St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1959-08-28
Humphrey And The Jet Poll

The recent JET Magazine Presidential Poll of 200 leading
Negro Democrats showed Senator Hubert Humphrey running
neck and neck with twotme Democratic candidate Adai
Stevenson the preference of this important segment of the
voting population.
Both Humphrey and Stevenson the choice of 1913
per of those poed Senator John Kennedy who has
had active campaign effort among u s. Neges for months
in a poor fourth behind Michigan governor Mennen
Williams.
Humphreys wide support was significant because was
expression appreciation of the things for which he stands
which important both the NegroAmercan and the
United States as a whole
important also because the Minnesoan has had
organized drumbeang campaign among the Negro voters The
wide support he received therefore could only be construed
the perception and memory of Negro Democratic leadership
who recall that it Humphrey who struck the first big
political blow for human rights by his memorable speech before
the 1913 Democratic convention which for the first time 70
upset platform committee report and thereby committed
not too willing Harry Truman strong civil rights plank
for the "48" campaign
The Negro who voted for Humphrey the JET
poll also remember that Humphrey laid his the line
for human decency and equality in the US when he made that
speech Philadelphia "48 They recognize the powerful
effort which has been made during the years interests
to depict Humphrey radical irresponsible and knowa
They perhaps recognize also that effort has been made
show that Humphrey has changed his position civil rights
American Negro political leaders acuey of the
capabilities of the who hold public office Many of those
with whom this has been contact realize that
pound pound Humphrey mind mind of the
able in American public life today we'll qualified for
the Presidency They know too that if his bid for national
prefement suffers it will be because he chooses stand
human rights, and the dignity of the individual country
which prids itself in theory these virtues but which hest
tates too often to put them into practice
Humphreys strength in the magazine poll also signif
cant because the poll made before his speech
the 5Oth anniversary of the NAACP in which
stood along with that organization for freedom and equality
for all Americans
In that speech he made crystal clear that he would
not sacrifice the human rights principles in which he believes
the interest of personal political advancement.
In their vote for Stevenson many of the Negroes the
JET poll were simply reacng to the stimulation exposure
experience supporting the party standard bearer
and 1856 campaigns could be that major portion
OF those who gave Stevenson the 80 per tie with Humphrey
would most naturally be Humphrey supporters it, and when
Stevenson eliminates himself from consideration as candidate
for the 1860 nomination.
The results OF the poll actually victory for Humphrey
and credit to the Negro leaders who supported for they
representing well the rank and file Negroes everywhere
who remember the Hubert Humphrey 948 the Hubert
Humphrey who than other individual began the move
which made the 1913 Washington DC capital of Jim Crow
Dixie the 1859 Washington De- the capital of the United
States of America where Negroes treated as citizens
rather than pariahs.