North Carolina Newspapers

PAGE FOUR foimmrtL VIEWPOINT Are We Ready For “Civil Rights?,, \W like to think of ourselves as good Ameri can citizens, willing and ready to support the cause of democracy within the limits of our abilities and means. Believing in the principle of equality for ail men, we naturally support the efforts of those who are now engaged in an all-out struggle to effect the passage of the first civil rights mea sure in over 75 years. One of the chief pur poses of this bitterly opposed legislation is to guarantee and protect the voting rights of southern Negroes. Every one knows, including the southern opponents of this measure that in many places in the South, Negroes are not allowed to vote. Senator Sam Ervin of North Carolina, one of the bitterest opponents of this civil rights measure, knows or he most <■ r tainly should know, that in the casts :n section of his state. Negroes are simply not allowed to vote and are discouraged from attempting to do so. By eastern North Carolina, we mean, just east of Raleigh on through to Virginia. We make this distinction because in Zcbulon. only 20 miles east of the Capitol t 1 ty. it i* extremely difficult for Negroes to t c gr • r arm vote. We are painfully aware of the mar ■■■'. g rights that are denied Negroes, particularly m the South, the right of a free choice to work where ever their abilities are equal, the right to live where ever their resources would en able them to do so, the right to use and ■ niov the recreational and amusement facilities, opened to every other racial group, these and many 7 other rights have been and still are de nied Negroes in the South. Among these are rights just as important as the right to vote. On the other hand, because the heart of the now pending Civil Rights legislation is con cerned mainly with protecting and enlarging the southern Negro’s right to vote, we are en dorsing this legislation and at the same time asking ourselves if we are really prepared to recognize and accept this legal protection if It should be given to us. At the risk of being called traitors, we feel compelled to say that we. are not prepared-to accept any civil rights measure, designed to protect us in our right to vote. This bold state ment is made on the strength of past and presen t voting record of the Negro in the South. For the purpose of localizing the issue, let us confine our discussion from now on to the voting record made by North Carolina Negroes. We have already admitted that in the east ern portion of this state. It is very difficult for a Negro to register and vote. It is not difficult in Raleigh for him to do so. But here is lbs record of voting in Raleigh: there are approxi mately 30 thousand Negroes here, of that number less than four thousand, about 1 -8 of the Negro population has taken the time to register. Negroes in Raleigh are not in the least, restricted in their right to vote in any of the precincts where they live. In the two pre dominantly all-Negro precincts they enjoy the additional advantage o? friendly 7 Negro regis trars and all-Negro precinct officials. Still only about 8 percent exercise their right to register. In the election held in Raleigh last Spring, two Negroes were on the ballot seeking elec tion as members of the City Council. Despite the urgent and apparent need for Negroes on the council, less than, two thousand of the four thousand Negroes registered in Raleigh went to the polls and voted. Although both Negro candidates lost, one of them received more white votes than Negro. Negroes are perfectly free to vote in all of the larger cities in North Carolina, but the percentage of those availing themselves of this free privilege is just about the same as in Raleigh. The voting percentage of Negroes in all localities west of Raleigh averages less than 10 percent Yet. it s in these localities where the Negroes have little if any difficulty in voting. There are at present over one million Ne groes in this state. Os this number less than 100,000 actually register and vote in any elec tion, The total Negro registration slightly ex - ceeds 200,000. roughly' one'fifth of the Negro population. Allowing for the fact that there are possibly between 300,000 and 400,000 who are denied the right to vote, we sec that the majority of our Negro citizens refrain from U. 8 Commissioner of Education. Dr. Law rence Derthick is quoted as saying in a speech at Teachers College. Columbia University, last week, "I think people who become school teachers ar* a little better than they would be otherwise because children and others have Buch high expectations of them.” Dr. Derthick was addressing his remarks to a group of school superintendents from 27 states who were attending a summer workshop at the Morn ingside Heights school. The above remarks were in reference to compliments his office has recived for its efforts to afford better educa tional services for all the nation's people. It is doubtless true that many school teach er# become better persons because of what >.s expected of them but we feel this should be THE CAROLINIAN Published bv the Carolinian Publishing Company 518 E Martin Street, Raleigh, N. C. Entered as Second Class Matter, April 6, 1940. at the Post Office at Raleigh, North Carolina, under the Act of March 1879. Additional Entry at Charlotte, N. C. Subscription Rales: Six Months $2,75 .One Ynttr $4.58 Payable in Advance —Address all comimmicaK-'r's tp-* ’■ -’---cits and money or ders payable to THE CAROLINIAN. Interstate United Newspaper*. lue„ 544 Fifth Avenue. N. V It, N. T. Nations! Advertising Repre sentative. newspaper Is not responsible for |he return of unseticUed news, picture*, or advertising copy unless necessary postage accompanies the Copy. P. R. IERVAY, Publish** Alexander Barnes Advertising & Promotion Chaa. Jones News & Circulation E. R. Swain Plant Superintendent J. C. Washington Foreman,. Mechanical Despartment Mrs, A. M. Hinton .Office Manager Opinions expressed in by-eoltusns published as this newspaper are not neeessartly those sf the pwh- Hcation. f*** ■ »—*TT“ ~ HjswMMwwae I'SKtasiaMww MWanisiawwnssMMWirnWwr wnm Fulfilling Expectations ■ - r 7 voting because they are not interested in Vot ing. All of this brings us back to the question we posed: "Are we prepared for civil rights?” We feel that v,e have defended and proven our negative answer to this question by the facts just presented. Now that we are on this subject it should prove of interest to delve a little deeper into it All 11 of this state’s representatives in Con gress are on record as opposing the civil rights measure now being debated in the U. S. Sen ate. They are violently opposed to even the idea of the enactment of a law that would re move all of the artificial barriers the southern states have set up to prevent Negroes from ~ voting and enjoying the other rights guaran teed to them by our Constitution, is so repug nant to our repress ntatives in Congress that thVy have vowed to kill this proposal if it is the last thing they do. These gentlemen know they are wrong, they know' they have neither a moral or a legal right to block the consti tutional aspirations of Negroes or any other citizens. But these representatives know that i? the Negroes of the South ever march to the polls- and vote freely and intelligently, there will be 3 new set of congressmen in Washing ton from the South. They are not afraid of the Negro’s present voting habits because even with the voting restrictions imposed on one third of this state’s Negro citizens, Negroes in ibis state could have prevented Hodges from being elected governor and Ervin from going hack to Washington had they bec-n mentally prepared to exercise the right to vote already possessed by them. It may be that the phrase "prepared for civil rights” needs a little clarification, By now, it '•houid be obvious that the voting record of Negroes in North Carolina Is just short of being disgraceful, it is an assumed fact that people generally do what they want to do when the y can do so If Negroes who can freely vote in this state refuse to do it. it must be con cluded that they do not want to vote. We know the-e is a reason for everything. So we con clude that the reason Negroes do not want to vote is because they have not been taught by training and education that not only can they be greatly benefitted bv intelligent voting, it is also the duty and responsibility of all qualified citizens to register and vote. The responsibility for this lack of prepared - ness rests on the shoulders of all of us. We cer tainly know about this lack, we know. In a degree what we arc losing because of it and wr know that we can do something about it. Every Negro in North Carolina who votes, who knows the value of voting should set him self tin task of converting as many non-voters as he can reach. Regardless to our station in life, each of us has the power to influence some one. Many of us can influence several others. Many of us, in our attempt to escape the responsibility this lack of preparedness re veals. will be anxious to shift the blame to others. Some will say it. is the duty of the ministers some will try to put it on our teach ers. our lawyers, doctors and other public fig ures, Admittedly, each and all of those in dividuals and groups share in this responsi bility, but until you and T have done our duty, we are not in any position to criticize another for failing to do his. This is not a situation to be taken lightly. There is far too much at stake for us to at tempt: to minimize the issues. We need all the protection that the law can provide us for the peaceful and unrestricted eexrcise of our voting rights. But our need to learn to use the rights we already have is more important. As a matter of fact, we are really not in a position to use more if we have failed to use what we already have. Many of the wrongs we now patiently suffer could be righted at the ballot box. The governor of this state would not be telling us to ‘‘volunteer’’ for segregation if he felt we would prevent him from going to tire U. S. Senate when his term as governor expires in !%0. Facts and figures reveal that we are not now ready for some of the things we ask for. Wc are not fully prepared to use them. We can and should begin now to right this wrong we are doing ourselves and prepare ourselves for the full utilization of all of our rights. .true of people in every walk of life. The teach ers by the very nature of their work are prob ably more exposed to the public glare and have, the opportunity of influencing end moul ding younger minds that are placed in their hands. But when we look this matter squarely in the face, we have to admit that at all times some one, some where is expecting something from some one and our lives should be gov erned by that fact. The average person begins his day in a home where there are several other persons. Each of those p. rsons is expecting something from the others. These expectations can and do range all the way from kindness to the supplying of one (mothers daily needs. “Passage Os Civil Rights Law Will Show h*,,—.l, I*.—6;, "sentence BERHQSB By REV. FRANK CLARENCE LOWRY For ANP SEEING FURTHER THROUGH TEARS THAN GLASSES J. Tears are not destructive, but. wash foreign substances from the eyes and help one to move upward and onward, even toward a fortune perhaps hidden in disguise. 2. Yes. they add clarity to one’s vision and .set. off-the-line focuses straight, making possi ble for one to see the distance the thing which might, have been discovered too late. 3. TEARS are «. screen that, sifts what is to be. from a daily routine very easy to see. and provides n panorama of things yet to come, which if followed prayerfully could doubtless save one from dan ger and impending harm. 4. Joseph surely in his firm, trial could not, have seen toes clearly, when suddenly by his brethc-rn he was sold into Slav ery. 5. But when later as a con vict he had time to reflect, then the high purposes of God he could easily respect; for out ST HAPPENED IN NEW Y mil B.v GLADYS P. GRAHAM For ANP DR. DUBOIS CALLS FOR REGISTER AND VOTE The Dean, of Historians Dr. w. E. B. Dußois indicated in the NATIONAL GUARDIAN and by word of mouth that "it was no easy matter for American Negroes to bring 27,- 000 representatives to Wash ington to protest against law lessness and discrimination. The alert Dr. Dußois sees the move as a register and vote and that the warning must have far more significance than it did in 1878. Eugene Gordon on the other Do s And Don’ts "‘.You’re Hie Hero, So Watch Your Conduct.” THE CAROLINIAN of chaos, hate and unrequieted toil, he was able to emerge, and Ms enemies foil. 6 It was then his tear-stain ed cheeks began to take on color as he. quickly arose to f une and honor; folks ix * i. the knee before Ms throne, where graciously he gave bread instead of a si one. 7. Standing now In power second only to Pharaoh of Egypt, not one of his guiltv brothers did he revengefully gyp: but gave them gifts, plus plenty of provender, then heap ed his richest blessings upon his dear old Father. 8. Os by-gone Tears no doubt he must have had a plenty, but unlike his brothers be re tained their identity . . . and God In like manner keeps us clearly in His sight, when we utilize our tears to chase away the night. 9. Our fore-parents did just this, and turned their sorrow, into bliss . . with bleeding backs and hearts thread-bare, they still had faith tha- r.-Gnri did care ■ . . and those of us, their fortunate posterity who hand (writer, world traveler' has given a. long treatise on how Negroes arc prevented from voting in the South and cites the most recent tragedy of Tuskegee’s vote bar. The American Committee for the Protection of Foreign Born an alleged charitable organiza tion has been denied the pow er of public fund raising but the organiaztion may use vol untary contribution methods. Constance Morris Woodruff, City Editor of the New Jersey Herald News is slated to be the first of her race to write pub now take lightly this d- of prosperity should fall upon their ungrateful knros u m most humbly before Gcd make incessant penitential pleas. 10. And when one fay-viica that another might better Uvc there is nothing too good in this wide world for the recip ient in return to give; for the tremendous cost of labor, blood and sweat, make figures pci' into sisnificonri > m? - - to compute the debt. 11. Then to soar to herlr. ; heights of intellectual concept to try to analyze man's com prehension thru. lie would con descend through Hi-. PI; n of Salvation, to save us from eter nal damnation. 12. TEARS, and great d-opr of sweat like blood ran dowr beneath a worthless thorns crown . . . He paid the deb' you and 1 should have paid when those mobsters railed up on Him in that torch-light .'el ver trade. Can you now* haw the heart, to carelessly pass Hint by. when you know that, .tot you and me He paid it all, anr did surely die? licity for the Republican Worn ptt of the State when she move., over into the national and lo cal publicity realm next month. More details are schedul'd to be available for publication, BIAS TARES A TICKING Dr, Billy Graham has let. loose on bias and he has fur ther warned that America must solve its racial tensions with love lest the judgment of God fall upon the nation. Rev. Graham spoek at Rev. Dsndy.V Ray's invitation in the heart, of Brooklyn's borough. It C felt that this man of God has done more to cement brother hood than a. ton of atom bombs. The Frontiers of America members are heading this way foi their national, convention to be headquartered at the Ho tel Douglas on Hill Street in Newark. This is the first fu); scale national convention held in that city in thirty-five years. Oliver Butts Brown, Conven tion Chairman, lias informed this writer that the New Jer sey Herald News will edit a special Frontiers of America edition which will, hit the stands next week, JIM CROW GREATEST SINGLE PROBLEM 4 Attorney Cora T. Walker, Chairman, "Committee on Hu man Rights foi the We.- . n States of the National Bar As sociation, Inc. has forward/si the groups brochure on Human Rights In the Western Stubs, The document, surveys the present civil rights situation n respect to public accomoda tions in the nine western states of Arizona, Idaho, Montana. Nevada, New Mexico, North and South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. It is the belief of the group that the practice “of discrimi nation against human beings in public, place;) because of race, color, religion or ances try Is the greatest single prob lem confronting the Western States," Persons wishing a copy of the brochure HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE WESTERN STATES, may write Attorney Cora T. Walker. ICi West 125th Street. New York 27, Suite 204. IN OUR MAILBAG Educator Elizabeth Lemon of Indiana is visiting relative:; in Savannah, Georgia, her homo- WEEK ENDING SATURDAY JULY 27, 1957 Gordon B. Hancock s Vfmsmp AT WIMBLEDON The tennis matches at Wim bledon England, are to ttmms what- the world series is to base ball. And now we have a Ne gro starring at Wunbledon in the person of Althea Gibson. Baseball and footbail have long since had their heroes but now tennis has its heroin More than once Althea ha been on the brinks ol tennis glory, "always to be foiled in th>- final attempt to take the crown; but. 19.57 was Alt-how, Gibson's year and she acceded to tennis glory and its crown. We often say that it was a long long journey that took Booker T. Wcshinpton from slave cabin to the Hall of law.-; it was also a long long jour ney that took Althea Gibson from the sic- walks of New York ’ii V\ ..holt don. Fir.-L, the tennis Capitol of the world and to far-tamed glory, We have often quoted here the say - ' man who comes back for one more round so Althea to- pt coming back *tw»r a succey-loh of failures She would not be denied. Ti ls with Negroes a« with other racial groups that, tile door will tie opened if we just keep knocking. It is in such triumph;- that this writer wants to write it, "Althr-a Gibson, Negro. Wo man’s tennis champion of the world.” Too often we see that John Doe, Negro, has commut- -•? romp erinv. so it makes for a wholesome change to write it that Althea Gibson is not, only the woman champion tennis player of the world, but also is a Negro. When Willie May?, knocks the hound out, of the baseball, this writer wants it known that he is a Negro. So long as we live in a color struck world and get discredit for all our shortcomings, lets have credit for «H the great things that we do from time to time. One of the things we must keep m mind is that Althea has hern foiled at the gates of glory on more than one occasion and one with Jess ,-;i-a.nhna and heart would have given the journey over. But not Althea Gibson. When her most ardent admirers were time cud again disappointed that falte;fd on the threshold of ;1 thea looked tennis in the face and decided to keep ccimir.a back ana she Elude her point town >\ onecia.M;i in geography Ali ' LebJbn was a former nv m - be.r of lira Atlitnij University system. Mrs. Wilhelmina Berry torm crly on the tfeii of Medic it Caber bos moved to up, • i- .- Now York where site is serving the Gowancia State Homeopha thic Hospital in Holm nth. New York. Mrs. Beny is a sped DU?, in physical therapy and ardent member of the American Friends of Liberia, She v.v , guest of the Liberian gevern m.-nc durum (he recer/ u- v ’ Mrs. Hepple Ross, wife of Noble Ross, who recently cele brated twenty-eight, years of married bliss is in Alfred, New York, at Alfred College in at tendance et the School for Or ganists and Choir Directors. Prior to leaving, Professor Rous, presented Jacqueline McQu-ir vie, youthful pianist and Mr. Rudolph Scott. Sr,, guest vocal "SMALL BUSINESS" There is a growing suspicion in Washington that a portion of the governments program of “stockpiling" so-caßt-d strategic materials is merely a plan to give some foreign monopolies a surplus program such as afford ed to the Amencan farmer. * * * The government now has atm « - plod !.200,000 .. r--- long ions of jJU... naiursl rubber, jSgp* 1 acquired at a fijgr;; cost of $825 jv>f. million, which . Is costing U. St. y\? taxpayers on ®p, „ estimated sliS ■ million pi*rßjpßjrh" % year to » (am, plus in-J§f; •**. j w ten st on the c. W. Harder Investment. That is the report in a recent speech bv the president of the B. F, Gosuricli company. What roM • this situation all the more canitosing is that Inst y ear's production us natural rub ber totalled only I.BQCM.W tvi-.s. Thu-:, th • U. <• !'■!.-• 'I PTC- i a ft it year's pr,-.duction cf natural rub ber in st e.ge tjt * * It is a!t:o signim-ant that the production of natural rubber is $ virtual British monopoly, and that it was not ton long ago Brit ish rubber interests jiukliclv con piainrd profits lor year had fallen to slightly below JjS'r. y » a As a matter of fact, with the groat developments made in syn thetic rubber, natural tree rub ber has become almost as obso lete as the hrggy whip. There arc a tew minor uses where natural rubber is best, but by far, in most applications such as tires, hose. 1 , other- uses, syn thetic rubber does job better, * * * Actually, without government buying up natural rubber and storing It away, price of the nat ural product would undoubtedly j drop to quite a low level. i @ Katlonbi fVitiration of tn.lanendvm fiaMHiWti and won she raid's acclaim. You cannot whip a man who will come back for one more round. You cannot, ultimately foil a tennis player with Althea Gibson's heart Her glory is doubly glorious because it came the hind way One of the sig nificant. things about Althea GibsonL victory at Wimbledon a thru it symbolizes the strug gle Negroes are making for first class cuizenship in this coun try . P ; an up-hill struggle and a i’g!it <:vy vep of the way.. T is hard to believe that hav nu: been -r-t free nearly a hun dred years ago the Negro to day is .‘-i.ru;.-.•ling for his basic nv’.iij and the Congress oi the ■ n • -.1 Stub's is locked In a i< )i- bM - ■a. ovei a biP of civil rig hr i v rich means that after nearly a hundred years Negro nes not yet set feet upon Premised Land of full citizenship. He is like Althea Gibson, of - foiled on the tennis courts; and like- ALL. *2. he is determin ed to win at last. It is difficult In believe that in the year 1357 wo could find in these United Slates men of the mould of the representatives of the Old South v,bo axe cui to defeat c;> ii rights legislation at any cost and by any means. Abuse of the tSupreme Court, is routine and bull-dozing Con gress is it daily occurence. If !; c Congressional fighters for aril right.- will put just one half of what the opponents ere putting, civil rights legislation will go over, with a bang. We have to hand it to them, sTitx.ernets are fighters and they are knock-down-arid-dra g out. kind of fighters the kind that the Negro must reckon with when he is lethargic a bout exercising his vote at the polls. The Negro who can vo|@ and does not, vote is a traitor to the cause of Negro advance If the Nrcro can be Gibson-hearted in his fight for his rights his triumph is only a mutter of time. Wo might have been foiled in Reconstruction days, and Vi- may be foiled in the Year of Our 'Lord 1957, hut if v, c keep on coming back for an other round, one nay the Ne gro race tv© be wofxi-.v of ’h" heart and stamina of A 1th”8 Gib-soft. Long live Althea ( ton. Hegi ol at, «i - • with other i:L .M orris Silver Walt of Firm er FrrifiuiLan-, extended an ip* vdntion to be prerant on CBS - presents* lons STRIKE, IT RICH, i-raii -lack, former light weight chainpjqn of the world vviiO a icuaien low «ppc-.;r f.d on the pro; r . Beau Jack b-‘!d a press conference after the show which wa* heart wa rm.ln g inde cd. Christine Johnson, Chicago school-mavm known to George town, Kentucky, the East has liuriUy reached Engiard en rouie to Ghana where she ”'lll r union with Fritne Minister Nkrnhmah, e f.-“flier classmate. She is the wife of Earl John ,-„m. Windy CAy politician -and comm unify iea derr. Dr William Howard of Fatncfec is attending a meet ing on Africa at Western Mu- - jean College. He will hit Cali fornia for 'he Alpha conclave subsequently. ! ! American rubber industry load s era say that in event of a national f emergency of serious proper- j : tions, nation could be entirely i independent of foreign rubber. * * * Last year, when due to a heavy worldwide demand of rubber, the price of natural rubber was be ins boosted, an effort was made to get government to release a part of this \ ast store as it would have been the most logical time for the taxpayers to get hack a reasonable share of the money that has been poured into an ex cessive stori.r.iie. Government refused to do ro, # ¥ * But ro far this year, reduced demand for rubber has brought (he price of natural rubber down, so that it would be hard for gov ernment to pvt back a Dir share of the investment. * * * ;i v<rv much appears that | ra.mr.il rubber bears the toime re..- ...Hi to synthetic rubber that : sihi-i-. •• to nylon. In oilier words, j premium price is paid for sj-n --| thfctti because of its belter quali jti and natural product !» < »n --i side mi secondary in value. ■ t ijr Thus, there is no tc-fttop whot I price levc-Jj natural rubber would -have di v:,;v ,i to by this '..Me. U the detriment of the 8.-aish ry»o j r.- ruiv. had n-,t t -o. V, $. been price supporting the product with huge stockpiles. * * * ! At the present time, when not ' only Congress, but Use entire na | lion, is appalled over the extra ! ordinary h-.;h federal budget, it I would perhaps he the logical 1 j time to launch a probe to gel at | the i idiom of this situation. j* • * Obviously, the American Rat* | payer is paying huge sums to I price support American farmers. * * * It -...(dd he quite ironic;*! If it I devt loped I'. >. taxpayer is also j being assessed to price support | British rubber tree farmer.