| VOL. 4, NUMBER 14 SINGLE COPY TEN CENTS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1957
I I
East Side
By P. D.
f
It is-most doubtful that any situation has ever existed
to which there wasn't more than met the eye, and with
that in mind I seem to recall several cases in which
American soilders were tired for “aiding the enemy" or
something like that during cur police action in Korea.
To what extent and under what conditions Ameri
cans “aided the enemy" I haven't the faintest notion.
However one thing comes to my mind which has to do
with aid to the enemy here in the United States, and that
is the fact, as I see it at any rate, that no one or nothing
has offered such aid and comfort to the enemy (The Com
munists, of course.) as the citizens councils which had
their birth here in Mississippi.
If it be true that Communism thrives on turmoil and
confusion, then I submit that the citizens councils are the
greatest single ally the Communist Pafty has. The wee’s
are, of course, unaware of the possibility, I think. And
the reason they are unaware of their aid to the commies
is simply because they haven't enough sense to think be
yond mid-afternoon of today. A lot of us are like that,
it seems.
Oh. well, I doubt seriously that 1 can solve the prob
lem this week. And anyway, I've got to get my subscrip
tion renewal check in the mail to the Daily Worker.
The governmen (Northern government that is, not
Southern . . . there’s a difference, you know) should be
investigated! And there’s a good reason.
Last week in my mail I received a letter from a man
in the American Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. The
letter had a clipping from the Bangkok Post which told
of the Negro churches in Alabama that had been slightly
shaken by dynamite blasts. The gentleman wrote as fol
lows: “Akk some of your readers how to answer this ques
tion out here.” Of course, the thing that stunned me was
the fact that he had the nerve to sign as “An American.”
Because of the gross ignorance of this person I sug
gest that the government be investigated. Why should
we of the South continue to support a government that
hires a person so ignorant that he fails to answer a simple
question which might arise from a trivial incident like a
blown up church? As we of'the South know, the answer
is simple. The churches were blown up to let the Negroes
know who is boss. It’s just that simple. Some of the color
ed folk here of have been getting some uppity notions,
and that presents a threat to our God given right as
masters by virtue of our white skin. And as any red
blooded, Southerner knows we’ll not sit by and be
threatened by the second-class citizens. As a matter of
fact, I think everyone north of the Mason and Dixon
Line should be investigated!
And while on the subject of lhat which is North, I
will report briefly on a trip lrom which I returned last
Friday. (My aim is not to convey to you the fact that to
undertake such a trip was the epitome of bravery, which,
of course, it was, but to record for other Southerners a
few facts which I hope will prove helpful.)
Well, as it came to pass, the boll weevil was under
control last year and the cotton crop was good, and mine
having been ginned and subsidized I found myself with
nothing to do. I decided, as a matter of self education, to
go to New York, having heard quite a bit about it and
having seen integrated TV shows from there. Well, I hid
my horses from them damyankees, packed by suitcase,
and got on a Southern airplane and arrived there Monday
morning of last week.
I am pleased to report that only one Negro was on the
same plane with me . . . but it was okey because he sat
in the back. However, he got on in Atlanta, and I do sug
gest that Governor Griffin and Hermmmm look into the
m a f 1 a r
After getting settled, my first stop was to visit Roy
Wilkins. I thought it fitting that I tell him a thing or two
about the way his outfit was getting a bunch of our happy
and satisfied darkies into trouble here in the Southland.
Knowing full well that I was doing him a favor, I sug
gested that his firm pay my expenses. I must say, and
with sorrow, that some folks are so ungrateful! As mat
ters now stand I will submit my expenses to the wee’s
of Mississippi, Inc., because I have considerable informa
tion that would be useful to them.
Just one example, I was out at Columbia University
and actually saw a Negro man and a white girl sitting at
a soda fountain together comparing notes on an examina
tion they seemed to be preparing for. It was obvious that
they were actually in the same class! My heart bled for
that girl . . . and if I had posessed any knowledge of
Northern history I’d have offered'my help to her. It was
a sad sight.
But I have so much information which will help any
Southerners who are brave, or foolish, enough to go up
North. I am unable to impress on you the tragedy of the
way of life I saw those people living . . . and right under
our very noses ... no wonder that they are called by
those of us in the South “Damnyankees”, and rightly so,
too. I wish it were possible for our Southern States to
make funds available to rescue them before it’s too late.
My heart bleads.
Oh, the frightful things I saw are too many to relate
in this one piece. I departed with a feeling of doom, re
sulting from the things I saw those Northern people do
ing while up there.
I’ll never forget the return to Jackson. The plane
landed and I walked into the terminal, and out front I
heard a radio playing and I approached it with great
(Continued On Page 2)
wmmmmmmmmmmMmtmmmmmmBmmmathmmammm
Congressional
> Sidelights
By /
I Congressman Wm. Colmer
The Foreign Policy
The House last week by a vote
of 355 to 61 approved the Presi
dent’s Middle East Doctrine
i about which there has been so
! much discussion.
The resolution has two pro
visions: 1. It would serve notice
on the masters ot the Kremlin
that if they started any aggres
sion in those Mid-eastern coun
tries, the United States would
l resist it with armed power if
: necessary; 2. It provides for
( economic assistance to those
! countries.
There was, as might have been
expected, a division of opinion
| among the Congressmen as to
I the merit of the proposal. It is
| an issue on which honest minds
I could well differ.
Personally, we favored the
: warning of fqrqe if necessary,
| but we were opposed to the
I economic aid provision. In the
Committee on Rules we earnest
ly endeavored to secure an open
rule in order that the two pro
visions could be separated and
the House given an opportunity
I to express itself by appropriate
cuiitfiiuxucms. nowever, me jucau-i
ership on both the Democratic
, and Republican side insisted on
a closed rule which would per
mit no amendments and the
| majority of the Members of the
Rules Committee responded to
: their wishes. Along with 146 other
i Members we voted against the
! rule. However, the resolution
j provides that the 200 million
dollaVs requested fqr economic
aid would be taken from monies
already appropriated under the
• Foreign Aid Program,
j On the question of the use.
| of force if necessary to prevent j
(further aggression into these j
httle free countries we entertain
no substantial misgivings. In j
fact, ever since World War I.
we have advocated a firm policy
in dealing with Russia. In our
judgement, too long have we
followed the Chamberlain-like
appeasement policy in dealing
with the Kremlin masters: Too
long have we, the richest and
most powerful Nation in the
World, suffered the grossest type
of indignities in an effort to
j appease the Communist leaders.
i Our vehicles have been stopped
have been ceircumscribed in their
sailings on the high seas. Our
vehicles have been stopped and
searched on the international
highways. Our aircraft have been
shot down from the free airways.
Our soldiers' and citizens have
been seized and incarcerated in
the vilest dungeons while under
going mental torture worse than
the Spanish inquisition and held
for ransom.
As we pointed out to the
House, we have emphasized in
speeches on the floor of the
House and elsewhere for the
past decade our conviction that
the Russiafi masters want neither
war nor peace. They are still fol
lowing the Lenin doctrine of try
ing to destroy our economy and
then take over this couhtry as
they have tal^en over others
through infilration and false pro
mises to the resulting hungry
bellies. Again, as we have often
pointed out, Russia has backed
up every time her hand was
called. ' * ►
So far as the use of armed
forces is concerned, it is gener
ally agreed that the President,
as Commander-in-Chief of our
Military forces and as the author
ity responsible for our foreign
policy under the Constitution,
already has that power. What he
was asking was that the Con
gress, as the representatives of
the people, join him in the pro
nouncement of the doctrines so
that the Kremlin bosses would
know that America was united
ehind him. *
As we told the House, in our
judgment the Congress could not
afford not to back him in the
doctrine that he had already an
nounced as the policy of this
country. To fail to do so would
be an open invitation to the
Russians to move in on these
helpless countries and draw
them, too, in ehind the Iron Cur
tain. Finally, in our judgment,
this will prove to be a detergent
to war and to further Russian
aggression just as the Formosan
resolution last year prevented
the Communists from taking over
Formosa.
Edward Gamarekian Reports On
The Ugly Battle Of Orangeburg
(The following is reprinted from the January
24th issue of THE REPORTER magazine, to whose
editors we are indebted for permission to use it.
The Editor.)
Until the summer of 1955, the town of
Orangeburg, South Carolina (population 17.
600), was a quiet, peaceful place. According
to the white townspeople, it was an outstand
ing example of biracial amity, interracial co
operation, and educational progress.
White Orangeburgers, having always
“known” what Negro Orangeburgers want
ed, never bothered to discuss the problem of
segregation with them. Less than thirty-six
miles away, in Summerton, Negroes had been
carrying a long-drawn-out legal campaign a
gainst segregated schools for the past six
years and had won a historic Supreme Court
decision, but white Orangeburgers did not
see any connection between the situation in
Summerton and that in their town.
Then it happened. On July 30, 1955, fifty
seven Negro parents petitioned the district
school board “to take immediate steps to re
organize the public schools on a non discrim
inatory basis.” A banner-headline front-page
story in the Orangeburg Times Democrat
broke the news to white townspeople, who
were shocked to discover that some of their
Negroes opposed segregation enough to make
a formal, legal protest,
According to the paper, “The petition
stunned citizens who had taken pride in hav
ing pioneered in the equalization of schools
and of teachers’ salaries, and who were sin
cerely convinced that they had dealt fairly
and intelligently with racial problems . .
White Orangeburgers began at once to
organize a Citizen’s Council, which called a
mass meeting at the local ball park. More
than three thousand white townspeople came,
along to hear the town’s leading political
figures denounce the Supreme Court de
cision and call for pressure on Negroes dis
rupting the existing segregation pattern.
Elected permanent chairman of the Citi
zens' Council at this meeting was W. T. C.
Bates, a local insurance agent and chairman
of the county Republican unit. Most of the
people there joined the Council that night.
Under the leadership of Bates and Mayor R.
H. Jennings. Jr., reprisals against the Neg
ro petitioners, members of their families,
and members pf the local N.A.A.C.P. began.
Those who worked for white employers
were fired. Those who rented from v/hite
landlords were evicted. Those who bought
from white merchants and suppliers were
denied further credit and asked to settle
outstanding accounts at once. Some were no
longer able to buy in some places even for
cash.
Mayor Jennings, who was the president of
the Orangeburg Coca-Cola Bottling Com
pany, the Palfnetto Baking Company, and
the Orangeburg Ice & Fuel Company, cut
off the supply of Cokes, bread, and ice cream
to three Negro grocers and a gas station own
er who signed the petition. The Coble Dairy
stopped the delivery of milk to these grocers
and to all the petitioners on its hnmP rlpliwr,,
routes. The owner of a taxi company was
threatened with the loss of his Western
Union delivery contract and his drivers were
harassea by the local police. A Shell service
station operator was forced out of business
by the owner-distributor.
Petitioners were refused new insurance
polices. Immediate payment was demanded
on loans and mortgages where agreements
were oral or loosely drawn. Banks, loan com
panies, and individual lenders refused to
give any further financial assistance. Teach
ers related to petilioners were threatened
| w^th the los§ of their jobs when their con
| tracts expired at the end of the school year.
I ^ ^ew °f the petitioners receiving welfare
i aid were told it would be cut off.
| When the news got out that the Citizens’
Council was offering $10,000 for the local
N.A.A.C.P. membership list, the N.A.A.C.P.
burned all its records. Anonymous threats
were made against N.A.A.C.P. leaders by
letter and telephone. Although the Citizens’
Council spoke out frequently against the use
6f force and violence during this time, it
continued to create an atmosphere of hostili
ty in which violence and terror seemed logi
cal to some.
By the middle of October, more than thir
ty Negroes had lost their jobs and twelve
Negro businesses had been affected.
The Boycott Lists
Negro Orangeburgers did not sit back
quietly. Incensed by the action taken against
the petitioners, they retaliated, whereever
possible, with the only weapon they had —
the boycott.
When the mayor cut off the supply of
Cokes, bread, and ice cream to the three groc
ers, Negroes stopped using the products of
his companies. When the Coble Dairy cut off
the supply of milk to the families of petition
ers, they stopped buying Coble’s milk and
other dairy products. When Becker's, one of
the better women’s apparel shops, told a
petitioner she would have to settle her ac
count at once, Negro women began to trade
elsewhere. Some started to shop in Columbia,
forty-one miles away. Some, began to order
by mail.
Before long, boycott lists began to appear.
The first one listed six products but was not
distributed in large numbers. The second one
listed nineteen. The third list appeared
everywhere. It listed twenty-three names
under the heading DON’T PATRONIZE
THESE FIRMS — nine products and distrib
utors, two building-supply companies, two
clothing stores, two grocers, two drugstores,
a dairy, an auto agency, a TV dealer, a thea
ter, a laundry, and a five-and-ten.
Many townspeople, white and Negro,
wondered hew the boycott lists were drawn
up, for some merchants very active in the
Citizens’ Council were left out. Local Negro
leaders agreed but said, “We couldn’t boy
cott the whole town. We listed the first, the
worst, and the most vulnerable.”
More than half of the population of
Orangeburg being Negro, the boycott was
damaging. One grocer went out of business,
the laundry closed its pickup station in the
Negro section, and sales dropped off sharp
ly. The Citizens’ Council claimed that white
people rallied to the support of those on the
boycott list, but this support was not enough
to offset the loss.
'This Is No Time for Prayer'
Some merchants, to coi ter what they
saw as a “divide and conquei ’ tactic, closed j
ranks with those being boycotted. Nine
building-supply companies joined the two
on the boycott list issuing a statement say- !
ing, “ . . . we jointly and unanimously go en
record as supporters of the Citizens1 Coun- j
cil, that there will be no misunderstanding
on the part of an cyitizens in this community j
. . .” Pepsi-Cola, Pioyal Crown, and Dr. Pep
per joined hands with Coca-Cola and re
fused to sell to petitioners. Southern Bread I
and the Claussen Bakery co-operated with I
the Palmetto Baking Company in cutting off
the supply of bread. The West End Dairy
joined Coble in refusing milk deliveries to
the Negro grocers who signed the petition.
At this point, a state of excitement had
been reached in Orangeburg that can only
be described as near hysteria. Merchants
who co-operated with the Citizens’ Council
were boycotted by the Negroes. A few who
refused to co-operate or who tried to remain
neutral oecause they had a large number of
Negro customers were boycotted by the
wmte people
During all this, a Negro minister suggest- f
ed to the white ministerial alliance that!
Negro and white ministers meet and pray to
gether as a first step toward reducing the
tension. The alliance replied, “This is not the
time.”
A Sad Tale for Winter
The withdrawl of petitioners after the
reprisals began was a worrisome problem
for the N.A.A.C.P. Each withdrawal was
headlined in the local press. In October, 1955.
the N.A.A.C.P. called a meeting of all the |
remaining petitioners and asked those who
were vulnerable in any way to withdraw
voluntarily. Several did so, including the
grocers, those with large families, the school
teachers, and those with teachers in their
families. After this meeting, only twenty
six of the original fifty-seven petitioners
remained, but this more stabilized the situ
ation. From that day to this, only one pe
titioner has removed his name.
The fall and winter of 1955 was a dif
ficult time for the petitioners in Orangeburg
and those nearby Elloree and Summerton,
where similar reprisals were taking place.
Local N.A.A.C.P. branches gave whatever
assistance they could in locating accommo
dations for those evicted. The Negro-owned
Victory Savings Bank in Columbia made
loans and picked up some of the loans and
(Continued On Page 2)
%
Nutrition Projects Are Sponsored By
Health Department For Negro Schools
—-:-:-ifc
Colonel Pation
Explains Drafi
Ai High School
At the request of Professor
John A. Johnson, Principal of
East Forrest School at Petal,
Colonel J. W. Pation, Jr.. State
Director of Selective Service
System, Mississippi State Head
quarters, Jackson, spoke to the
high school boys in that school
on February 6, 1957, on the sub
ject of how the Selective Service
law will affect the high school
student of today.
In his talk Colonel Patton clear
ly brought out that when Con
gress passed this Act, they spec
ifically authorized the deferment
of high school students until they
graduate or until they reach
twenty years' of age, whichever
is sooner, so long as they satis
factorily pursue their course of
instruction at high school, and
urged all boys to finish high
school 1
Colonel Patton also stated that
every student who wished to go
to college was entitled to certain
deferments, provided he made the
required scholastic standing.
He stressed the requirements
of every young man registering
when he reaches age eighteen
and rought out the fact that if
he failed to do tis he was subject
to immediate induction, or else
to fine or imprisonment, or both.
Colonel Patton explained the
reserve program where a young
man may go into the Reserve or
National Guard before he is
eighteen and one-half years of
age and fulfill his service obli
gation in this way.
In conclusion he stressed the
importance of making decision
on whether he wants to take ad
vantage of the Reserve or Nation
al Guard before he is eighteen
and one-half years of age.
Colonel Patton paid especial
tribute to the local board com
posed of puublic-spirited citizens
serving with compensation, name
ly, Messrs. C. N. Yelverton, Wil
liam U. Sigler, and James Finch,
and to the Clerk, Mrs. Elsie F.
Batson, who are rendering a pat
riotic service in our national de
fense program. He stated that
this board wished to assist every
registrant in every way they can
and advised all registrants to
keep in close touch with tihs
board at all times, keeping their
own status current. He told them
the local board members or clerk
woulcl be glad to answer any
questions they might have.
Legion TV
Show Set
Jack Pace, State Commander
of the Aemerican Legion, an
nounced today that the third in j
a series of American Legion
sponsored television shows on
February 14th at 6:30 p.m. would
feature the Legion’s Boys’ State
program.
This live telecast, entitled “The
American Legion Speaks,” ap
pears on alternate Thursdays over
WLBT over Channel 3 out of
Jackson.
Pace said that several out- j
standing Legion leaders would
be featured on this program, in- I
eluding 9th District Commander
Lucien Kidd of Bay St. Louis, j
2nd District Commander Cecil j
Brower of Coffeeville, and 5th j
District Commander Albert S.
Johnston of Carthage. j
Charles E. Lewis of Meridan. |
and John Virden of Raymond, j
Co-Directors of Boys’ State, will
interview Boys’ State Governor
Jim Yelverton of Hattiesburg
and Lt. Governor Con Maloney
of Jackson.
This telecast is presented by
the Legion every other week in
order to better acquaint the
people of Mississippi with the
programs of the Legion and with
the sei’vices rendered through
the • various local posts of the
Legion.
The next in this series of TV
shows will be seen at 6:30 on
February 28th and will be built
around the Legion’s “Go to
Church - Back to God” program,
and will feature Legion Chap
lain Fi'ank Osborne of Green
wood, along with other min
isters of all faiths from different
communities in the State.
For information on the various
Legion progx'ams and activities
write The American Legion, Box
688, Jackson, Mississippi.
Nutrition educational projects
have been sponsored by the W. H
Jones School Health Council. A
recent survey of the eating
habits of the school children re
vealed the need for such a pro
gram. At the first meeting of this
school semester two elementary
schools, Third Ward and Six
teenth Section presented health
plays.
The members oj.' the 6th grade
class of 16th Section Elementary
School, presented a health play
let entitled “JOHNNY WAKE
UP”. This was designed to show
the importance of the propex
amount of rest and diet for grow
ing children and also the part
that sunshine, exercise and water
along with the Basic Seven Food
Groups play in the development
of healthy boys and girls.
Johnny is a boy who has spent
late hours at {light looking at the
television. The result is that he
doesn’t want to go to school the
next morning nor docs he want
breakfast.
Children in the playlet were—
Johnny—Tommy Williams; T. V.
Voice—Eddie Mix; Sunshine —
Ellen Marie Pullum: Outdoor
Exercise—James Womback; Meat
—Barry Moye. The Basic Seven
Food Representatives were —
Willie Eugene Williams, Hattie
Mae Phillips, Josie A. Barnett,
Gwendolyn John; Wayne
B. Williams and Lena McCree.
Thames; Melvin Lamar; Carrie
Introduction of the play was
given by Eunice Palmer and
drawings were made by Essie
Massey. Sixth grade classroom
teachers are Inez Lee and Theresa
McGowan L. M. Burney is princ
ipal of the school.
Third Ward, 6th Grade stu
dents presented—“Better Break
fasts Make Better Days”. Par
ticipating in the play were—An
nouncer—Kenneth Oatis; Librar
ian—Brenda Fells; Doctor—Edgar
Johnson; Nurse — Mary Over
street; Grocer—Clarence Hinton
and assisting were Nathaniel
art. Grade Hawthorne, Helen
Crawford, Francenne Woodson
and Arthur Turner. The 6th
grade teacher is Priscilla Rat
liff and P. C. Bailey is principal.
The Nutrition Committee oi
the Council is Gloria Bryant.
Home Economics Teacher. Royal
Street High School. Chairman;
Annie Mae James, PTA Repre
sentative and R.. L. Lewis, Class
room teacher representative and
Mae N. Millian, lunch room
representative. Recommendations
for an intergrated program from
first grade to seniors was pre
sented and accepted by the
Council.
Plans were made for educa
tional projects on dental health.
The Negro Dental Hygienist
Cleo Redd, State Board of Health
will come to Forrest County in
April. The program will be co
ordinated by the Forrest County
Health Department.
Health Department. The chair
man of the Council, Rhoda Ted
emy, appointed a nominating
committee of P. C. Bailey, Ther
sca McGowan, C. E. Roy and
R. L. Lewis.
The next council meeting is
March 27, at 2:00 P.M. East 6th
Street Community Center.
Local Classes
Hear Lectures By
Telephone Men
The Petal High School Senior
Girls Commercial Class heard a
combination talk and lecture
demonstration b v Telephone
Company representatives Friday.
As a part of their preparation
to take their place in the business
world, the class is studying the
operation of telephone switch
oards. At the request of their in
structor, Miss Betty Parish, Mr.
R T. Alliston, Central Office
Foreman at Southern Bell, and
Mr. Ott Brockman, Telepohm*
Company Supervisor, were in
vited to be guest instructors. Mr.
Alliston explained the technical
operation of the various types of
switchboards and gave the class
a working demonstration of a
switchboard operator’s equip
ment. Mr. Brockman, with the
aid of a voice recorder, present
ed the basic rules of voice train
ing and telephone courtesy which
are all important to a switch
board operator. ^
The program was thoroughly
enjoyed by the class and school
officials expressed their apprec
iation to Southern Bell for their
cooperation.