St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1952-06-20
President Truman Dared

President Truman ringing call for the securing the rights
of all Americans at the Howard University commencement
June l3 was like breath of fresh air barren desert-to
those Americans really believe freedom and liberty Tor
all
II was in sharp contrast to the hedging and downright
bvpocrisv Of members of his own party and the
Republicans who while approving in their 9i8 platforms
strong civil rights panks unwilling except IN the case OF
faithful fwto battle for the enactment Of decent protec
ton of the rights the mnorities in this nation.
Truman his future place in the history
of the nation and world when he reaffmed his belief IN
that remarkable document TO Secure These Rights the Re
port the Presidents Committee on Civil Rights This is
work which the presidential candidates Of either party
probably readbut who could read with prott TO
themselves and country.
Some of our distinguished contemporaries in the daily
field like the esteemed Minneapolis Morning TRIBUNE take
occasion beabour Tmans advocacy of civil rights as
bid for Negro From the TRIBUNES looking askance
at behaviour would il crime for pOlti
clans politicians not running for office to bd Tor the
votes segments of the American voting population
Every day the principal candidates for president
busy putting their bids for votes of the labor the far
mers the Mdwestern vote Southern vote the Catho
&c vote the the solatonst vote and
several other kinds Of votes. Nobody complains much
However lust let candidate suggest that he thinks the
Federal government ought to all of its citizens have
chance to work at job of their choice their skilhat
he is in favor of FEPChen that candidate is making bid
for Negro vOtesl
Just let candidate say that he thinks the 18TH 18th and
18th the Constitution should be enforced by ad
dona congressional legislation then he's appealing to the
Negro
Just let a candidate say that he thinks that the equality of
opportunity protection of the individual which this nation
is includes the Negro American then he's catering to
the Negro vote.
When Mr. Truman suggests that the states need federal
legislation help them solve the problems that make entire
section of the nation police state with racial tensions and
Illustrations stalking almost street-then he's playing
politics and bidding for the Negro vote.
We return to the premise that in opinion there is
absolutely nothing wrong about candidate making appeal
special group of long such appeals not
based injury the and Legitimate interests of other
Americans If full equality for the Negro in this nation
palaabe unjust and going harm the inherent rights and
basic freedom of other citizens and the majority group
aeraby opposed to real demOcracy-then should re
write the Constitution so that Negro ancestry and
the entire world may know how the situation stands
President Truman is the first president we've had
really has had the courage to call the civil rights
problem Just it His Friday speech, reprinted almost
in its entirety in the Minneapolis TRIBUNE of Saturday
masterpiece of courageous domestic craftsmanship
word picture of American of courage who has been
willing to place his political future the altar Of sacr
flee what he believes be the fundamentals for which
this nations founding fathers, were willing to die
No man or woman of honesty could read that Truman
speech and call it the work of dcmagoguc 1t appeal
the bigots did have the ring of fanatic 1t good
sober American alk-frauk talk coming from the lips of
Souhcrner whose iurefathcrs fought for the Lost Cause
It did from the mouth of "A seeking further
public office but from of Americas who
holding the highest office in the land, darcs be
to the best of American deasthc theory that all men in
America under God entitled to certain nacnabe rights
As long America has Presidents who have the courage
face invecvc and caumny for what is right this nation
safe from within and from without.
Aside from rearmng certain basic truths. President
Trumans civil rights speech of June - every candidate
for president of both parties except perhaps Senator Russell
and Sam Raybun the spot And of them