Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1962-03-30

The prospects of their nun
grows better as Negro populs
nations Northern cities.
But what are the chances of a
Negro being elected to the Sem
ate? According to recent study
of population figures, the early
election of a Negro to the Senate
seems unlikely because no north
ern state has more than IT per
cent Negro population (the Mary
land figure).
But while numerically too weak
to elect one of their own race, Ne
groes play an important part in
Senate elections.
In 1860, for example, Sen. Pat
Mcnamara Cd of Michigan would
most probably have been defeated
for reelection If he had not re-
ceived an almost solid vote from
the "a per cent nonwhite popula-
ton of Michigan. Senator Nc
Namara won by only SIT per cent
Of, the vote.
The nonwhite population in
other key northern states is 8 per
cent in California, 1879 per cent in
Delaware, 10.6 in Illinois, So per
cent in Indiana, IT per cent in
Maryland, 90 per cent in Miss
ouri, 81 per cent in New Jersey,
SO per cent in New York, 80 per
cent in Ohio, and 7.6 per cent in
Pennsylvania.
In any close election in these
states, a solid Negro vote for
either candidate could easily be
the crucial factor.
The northern Negro voter is
also in a strategic position in
presidential elections and as re-
strictions are removed, the south
ern Negro will make the Negro
vote in a nationwide election al
most crucial as long as the two
party system is maintained.
The Importance of the northern
Negro urban vote is reflected in
the census of Negro population
percentages for major cities-53.9
per cent in Washington (Which
votes for President in 1864, 34.8
per cent in Baltimore, 28.9 per
cent in Detroit, 28.6 per cent in
both Cleveland and st. Louis, 26.4
per cent in Philadelphia 22.9 per
cent in Chicago, 22.8 per cent in
Oakland, Calf.
Surveys of the 1860 presidential
election show that about 10 per
cent of voting Negroes cast their
ballots for the Kennedy-Johnso
ticket, helping Democrats to pile
UP huge urban majorities that
permitted them to carry several
close northern states and thus win
the election.
Congressional Quarterly's stud
les of heavily Negro wards in Phil
adelphia and Cleveland showed
percentages for the Kennedy
Johnson ticket often exceeding 80
per cent.
In 1856, on the other hand, only
go per cent of the Negro vote had
been cast for the Democratic
ticket.
Both in 1852 and 1856, Presi-
dent Eisenhower's place on the
Republican ticket tended to slow
down the Democratic trend among
Negro voters.
Before the days Of President
Roosevelt's New Deal, on the
other hand, the Negro vote had
traditionally gone Republican.
Observers believe that civil
rights arguments may have helped
the Democrats some in winning
the Negro vote in recent years
but that the most important fac
tor has been the Negroes low econ
omic standing.
Often in need of extensive gov
eminent aid programs in welfare
housing and education, the Negro
looks to a strong federal govern
n,cnt role to fulfill his needs anc
naturally votes for the party mos
willing to expend large sums Of
money for such projects.
The Negro vote outlook remain!
a gloomy one for the Republican
Party. Observers believe that a.
long as the Negro remains at the
bottom of the economic totem
pole, he'll probably show littl'
interest in Republican arguments
for fiscal responsibility and bal
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