St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1957-09-06

conference lmpFeSSeS the need
measuring racial trends and d
past year has been gloomy in
deed. Developments have made
little sense to those seeking some
dominant pattern of decency and
sanity in American racial affairs.
Racial Developments on the
contrary have presented a be-
wildering kaleidoscope, and those
events given heaviest press treat
ment in this country and abroad
have misrepresented our demo-
cratic concept and done severe
damage to our national security.
Certainly this is rank illogic -
this is manic behavior in a period
when the fate of this nation and
the free world, as well, hangs up
on our augmentation of the
democratic ideal
Today the Ku Klux Khan, which
yesterday was thought dead for
ever, is back in business and is
compiling a new record of in
tmidation, violence and murder.
The pseudo-respectable business
men and civic leaders who are re-
sponsible for the Klan's rebirth
are now deploring its growth for
getful of the fact that they them
selves made the Klan's reappear-
ance inevitable when they or
ganized their White Citizens
Councils and similar groups for
economic and social repression of
their Negro neighbors.
True violence was disclaimed as
a weapon by these organizations
that were precursors of the Ku
Klux Khan, but this disclaimer
proved lack of common intelli-
gence rather than civic virtue.
For common intelligence reasons
that when the devil is loosed upon
the minds of men he ends by TAX
ing over their bodies.
From suavely-conducted meet
ings devoted to "non-violent" re-
preston Of a minority group, it
is only a short step to hooded
marchers, brutal floggers and ar
sonists who bomb and burn the
homes of American citizens. And
from these it is a much shorter
step to the murderous mob and
the return of lynch rule.
Does any sane person believe
that this is good for democracy
or promotes the safety of the
American people?
And obviously the mob spirit
cannot be confined to one region.
as witness Chicago, Ill, and Levitt
town Pa. The Chicago mob which
recently stoned Negro families out
Of a public park was first cousin
to the Khan floggers Of Alabama
reported last August l6.
The hoodlum group that CO.
hered out of normally law-abiding
families of Levittown, Pa, and
rioted for several days against the
ownership of a modestly-priced
Levittown home by an ambitious,
intelligent and attractive young
Negro family-that hoodlum
group was twin brother to the
Chicago mob.
Let those who will apply the
finding of group psychology to
these mob situations. Describe
them if one will, as the precipi-
tation Of mass insecurity, with in
divduals herding together under
the illusion Of mutual protection,
and with the crowd mind and
moral sense descending to the
groups lowest common denom-
inator
Still, how does one explain the
reckless actions of members Of the
Congress, who are certainly not
members Of a mob, but who have
not scrupled at prostituting the
Congressional power Of investiga-
ton and the Congressmen's ac-
cess 70 media Of public communi-
cation for the purpose of sabotag-
ing and incorporating the
program Of desegregation in the
public schools OF our nations
capital
How does one explain the emas-
culation OF an OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
civil rights bill with such Gripping
amendments as to make its final
passage a little more than a ges-
ture toward protecting the Ameri-
can citizens sacred right to vote >
Or the frantic eagerness with
which self-avowed liberals" have
hailed that passage as a great
civil rights victory7
There is no puzzle offered by
the appearance Of the rash OF
legal and legislative activities
breaking out around racial issues.
Some initiated in the South. and
others in the North; some by pp-
ponents Of desegregation and
others by its proponents
Such activities are rational and
In a certain sense healthy because
they make use Of the constitution
al processes available TO citizens
In a democracy. Even when some
of these efforts are unwise and
motivated by hatred, their exer-
else Of the constitutional process
comprises a kind Of a safety
valve for the blowing-off Of over
wrought public emotions.
fCouffuuad EeNf Weakl