Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1959-09-18

anu OA8kAo8 ~ DOty Oh u. E3uL
Masonic grand lodge which met th
this bill that you find Objectionable
lets discuss It. II you feel that
there's something that might be
on the verge Of being mconstitu-
tional we may be agreeable In tax
ing IL out. Let's work this thing
out together. He couldn't talk
with me about a thing. He couldn't
meet with me. He said this In a
secret. The realtors aren't going
to find out what / have to say
and you're not going to find out,
and we knew from that point on
what was coming. Then they post
poned the date for the city at
torney's opinion. From June the
9th into July and In the middle Of
July he came forth with his opinion
that the ordinance was uncon-
stitutional and went further that
In saying the city had no power
TO enact such a law. Now the
congestion appears. Now you hear
the Selby-Dale renewal redevelop-
ment - urban renewal program.
You heard about that. In effect
they have a piece out about It and
you see pictures in the newspapers
saying yes, it's coming. Wen have
it real soon. it's going to help
these poor people out on Rondo
Avenue. We checked on the st.
Paul Urban Renewal Program
down in Chicago not too long ago
and they told us there viii be no
Urban Renewal Program Of any
description in st. Paul until they
pass a building code. Now, what
about the building code. They Of
fered one before the city Council
a year and half ago and to force
the landlords to fix up a lot OF
these old shaclIs and put adequate
plumbing and necessary improve
ments in the buildings. Some went
down to the city council and raised
cain down there. The city council
sidestepped and sidetracked this
bill and has never touched 1t since
and still has the nerve to tell us
the Urban Renewal is coming.
Nothing is coming until the other
step is taken and they pass a
building code.
Now, we can talk on and on and
on. We've got to have law enforce
mefft. You know 1t and I know 1t.
It's important for your lives as 1t
Is for mine--and the kids. We cam
not have abusive language on the
corners because it's the best argu-
ment for anyone to say I don't
want any Negroes in my neighbor-
hood. We have TO clean up some OF
these problems ourselves, no ques-
ton about II. Nobody Is going to
do II for US and never has done 1t.
Crowds are still on the corner
they are there now and they win
be there tomorrow night. We can
talk about law enforcement an we
want nothing is being really done
except they are trying TO break
down crime IN the form Of slug
gings and the more violent type
Of violation. Tn very, very happy
that the police department had
the courage and the backbone not
to pull out firearms the other
night on Rondo and Kent because
II would have been q terrible, ter
rible disgrace not only on the
Police DEPARTMENT but on the
Negro community and certainly
some lives that would have been
lost needlessly and for nothing.
Don't think about another riot. No
sense leaving here thinking about
wen get hack-you can't beat the
Police Department in st. Paul or
anywhere else-so you have to 90
along with them.
(Applause).
II you don't like what their do
ing then protest II and wen carry
It. That's what the NAACP Is for.
That's what it's for and they are
fighting an over the world-a1
over America and certainly in the
southern areas their worse enemy
Is the police department. That's
not true either because your prob
lens would be multiplied many.
many fold II the Police Department
started hitting people on the head
with the clubs for no reason at all
up and down the street and you'u
have a very bad time winning
cases when the police start doing
this type Of thing 30 II isn't AZ
bad as Il could be and II certainly
Is q long way away from being as
good as Il should be.
Now, In closing, I think there IL
one more thing that needs to be
cleared. One Of the reasons for
your problems Is that you really
don't register and you don't vote.
We checked this thing. Twenty
per cent Of the people in the forty
second district voted In the last
election a year ago. Twenty per-
cent. Primarily q 20 called Negro
section. At the same time we don't
find but one legislator to introduce
fair housing bill before the state
legislature and he IL not Of the
twin Cities. An Of these fellows
who are running around on the so
called liberal ticket are not 20
liberal You might lust as wei get
It in your mind. We need to get
away from this idea about Demo
crat and Republican because you
can't afford 10 call yourself either
Democrat or Republican. II you
are going 10 get some improve
ments done out here the first thing
Is to get yourself registered. We
have talked about this for years
nothing has ever been done.
hope that out Of this meeting we
can get some people who win say.
I'm willing to work. This Il hard
work. It involves going down town
into the registration office there
and checking names because we
learned long ago there's no such
thing a. asking you II you're reg
istered because you say you are
and you're not. I can Judge, based
on the number Of people that have
moved recently that registration
must be at an all time low IN this
section now. You have next year