Evening star., 1961-05-26
Freedom
ToLikeor
Dislike
BY FRANCES LIDE
Star staff Writer

OCIldUOG xGQSSCn 0O1lS "a
Louisiana asserted last night
that "the right to dislike
somebody in a purely peace
full sort of a way is a part
of the magnificent spectacle
of American freedom"
Speaking at a dinner meet
ing at the Women'S National
Democratic Club, he made no
reference to the situation
growing out of attempts by
the Freedom Riders to travel
through the Deep South on
interstate buses except to say
that "the 'wait-innerS,' the
'sit-inners.' the freedom rid
erS' and the hate riders ap-
pear on the opposite side of
the same COIN"
The Senator, who urged the
need to continue "our historic
revolution for freedom" noted
that ''the racial struggle
over desegregation in Amer
lea can hardly be called Or
derly change"
The central government"
he said, is seeking to force a
change in the beliefs. customs
and traditions of a quarter Of
the Nation "and we Of the
South are showing quite
clearly that we do not like it."
Sensible Southerners are
not against progress and the
advancement of the Negro, he
declared.
But they demand a right
to choose the company in
which they and their children
will live" he maintained.
While he didn't ask those
Of his audience from the
North Ito agree with me" on
this issue, he said, "T do ask
you to recognize that the
right to protest and demon
strate - even to protest
loudly-exists on both Sides"
Rather than aoologize be-
fore the world for the loudly
protesting mothers at Nc
Donough No. 10 in New
Orleans" he continued, st
would point out to the world
that those mothers were ex-
ercising q freedom that did
not exist in the Soviet
Union, Cuba, or anywhere
behind the Iron Curtain.
"It Is because our system
has the strength to stand
and to welcome change that
these demonstrations occur"
The speaker also dis
paraged the present drive for
public contributions to meet
Fidel CaStro's offer to ex-
change 1900 invasion pris-
oners for 500 tractors.
"You can trade bulldozers
for prisoners If you want
to do it." he said, at one
point, but that's not how
you win wars. You win
wars because Of the kind of
men and women who died in
the Alamo . Nobody ever
defeated blackmailers by pay
ing ransom"
Calling the American Revo-
luton q real stem winder,"
he declared that "the idea Of
Second-class citizenship so
infuriated the American
Colonists that they were
capable of some of the finest
inspirational declarations Of
all times"
Citing quotations such as,
"Give me liberty, or give me
DEATH" he suggested that
they don't sound as if "they
were uttered by tractor for
prisoner boys"
While "a Peace Corps can
help a Revolutionary
Corps can do much more"
said the Senator as he
warned that you are not
going to win q war. be it hot
or cold. unless you go into
battle with q determination
to fight and to win regard
less Of losses or difficulties"
Senator Longs address
highlighted a regional din
ner at the club featuring the
State of Louisiana.
Mrs. Gillis w. Long was the
chairman, assisted by Mrs.
Robert e. Hunter as CO.
chairman.
Louisiana Representative
Edwin e. Willis introduced
the speaker to an audience
which included Representa-
tives r. Edward Hebert and
Mrs. Hale Boggs, wife Of the
Representative and a former
president of the club