St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1956-10-26
Freeman Suys Ike"
Has Provided No
Rights Leadership

htMS ttSNt@G0 W.
Rights Leadership
Governor Orville L. Freeman
Wednesday criticized Presi-
dent Eisenhower for saying, re-
Gently, that lit makes no diff
ference whether he, the Presi-
dent of the United States, en-
dorSeS the Supreme Court de-
cisiOn on school segregation"
Can anyone expect leadership
in the civil rights field from a
President who could make such
statement Gov. Freeman asked.
Speaking to the 9Th Ward DFL
Club at Hawthorne School, Min
neapoIs, Gov. Freeman said that
the central fact in the RepubH-
can record is that the Eisenhower
Administration has abandoned the
Republican Party's 1852 civil
rights platform.
-Four years ago, it promised
Federal legislation on anti-poll
tax, anti-lynch and Fair Employ
ment Practices measures. The Ad-
ministration's 1856 civil rights
program is silent on all three OBJ
iectives, while Democrats have in
troduced legislation for each one"
Gov. Freeman said.
why does the party which so
often represents itself as the
party of Lincoln" so seldom act
like Lincoln" he asked the audi
ence.
Gov. Freeman took issue with
the claim that "a vote for the
Democrats is a vote for Southern
Democratic Committee Chairmen
in Congress.
For two years-195S and 1854
the Republicans had control of
Congress. They controlled the
Committee chairmanships. They
didn't get a single civil rights bill
reported out of a committee: they
didn't get a single civil rights bill
passed by either House of Con-
gress," Gov. Freeman said.
when the Democrats took con-
troll Of Congress, they got a civil
rights bill voted out Of the House
judiciary Committee, approved by
the House Rules Committee and
passed by the House of Represen-
tatives."
Freeman also said that many of
the accomplishments for which the
Republicans claim credit were &C
tually initiated by the Democrats.
Armed service desegregation
stems as a policy from President
Truman's Executive Order" Free
man pointed out.
The trail blazing in opening up
job opportunities formerly closed
because of discrimination was
done by Presidents Roosevelt and
Truman. Democrats set the prece-
dents in the appointment Of Ne
groes Of outstanding ability to i'm
portant Government posts, and
the Eisenhower Administration
has fallen short of those prece-
dents"
Gov. Freeman said. IF we are
TO make progress toward the New |
America, which we must have,
and which includes fun civil rights |
for all, we must elect men who |
understand the real problems Of |
America, who clearly state where |
they stand on the issues, and who |
win then fulfil their promises.
Measured by these standards.
Adlai Stevenson and Estes Re-
fauver are clearly to be favored. |
Everything possible must be done
TO insure their election on No
vember 9Th"
But" Gov Freeman stated.
I'VE must remember that the need
for responsible government exists
on the state and local level as
well as on the national level. In
Minnesota, during these last two
years, we Of the DFL administra-
ton have delivered on our promise
to bring to all citizens their Cod |
given night to fun civil rights.
We Immediately passed the
FEPc law. which had failed to
pass under several previous COP
administrations. and have set that |
law into effective operation. We
have used every unit Of state gov
eminent to further the cause Of
fair treatment for all. We would |
like 10 continue our efforts to-
ward improving the civil rights
of all our people. and on Nov. 9Th
you VIII decide whether we will |
have that chance"