St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1958-06-06

Senate and House must cease play
ing footsie with the Byrds and the
! Talmadges and the Eastlands.
He pointed TO the Negroes strug-
gle as the spearhead challenging
the hypocrisy Of American political
party alignment which, II it sue
ceeds, can clear the ground Of the
creeping fascism and totalitarian-
ism. These isms' he claimed are
inherent in the thinking Of the
power elite and their supporters
the conservatives and reactionar-
les Of both parties.
Only o Counties OF So Permit
Negroes To Vote
The Mississippi report revealed
that only six Of that states 50
counties permit Negro citizens to
register and vote freely. In 43
counties there Is a situation where
every now and then a Negro is
able to register.
The report stated that in Hum
phreys County, Negroes who at
tempt to vote actually fear ply
steal violence (recalling the death
Of the Rev. George Lee and the
wounding OF Gus Courts). But In
other areas they are more afraid
Of economic reprisals.
There are slightly more than
a million Negroes in Georgia, re-
ported Walden, with 100000 reg
istered. In their efforts 10 regis
ter many colored citizens have lost
their lives and property, some have
been driven out Of the community
and their homes fired into at
night Others have been threat
ened, inundated, subjected to &C.
onomic reprisals and cross burn
ings. SO, he concluded, the great
est obstacle in the way of regis
tration Of Negroes is the indiffer-
ence and timidity on the part of too
large a segment Of the population.
The biggest job, therefore, Is to
educate the people.
$4,000 OF 800, 900 Vote In Florida
There are more than 100000
Negroes of voting age in Florida,
reported the Rev. Wyland, but
only $4,000 have been able to
avail themselves of that privilege.
Five counties in the northern part
of the state use intimidation to
prevent Negroes from voting.
At one courthouse they were told
to go ahead and register II they
could take what comes after In
Liberty County, one Negro is regis
tered. The Rev. Dee Hawkins and
three others were permitted to
retister but that night IAN hell
broke loose" The minister was
forced to leave home and his house
was bomb-shot. The situation Is
different in Jacksonville where
more than so per cent Of the Ne
groes old enough TO vote have reg
isered.
Negroes represent 80 percent Of
the total population OF Alabama
but only make up 9 percent of the
voting strength according to DR..
Condition. Some Negroes fail to
vote, he said, because they place
little value upon the act Some
do not want TO, or perhaps for
get, to pay their poll tax. Some
feel that the Negro vote doesn't
Z count, or that one vote does not
matter. Many do not vote because
they are afraid of losing the good
will OF the white people and might
therefore, lose their Jobs or be
denied credit Some are refused
time of from their work. and
others are threatened by being
told that II they vote some harm
would befall their families.
He mentioned the 400 Negro
voters who were gerrymandered
out Of the city OF Tuskegee TO
keep them from voting in the
municipal elections. And Of the
effort being made to abolish Macon
county TO reduce, or scatter. the
voting strength OF 100 registered
| Negroes
Rolls Purged In Louisiana
In Louisiana some registration
polls have been purged under an
ancient registration law. Walker
described a "purgeu as az 49,,