Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1956-03-10

OF the jim CrOW signs In tranS-
portation and railroad stations as
was recently ordered by the In
terstate Commerce Commission, &
the removal of all restrictions from
the Negroes right in voting and po-
litical participation.
1t was something like that
that's the gist Of it, and | don't
think that was a voluntary segre
cation. | offered it to the Gov
ernor and to that Committee as a
compromise on which we could
make some beginning toward the
realization of the goal of first
class citizenship and peace and har-
mony between all the people in Mis-
sissippi.
Q. Is any approach along that
line being made at all?
A. No. Tha: approach was lost
because that didn't satisfy the Mis-
sissippi advocates of the NAACP,
and they torpedoed that meeting
by demanding all or nothing. We
lost it land that contributed great
deal to the bitterness that develop
ed subsequently, 1t left Governor
White in disgust and ne said he
didn't have any confidence in any
Negro leaders because they weren't
willing to go along with anything.
That was before May Il, and in
the preliminary discussion of that
meeting the Governor had asked
that the Negroes endorse the build
ing program so that if and when
the u. S. Supreme Court decision
was made, and if integration be-
came necessary, we would nave
something to be integrated in.
Incidentally, | might say that is
why don't agree viii those people
who are opposed to the use of fed
eral funds for building schools in
States that have not started Inte-
grafton. If there was a complete
change in public opinion today IN
Mississippi and they said Int
CRATE" you wouldn't have anything
to integrate in. And that's prob
ably true in other sections of the
country.
Q. How long do you think its
going to be before separate schools
are ended in Mississippi?
A. 1t will last just so long as the
Negro leadership allows the impress
sion to he abroad that going to
school with white people Is the
main objective of Negroes. and just
as long as the Negro is denied the
right to vote and the right to po-
litical participation.
Q. Is there no way of shortening
that time?
A. An Associate Justice Of the
Supreme Court sent for me one
dav while | was in Washington
several years ago speaking on the
Implications of the poll tax and its
effect in the ,isfranchisement OF
Neg roes and poor whites IN the
South He told me-among other
things - that if we went after the
abolition of segregation before the
Negro had the vote and learned
intelligent political participation,
we would arouse most reactlonary
forces in the South and in the ma
ton against the Negro again.
o. Do you think it has worked
out that way?
A. 1t has worked out that way.
Pm down here and know what
am talking about.
Q. Is the growth of Citizens
Councils in Mississippi an import
ant development?
A. It's the most important de-
velopment in recent years. II 5
the most important development
since the Ku Klux Khan, and more
important than the Ku Klux Khan
because it has political overtones.
If YOU are not careful, the Cltl-
zen's Council particularly IN
Mississipp; - is going to influence
the course of politics, just as long
as Negroes can be kept away from
the polls. You see, | disagreed
with the NAACP at their civil
rights mobilization in Washington
on this thing. l offered the propo-
sition that they make implement
tation of the 1916 decision OF the
Supreme Court and voting their
main detectives and let segregation
alone, and that it would work out
if the Negro got the vote because
the politicians would give him
everything he wanted for his vote.
In reality, the supreme power
is public opinion at the local level.
The Negroes condition in the South
will not change until he is free to
participate in political discussion
at the local level and to exercise
his vote.
@. Well, is anything at all being
done toward compliance with the
Supreme Court decision?
A. Mister, if you know it, you
tell me. Now they don't want TO
do anything. You see, when was
talking to Governor White, VINO
Just finished his term, he told me II
we could get along. he would es-
tablish the precedent of meetings
of white people and Negroes to-
pether. It was initiated by this pa
| per and myself, on the basis that
the Goevrnor himself would call
such a meeting in order to establish
precedent by which Negroes and
whites could get together at all
levels in Mississippi and discuss