St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1951-04-06


ing and action.
FBI Agents Under Fire
The school has been accepting
Negro students for several years
despite Tennessee laws against at
tendance of Negroes and whites.
All students are adults and no
complaint has been lodged until
recently when the FBI repeatedly
went into the town and quizzed
residents about Negro students
at the school. Such questioning,
Mr.. Horton said, tended to create
suspicion that the loyalty of the
institution was under suspicion or
that it was Communistic or i'm
moral.
Mr.. Horton protested to the U.
S. encouragement about FIJI
methods which he felt were I'M
fair to the school. Correspondence
with the Attorney-General and
lIlG bl was 81
Louis Post-Dispatch.
Later citizens of Monteagle
rallied in behalf of the school at
a meeting of so persons.
According to the ST. Louis Post
Dispatch, when Horton found that
people of the neighborhood were
disturbed by the agents in
quiries, he sent a letter to each
family inviting them to come to
a meeting so they could be in
formed of what was goi-S on.
The letter expressed the hope that
the school would continue to have
their confidence.
Harassed Schools Neigrbors
What strategy prompted the
FBI agents." Horton wrote, ito
watch the school by night, to
harass neighbors with questions
linking Negroes with Communism
is not clear. It has long been Il
matter of public record that they
could catch us red handed prac-
ticing racial democracy by visit
to the school"
1t is clear, though, he wrote,
what the results had been. A
community that had for 10 years
accepted the presence of Negroes
at Highlander without a protest
had been instigated to question
because they had been led by the
agents questions to infer that at
tendance of Negroes meant the
presence of Communism. Years
of community education, he de-
clared, were being undermined by
an appeal to race prejudice.
I'VE cannot treat democracy"
ne wrote, like hot potato that
can't be handled until it cools off.
To us, democracy is an alive con-
cept that must grow or die, and it
can't be a little dead either"
Neighbors Out in Force
The letter brought the schools
neighbors in force to the meeting.
Horton told the people that the
meeting had been called to clear
up possible misunderstanding
about the program of the school.
I'VE want to know" he said,
IF there is anything wrong with
running a nursery school, taking
people to the hospital, helping
with the community hot lunch
program, or with educating union
people to demand their rights.
We believe that the rights guar
anteed by the Constitution should
apply to people of all races and
religions. We believe in and prac-
tice democracy and brotherhood.
We have people of all races come
to the school, Negroes, whites,
Mexicans, and people from Europe
and Asia. And we appreciate the
fine way in which you have helped
make them welcome in our COM
munity."
He also told them about ex-
periments with year-round pas
ture for cattle in an effort to
demonstrate what can be done on
the mountain in the way of farm
ing.
IF this kind Of program" he
said, land supporting the iva
and similar organizations is sub
versive, then Highlander is sub
versive, but we are not secret
about it. We are proud Of what
we are doing and want everybody
to know about 1t.
The red charges, Horton said,
had been hurtful and had resulted
in the loss Of contributions. 1t had
been necessary to close the nur-
sery school He appealed to the
neighbors to help stop these ru-
mors by refusing to be party to
the spreading of them.
FBI Confused
May Justus of Tracy City, Ten
nessee, one Of the sponsors Of the
school, wrote to Horton:
When racial democracy can be
confused with Communism In the
minds Of the FBI agents, there
Is cause for alarm, it seems TO