St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1953-05-22

for ~ years.
Clement In the first Negro 20
hold public office here since Re.
construction days.
Two other Negroes, Atty. Wal
den and DR., Miles G, Amos, west
side druggist. won seats on the
city executive committee.
Or. Clement. who beat Lander
in 40 Of the city's So precincts,
was second in popularity only to
Mayor william r. Hartsfield, who
was returned to office by a mar
gin OF 5000 votes supplied by
what his opponent, former Fulton
County Commissioners. Charlie
Brown. called The Negro bloc
vote" II was Hartsfields secons
time TO win office by votes sup
piled by Negro voters.
Unique aspect of Or. Clements
victory was the fact that his race,
unlike that Of Negroes who have
won recent victories In other
southern cities, was not on a
ward" basis. in which FREEDOM
inantly Negro ward could easily
supply the victory; DR.. Clements
race had 10 be decided by a ma
jority OF votes from the entire
city, and Negro voters were only
$4,000 OF the city's total 10000
registered.
OF the 10000 turnout, DR.
Clement received more white
votes than Negro. and modestiy
termed his victory. A victory
for the people n new day for
the South" He declared that he
has always thought the white
southerners are far ahead OF what
some persons might think, and
given a chance viii show IL.
Or. Clement had campaigned in
white communities as ardentiy as
he had in Negro sections He at
tended political rallies almost
nightly and appeared on radio and
television, hammering in his
theme that Atlanta's $4,000 Negro
children deserved at least one
representative OF their own race
on the board Of education. Several
white organizations endorsed
him, but the city's powerful daily
white newspapers, the Atlanta
Constitution and Atlanta Journal
backed his opponent
The veteran incumbent Ian.
der, commented that he did not
think II necessary 10 campaign
vigorously against Clement, adj
ding Il didn't think the people
were ready for this" electing a
Negro 10 office.
Nevertheless. Lander sent DR.
Clement a Telegram of congratu-
lationg
In y statement following the
final fluctuations Or Clement
said:
This IL victory for the Me-
gro and white citizens, working
together for new day in the
South"
He joined w e. Erwin Of Aug
usta, Ca. business manager OF
Paine college AS the second Ne
gro 10 hold board OF education
seat in the state Ervin's race
was won on ward election in
which Negroes predominated.
Or. Clements victory came only
two days after an attempted
smear had been brought against
him In an effort 10 disqualify him
from the race on the eve Of the
May 10 primary election Watson.
Cary. member Of the city execu-
tive committee which conducts
elections. brought charges Of
"subversions and communistic
connections" against DR. Glenn
ent
In a drama packed hearing be-
fore the executive committee,
Cary displayed letters from Con-
gresham James c, Davis OF
Georgia and records from the
Congressional committee on un-
American Activities. charging
that the Atlanta university presi-
dent had been a member of com
munist-front organizations that
had carried his name. and said he
had resigned from three others
when he found that they had
been infiltrated by communists
He said ne had been cleared twice
by the FBI for state department
jobs
Following the committee hear
ing. one white daily In an edi-
torial. termed the smear"
charges dirty politics" and added
that they would never have been
made had DIR. Clement not been a
Negro.
In the city executive committee
races. Atty. Walden. acknowledge
ed leader Of Georgia Negro Demo
Gratis. was unopposed for one Of
the two third ward seats Of the
Committee.
No whites qualified for the Sec