St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1962-09-14
The Georgia Situation

The tense situation in Georgia, which has re-
suited in arrests Of Negroes and whites in
terested in justice-n physical attacks young Ne
groes and whites working for voter registration Of
Negroes who have heretofore been kept from the
polls by threats, the church burnings, the public
congregations Of the Ku Kux Klan-are all the
dying commissions Of declining racist society of
which the United States must rid itself for its own
good.
We can imagine the frenzy with which many Of
the nations daily newspaper editorial writers could
work themselves into while editorializing on the
burning of churches in some other country
However, with few exceptions there has beer
strong editorial condemnation on what has hap
pened in Georgia when two Baptist churches have
been reduced to ashes, because they were used for
meetings designed to organize the Negroes to use
their Constitution-gven right, the exercise of the
franchise. In only three Of the Is daily papers we
read have found denunciation of the church burn
ings.
Resistance to the Albany Movement which
reached its most bizarre and frightening manifesto
ton when rs white and Negro ministers and church.
men, men and women were arrested for publicly
praying for the end of segregation in public transit
parks libraries and other tax supported facilities is
reminiscent of police action in of the nations
daily cricise for their lack of liberty and free
dom.
We can thank God that there are some mem
bers of Congress who early rejected the treatment
which the leaders of the Albany Movement have
received from the town officials Ten us. senator's
five from each party as early August 1, pledged
themselves to cooperate in a bipartisan basis to
see that every effort was made by the Federal
government to secure the rights Of the Negroes
in Albany, Ca, under the Constitution.
leader in the move by the Senators was of
course Mnnesota's own senior Senator Hubert H.
Humphrey, who remains the most consistent cham
pion Of human rights in American public life. Co.
sgners on the Republican side of the Senate were
Senator Jacob K. Javits (N.Y); Clifford P. Case,
(N.J) Kenneth B. Heating, (N.Y.); Thomas Kuchel
(CalifD and Hugh Scott (Pa.) and Democrats Paul
H. Douglas (n); Joseph s. Clark, (Pa.); Philip A.
Hart, CMich,) and Pat Mcnamara, (NIich), also.
These men could see the need to take firm
position in defense Of the people of Georgas right
peaceably demonstrate and petition for relief Their
side was also taken by President John Kennedy
who backed up the senators who felt it was their
duty to publicly take sides with right and justice
1t is claimed that Gov Nelson Rockefeller of
NY. who is still the leading Republican presidential
nominee sent personal check for 5000 to help the
Albany Movement continue its battle for decency
and right He placed himself again squarely on the
side of justice and equity
All the despicabe, uncvilized church burnings,
like the synagogue bombings before them is not
going to stop the march towards equality and the
end Of segregation in public places in America.
Monday a member Of the FBI, in Georgia to
whether constitutional rights being violat-
ed was physically attacked by racst. This was
just another example to the danger of everyones
rights when the daily violation Of the Negro seq
ment Of the population is allowed without chal-
lenge.
President Kennedy should use his executive power
to halt the reign of terror in southwest Georgia.
There Is doubt that there daily violations
of the constitutional rights of both whites and Ne
groes who fighting against the unlawful oppres-
sion of the Negro-Americans in the state Such
anarchy is a threat to the entire nation.