Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-01
Of Jobs and Such

ADraham RlDlcoff, Democrat from
Connecticut, made significant speech
in the Senate last week.
The Senator dealt with equality of
opportunity and equality of response
bility. Of this last, he declared, and
we concur, too little has been said.
AS a Jew, Mr.. Ribicoff has had his
share of experience with prejudice and
discrimination. And he has come away
from his own experience with con-
viction that the best answer to dis
elimination has always been equality
of opportunity. He makes the point
that chose who claim that x number
of jobs or per cent of jobs must be
set aside for Negroes are not favoring
equality of opportunity. They are say
ing that opportunity does not matter,
that merit does not matter, that only
arbitrary numbers and percentages
matter. That point of view will I'M
dermine the whole effort to achieve
equality in this country"
Senator Ribicoff understands, of
course, that equality of job opportunity
will be meaningless for many Negroes
without better training, better educa-
ton and better home environment. He
proposes that these needs be met. But
he also insists, and rightly so, that
discrimination is wrong whether it
works against man or for him. Unless
the test is ability, someone will always
be the victim of discrimination.
Moving to another point, the
Connecticut Senator insisted that the
Negroes responsibility to obey the law
is not less than that of the white man.
There has been outrageous violence
perpetrated upon Negroes and it has
properly been condemned. But violence
has come to white citizens, and too
few voices of responsibility have been
raised"
Referring to next months proposed
mass march on Washington, Senator
Ribicoff agreed that the Negroes have
IAN absolute right" to stage such a
demonstration, provided it is peaceful.
But he also warned that Congress is
not going to be coerced, and that if
there is any disorder" the prospects
for the civil rights bill would be griev-
ously injured" This warning may fall
on deaf ears in the case of those who
have been talking about wave after
wave of "Sit-inS" at the Capitol. We
assume, of course, that nothing of this
sort will be tolerated. But if it is even
tried the Connecticut Senator will be
proved right.
Senator Ribicoff made it clear that
he will support not only the Presidents
bill, but also any additional legislation
which may be needed to protect the
civil rights of every American" He
came back again, however, to the urgent
need of and the hopeful prospects for
obtaining agreement in the Congress
on new programs for vocational edu-
cation, for job retraining and for work
opportunities for those on relief. "Tn
the long rum" he added, "the progress
we make in these fields may prove to
have more meaning than the securing
Of legal rights"
We agree. Every American should
be secure in his legal rights But for
our Negroes especially, or for many of
them, legal rights can be empty things
without the means to earn decent Iiv-
ing so that they may enjoy their rights.
Street demonstrations and marches on
Washington appeal to the emotions and
the imagination. But we have a stub
born notion that when this business
has shaken down the things that will
count most for the Negro will be train
ing, fair chance at jobs and a sense
of responsibility.