St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1952-07-18
Republicans Failed At Chicago

Republican party its candidates for President ana
VicePresent left the Independent Negro voter who might be
receptive to a change in national administration in lurch
That has choice except to remain with the Demo
Gratis provided of that party has platform on civil
rights strong the one Of 194S
If the vague weak civil rights COP program adopted
as concession to South it will not accomplish much in
Dixie will lose thousands of Negro votes in the pivotal
of the north.
party that ntimates that afraid to take a fortnight
stand civil rights did hesitate to shear the south OF much
power its national councils by change in convention
rules which will give COP northern states much to say on
the national committee and reduce the vOcferous southern
committeeman and woman almost to whisper
1t is hypocrca Republican party and Mr.. Essen
hover take Estates rights position civil rights for his
proves that the South will do only what 1t forced
TO do in the matter rights Negro American citizens
Each advance this of American life Of any proportion
through the Federal courts interpreting that the
Constitution guaranteed all citizens certain rights
and minute parts of the North have fought
each toward equality made by the Negro In the North
where the people generally inclined to believe our Con
sution includes all citizens, il will be possible to slowly
enact FEPC laws but in the South ii will take long, long
time fact conceive of 10 of the southern states
giving Negroes equal rights willingly. This attitude is
dporabe because the other states must the penalty for
discrimination by the other states.
In Minnesota which fair and decent in its treatment
of its mnores any state in the unOnbarrng none-we
have been trying get FEPC law for three sessions of
the legislature and haven't been successful despite strong
support from the executive branch of state government
Yet the Republican platform suggests that such legislation be
left up to the states knowing full well how difficult it is to
obtain approval of state legislators such fair
employment practices which easily be killed by demagogues
and their lobbying tools.
Agitation for FEPC legislation the Federal level would
have developed if the several of country had
to that all of its citizens given opportunity work
their highest skls If the don't the Federal
stepping enforce the basic tcnets of the Con
stuton they ought to safeguard the rights of their people
themselves.
American Negroes have respect harbOr illusions
about states rights they recall that the states rights
which kept millions of Negroes from the franchise
guaranteed by the Constitution for years They remember that
large of the tremendous advance they have made
Americans in the past 30 year has because of Fed
eTal government-not less.
Capitalization of power in the Federal government under
Roosevelt and Truman American Negroes chance
of the benefits of well the responsible
ties State did nothing help them Therefore,
when politicians party platforms begin emphasize
states rights it something Negroes that they well
do without
It's really too bad that the 1852 version of the Republican
party afraid to approximate the stand of Abraham lin
con its Founding Father who said this nation could exist
half slave and half free nsscnce by the COP that
compulsory enforcement Of civil rights would have
in the Lincoln tradition and might have started return
that party by Negro Americans and others who badly
that this nation achieve true democracy.