St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1953-09-25

OF the South vs. brlnginB the Coh-
gress Of Industrial Organizations
an Increasing strength. The Go.
unlike The American Federation Of
Labor. has policy Of complete
Indignation in hiring, promoting
and fixing Of wage scales, The In
naturalization Of tho South IL
probably going TO be the major
factor in American politics and
race relations in the next gem
Grafton: its capital expenditure Is
running so per cent ahead Of the
national average and new plants
are springing up - per cent faster
that the rest Of the nation.
And. as / heard an old hill far
mer say. pessimistieally. guess
~ the Army can do II, then the
scboolteachers can"
stiIi. the rond is yet long one.
Nobody can pretend that there
Will not be AT least isolated vio-
icnce and many personal tragedies
for the Negro child II the Supreme
Court hands down the feared"
decision. Law enforcement ahead
Of public opinion rarely works:
one viii not expect anything other
that prolonged evasion and subter-
fuge in parts OF Alabama, Missis-
sippi and South Carolina, where
the poverty IL greatest, education
the poorest. and the proportion OF
Negroes the highest.
But the vast majority Of people
I have met, like most Of the south
ern press, take n constitutional
point OF view, II sure hope the
Court does nothing 80 crazy. but
II " does, well. I'm not for caus-
ing trouble, II our lawyers aren't
as smart as they claim. I guess
wen give II a try" There is a
recognition that democracy and
segregation are Incompatible, and
in the South. which curiously Is
more internationally minded than.
say. the Midwest. this makes the
eyes OF the world are upon you"
editorials OF the best southern
press very effective. To answer
the Reds" many a businessman
begins to employ Negroes on equal
terms. though It hurts him.
or course, this Is only half the
picture. I certainly will not, when
l return TO Britain, paint a rosy
picture OF universal or adequate
progress, whatever happens this
fall. No American brings his coun-
try into such disrepute in Europe
as those who ignore harsh rcali-
ties: none testify by example so
much TO freedom as those who
freely tell OF and criticize exist
ing failings in American life. Real
self-criticlsm is the sign OF gem
uine democracy.
But | can say very firmly that
the difficulties handed down 10
the modern South are vastly I'M
derestimated tand l will say this
a little in Boston as well as In
London). And can tell Of the
many people working hard to end
the evil Of segregation people l
can call typical Americans and
OF the vast majority OF people
people cali typical people--who
are prepared to go along with
the Court, alphabetically. resent.
fully, hsbitually, Enthusiastically, all
these motives mixed, but moving
with the time, with a little push
ing
Above all. will tell OF the atti-
tude OF the Negro people them
selves. In the contemporary world
OF revolutions one might expect
the Negro from out OF his suffer
ing Discrimination, and virtual
denial OF fun citizenship, TO be
rebel, But the contrary, he Is one
hundred per cent American in his
social attitudes and policies. II Il
To the embarrassment OF the white
racialist that the Negro believes
firmly in his own" democratic
credo OF the Declaration OF indie.
pendcuce, of the Bill OF Rights. OF
the Fourteenth Amendment. He
has become the conscience OF de-
mocracy, not the critic.
cannot help but feel that the
time is as ripe as ever II will he
for a great demonstration that
democracy is a practical inter
racial principle; In the balance OF
world races II will have 10 be
made 50 something. In all ex-
pediency meantime II Is being
made by many In their individual
lives, In all morality, I had not ex.
pectad IN ha N,,rtt{pxs Hike tbis