The Miami times. [volume] (Miami, Fla.) 1923-current, 1956-09-01
Between The Lines . .
GETTING SOMETHING SAID

were InDSeAWuo severely crltlclZ-
ed what was said, ana what was
not said. Such criticism is easy.
But this writer who directed the
conference always kept il crystal
eaear before the Durham repre-
seLsauveS that the big thing was
not getting something Saiu, but
rather getting something done.
The same holds true of the
two political conventions held in
Chicago and San Francisco. There
are those who put great stress on
the platforms adopted; but past
ex.y erience should dictate the con-
illusions that what is. said is re-
latively unimportant. The fact
remains that. it was under The re-
6oubtable Roosevelt that there
was made the first beginning to
integrate the Negro into American
life. Before that time, the Negro
was regarded as a thing apart.
Since KooSevelt'S reign there has
been a bold attempt to make the
Negro part of the thing.
The Republicans under Essen
hover have advanced the advan-
taseS begun under the immortal
Roosevelt, Eisenhower has made
a great civil rights President; and
the writers's advocacy of the
Democratic Party does not alter
this stubborn fact Sight must
never be lost of the fact that
there was no serious efforts at in
tegration until the coming of Eli
Senhower. The Republicans at
San Francisco quibbled over
civil rights plank in their plat
form, even as the Democrats
uupDled over such plank in Chi
cago, and they both have come
up exactly where they went
down. Both are willing to let the
future and the fortunes of the
Negro wait on the improvement
in public ooinion. In the last
analysis the larger place the Negro
seeks will depend in great mea-
sure upon the Improvement in
public opinion toward the Negro.
IL must be remembered that i'm
provemenl in pubic opinion can
Sbe facilitated by just -sucn things
as tranSpired at Chicago and San
Francisco.
The great automobile races
usually have consolation prize.
The negro while not winning
either at Chicago or San Francis
co, may have the consolation OIL
knowing that he came out of the
conventions a little stronger anu
a little farther advanced. In other
woros, the negro has made gains
from those conventions. Our con-
cLuSlQnS Is DaSeu upon the atti-
tude of the representatives of the
Old South VINO lett the conven-
tionS dissatisfied with the plat
forms. There can be no greater
proof OF the advantage gained by
the Negro tnan that Inc Ola
South was ''huffed" in general
over the civil rights platforms.
The Negroes gains must be as
certained by indlrection. The Old
South is so currently bitter that
whatever diSpleaSeS must be
something of advantage for the
Negro. The Old South Is becoming
ptiful in the promise. 1t opposed
Stevenson IN 1892 and opposed
him because be took a strong civil
rights stand and told the South
to its face that he supported such
stand. They showed their resent
mcnt by Young for EISENHOWER
who left them in the lurch; and
instead of renouncing his civil
rights position, MADE serious at
tempts at i'm lementing them.
The Old South lost out on Ike. At
the recent Democratic Convention
tn ey opposed Stevenson but
Stevenson was nominated. They
opposed Ketauver; but Kefauver
was nominated. They did the I'M
heard of thing of supporting
Kennedy of Massachusetts who
was defeated for the Vice-presi-
Dental nomination. About the
only thing the Old South could
do was to keep on threatening"
to walk out which threat seemed
of 1.-THE Importance in the cur
rent crisis.
A superficial observation of the
situation would leave the i'm