Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1958-05-24

llne-CO make certain that this
country is truly safe and secure.
Any cent that we spend over and
above what is necessary by the
highest standards of efficiency is
waste and increases our costs.
This is problem for all of us.
Now this is the kind of thing
that | talk about all the time be-
cause / believe our defenses must
be made efficient without useless
cost. l believe q program of mu-
tual aid is absolutely necessary
If we are to make it possible for
our defense forces to defend us.
And ] believe mutual trade is nee
essary or our economy will col
lapse and all these functions will
be damaged.
Turns To Civil Rights
Now / realize as l talk about
these matters that there is still,
nevertheless, in your minds a spe-
cial problem that one of civil
rights. Because of the problems
that have been raised about the
issue of racial discrimination and
indeed any other tryes of discrim-
nation, we have to be interested
We must be interested. We must
do something about the constitu-
tional rights of the individual. To
my mind, every American what
ever his religion, his color, his race
or anything else, should have ex-
actly the same concern for these
matters as does any individual who
may have felt embarrassment or
resentment because those rights
have not been properly observed.
So it means that every Ameri-
can, if we are to be true to our
constitutional heritage, must have
respect for the law. He must
know that he is equal before the
law. He must have respect for
the courts. He must have respect
for others. He must make per-
fectly certain he can, in every sim
gle kind of circumstance, respect
himself.
In such problems as this, there
are no revolutionary cures. They
are evolutionary. I started in
the Army in 1911. / have lived
to see the time come when in none
of the armed services is practiced
any kind of discrimination because
of race, religion or color.
In the Federal Government this
same truth holds steady,
Voting Laws Noted
In laws we have seen enacted
those affecting the rights of vot-
ing. They are, let us pray, to be
observed exactly as any other law
passed. and published by the Con-
gress.
Such things as these mean prog
ress. But | do believe that as
long as they are human problems
because they are buried in the
human heart rather than ones
merely to be solved by sense of
logic and of right-we must have
patience and forbearance. We must
depend more on better and more
profound education than simply on
the letter. of the law. We must
make sure that enforcement will
not in itself create injustice.
l do not decry laws, for they
are necessary. But | say that
laws themselves will never solve
problems that have their roots in
the human heart and in the hu-
man emotions. 1t is because OF
this very reason that l am more
hopeful that we will, as the years
go past, speak to each other only
as Americans without any adjec-
tives to describe us as special types
of Americans. / am hopeful that
we will see ourselves as equals be-
fore the law, equal in economic
and every other kind of oppor-
tunity that is open to any other
citizen. 1t is because education and
understanding and betterment of
human people can bring these
things about, that l am hopeful.
Now, my friends, there is one
author that l rarely quote-I never
quote-and that is myself. But
Fred Morrow, one of my valued