The Tribune. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1951-19??, 1952-01-26
By RANDOLPH L. WHITE


According to the daily press, Governor
James F. Byrnes of South Carolina, will
be on hand in the Old Dominion to address
. joint session of the legislature early
next month.
Governor Byrnes has already advised
the people of the Palmetto State of his
plans to abolish free schools there and
place them under the jurisdiction of pri-
vate agencies when and if the United
States Supreme Court rules out racial seq
regation in Dixie's educational set-up.
While most intelligent and fairminded
people took the Governors proposal light
ly, at least one of Viryinias lawmakers
fell for this unholy SCENE. Senator Moses,
gentleman from Appomatox--where the
South is supposed to have laid down it's
sword of rebellion some 80 odd years ago.
has dropped two bills into the States
legislative hopper where he apparently
hopes to grind out the same kind of iniuui-
ty as proposed by the Governor of South
Carolina
We hold that reaction, be it practiced
by democrats or republicans, is equally
as detrimental to the cause of the Negro
and the common people regardless of race
Like his predecessor, Governor j. Strom
Thurmond, Governor Byrnes is making his
Incorporating journey to Virginia to fan
into flame the slowly dying embers of
racial animosity in the hearts of Virgin
ians. During his term as governor, Mr..
Thurmond ranted in Birmingham adj
dress that there are not enough soldiers
or bayonets in the United States Army to
force the people of the South to open
their restaurants, swimming pools schools,
ct cetera, to Negroes"
Time has proved he erred. Because at
this very moment Negroes are attending
many OF the South's best universities along
with whites. Also, they are daily riding
crack trains through Messrs. Thurmonds
and Byrnes' State unsegregated--and all
other Southern states--without incident
Backing up our reactionary politicians
in his bid for Southern votes which he
hopes will play an important TT in
winning for him the presidential nomina-
ton this year, is Senator Robert Taft ul-
tra-conservative of the Buckeye State.
While MIR. Republican cannot be ac-
cused of race-baiting, he, as father of the
iiAdhiooo AolC-l1dIClSy IdDOT ACC, is great
ly responsible for the economic plight of
the common people, white d Negro
alike. Economic slavery is, in some in
stances, worse than human slavery. The
human s a We was at least assured of
food, heller and clothing, but the econom-
&c slave is assured of neither. The only
real difference between "Marse Bob and
his Southern icounterparts is that he is a
shrewder politician in that he exercises
more tact, speaking to white and Negro
groups alike. Yet, despite all the tact the
Ohioan can muster, we have grave doubts
that he is making any worthwhile i'm
preston on his ebony hued listeners Mr..
L t is staunch defender of States
Rights, but Negroes are rapidly awaken
ing to the fact that the cry of States
Rights" is merely a smokescreen behind
which our reactionary politicians Ia e
been trying to hide a multitude of sins
Yes-we, too, believe in States Rights. -"
What fair-minded person doesn't? But
we also believe in Estates Duties" Every
right entails duty. So, as we see it, our
lawmakers should pursue with equal zest
the matter of making available the same
rights and privileges to all citizens within
the state.
The chief contention of the otherwise