St. Paul recorder. [volume], September 13, 1957, Image 2

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

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1957
Where Fan ha h Got His Courage
Th* antir* approach of th* executlv* branch of th* federal gov
ernment to th* quaation of achool desegregation haa encouraged rather
than reduced opposition to th* law of th* land aa interpreted by the
U. 8. Supreme Court.
The action of Governor Orval Faubua In calling out the Arkansas
National Guard to prevent twelve N*gro-Am*rlcan children from
entering th* Central high achool may be attributed to th* "soft"
policy of th* Elaenhower admlnlatratlon. Thia policy, Inatead of
firmly backing th* federal judiciary In Ita declaton that achool
segregation waa un-Conatltutlonal. haa conatantly emphasised the
mealy-mouthed suggestion that law do not affect aoclal changes, the
blggtet bunch of cloudy thinking being mouthed today. Laws do not
halt murders either, but they do reduce th* popularity of homicides.
Th* fulminationa of both Elsenhower and Adlal Stevenson In
their attempt to palliate the worst elements in the South have made
the rabble-rousers In the South believe that the federal government—
the executive branch at leaat, will not enforce the decleiona of the
judicial branch of the federal systsm of government.
In thia bending over backward and apologetic explanatlona en
gaged In by th* admlnlatratlon th* U. 8. Supram* Court which had
th* courage to call th* disgraceful unequal southern school system
un-Conatltutlonal has been left holding the bag and without the sup
port of the politicians In the White Houae, and out, and In both
parties who elalm they ar* all for democracy and full equality of
Americana.
Governor Orval Fanbua' action waa th* natural reault of the
failure *f th* Eleenhower administration to impress th* nation with
fact that It *xp*cta th* federal lawa and decleiona of the federal
courta to be obeyed.
Faubus took a long chance and unleea Elsenhower get* off hla
Stet and upholda the dignity of hla office and the federal law other
Dixie stat* governor* will engage In the same type of conduct which
actually la scarcely a atep from aedltlon.
Does Minnesota DFL Need Senator
Frank Church?
In the laat national election the Democratic party which for over
M year* had enjoyed the majority of the Negro-American vote loat
another 15 per cent of that vote to th* Republican party In the pop
uloua northern atate*. Theae vot*a were practically a gift to the
Republicans because of the arrant stupidity of Democratic leadership
as axempllfied by party chairman Paul Butler.
The Democrat*, grown fat on Negro adherence to the party of
FDR and Truman, have failed to perceive the growing political aware
naaa and sensitivity of the Negro voter, and many of them still think
they can glibly wave the names of Rooaevelt and Truman from
political platform* and still hold the Negro voter In Democratic
ranks.
Some of that atupldlty I* allowing up In Minneota In the
Young Democratic Farmer latbor Party's determination, backed
by certain senior party officials to bring Senator Frank Church
of Idaho to Minnesota to speak at a party fund raising dinner on
September 28. This may prove to be a classic blunder, costing the
party eonalderable support.
Church, aa moat people In Minnesota know, waa one of the north
ern Democratic senators who Joined In the emasculation of the civil
rights bill. It should be pointed out In all falmea* that the Invitation
to him to apeak In thia civil rights atate. was extended befor* hla
vote on the two critical civil rights amendment*. It therefore cannot
be aald that the YDFL Invited him knowing hla real civil rights post- I
tion. It probably assumed he was a real liberal. Also In all fairness
It should be assumed that he would not have been invited If the
YDFL had known what his real position on the civil rights Issue was
going to be.
However the unforgivable, unpardonable thing has been the re
fusal of the committee, supported by certain DFL atate leaders to
withdraw th* Invitation after the vigorous protest of Negro leaders
tn DFL ranks. Thia smacks of the aame typ* of disregard which forc
ed thousands of Nagrote to leave the Democratic party In the Novem
ber 195# elect lona, when Ita candidates. Presidential and Vice-Presi
dential, and Its platform bowed before th* un-Reconstructed South
and for ita stupidity loat not only th* North but also th* South.
The MlMMsaot* DFL showed an entirely different attitude
when after the protest of the farmers of the state. It cancelled a
banquet to keep Senator John Kennedy from coming here to ad
dress It in 195#. Now some of the party leaders, when presser) by
Negro party member* to take a similar position on Church Mai
denly discover that the cancelling out of Kennedy In 195# was
a mistake.
h I
Thia newspaper believe* th* cancelling of Kennedy waa proper
His only mission here would have been to help the party and when by
hla vote on the farm bill he Indicated a position diametrically opposed
to th* Interest* of Minnesota agriculture hla presence here under
DFL auspice* would have greatly harmed the party'* chances and
would have been a slap In the faces of the state's farmers. His re
c*nt flopping around and sell-out on the civil rights bill further
justified hi* being kept out of Minnesota under party auspices.
The bringing of Frank Church of Idaho, who*e vote and actions
on th* Senate floor on civil rights Issue* hav* encouraged such politi
cal humbug* as Governor Orval Faubas of Arkansas to defy the
federal government and use troops to keep Negro-American kids out
of a school-house, will have the same effect on liberal whit* voter*
In thia civil rights minded state, and will be a gratuitous, unnecessary
slap in the face of Nvgro supporter* of th* DFL party.
The Negro DFL leader* opposed to Church* presence her* are
not opposed to him coming to Minnesota any time he want* to speak
here. Just ao long aa he doe* not come under the ausplc** of th* DFL
party or ita official afflliataa. They ar* not against free speech, but
doubt the wisdom from a purely party harmony standpoint of th*
party bringing to this stat* a so-called liberal, who when th* chip*
wer* down deserted th* small band of nine Democratic senator* who
dared stand up Ilk* real men, and vot* for the principle* of demo
cratic government, and th* right of every American to the ballot
and th* protection *f his constitutional rights
The Church Incident embarrassing to Minnesota Negro Demo
crats who are not on th* stat* payroll, or under extreme obligation
to party leadership, is juat another example of the harmful effect of
th* "buddy-buddy' camaraderie which northern Democratic leader*
hav* been maintaining with th* Lyndon Johnson wing of the party,
which has certainly coat th* party support among northern and South
am Negroes and liberal white*
Democratic Negro leadership In Mlnneaota and th* North is
constantly being placed on th* defensive and in embarrassing posi
tions by th* execution of such bone-head mistake* as bringing an anti-
“Pride in appearance is important. Try not to be offensive.”
civil rights Senator like Frank Church to address a Minnesota
party affair. The Invitation stands even aa the error of his support
for emasculating amendments to the civil rights bill, la emphasized
before the world, by the actions of a southern Democratic governor,
and moba of misguided racists In several southern states— encouraged
by the Democratic politicians, of assorted sizes, shapes and views In
all sections of the nation.
It la not necessary to have Senator Frank Church of Idaho come
clear out to Minnesota to explain why he failed to support Senator
Hub*rt H. Humphrey of Minnesota and the eight other libera!
Democrats In the Senate civil rights struggle. His reasons, while
strange were rather obvious. The idea being generated that can
cellation of his talk In Minnesota will hurt Senator Humphrey na
tionally, la a lot of bosh and the prospect ia not near so dreadful as
to what hla presence here may do to hurt the Mlnneaota DFL.
Thia newspaper applauds those members of the YDFL who are
against Church coming here under the organization's auspices and
wishes there were more of them. It cannot believe the rank and file
YDFL know what'a going on. At one time the Minnesota YDFL was
th* strongest exponent of the civil rights movement among the
Young Democrats nationally. The continued invitation of Church
sullies that record and all to no purpose—for what can Church say in
Minnesota which will help the fortunes of the liberal DFL party?
The strong feeling which Negro Democrats have In thia state
against any Individual or force which seeks to continue the bestial
treatment ladeled out to Negro-Americans ought to be under
stood by the people of this state of either party.
Th* announcement by on* of the most eminent clergymen in the
state, the Rev. Mr. Denzil Carty, a DFL stalwart and L. Howard Ben
nett, outstanding attorney and DFL leader that they will picket
the September 28 meeting If Church speaks, ought to convince party
leaders of the seriousness and indignation with which the Negro
DFL members view the coming of Senator Frank Church under party
auapicM. Negro Democrats in this state would Just as soon see the
YDFL bring Senator Jamea Eastland of Mississippi -at least they
knew all along how he stood on civil rights!
Editorial Notes
History has yet to record restraint of a mob by "sweet talk'' and
light. The only thing a mob understands is force and firm action
Moba are motivated and inflamed by the basest passions and appeals
to prejudice and the level of Intelligence or education of mobblsts is
usually low.
CBS-TV pictures of the women who jeered and called vile names
at th* parents and little children who entered the Nashville schools
showed the contorted faces of person stricken by bigotry and hate.
We felt sorry for the parents and their children, but Just a little
more sorry for the women who showed their ugly hate-filled fangs
before the world.
With all his obvious faults, one cannot imagine President Harry
Truman quailing or vacilating before a clear defiance of the U. S
government as executed by Gov. Arvai Faubus of Arkansas.
We get a laugh at the daily press's howls of protest nationally,
because the National Guard at Little Rock wouldn't allow reporters to
question persons In the vicinity of the high school where Negro kids
had been barred by the atate troops.
The press may howl now, but it has generally been standing by
for years, daily seeing the rights of fellow citizens (the Negroes)
violated. It has played a smaller part in correcting the situation than
the trade union movement. Now the chickens have come home to
roost. Violation of any man's rights are an invitation to violate
the right* of all of us Maybe the dally press, will awaken to that
fact now.
Up to now the South American countries in the western hemi
sphere have been addicted to using troop* to settle the whims of
politician*. Now a U. S. governor borrowed the technique
Every minute of vacillation by President Eisenhower on the
Arkansas situation that more endanger* the peace of the nation and
It* international reputation and adds members to the Klan and the
Cltuena Councils.
/ /■ I
THE GAS LEAKED BUTX FIXED IT MYSELF -
I DIDN'T PAY THE BILL/'*
Letters To The Editor
MICHIGAN SUBSCRIBE SIMMONS SINDS
BILATtD CONGRATULATIONS
Editor: Enclosed please find check for twelve (812) dollars
for which please re-new my subscription for two years. Please ac
cept my belated congratulation on your 23rd anniversary as a publi
cation. Keep up the good work. With our very best wishes, we re
main sincerely and fraternally yours.— John Simmons, Albion, Michi
gan, September 5. 1857.
Editor’s Note: Subscriber Simmons is secretary of Victoria
1-odge No. 18, Prince Hall Masons and Is the brother of Minne
apolis business woman Mattie Hence. He Is among our increasing
number of out-of-town subscribers who stretch from the Atlantic
to the Pacific and from the Gulf to the Great Lakes.
SATS NtGROtS HAVt MADI NO CONTRIBUTION TO U. S.
Editor: This Is a very belated answer to your letter which ap
peared in the Minneapolis Morning Tribune April 4th, 1957. In this
letter you commented on the letter which appeared in the Minneapolis
Morning Tribune April 3rd, 1957 by J. A. Cartier. Please refer to these
two letters.
You wrote that the American Indians were the only people by the
circumstances of their original ownership of this land who were mor
ally entitled to sponsor the repatriation of either the American Ne
groes or white Americans of European stock. Of course the American
Indian was here first, but what did they do or what have they done
to make our country great? Nothing! What has the American Ne
gro done to make our country great? Almost nothing! Should the
right to repatriate other races be left to those who are a backward
race and lacking in Intelligence and initiative merely because they
were here first?
Shouldn't the repatriation of the American Negro to Ghana or
certain other African nations be considered where their numbers
predominate if they are a retarding factor to a higher standard and
a better way of life, which indeed they are?
Any proposal to send Negroes back to Africa is not as silly as
suggesting that European descendants be returned to the land of their
fathers, for it la the white man who has made and given us the great
country and the high standard of living which we are enjoying today.
So If It is for moral reasons we should consider repatriation of
any race I should think that the white man certainly has more than
enough reason to demand that the Negro be returned to Africa.
You wrote how the American Negro Is going to stay right here
and "stick around." Why, of course you will. Why should you want to
return to the land of your fathers which Is still a jungle as It was
centuries ago? Your race has done precious little to improve living
conditions in Africa and what you have dona, if anything, you learned
from the white man.
Here in the United States you complain publicly of the centuries
of insults, enslavement, persecution, discrimination and bigotry im
posed upon your race while the night before you had sexual inter
course with one of our white women which I should think is about as
much freedom as is possible and Is also the height of debauchery and
hypocrisy. I can, therefore, understand why you and your race are
going to "stick around."
Lastly, we do have a hornet’s nest in that we are vexed with
severe racial tensions and strife. You Ignored this much of Mr. Car
tier's letter. Without any doubt. Mr. Cartier offered a very sensible
rather than silly suggestion when he suggested that American Ne
groes be returned to Africa!
It you have any further comment to make on the subject I shall
be very pleased to hear from you. Yours truly,— Clayton Goward,
3729 24th Ave. S„ Mlnneapolia, Minnesota.
Editor's Noto: We can understand why It took Mr. Goward,
writer of the above letter 158 days or over five months to reply
to our letter which appeared in the TRIBUNE way hack in April.
A thorough reading of his thesis above will reveal Its super
ficiality. If we do hate a "hornet's nest" In the U. 8. it Is not of
lhe American Negro's making.
We repeat we are going to "stick around" like the rest of the
Immigrant ancestors of even Mr. Goward, who came to this
country and made it great. A more thorough study of the accur
ate history of the nation found In almost any library ought to
give Mr. Goward the true picture of the contributions which the
American Negro has made to the wealth of this nation. We admit
that many American historians may have neglected to mention
much about this phase of American life. This may account for
Mr. Howard's ridiculous suggestion that the Negro has contribut
ed "almost nothing" to American progress and culture.
We believe paragraph six of the above letter reveals more
than anything else Mr. Goward writes what's really "eating him."
THANKS FROM O.E.S. GRAND MATRON
Editor: On behalf of Prince Hall Grand Chapter, Order of Eastern
Star. I want to express our thanks to the public for the very generous
support to one of the most successful years of Masonic history, the
entertaining of Grand Master Conference, Building of Masonic hall.
Grand Chapter Tea. makes us very grateful. We convene in Duluth.
Sept. 19-20.
Continued success to you and your fine staff.— Helen Lawrence.
W.G.M.: M. Price, Chairman of Publicity.
BLAMtS DEMOCRATS & HUMPHREY FOR IT ALL
Editor Repetitious as it may be. the Democrats aren't friends of
the Negro Here in Minnesota we find the Democrats effectively play
ing the role of goats leading sheep to slaughter. (It's traditional for
packing houses to use goats to lead sheep to the slaughter pen. but
the goat knows about a loop hole where he escapes back to lead more
unsuspecting sheep.) The Democrats wine and dine Negroes here in
Minnesota, make all kind of promises, then put men in strategic
positions (Eastland of the Judiciary Committee for instance) to
prevent any accomplishments.
Today, we find Sen. Humphrey (D.. Minn.) of all things, urging
the president to travel to Arkansas, take colored children by the hand
and lead them to school. How ridiculous can he get ? He doesn't say a
thing to the Govtmor of Arkansas or to Manifesto-signing Senators
McClellan and Fultbright- all Democrats.
Neither have I seen one word from him publicly saying that
Sen. Frank Church D.. Idaho) should not speak here. (Sen. Church
will be remembered at one of the co-sponsors of the "trial by Jury
amendment” to I'tesident Eisenhower's Civil Rights bill). Sen
Humphrey said It was a reasonable bill and thought Negroes ought
to accept It. of courw, he, like the goat knows it doesn't affect him,
he knows of a loop hete, he can go anywhere in East land's Mississippi
—we. like the sheep, cannot.
Let's not forget, it was Sen. Estes Kefauver. who set the stage
when he said on the Senate floor . . . "I have always opposed, and
will continue to vigorously oppose ... the antl-lynch bill, and any
anti-segregation provisions" That’s how he felt in 1948. and this is
how he felt in 1957 when he. with the aid of Sen. Church, got 40 out
of 49 Democrats to vote for the trial by Jury amendment.
The Democrats of Mkinesota furnished the killers of the state
open occupancy ordinance and are now furnishing the insult to
injury by completely ignoring a resolution signed by some of the
Minnesota Democratic party's most faithful Negro members saying
they would be "embarrassed and humiliated" if Sen. Church spoke
here Of course, the signers of the Resolution made the mistake of
saying Sen Church's appeanmee here would "hurt the party." What
it would do to the morale of Vie Minnesota Negro apparently wasn't
their concern. Neither does it concern the inviters of Sen. Church.
I conclude the Democrats either don't want the Negro vote or
they think he's simple—take y*ir choice. Sincerely. John M. Culver,
Chairman. Ramsey County Republican Civil Rights Committee. 385
Endicott-on .Robert. St. Paul I, Rinnev.ua. Sept. 9. 1957.
Jews Of Levittown
Although the fight foe th* rights of Negroes to equality In the
western world began with Judaiai. some Negroes, especially the
rabble-rouser kind and the nixguiiTd still persist m attacking the
Jew for the same reason that the WUte non-Jews attack him. He is
easily reached and because he is exposed, he is vulnerable.
The actions of the organised Jewish community of Levittown
» hen a Negro home owner was threMenei with open attack shows
the true Jewish attitude toward equality of rights for all.
Despite signs of incipient snU-Semtistn which actually erupted
into shoves and open anti-Semitic threats, the 2.000 Jewish families
welcomed the Negro home owner and asked that he be Judged as
an individual
Thus in a difficult position, the Jewiak community of Levittown
took a brove step The Jews of the United State are proud of them
National Jr»iA POST
Page 2 St. Paul RECORDER. Friday, September 13, 1957
PUBLISH!® CORNER
>xJ
Over in the ' Letters To The Editor" column on this page John
M. Culver is going through his weekly fulminations against those
“wicked Democrats.”
A couple of readers have complained to ua about Subscriber
Culver’s partisan attacks on the DFL. especially his thrusts at Sena
tor Hubert H. Humphrey, who is kind of a political hero to many of
our subscribers. These two readers seem to think we ought to do some
thing to stop Culver from writing letters to the paper!
This is, of course, impossible. We can’t stop Culver from writing
letters and as long as Culver keeps them Interesting and within the
bounds of propriety and libel law, we’ll print them.
However, there is nothing in the world to keep Democrats or
others from replying to Culver, because much of what he writes
In partisan fashion can be answered. From time to time ye editor has
replied to his barbs, especially when they have been inconsistent with
the facts as we believe them to be.
However, the “Letters To The Editor” column in this paper
is a public forum and we expect the readers of the paper to take
advantage of it to express their views. Mr. Culver does this, and
we see no reason why we should bar him from these columns
Just because we disagree with his conclusions almost 100% of
the time.
No matter how much we may deprecate his tortuous attempts
to blame the antics and shortcomings of southern Democrats on Min
nesota members of that party, we still believe his constant hammer
ing. despite the too few replies his sallies provoke, are stimulat
ing the community interests in political issues, affairs and political
figures.
In the meantime if the two gentlemen who think we should bar
Culver from the letters column would exercise their known writing
talents and sit down and write us a letter, well be tickled pink (that’s
possible) to print their contributions. Our letter columns are open to
all who want to discuss public issues and sign their names to their
communications.—Cecil Newman
Watch on the Potomac
By ROBERT G. SPIV ACK
Crying Wolf the recent wave of mergers. '
Washington From the way
businessmen are complaining
these days you’d think Franklin
D. Roosevelt was still in the White
House. They haven’t yet gotten
around to calling Herbert Brown
ell Jr., a "traitor to his class,”
and I guess they never will, since
Brownell wasn't born an aristo
crat. He just sometimes acts like
one.
There is great wailing and com
plaining. though, about the be
havior of the Department of Jus
tice. Big businessmen, it seems,
just whine, sulk and act like
spoiled children if they don't get
what they want when they want
it
The irony of it is that Big Bus
iness, in the words of Commerce
Secretary Sinclair Weeks, “hasn’t
had such a good friend in the
White House,” since Herbert
Hoover.
The cause of all the complaining
is that Supreme Court decision in
the Du Pont case. Many of the Ad
ministration’s money - backers
think the case should have been
dropped when the Republicans
came into office.
Just in case you've forgotten,
the high court held last June that
Du Pont violated the anti-trust
laws through its 23 per cent stock
ownership in General Motors.
Despite a lot of talk about anti
trust action and a batch of statis
tics to bolster its contention of
exceptional activity, there are
many competent observers who
think the Justice Department has
been pretty easy on business
trusts. And businessmen have
“cried wolf" so often it’s difficult
to tell when they are really being
hard pinched.
In any event, the Justice De
partment is sending spokesmen
around the country to assure Big
Business that their love affair is
still on. One of these is Robert A.
Bicks, first assistant in the Anti
trust Division. He spoke before
the American Bar Ass n, and did
his best to soothe business fears.
He thought the Court’s ruling
was subject to "very real limita
tions.” He reminded the assembled
lawyers the Department has not
looked into "recorded stock ac
quisitions'' since 1914.
What some businessmen appar
ently are afraid of is some real
Justice Department probing into
Rebellious Governor
The president of the United States has broad legal powers to
enforce federal court orders in cases where the governor of a state
persists in defiance There have been previous cases somewhat similar
to the one at Little Rock, and the authority of the federal govern
ment has remained supreme.
Undoubtedly federal officials will do all in their power by peace
ful means to bring Governor Faubus of Arkansas to a realisation of
his duty to uphold the United States constitution. If these efforts fail,
other methods are available.
If Faubus persists in his unjustified use of National Guard
soldiers to prevent school integration as ordered by the courts, the
probable next step would be for federal officials to obtain a court
injunction ordering him to cease his interference. If Faunus ignored
this, he would be subject to citation for contempt of court. If he still
defied the government, the president could order the Arkansas Na
tional Guard into federal service, making its officers and men sub
ject to orders from the regular Army, not from the governor. Or the
president could dispatch Army forces into Little Rock to take control
of the situation.
Faubus' contention that he is the sole judge of the need for state
troops to "keep order" in Little Rock cannot stand up under pre
vious Supreme court decisions In a case in 1932 the Supreme Court
unanimously rejected such an argument made by a governor of Texas.
This decision also held that if there is a threat of violence over a
federal court order, a governor's duty is to uphold the order, not block
it
In Little Rock, there was no violence p rec ceding the calling of
the troops. Local officials stated there was no need for militia. Fau
bus' real purpose was merely to prevent Negro etulAen from attend
ing Little Rock high school as ordered by the federal courts. He was
tn effect declaring himself a dictator, defying the laws and courts of
the United Statea-St Paul PIONEER PRESS
the recent wave of mergers. The
Du Ponts bought their stock
ownership in General Motors in
1917-19, and some businessmen
saw the court decision as a pre
lude to anti-trust action against
other stock acquisitions carried
out 20 or 30 years ago.
From Bick’s comments we
doubt they have much to worry
about. It seems if you violated the
laws long enough ago, you acquire
a sort of sanctified status in the
business community. That old
business about once a thief, al
ways a thief, is passe.
Those Business “Statesmen”
It was only a few weeks ago
that the President called for
"statesmanlike action” by labor
and industry to hold back infla
tion. Within 24 hours the steel In
dustry raised prices $6 per ton.
Since then the President has
feebly suggested that consumer
resistance to this sort of business
arrogance might yet keep prices
down. What the President was
suggesting, in a fumbling sort of
way, was don’t buy anything you
don’t really need and prices will
come tumbling down.
Well, we’ve just heard of a sur
vey made in Pittsburgh and the
steel companies apparently must
feel that nobody listens to poor
old Ike. They expect 1958 business
on the basis of orders now coming
in, to be about 5 per cent better
than 1957.
One of the big companies fore
casts an operating rate of 85 per
cent in the first quarter and about
90 per cent in the second quarter
of 1958.
A midwestern steel firm says
the reason they expect better
business in the early months is
that the United Auto Workers
will probably be bucking for high
er wages by the second quarter.
Walter Reuther, a steel executive
said, "is going to hit the auto
boys when the contracts expire
and they’ll be in a hurry to stock
up dealers before any strike
breaks out"
Another reason the steel men
won’t cut prices, they say, is that
GM will try to recapture the
ground is lost this year to Chrys
ler and Ford. Whether these fore
casts are correct or not we don’t
know But we are reminded that
steel profits per man hour have
climbed 1.284 per cent since 1939.