder Mr..
Davis was in his time big wheel =.
in the COP, hay-day boss of Re-
publican politics in Georgia and
/ high in national party circles, hav-
ing one time been Republican Ma
tional Committeeman from Geor-
gia.
In Georgia, the name Ben Davis
rested atop the mantel of political
and fraternal esteem throughout
the first quarter or more of this.
century. Coming out of Dawson,
Georgia, not far from the later
birthplace of Congressman Bill
Dawson, Big Ben was to have an
illustrious career.
His biography shows him to have
been journalist, and those who
knew his Atlanta Independent will
attest to the sharpness of his edi-
torial pen. Starting as a bricklay-
er, he later taught school and I'M
derstudied the great fraternal and
political leaders of his time, quick
ly rising to the top.
Ben Davis was known as the
Builder of the Odd Fellows Block,
in Atlanta, and that is probably
his lasting monument-for it still
stands and its main building is in
the possession of his great adj
mirer and protege, Bill Shaw. Like
wise history will record his as the
last of colored COP leadership in
Georgia.
For twenty-five years or more,
this rugged, self-made, maybe, born
leader was Georgia delegate-at-
large to Republican conventions.
He led many Black and Tan dele
| cation to COP conventions and
served four times on the Party's
resolutions and platform commit
tee. At the height of his rule, he
handled COP patronage for Geor-
i gia.
1t is said that when Big Ben
! spoke, all was still save the court
house wall which vibrated from the
force of his voice. This voice had
sounded-off in almost every court
house in Georgia, while its owners
stately countenance had entered
most of the post offices of the
Clay State. He fearlessly continued
the regime of Link" Johnson and
others.
Big Ben was big man in Geor-
gia-the sire of Little Ben.
| was fascinated by the career
of the elder Mr.. Davis and often,
in his late years, talked with him
as he stood on Auburn Avenue
looking into the past and upon the
massive structure which he built.
| never really knew Little Ben.
However, | do remember his hav-
ing played tennis on courts ada
cent to my high school.
That was in the early thirties
and he must not have long since
returned from Cambridge with his
Harvard LII. B. Ten years or more
passed before | again set eyes upon
the image of the graceful young
lawyer, whose skillful tennis play
ing had held my attention as a
high school student. In the mean
time, much had happened.
There was no more top Negro
COP leadership in Georgia, and
nationally Republicans were won
dering if FDR was going to be a
! lifetime resident of 1900 Pennsyl-
vania Avenue. The depression had
crumbled the great fra.ernal en-
pires, and Big Ben was but a sha-
dow of himself-his son having
moved completely out of his life.
Little Ben had been chief de-
Tense counsel in Atlanta's famous
Angelo Herndon case, later aban-
doning his hometown for New York
City and strange religion which
transplanted his Baptist heritage.
| sought him out in the lobby Of
an uptown New York hotel. | felt
that he could have had great
future as lawyer and leader of
his people in Atlanta, and | told
him so.
Even in New York, he may have
had fruitful political career. He
followed Adam Powell into the
city council, and as Republican.
he would have proved formidable
opponent for the Harlem congress
man. But the man from Morehouse.
Amherst and Harvard preferred
other lines.
Ben Davis, the younger. NAV not
consider this a sad story, nor would
he want his fate decried-but it is
-