St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1960-11-04

as well as Mr.. Eisenhower and
probably a bit better. The reason:
A preoccupation by many polite
ians with civil rights, an area
where neither contender has a clear
edge.
Harping on Civil Rights
Accordingly, the current cam
paigns for the Negro vote harp on
civil rights. Harlem's Negro Rep.
Adam Clayton Powell, back in the
Democratic fold after a brief per-
iod as an Eisenhower hacker, dis
plays to Negro audiences a photo
static copy of a 1851 Washington
home lease signed by Mr.. Nixon
containing a covenant against flu
ture sale to a Negro; the Vice
President is, says Mr.. Powell, the
great pretender." Signs plastered
on Harlem lampposts declare: Get
off the plantation now and join
Harlem Democrats for Nixon and
Lodge" Republicans distribute cop
les Of newspaper columns written
by ex-basebaIl star Jackie Robin
son, now working in the Nixon
cause; the columns belittle Sen.
Kennedys civil rights record
But conversations with Negroes
show only the upper-income, better
educated minority is primarily con-
cerned with civil rights. Most Ne
groes are skeptical that civil rights
promises will be redeemed. They
all give a bunch Of big promises"
complains Mrs. Marlyn Coleman,
a 25-year-old Philadelphia house,
wife who plans to cast her first
Presidential vote for Sen. Kennedy.
But once they're in, it's a differ
ent story" Jay Thornton, sales
clerk in a Harlem shoe store Is an
unusually enthusiastic Kennedy
hacker. But ask him about civil
rights, and he replies: Il don't
know anything about civil rights.
That's something that's going to
go on for a long time"
Given this standoff on civil
rights, Sen. Kennedy gains from
the widespread feeling among ur-
ban Negroes that the Democratic
Party is the party of the working
man.
I'VE Need a Change"
Il think we need a change" de-
clares former Eisenhower voter
Reginald Anderson of Los Angeles,
a mail handler for the Union Pac-
ific Railroad. The Republican
Party hasn't done anything for the
railroad worker" James Pernell,
a Chicago post office employee,
says he is switching because of
the unemployment situation. I
know the Democrats would do bet
ter for the working people"
On similar grounds, other Ne
groes are sticking firmly to old
Democratic ways. Il never vote
for the Republicans" says William
Wallace Of Baltimore, a warehouse
man at nearby Fort Meade, Nd.
when the Republicans get in,
everything flops." Keabee Golden,
a San Francisco mortician who
voted for Mr.. Stevenson last time,
argues: We've almost got Hoover
days now. The Republicans do
nothing but for the rich man"
Aside from switches based strict
ly on the pocketbook, Sen. Ken
nedy is gaining heavily from Ne
groes who normally vote Demo
cratic in the absence of such a
COP. magnet as Mr.. Eisenhower.
II voted for Ike last time" says
David Mitchell, a lathe operator
from the Detroit suburb of Ham
tramck. But I'll go for Kennedy
this time. It's the party idea, you
know. I'm really a Democrat"
Margaret Long, who works in a
Columbus, Ohio, flower shop, says;
I'm really a Democrat, but ]
liked Eisenhower. Now her choice
is Sen. Kennedy.
Tghtly-Knit Organizations
This Identification with the Dem,
/ ocrats is fostered by tightly-knit
Negro Democratic organizations in
many big Northern cities. The
strongest of them is Rep. William
Dawson's organization in the First
! Illinois Congressional District or
Chicago's South Side, which moi
only performs the pedestrian polit
ical tasks of getting voters to reg,
lister and transporting them to the
polls but also serves the citizen!
in paternahstic Tammany Hal
fashion. Explaining his preference
for Sen. Kennedy, Chicago bu!
driver Paul Whiteman says: 'Th'
Democrats are more helpful wheI
it comes to getting a job. You car
go to your precinct leader, and he'll
steer you on the right course"
Among the few Negroes WHIT
place primary stress on civil right!