St. Paul recorder. [volume], November 25, 1955, Image 2

About St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
I’ll
Mlaaaaaolla Offlaa: 111 Third Avanua Baulk. Mlaaaapolla 11. Mlnnaaota
■atar.4 aa aacoad-elaaa act tar Jun. »«, Ills al th. Pact Offlaa al
Salol PauL Minnesota, under th. Aot or March I. 1171.
CApiUl 2-0922
■ I BaCKIPTION BATKI
Minnesota. North .nd South Dakota. on. year l«»•: all month., 11 to.
All other states 11.01 per rwt, .1. month. 1100 All mall auttsaripllona
Farabi, strictly In advance
‘1,9.
Caeli K N.trmaa Kdttor-Publl.h.r
dlldred T Jordan N.w. and Advarti.in*
•ell Dodsoe Russell Contributing Kdltor
'tort Is C. Chlv.r. Hale.
' toeetsr W patt.reoa Adv.rtl.lna
umi L Taylor ,Advertl.lnd
. 'easts dh.pard Hoc tat A P.reonal N.w.
Immle Griffin tlp.ru
Gloria Wlllioreon Cham bar. Bookkooi.lnn
Lenina Hushes dark
■lovi Falla, Sooth Dakota Correopoadeat. Mra Den Ooat.a, 111 North
Mabie Blow. Falla Booth Dakota.
National Adv.rll.la* Ryrtanutlra AJMOCIATKD I'Um.IHKEKH. Inn..
11 Wool 10th Bt, N.w Work 11. N T.—Chlaaso Off Io.: 11l W Washlng
tos. Chisago 1. hllaotok
Wool Coast Hopr.wntallv..: Ilnbrrt C. Whaley Co . II N.w Monts»msry
|t Han Franot.ro I, Calif., Telephone BUtl.r 1-1071 Ix>. Ani.l.. Office
till Hollywood Boulevard. Phon. Hollywood 1-7117.
The RECORDER beßevre Ba man should ba denied the right to
contribute bla beet to humanity. Ad long aa that right to denied any
ana, no man's righto arc ea/B.
The Fund For The Republic
When It was announced some two yearc ago that the Ford
Foundation supported Fund for the Republic planned to explore th«
extent to which the civil righto and llbertlea of American citizens
were being denied In the United States we knew the organization war
in for aome trouble.
The Fund Itself must have expected trouble, and that it did not
dodge Ito responsibility is to its credit. Dr. Robert Hutchens, tte
director and former president of the University of Chicago la not the
type of person to dodge trouble when he Is in pursuit of the common
good.
Certainly there wee plenty of need to inquire into the civil righto
situation in thia nation. Certainly no truthful person would deny
violation of the civil righto of individuals has grown with the yearn
and that some Independent Inquiry into what to really happening in
that area of American life was needed.
If the Fund for the Republic had found some other area of Ameri
can life It would not now be under vicious attack, but It courageously
sought to find out what the country was doing about keeping secure
the principles of the Bill of Righto for human beings and for political
groups and all segments of the population.
Even the worse blgoto did not dare attack the Fund for searching
out civil righto as It applies to racial and religious groups, since
American temper to growing Increasingly hostile to attempts to keep
Americans of the racial and religious minority groups from enjoying
their civil righto.
However, when the Fund paid for a study of the effect of the
American Community Party on the nation, and the study, made by
university professors, did not completely damn the Communists to
perpetual fire, It gave the super-patriots and the blgoto an opportun
ity to launch a drive to kill off the Fund. Let It be said here that
while we have only read a portion of the report on subversives, no
where did we read or nowhere have we read where any reliable ob
server even suggests that the study was an apology for communism.
We believe the group which did the study reported truthfully what It
found without regard to how Its finding would be received. That is the
scientific way even if the conclusions reached are not what we want
found or hope will be found.
As indicative of the courage of the Fund was the gift the other
day of *50.000 to the NAACP Legal Fund, the group which has charge
of the work proceeding through the due process of the nation's courts
to see that the U. 8. Supreme court ban on public school segrega
tion to fully obeyed by all the states. That gift alone alienated the
southern politician who would like to maintain the status quo In
Negro-white relations.
Knowing the kind of people and organizations which would be op
posed to any attempt to Improve “our American way of life”, wr
know the Fund may expect every unfair means in the book to render
Its program worthless, but if the good sound citizens of the nation arc
on the alert the Fund for the Republic will live many years, for It Is a
badly needed agency In a country which must alert Itself to the
danger of the extreme rightists as well as the extreme left.
Going To Take The “Long Look'”
The intelligent Negro voter la going to take "a long look" at
Presidential candidates in the 19.16 elections If comment and conver
sations heard In various cities visited by the editor during the past
nine months can be considered a true Indication of the Negro voters'
temper.
With both parties falling to enact any remedial civil rights legts
lation, or even make a real attempt to do eo, In the last two sessions
of Congress, neither, in the opinion of some Negro leaders, ate in a
very good position with a large part of the northern Negro vote which
often votes Independent.
The announcement of Adlai Stevenson that he la a candidate for
the Democratic nomination has not raised near the enthusiasm
among Negroes nationally or in Minnesota that his candidacy three
years ago did. Many feel Stevenson has been working overtime to
cater to the southern defertlonists. While for the party's good this
may be a good tactic, still, one can't blame the Negro voter for being
lukewarm to any attempt to soft-pedal the civil rights issue
This In view of the very good record which Dwight Elsenhower
has quietly built up on the Negro Issue, is going to present a real
problem to the Democrats who have had the Negro Vote so long
(since 1632) that many Negroes think they have become callous, in
different and unappreciative.
Eisenhower on the other hand has not backed congressional ac
tion on civil rights and during the fight on the reserve bill he called
"extraneous.'' civil rights amendments, designed to protect the Negro
in the service from discrimination. Ilia statement in that Instance
is Just about the only chink in his armor although the Democrats will
be able to point to Ins general reluctance to approach civil lights via
urging congressional action
As loud and long as Harry Truman talked about civil rights, he
refused to appoint a Negro-American to his White House staff as
suggested by Negro publishers who felt that such an appointment
would be helpful to the White House and the nation
Elsenhower has several Negroes on his staff and Frederic Mor
row is one of the White House section chiefs. Most readers of thia
paper are familiar with other outstanding appointments of Negroes
by Eisenhower which are head and shoulders above those made by
Roosevelt or Truman.
Whether Elsenhower runs or not. one can be sure that his record
on the Negro will be played to the hilt by the Republican who does
run, if he has any political astuteness at all.
!
L-v
l' <•
• I ’
■-
** * iworu mmv
HI &&
To offset the "Ike” record the Democrat* will, of courw have
the "New Deal 1 and "Fair Deal" records which appeal mightily to
moat working clans people and moat Negroes are working claaa
There may be an attempt to obtain the organisation of a nation
wide Negro group to bargain with both parties Thie effort, however
will be fought by the Negro politicians of both parties who are en
trenched and want nothing to do with a grass roots movement which
might diminish their power.
There is a feeling among many politically active Negroes who
are not too well harnessed to the two major parties that Negroes
ought to form a national organization similar to those presently
operated by the CIO and the A Fl. designed to support only those
candidates who promise organised labor a fair, square deal in
national politics.
Such advocates point out that organised labor never got any
political consideration until it organised political units like ClO's
FAC and the A F of L'a labor s League for t*oilUcal Education
It la worth repeating that the Negro voter In the North particu
larly is going to take a "long look" at the candidates for the presi
dency in the next national election
ST. PAUL RECORDER
"An Independent Newspaper"
Bvnry Friday by Spoir woman-RacorSsr Publlahln* Ca„ Isa
ill Nawtan Balldla* (Ilf Mlnaaaotai, Bt. Paul 1. Mlna.aota
—PHONES—
N.w. Borvloeo: Aaooclatod Negro Press, Continental Fsaturos and
N.waprae. Photo.
Momhoet National Mdltortal Aaooetatloa
M.mhori Mlnn.oola Kdtiovtal Aonorlatlon
Mom hey I National newspaper Pabllahora Association
newspaper assumes no rmpon.ltillty /or anootreflod'maauoerlpt.
a or ensravlngs Huck ar. submitted at owner's risk
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20. 1955
'!WiSi2\ AAANNA HUKT .f A
ufiLggxanj® z /.(•_ fert
f a eowrerts/flu
9-HRidgeport 7071
Communists And The Negro
Most people today In this nation know that American Communists
were and are either dupes or willing or unwilling agents for a foreign
power. In the group which grew during the period before World War
II were many starry-eyed people who saw tn the Red movement the
hope of the world. By their slick methods the Communists took in a
lot of people who were Impatient with the slow changes which the
old line American parties were taking. AU together these diverse
groups, with varying interests made up a political party, whose first
Interest was In furthering the cause of the Russian Kremlin. Ameri
can Negroes, exploited and mistreated in every one of the 48 states,
would have seemed to have been a responsive area for recruitment
for the party, but attempts by the Communists to win even a small
foothold among Negroes were an utter failure.
American Communists apparently didn’t know Negroes anymore
than the southern whites who "understand the Negro,” or else they
would have known that the moat American of all Americans, to an
American Negro that moat Negroes believe that there to no better
system of government in the world that that of the United States. The
Communists failed to see that, while American Negroes were im
patient and dissatisfied, they planned to work out their destiny within
the orderly framework of the American Constitution.
The Negro's faith In the United Htates has been demonstrated
through every war in which the country has engaged. Unlike his
Caucauslan brethem, he has fought not for the liberty and freedom he
has enjoyed, but for the democracy he expects his children to enjoy.
There to no part of this country where so much talk of morality
In all of Ito aspects can be heard iui in Dixie, especially in the Deep
Southern states; and yet. there to no section of the land where im
morality wins greater approval.
The South to at once the stronghold of organized Christianity and
the stronghold of Ku Kluxism, the defender of the faith and the
violator of the Constitution, the only place in the land where a
Christian preacher la likely to be ousted for urging his flock to
practice what it preaches.
Consider the Citizens Councils that have sprung up In numeroiu
Southern communities and which are dedicated to the proposal
Negroes must be punished financially and economically for daring
to insist that the laws of the nation, aa interpreted by the United
States Supreme Court, be enforced.
The members of these Citizens Councils are persons of some im
portance In their respective communities, and undoubtedly moat of
them are Christian church members of chiefly fundamentalist per
suasion who are dedicated to Christian morality.
And yet they have declared war upon fellow-citizens of another
color who militantly seek to have the laws of the land enforced and
fair play practiced in their communities, and we have seen the cas
uaties of that war.
Negro business and professional men who have taken the In
itiative In demanding that their communities obey the dictates of the
highest court in the land, are being punished with all sorts of snide
reprisals, because they have insisted on both Biblical and national
morality.
Credit is being frosen. supplies are being withheld, honest men are
being traduced and threatened, teachers are losing their jobs, letters
are being Illegally opened, telephones are being tapped, fiery crosses
burned and houses stoned.
This, of course, la Immoral. Illegal conduct with which everybody
Is familiar and which should be condemned and punished; but appar
ently these willful men and women are Immuno.
Simultaneously, these Immoral people attend Bible meetings,
seldom miss a church service, send their offspring to Sunday Schools
where they learn (or at least hear) right from wrong, become ac
quainted with God's word, and are directed to go forth to preach and
practice it.
What manner of people are these who can be at the «me time,
hot and cold, right and wrong, just and unjust, moral and Immoral*
Can anything great and good emerge from such an atmosphere of
Injustice and repression?
Cun any Negro respect people who will stoop so low in the name
of a spurious racial superiority while babbling Holy Writ ?
What can be learned about vaunted chivalry and civilisation
from those who flout the laws of the nation and of humanity with
grim and Irresponsible determination?
How can those immorallsts teach morality to us?
COVRIKR
There was a time when a girl blushed If she heard a risque story
Now she memorises it
“Next
“i n -
B-
>» i |■■
\r
HAT (3UY NEVER FORGETS MIS ANNIVERSARY
“Your conduct in public can mean so much.”
The Immoral Moralists
Pittsburgh
By TED SHEARER
I Letters To The Editor |
HA, HA IS ON US, Ht SAYS
Editor: It has been rather amusing to see your “independent”
paper laboring to cover up for "Orvle" Freeman's application to join
the 40 48. In the November 11 edition you seemed to be saying: "O.
say it isn't true Governor, say It isn't true." You tried to explain it
away with such tripe as many white American Legionnaires not
knowing that the 40 & 8 barred Negroes, Fihpinoes, Puerto Ricans,
etc.
To top it your paper figuratively got down on its knees in the
Nov. 18 issue, lamenting the fact that His Majesty, the young gover
nor had not got around to making a statement as to whether he was
a member of the 40 A 8 or not! Don’t you read the papers? The
“liberal" gentleman In the state house front office, was scheduled to
address the American Legion last week end. making any statement
about whether he was initiated or not by the 40 4 8, wouldn't have
been very good public relations.
Some of these days, some of you Negroes are going to wake up
and stop supporting every guy who comes along with a "liberal” tag
attached to him. Some of these so-called liberals do a lot of talking
but nothing etoe. The ha, ha, to on you.—JRM, St. Paul, Minnesota
EXPLANATION PHASED THEM
Editor: Both my wife and myself were pleased to see the notice
that Bailee Thomas was dropping that dialect. "Put Yo Money Where
Yo Mouf to" business It was a little shocking to read in the paper
we have grown to admire. However week by week your paper keeps
up high standards and we find little to complain about. We received a
copy of the Washington AFRO-AMERICAN and was happy to see
the nice piece about you and the papers in it. Such recognition to well
deserved. Keep up the good fight.—Mr. and Mm. Doane Spencer,
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Time And The Afro
Time Magazine, in its current Issue, takes time out to shed
crocodile tears over what to concludes to the decline tn circulation and
influence of the colored press.
A reader of the piece would gather that we are practically on the
verge of bankruptcy.
Among other things, it says that the AFRO proposes to drop
some of Ito 13 editions, namely New England, In order to concentrate
on metropolitan areas with a heavy colored population.
That's a lot of poppycock.
The AFRO has no intention of dropping Ito New England or any
other edition.
Last week the AFRO sold 191 thousand copies to set the pace
In its field, something It has been doing for the past several years.
The circulation of the Baltimore edition is approximately the
same as the peak reached during World War 11.
We expect in peace time to do quite as well as we did during the
war period. Baltimore AFRO-AMERICAN
There was the rich Texas oil man who had three swimming pools
built on his estate. One was filled with cold water, one with warm
water, and the third was empty. He said some of his friends couldn't
swim.
EVERYDAY
Economics
By Leßoy Young
Business: Its Duties To The
Community
Public Be Damned Era
During the latter part of the
1800's and the turn of the cen
tury. the business community was
represented by a familiar set of
names, which included the Van-
de r b 111 s, Du
Harriman and
John Jacob As
men
ILT and a f>-w others
Mt
or con
trolled all major
& ' business in thia
..' country through
a system of hold-
Mr. Young In g companies
and interlocking directorates.
Business history and law have
quite extensive files compiled over
the years of the wrongs that were
perpetrated by some of these
financiers who were in financial
position to wreak havoc upon the
public.
The public was at the mercy of
a controlling economic band; these
were the days before enactment of
the Sherman and Clayton Anti-
Trust Acts. Federal Reserve Sys
tem; Securities Exchange Com
mission and the Federal Trade
Commission.
These laws and commissions
were created to regulate facets of
business and see to it that the
public was not a victim of disas
trous schemes that could deadily
collapse the monetary and pro
ducts market.
From all quarters of business
came cries of federal intervention
and domination, and the leaders
creamed out for a policy of lais- w ., de gprtMul of CO mmuni
ser fair*.or. governments should „„ destitute poverty stricken
keep their hands off the business . Theref( ,re jt industry
world. , | eaders ajuj government spokes-
But their cries became less m< _ n cast g warv ewry prMent
heard as many state governments pve for unlawful unacc eptable
along with Federal laws and Com- prM . whlrh mav hurt the pub .
missions finally realised that iu c
xomrhow the public must be pm- , „ not to _
tected The situation eventually WRrd , utopi!in wmmerrlld sn .
came to this: that governments cietv but j feel that H> Wgh tlme
would then, and continue to. exert fof thf pubMc to the ufm<-t
powerful restrictive pedicles until I Wlttillerstlcn Rrd from
industries and the business com bu , inr „ that tts due
and the pub
iw fit to re
Us in the same light it viewed its
clients Business had the choice of
continued state and federal regu
latlon. of of policing itself
Industry leadership
In the last 15 to 20 years, many
industry ass<x-tattons have been
created for purposes of publishing
trade journals, financial data, and
setting rules and regulations for
the Industry to follow This is
usually undertaken by the indus
try leaders whose influence and
impact are too powerful to ignore
If a firm or firms constituting
s minor segment of an industry
are well out of line with establish
ed industry pokey. it's usually only
a matter of time before full com
pliance is had or they leave the
industry This la as It should be
that la. If the rules and refuta-
tions for the industry are In the
interest of the public
It Is safe to say that we are
somewhere In the middle of the
two positions which tor the publie
seems to hold some distinct ad
vantages.
It is doubtful if anyone is naive
enough today to declare that state
and Federal governments should
divorce themselves completely
from the business world aa we
have not yet reached that stage of
trustful perfection.
On the other hand, the public
cannot allow the community of
business to upset the equilibrium
of the entire country by giving
them complete freedom to do as
they please. Perhaps they should
be given a freer hand, but no evi
dence to yet forthcoming to show
that the business community has
reached an ethical and moral
plane for unqualified public trust.
This point cannot be emphasized
too strongly; we hope the days of
panics are gone forever; while
realizing that prosperity in vary
ing degrees to only the outward re
flection of the public's confidence
in the future.
Therefore, we can summarize
with these statements.
(1) the business sector is a
necessary part of the successful
life of the community.
(2) the business sector must
fully realize that its duties toward
a community are quite similar in
pattern and scope to those of the
individual citizen.
(3) that its duties are primarily
to create and maintain a high de
gree of trust which is necessary
for the public confidence.
(4) that along with its other
duties toward a community, must
be its realization of a high moral
regard for the public welfare.
If business transactions affected
only business people, there would
not be sufficient grounds for the
insistence of public treatment.
But we must face the fact that
millions of people are affected by
business dealings, though they
may know nothing of them and
may be several thousands of miles
from the action points.
The degree of affectation is
sometimes great enough to leave
2) a Kmw?
At Ben Franklin Federal You Get Every Advantage and Service
Offered By Any Federal Savings and Loan Association in the
Twin Cities.
Friendlier And More Personal
And Prompt Attention
It's The Extras That Count!
FEDERAL
Sadtff an<i jCau JroMtar
IX GOATIST NAMi IN SAVINuS
Page 2, St Paul RECORDER. Friday, November 25, 1955
PUBLISH!® CORNER
Every now and then we like to get out and walk for blocks
through the city streets both downtown in in the residential neighbor
hoods. You can get so preoccupied with the problems you face in the
office that you forget what your fellow citizen looks like on the street
Last Thursday we walked through the St. Paul loop for ten or
twelve blocks. We met a lot of people who we used to know, and whose
names we could not recall. Many of them said "Hello, there. Newman,"
or "Hl, Cec.’ ” Most of them were kind enough to ask how business
was and others wanted to know where we kept ourself.
It felt good knowing or being known by so many people and It
gave us quite a glow. Must do more walking in downtown St. Paul.
After we got In the car we honked at Dave Speer, the public relations
man who is already beating the drums for our big St. Paul Winter
Carnival. He looked happy and busy and that is probably the sign that
we are going to have a great Winter Carnival this year.
Monday, we had busineas uptown in the Minneapolis loop and
we again felt very nice to see so many people we know smiling in
recognition with here and there an inquiry as to health and
wealth, the latter of which there Is none, although we appreciated
Uie compliment.
Our towns furnish a startling contrast to New York. We have
walked around the streets of that city with men like A. Phillip Ran
dolph and the late Walter White. While New Yorkers will mob a movie
star, few recognized real important people. We saw David Samoff, one
of the country's most powerful men walk down Fifth Ave. for five
blocks and not over three people spoke to him we know, for we fol
lowed him all of the five blocks.
In Minneapolis we walked only a few blocks with Joseph Lei Cour,
director of the Associated Publisher's Inc., New York and Norm
Shervington of the Chicago office of the same firm, and were hailed by
various people two dozen times. Small townlsh? Well—eo what?
Whatever it to. it makes life really worth living—in Minnesota.
The Twin City Book Club to to be congratulated on its Sunday
November 13 program at the STAR and TRIBUNE building in
Minneapolis. The club of 18 women which meets monthly to discuss
the latest books, brought Vincent Tubbs, capable newsman and a
Johnson Publications editor to Minnesota to discuss "The Negro
Press: Ito Contribution to the American Scene.”
Tubbs made a fine talk. A panel of two local news people and two
social workers discussed various facets of the press and the audience
asked questions of Mr. Tubbs and the panel.
Curiously it was one of the few programs in which the writer has
participated where there was no general controversy. At the beginning
of Tubbs talk when he delivered some general broadsides at the
sensationalism of the Negro Press and its constant preoccupation
with race, we felt that we would have to answer him in our part of
the program. However, before he had finished his well rounded ad
dress, Mr. Tubbs had accentuated the positive as well as the nega
tive factors of the Negro Press in such a deft manner, that we found
nothing with which we could justifiably take issue.—CEN
Who Sends The FBI Where?
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
had addressed an important and explosive question to Attorney Gen
eral Brownell. The question involves the fate of two children; it also
involves the issue of equal justice.
The inquiry arises out of the strange contrast between the FBl’s
prompt intervention in the feared kidnaping of three year old stephen
Damman, at East Meadow, L. 1., and its total failure to act in the
Mississippi kidnaping of a 14 year old Negro named Emmett Louis
Till.
On August 28 young Till disappeared while visiting relatives at
Money. Miss Members of his family immediately charged he had been
kidnaped by three white men.
For more than three days Till was listed as missing. But the FBI
never entered the case.
On August 31, the mutilated body of Emmett Till was found float
ing in the Tallahatchie River.
Things have been different so far on Long Island. We pray there
will be a happier ending.
Within 24 hours after the Damman child vanished, the FBI was on
the scene to aid frustrated local officials in the search for the missing
child.
The NAACP’s question remains unanswered
Why was the FBI present on Long Island and absent during the
three crucial days In Mississippi? Till's life might not have been saved;
but the FBI might have amassed irrefutable evidence against his
killers.
Technically, the justification for FBI entrance Into a kidnaping
case is the supposition that the victim has been transported across
state lines.
Actually this becomes a matter of discretion for the Justice De
partment and the FBI. In virtually any kidnaping there is reasonable
basis for the theory that an interstate crime may have been com
mitted. Certainly public opinion generally supports the widest use of
the FBI when a c hild's life is at stake.
Who decided that Mississippi was off-limits for the FBI in the
Till case? Why?—N. Y. Post, Nov. S, 1955
Where To Buy The .. .
RECORDER
Chatsworth Inn. Rondo and Chatsworth
Courtesy News Co.. 581 Wabasha St
CAO. Recreation. Western A St Anthony
Elliott Grocery, Milton * Rondo
Keswtn's Market Milton A West Central
Gardner's Barber Shop, West Central A Avon
Hunter's Barber Shop, Arundel A Rondo
Lincoln Food Market Mackubln A Rondo
Maj estlc Drug. Rondo A Dale
Martin's Barber Shop
Neuman's Grocery. West Central A Arundel
White Front Market. Kent A St Anthony
Wilson Beauty Shop. Rondo between Grotto and St Albans
Western Super Market West Central A Western
START AM INSURID SAVINGS ACCOUNT TODAY.
CURRENT RATI 1%
NOMI OfHCI M« latart. M. MM
MINMAPOUS; H» Mw»i.Wi Am