Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1955-08-31


Shand, present head of the
Small Business Administration
In North Carolina. Mr.. ShaEd
wrote this article in 1912 rela
tive to the racial issue confront
ing the nation at the close OF
the war. That problem now faces
the nation and the article is Just
as timely today as it was when il
was written. This article has
never before been published al
though written 13 years ago. We
are privileged to publish 1t IN
The Tabor City Tribune and feel
II deserves the attention of eve
~ white and Negro citizen
Please keep in mind that the
war was going on, and Franklin
ID. Roosevelt was president al
the time Mr.. Shand wrote the
article.-W. ii. c.
by GADSDEN E. SHAND. JR
The South has responded 10
the call TO arms with a loyalty
and action that is unsurpassed
in any other section of this CO.
uatry. The people of the South,
both white and colored. are Civ
ing priority in thought and ac-
ton to the things that are eS-
sential to the prosecution of the
war. The Negro leaders, without
exception, have urged the men,
bcrs of their race to put the
cCuntry's interest and the FRO
secution Of the war before al
other interests and activities I'M
til victory is won.
But Just as it is necessary for
the nations of the world to even
now make plans for the coming
dSyS OF peace, so 1t is necessary
for the people Of the South 10
give consideration to the prob
lens that will then confront this
section. The racial problem Will
be the foremost matter to de-
rland attention.
Many people in all sections Of
this country are becoming inter
ested in the racial problems,
especially the Negro question in
tire South. Some of these people
are actuated by political motives
ana 4 few are enemy agents. but
the large majority are actuatcd
by the sincere belief that the
basic principles of Democrat
and Of Christianity are beng
violated by some of the present
practices IN the South. Such
Questions have recently beer
brought to the attention OF the
American public more vividlv
thar ever before. The people are
getting now Viewpoints every
d2y, and they are thinking lb1u.
them with now and deeper int
crest.
Some Of tho facts that are now
being presented to the natisIl a.
bout the practices in the s ,utH
ere being misrcprcscntcd. and
their relative Importance is b.
ing exaggerated. For instance.
the Poll tax. this Si.OO tax for
tire privilege Of voting. wh:c. is
imposed on white and NcZra -
Lie, is incousequCntial urcn
compared with d S1.OO to $4,000
tax for the privilege of working.
which tax Is not collected by ans
civic government but by jrGe-
pendent organizations indcpeld-
emily controlled. There are q. -
ordinations for and a-1rrst
minority groups IN all parts "
the country that can not be Just
It'ed and that are definitely
halmful to the nations interest.
especially in time of war.
All of these matters are being
brought to the attention OF the
public by many different people.
in many different ways, and
there is a steadily increasing
sentiment throughout the nation
for abolition of such practices.
This is an important point that
the people Of the South must
recognize and must take into
account in any intelligent dis
cusSlon of the racial problem.
The South is an integral part
Of the United States and il can
not again secede. Unless the
people Of the South adjust their
racial differences. they must
justify their actions and prove
their case in the court Of public
opinion: otherwise the other sec
tons Of this country will Ger
t2inly force Congress to make
changes that could best be hand
led locally. Such action would
seriously endarger racial rela-
tions in this section and it might
arouse the hoodlum8 of both
races. with tragic results for tn
nation, particularly the South.
The white people Of The South
are responsible for this situation
They have pcrsistcntly lodged
the racial issues and have tried
to 'idetraCk them whenever they
arose. They have not given this
paramount problem Of the South
the careful. Conscientious thou
CHI that II must have. n an ord