Evening star., 1952-08-10
Negro and Labor Groups
Must Stoy Democratic
Writer Sees Next President
Neither ServiIe Nor Subservient
By Fronk R. Kent

In this campaign the practical poll
ticianS in both parties are more con-
cerned about the Negro vote in the
pivotal States of the North than they
have been in years. Since 1886, when
James A. Farley and ex-senator Joseph
Guffey conceived the plan of an unlim-
tied use of Federal patronage and Fed
eral funds to swing this vote away from
the Republicans, it has been almost
solidly Democratic.
Naturally, success Of the plan de-
pended upon the enthusiastic co-opera-
ton Of the late Mr.. Roosevelt, which
was given, but it could not. as Mr.. Far
ley says, have fully succeeded except
for the skill and completeness with
which the late Harry Hopkins. then
head of the Works Progress Admins
tration, threw himself behind it.
Through his zeal hundreds of thousands
of Negro voters in the ten States where
their votes could be decisive were put
on the payroll. They then became Dem
ocratS and have been Democrats ever
since. That is the real basis for the
claim that there are now more Demo-
Gratis than Republicans in the country:
why the Republicans have been for
some time the minority party; why they
have lost the last three presidential
elections.
This year for the first time since the
Farley -Guffey coup, the Negroes seem
resentful and sore about their treat
ment at the Democratic convention.
And from their point of view, they
have every right to be. For certainly
they were sold down the river at Chi
cago. 1t is not only that the Democratic
nominee for President, Gov. Stevenson.
distinctly does not indorse the Truman
civil-rights view nor that of the bum
bling young liberals of the Humphrey.
Moody, F. Roosevelt. jr., type; he is on
record as believing that legislation
along these lines should be tried first
at the State level In brief, he Is in
accord with the stand taken by Gen.
Eisenhower, which leaves the young
liberals" out on a limb and violently
clashes, too, with such Democratic
Senators as Herbert Lehman, Of New
York.
But this. Of course, is not all. In ad-
dltion. the Democrats have nominated
for Vice President Senator Sparkman.
OF Alabama. distinct second-rater as
senators go. AS Senator he has a long
record OF opposing FEPC and also
opposing modification of cloture rules
which would bar the filibuster-the only
ef1ect1ve weapon the South has to pre-
vent this obnoxious Federal act from
being forced upon it. It is currently
suggested that Senator Sparkman
might better this situation by coming
out strongly for the Truman civil
rights program and the party platform.
But that not only would put him out
OF tune with Mr.. Stevenson but would
involve public eating of words very
humiliating, indeed.
Meanwhile, the Negro leaders are dis.
turoed. So are some of the labor bosses.
So are some Of the Eisenhower Senator's
running for reelection in the Northern
States. 1t is plain to the Negro leaders
that IN the event of a Democratic VIC
tory tney are not going to get the Nation
Wlde FEPC. which they have been prom
lsed and are demanding. And it is plain
10 the labor bosses that they are not
gong to get repeal of the Taft Hartley
Act, which they have been promised and
are demanding. The trouble about the
resentment OF these Negro and labor
bosses is that there is so little they can
do about it.
They Just have no place to 20. OF
course, they can stay away from the
polls, and that is what the Negro lead
ers, one OF whom is Representative Pow.
Ell, OF New York, intimate they may do.
The Democratic plank on civil rights.
Representative Powell says, is completely
unsatisfactory and Senator Sparkman's
nomination is great political tragedy"
Panful as all this may be to some. it
should not grieve the country as a
whole. 1t will be a welcome relief to
nave IN the White House a man neither
servlle nor subservient to these two
groups.