St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1955-10-21

new nation"
/ Mr.. Smith said, Don't say no
more, George, that's the i4th A.
mendment and it's all right"
| tlaughter).
Now the third thing that was
done during this special session Of
the Legislature was to organize
the modern version Of the Ku Klux
Khan of the South and this group
calls Itself the Citizens Council.
They announced to the world
what they plan to do and / want
to give you their plans at this
| time.
First Of all, any colored per-
son who says that he wants to
vote TO go 10 n mixed school In
Mississippi IL 10 be ciassed as a
"troubIemaker."
II he works for white people. he
is 10 be Immediately fired:
II he lives in a house that does
not belong to him and does belong
to white person, he is asked to
move;
II he Is a cotton farmer and has
cotton that has to be ginned be-
fore he sells il, none of the gins
in the community are to accept his
cotton.
II he has notes at the bank
where he is supposed to pay in
stallments over a five-year per-
iod, that bank note is to be de-
clared then due" and he must pay
in full or lose his property.
Such a colored person Is not to
borrow money at any of the
banks or at any OF the agencies
in the community.
Now. ladies' and gentlemen.
I'm not telling you about con-
dItions behind the Iron Curtain
I'm telling you what's happen.
ing to the colored citizen who
desires TO be n first class citi-
rem In Mississippi. U.S.A., In
this year Of our Lord, 1855.
They have carried out those
threats.
Just a few days ago, / had a
patient from Belonzia, the county
seat. county where the Rev.
George w. Lee was killed. and
III tell you more about that
little bit later.
But this fellow came to me and
he said. you know. Doctor, on my
little 120-acre farm, ] have picked
16 bales OF cotton and have them
stored in an old house on the
place.
The only reason that l have It
stored there is because in my
county none OF the gins will pro-
cess my cotton.
You see. after the cotton is
taken out of the field. the very
first think you want to do is TO
get II to a gin. The gin win send
II to a federal compress and the
federal compress will give a re-
ceipt for 1t, so that II anything
happens TO it, the federal COM
press is responsible and the in
dividual Is not responsible"
He said, I'm fearful that some
body is going to set a match to
that house and burn up the cotton
that I have stored there"
And then he said, 'T'll lose my
farm because won't have money
to meet my notes this month"
/ said to him, Brother Thigh
man, what's the trouble down
thereT
He said, well, you know, I reg
istered two years ago TO become a
voter in Humphrey County and
that's one of the 60 counties in
Mississippi where colored people
have not voted since the days OF
reconstruction"
And he said each OF those gin
owners told him that II he would
20 to the courthouse and scratch
his name off the registration list
they would process his cotton.
But so long rs he remained a
registered voter of Humphrey
County. there not a gin In that
county that would accept IL.
Ladies and gentlemen. as I
looked into the eyes of this man,
man now about so years of age,
and saw the tears streaming
down his cheeks because he want
eded to be man in the United
states of America and because he
was being deprived of his con-
stitutional rights, was made to
say:
"Oh God. how long win such q
condition exist in these United
States Of America
But he had no other choice.
He went the next morning and
scratched his name Off the list be-
cause ne didn't want to lose the
farm and the home that his father
had worked and shaved for.
He had three children In school