Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1951-03-02

To say that q man can be pre-
JUDGED against Negroes all his
life and for the duration Of q
given trial as JuryBAn. such q
man can be- free Of prejudice,
In 20 fly Into the face Of the
laws Of social Psychology. No
man on earth can be- prejudIced
81 weeks In year and suddenly
become unparalleled for the
duration Of his duty ~ q Jury.
man.
This means that Negroes who
are involved in crimes against
whites never get justice. In that
they are never tried by an UMPIRE
JUDGED jury. II Is almost un-
thinkable to imagine that any
jury Is composed OF IL white men
who are not prejudiced. To the ex-
tent II Is unthinkable to assume
that on any given occasion IL
white men can be found who are
PreJudiced in their attitudes to-
ward Negroes Is the extent TO
which Negroes fail to get justice
IN the courts OF the land.
One Of the greatest tragedies of
modern times IL this self same
situation where Negroes are Of
ten tried for their lives by a jury
that Is preJudiced. This writer Is
not here debating the guilt or in
nocence OF the Martinsville Seven.
He Is merely saying that they
were not tried by an unprejudiced
jury. as has been the case
thousand times before through
out the south and nation. II Is
doubtful II any Negro has ever
been convicted or exonerated by
an unprecedented jury. This legal
handicap poses one OF the graV-
est problems OF jurisprudence OF
our times.
When a group of Negroes and
whites went down to the capitol
OF Virginia last summer to plead
for a communication of the sentence
OF the Martinsville Seven, the
writer was among them. When
the pleadlngs ended with 4 final
say by a mother OF one of the con-
demned men. we all repaired to
the capitol lawn where we talked
among ourselves. One of the white
women expressed a doubt a. to
whether our petitions had been
effective. Said she. 1T looks as
II the boys are doomed for their
case Ii now In politics"
This writer took 10 TO mean
that the Byrd machine had de-
creed that the boys must die.
They died. II would now appear
that the white woman knew
whereof She spoke. and that she
saw the CORY sequel OF which We
write herr. The point Of this re-
lease 10 TO show how limited are
prayers and ViEils when votes
are lacking. The case Of the
MartinsVtIle Seven stirred the
world.
There were pressures on both
sides. for a communication and for
their execution. II was a matter
Of pressure against pressure. IN
fortunately for the boys the pres
SURF for execution was the greater
and so they were called upon to
pay with their lives the penalty
that Virginia laws exActed
The bristling point that the
NAACP able attorneys uncovered
TO the effect that the death
sentence for rape has been re-
served for Negroes only was never
faced by the legal machinery OF
the state and nation. II was q
telling point and although Il was
over-ruled by the state and FEEDER
al courts. II still stands out In
bold relief TO the discredit of Viz
ginia and the nation. II Is bound
TO have its effects. II was q
righteous contention and as such
cannot Be downed.
On the eve Of the multiple ex.
ecUtioas there were Vtgils and
prayers but the executions Weat
on Apace. The reason? Negroes
arr relatively VOtelrss IN VIr.
EtnlA The very fact that the en-
ecutioa az the MAFtansSIEle Sew
ea VAS In politics h proof that
the coar~r of eVcats might have
beca changed had Negroes com
mAAded sS0.Oo or so. 90 votes
60 be cast In . Etven electtSa-
A few votes would have won q
communication for the MArtinsvtlls
Seven: but the votes were lack |
ing; and % the tragic sequel TO |
the MArtinsvtlle tragedy. II Is
going to be . great day in vir-
GINA and throughout the nation |
when Negroes learn that votes
and not vtgils are the ultimate
detrrrnlnAnta Of American Nerrp |