The Phoenix Jewish news., 1959-05-08
BY MILTON FRIEDMAN
downright 1859. JTA. Inc)

WASHINGTON - Are Southern
ers of Jewish faith more critical of
co-religionists supporting Negro
rights than non-Jews are of ma
tional Christian religious bodies?
This question arose in Washing
ton, when Rep. L. M. Rivers of
South Carolina called attention of
Congress to a speech by Jewish
South Carolinian, attacking "dan-
gerous inclinationS" among Jews
on the Negro issue.
The speech was made earlier this
month by Solomon Blatt, speaker
of the South Carolina House of
representatives. Blatt spoke be-
fore the 175th anniversary dinner
of the Hebrew Benevolent Society
of Charleston, sc.
THE BLATT speech came to the
attention of members of the segre-
gationist bloc in Congress. One
Southern Senator, leading oppon-
ent of civil rights legislation, felt
Jews of the South were no more
responsible for the action of ma
tional Jewish groups than other
Southerners might be for stands
taken by the Methodists or other
church groups.
But the Rivers words were of a
different nature. He interpreted
the speech in a way that had Blatt
advising Jews "weI when he eau
toned them to avoid the hypocriteS
who are leading the Negro on the
treacherouS path of deceit and de-
ception." According to Rivers,
Blatt cautions his people against
these modern PhariSeeS who have
no real interest in the welfare OF
the Negro"
THOSE CONDEMNED by Rivers
were the supporters of the SUI
preme Court decision to accord
Negro children an equal right to
public education facilities.
Blatt lauded the role of Jews on
the Supreme Court, with the con-
spicuous exception of Associate
Justice Felix Frankfurter. He said
I'VE look with justifiable pride up
on the records of Associate JUS
tees Benjamin Natan Cardoza and
Louis Brandeis."
His omission of Justice Frank
furter from the list of those viewed
with "justifiable pride" was noted,
in view of South Cardinals stand
against the present Supreme
Courts desegregation decision.
BLATT STRESSED the rights
and privileges" enjoyed by "the
Jewish race" in South Carolina. He
added, however, that there are
dangerous inclinations among some
of the Jewish people in America
today, out of the goodness of their
hearts, to establish themselves as
a minority force in the tragically
exaggerated storm of political
propaganda which surrounds and
confuses the Negro question in the
South"
Blatt wanted it understood that
if there were indeed conditions
anything similar to those which
prevailed during the Hitler perSe-
cutions of Jews in Germany - II
there were any such prosecutions
against any particular race in
America, / think that all good
Americans should and would
rally to defend the oppressed, who
ever they might be-"
But he stressed in this connec-
ton that "the fact is that nowhere
else on the face of the earth are
Negroes happier, more prosperous,
more contented, more a part of
the general way of life than in
South Carolina"
BLATT PROCLAIMED: II am
a living example of the tolerance
of the people of this great state
(South Cardinal" He pointed out
that he has served in the State
House of Representatives since
1892, and as Speaker of the House
most of the time since 1887. He
said that "as a Jew, and proud of
ok CnnoLr fVcr01 full