St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1952-11-14
Supreme courf
Decision on Schools


state Of Kentucky. The trend
there in behalf Of equalization.
there In recent years has been def
initely in that direction, and the
decisive influence Of Sen. Earle
Clements and Gov. Lawrence
wetherby has been exercised
strongly to that end. Informed
Kentucl1ians have little doubt
that these two leaders win sue
cessfuIly spearhead a movement
OF this sort, II the court creates
the requisite conditions. Twenty
five school districts in Kentucky
have between one and ten Negroes
each.
IL Il seemingly impossible 70 get
any Southern Officeholder to say
openly that he win advocate the
admission Of cOlOred children 70
white schools, under the cOndI-
tiOns which prevail In these
twenty-five Kentucky districts,
but this IN regarded as unquestion.
ably he plan Of Senator Clements
and Governor Wetherby.
Clements and wetherby laid
the groundwork for such a step by
putting through the state legisla-
ure in 1913 and 1850 amendments
to the Day Law Of 1904, which
rigidly forbade education of the
races together in either school or
college. Clements was then COVER
nor and wetherby lieutenant
governor. The first amendment,
sponsored in 1913. permitted
mixed classes Of nurses and ply
sicians for postgraduate instruc-
ton In hospitals. Two years later,
when Clements was q candidate
for senator and wetherby was a
candidate for governor. they kept
ahead OF public opinion by push
ing through another amendment
permitting ell KenucISy colleges,
Whether publicly or privately sup
ported, TO admit qualified students
at any level. subject to the dis
erection Of the governing boards.
At the session Of 1852, Cover
nor wetherby backed stin another
amendment to permit Catholic
parochial schools to admit Ne
groes, beginning at the first
grade. the bill failed by a small
In the past two years Negro
students In Kentucky have been
admitted to five colleges previous
ly reserved for whites. Most re-
Il the absorption by the
University of Louisville Of Louis
vile Municipal College for Ne
groes. The colored student body
was transferred TO the university
and Ia now participating
In all college activities. DR..
Charles Parrish, Of the Negro
college faculty, was retained by
the university and this distin-
guished sociologist Ia teaching a
fun load OF university courses
with more white students than
colored.
Given this trend, Il seems fore
gone that many Kentucky COM
win decide TO admit their
few Negro school children to the
white public schools rather than
undergo the fantastic expense OF
trying 10 build and maintain equal
facilities for them.
The same thing win happen, one
surmises, in other counties scat
tered from the Potomac to the Rio
Grande Consider Anderson Coun-
ty Tennessee in the East Tennes-
see mountains. Hardly more than
a score Of colored children of high
school age live in the county, and
there Is no high school for them.
Hence they are transported some
twenty miles daily to the high
school In Knoxville. When the par
ents Of these children sued in the
Federal court for their admission
to the white high school at Gin
ton, the principal at Clinton, d, J.
Britain, Jr., testified that he
couldn't let them in because Of the
ban In the Tennessee constitution.
He said, however, that had It not
been for this ban, he would have
admitted the Negroes without
nealLaClOn.
New South, the organ Of the
Southern Regional Council, re-
marks that there are dozens OF
Anderson Counties in the South. /"
It recommends that these coun-
ties follow the course which Prin-
cipal Britain says he would have
followed had this been permitted
under Tennessee law. In the event
Of a Supreme Court ruling on the
point, such a ruling would, of
course supresede provisions in the
constitutions Of Tennessee and the
-