The Petal paper. [volume] (Petal, Miss.) 1953-19??, 1957-02-14

possible, with the only weapon they had =
the boycott
When the mayor cut off the supply OF
Cokes, bread, and ice cream to the three groc-
ers, Negroes stopped using the products OF
his companies. When the Coble Dairy cut off
the supply of milk to the families of petition
ers, they stopped buying Coolies milk and
other dairy products. When Becker's, one OF
the better women's apparel shops, told a
count at once Negro women began to trade
elsewhere. Some started to shop in Columbia
forty-one miles away Some began to order
by mail fc ea Y1p1
Before long, boycott lists began to appear
The first one listed six products but was not
distributed in large numbers. The second one
listed nineteen The third list appeared
everywhere 1t listed twenty-three names
under the heading DON'T PATRONIZE
THESE FIRMS = nine products and distrib-
utors, two building-supply companies, two
clothing stores, two grocers, two drugstores,
dairy, an auto agency, TV dealer, thea
ter, laundry, and five-and-ten.
Many townspeople, white and Negro,
wondered how the boycott lists were drawn
up, for some merchants very active in the
Citizens Council were left out Local Negro
leaders agreed but said, ''We couldn't boy
colt the whole town. We listed the first, the
worst, and the most vulnerable"
More than half of the population of
Orangeburg being Negro, the boycott was
damaging. One grocer went out of business,
the laundry closed its pickup station in the
Negro section, and sales dropped off sharp
ly. The Citizens Council claimed that white
people rallied to the support of those on the
boycott list, but this support was not enough
to offset the loss.
This Is No Time for Prayer
Some merchants, to counter what they
saw as divide and conquer tactic, closed
ranks with those being boycotted Nine
building-supply companies joined the two
on the boycott list issuing statement say
ing, !" we jointly and unanimously 20 on
record as supporters of the Citizens Coun-
Gil, that there will be no misunderstanding
on the part of an cyitizens in this community
per joined hands with Coca-Cola and re-
fused to sell to petitioners. Southern Bread
and the Claussen Bakery co-operated with
the Palmetto Baking Company in cutting off
the supply of bread. The West End Dairy
joined Coble in refusing milk deliveries to
the Negro grocers who signed the petition
AT this point state of excitement had
been reached in Orangeburg that can only
be described as near hysteria. Merchants
who co-operated with the Citizens Council
were boycotted by the Negroes. A few who
refused to cooperate or who tried to remain
neutral because they had a large number OF
Negro customers were boycotted by the
white people
During all this, Negro minister suggest
ed to the white ministerial alliance that
Negro and white ministers meet and pray to-
gether as a first step toward reducing the
tension. The alliance replied, 'This is not the
time"
A Sad Tale for Winter
The withdraw of petitioners after the
reprisals began was Worrisome problem
for the N.AAC.P. Each withdrawal was
headlined in the local press. In October, 1855,
the NAA.C.P. called meeting of all the
remaining petitioners and asked those who
were vulnerable in any way to Withdraw
voluntarily Several did SO, including the
grocers, those with large families, the school
teachers and those with teachers in their
families. After this meeting, only twenty
six of the original fifty-seven petitioners
remained, but this more stabilized the stu
alton. From that day to this, only one pc
titioner has removed his name
The fall and winter of 1855 was diff
ficult time for the petitioners in Orangeburg
and those nearby Elloree and Summerton
where similar reprisals were taking place
Local NA.A.CP. branches gave whatever
assistance they could in locating accommo-
dations for those evicted The Negro-owned
Victory Savings Bank in Columbia made