St. Paul recorder., 1963-01-31
Chicago Negroes
New PolificdI
Dimension
(Conttnuod from Page ~

was OAAC "a NAAC AASS 0-L4AnSLo "
be called on to second the nomina-
ton.
But Dawson rose and said: IT
don't feel too good and I'm going
to ask Aid. Campbell to speak for
US ALL"
However, after Campbell spoke,
both Holman and Lewis rose to
make separate seconding speeches
demonstrating their independ-
ence.
1t is unlikely that Campbell will
ever succeed to Dawson's mantle.
Fellow politicians describe him as
too much Of a gentleman to fight
the bloody battle that would be
necessary.
Don't Want A Strongman
There is the added factor that
the city's top white politicians
and many Negro poHticians-don't
want to deal with any future man
with Dawson's singular political
power.
Marshall Korshak, 5th Ward
Democratic committeeman, former
state senator and a newly elected
Sanitary District trustee, is an
other student Of the Negro political
movement. His ward, which en-
compasses the University of Chi
cago, has a large number of Ne
groes in 1t and he deals extensive
ly with other South Side commit
teemen.
Those under him resent Daw-
son." Korshak said. They feel
like lackeys when he does all the
talking for them. They would
rather be like all the other COM
mitteemen able to speak for
themselves. And Mayor Daley, or
any future county chairman, would
rather deal with individuals than
with one man like Dawson"
Keane is another Democratic
power who admits that Dawson's
power is not the kind that other
politicians intend to see handed
down intact.
Organizes Anti-NegrO Cliques
Il don't think it is good for one
man to try to speak for so many
Others" he said.
Keane has started organizing an
anti-Dawson Negro clique. The
first recruits have been Holman
and Lewis.
With Keane's backing, Holman
recently bucked Dawson in the
Democratic stating committee and
forced the nomination of Edith
Sampson, a respected Negro wom-
an lawyer, for a Municipal Court
judgeship.
Dawson was against Mrs. Samp-
son because her nomination was
not cleared through him. But Daley
went along with Keane-Holman-
Lewis and Dawson backed down.
Korshak is one Of many polite
ians who believe the Negro vote
has been overrated for many years.
He explained:
Even in its best days, the Ne
gro vote was not good on a per-
centage basis. They got out strict
ly the organization vote. They
didn't come near getting out all
the vote they could. What happens
to the other 80 or 40 per cent Of
the potential voters in their area ?"
Blame Lack OF Registration
Negro leaders blame their low
percentage turnout on their inabii-
ty to get eligible Negroes to reg
lister.
Lewis said: Down South they
are told If they try to register and
vote, they'n be killed-but they
stick their chins out and do it.
Up here, where we beg them to
register and vote, they don't do
it."
Holman said the lack Of ade-
quate Negro housing is one factor
in the low percentage turnout.
"They move around so much and
we have many requests for help
with housing" he said. Every
time we help a man move out, we
lose a vote"
But Korshak, Keane, and others,
including Edwin c. Berry, execu-
tive director Of the Urban League,
think that the Negroes who don't
go along with the party organiza-
tons are the developing independ-
ents. Said Berry:
LAS the Negroes develop, secure
better education and attain middle
class status, they begin to reflect
it in the way they express their
citizenship rights - independence
Of thought. Neither party can fool
them too much"
Korshak puts it more bluntly:
THE young militant Negroes are
realizing that their leaders are ap-
peasers. The militant ones are in
creasingly more independent and
these guys (current Negro political
leadership have to be hurt by it."
Holman thinks the independent
Negro, who either does not vote
or splits his ticket, hurts his cause.
He said:
Ticket splitting weakens my