The Miami times., 1952-07-12
Credentials
Committee Smashed
Mixed Delegation

aaAS controlled Republican Ma
t1onal Committee credentials ma
cnine rolled over the Negro and
White "grass roots" delegates
from Florida in hearings held at
the Hotel Hilton here Tuesday and
Ieft the FloridianS flat. The Gre
dentialS group brushed aside the
claims os the mixed delegate
group led by Wesley Garrison OF
Miami and seated on all White
delegation which claimed to be
the regulars.
The Negro delegates from Flor
IDA, a group of nationally promi-
nent people, declared that al
though they represented the real
ly bonafide republicans of the
state they were insulted before
the committee and their race rid
1cuied without protest. The treat
ment Of their delegation they said
was brutal and callouS.
The Negro group included Mrs.
Hattie James, delegate-at-large;
J. Leonard Lewis, general coun-
Sel for the Afro-American Life
insurance Co.. congressional dis
trict delegate; Harry Williams,
secretary the National Real Es-
tate operators organization, al
ternate, all of Jacksonville, and
w. A Mulberry, congressional dis
trict from Gainesville. Miami was
not represented by a person of
color.
The Negro delegates sat in the
hearing room and heard Miles H.
Draper of Tampa, White attorney
for the regulars, charge that
Negroes could not represent the
Republican Party of Florida be-
cause their votes were purchase
able Draper asserted that Ne
groeS had left the Republican
party enmasSed in 1850 when they
were paid a dollar vote to reg
lister and a dollar to vote for
Claude Pepper in the Democratic
primary,
The lAv-white group had an
nounced N9elf to be for Taft. The
mixed group was unpledged. The
credentials committee voted
unanimously by voice vote to seat
the prS-Taft group. The Negro
delegates charge that the action
had the endorsement and sane
ton Of the Taft leaders and they
believe of Taft. himself.
Lewis and Williams assert that
the Garrison gfNup held regular
primaries and complied with every
rule laid down by the national
committee. Nevertheless the Gre
dentialS committee refused to
recognize them.
1t is charged that the hlly-white
group is controlled by the Dupont
Interests. The DupontS have great
pulp mills in Florida, own tens
of thousands of acres of Land, con-
troll a florida National bank Sys-
tenn. own the majority of Florida
East Coast Railway stock and
seek to protect their holdings. 1t
is connmon gossip that it was Du-
p0DS m0TI9y WHICH WdSeu tue VIZ
iouS anti-Negro campaign in which
Demecxnfac Senator Smathers de-
feated Claude Pepper in 1850. The
DupantS play on bOth sides OF the
fence
Asked why he, a wealthy busi-
ness man, would engage In poll
tics i'm a state like Florida, j.
Leonard Lewis answered:
81 beEeve in two party form
Of government. / believe that 1t
is only hN having some OF our
peopae within the party councils
that we can really be in contact
with eur government. It is i'm
p0sSibae for the Negro to have
any voice in the Democratic par
ty In FLORIDA.
EN- the past the Negro in Flor
ida has been on the inside OF the
Repuisaican party. So many
nor&herners are moving into Fla
to- live that sooner or later l ex-
pec6 Republicans to control the
State. When they do so l think
VIA osIpAt to be right in there with