Newspapers / The Carolina Times (Durham, … / Nov. 17, 1956, edition 1 / Page 2
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jPAGK TWO THE CAROLINA TIMES SATUEDAY. NOV. 17,ltt6 The Negro Vote In The 1956 Election The attempt of a Durham Republican official to mini mize the affect of the Negro vote in the Presidential elec tion is not surprising to this newspaper. Ne^ voters did not switch their votes from the Democratic to the Re publican party because of the type of leadership furnished by local Republican leaders, but in spite of it and because of the anti-Negro attitude of the Democratic party, locally and nationally. Lo^ Re publican leaders have failed just as miserably to tune in on the new wave of freedom now sweeping the world as south ern Democrats of the lowest type. You can’t change an anti-Negrophile by merely changing his political party membenhip. Last Thursday at his news conference, Governor Hodges, in answer to the question of what he thought about Ne groes in certain North Caro lina conmiunities changing their vote from a Democratic presidential candidate in 1952 to a Republican candidate in 1956, said, “I told the press I knew nothing about how the Negroes voted, but that it was high time that all our citizens, regardless of whatever race or economic group, think in terms of what good they could do for their state and nation rather than vote just to serve their own selfish interests.” We think there is a bit of irony in the governor’s state ment, in that it has been his influence principally that has insisted that 'North Carolina citizens oppose the nation’s highest tribunal by support ing the Pearsall Plan. The governor called the special session of the legislature be fore which there was paraded an array of anti-Supreme Court individuals who not on ly attacked the court for its decision on segregated schools, but every individual who dared raise his voice in defense of the court. Certain ly such action cannot be in terpreted as being for the go(^ of the state and nation. Unless we are sadly mis taken the Negro vote, which is not getting any smaller in the South, is going to be heard from in all future elections. This, coupled with the up and coming young white progres sive southerners, is destined to change the color of politics in the South, which in the end will make possible a two- party system in these ptrts. Both Republican and Demo cratic officials will neiied to re shape their tactics if they hope to retain the Negro vote in the South. The idea that the Demo cratic or the Republican party can overlook civil rights in their quest for Ne gro voters is out the window. Negro voters will weigh with serious minds the actions of both parties in an effort to determine the lesser of the two evils in all future elec tions. That is what took place in North Carolina, other southern states and to some extent in northern and west ern states. Although there was little to chose between the platiorms of the two par ties, action of southern De mocrats in start^g the ridi culous investigation of in tegration in the public schools of Washington, D. C., the attempt in this state to cir- ciunvent the U. S. Supreme Court’s decision on segrega tion in public schools with &e Pearsall Plan and Governor Hodges’ continued antagonis tic attitude toward the race were among the factors that drove many North Caroliiui Negroes to vote the Repub lican ticket in the presidential election. Another question that both parties are going to have to face in future elections is that of employment in municipal, county, state and national governments. Negro leaders will not ask their people to re main loyal to any party with a policy that prohibits them from having employment as other citizens. They will watch what the Democratic and Republican parties do a- bout this and not what they say. ’The day when either par ty can uphold a policy that marks any jobs “for white only” and then be sure of se- ciu'ing the Negro vote is over. That was proved in the presi dential election, and it will be even more pronoimced in the election of 1958. A Distinct Honor To Durham The Carolina Times has just received a copy of the 1955 record of 65 life insurance companies operated by Ne groes under the supervision of insurance departments of the various states in this coun try. It is interesting to note— and a singular distinction for the entire dty of Durham— that approximately one-four- th of the total amotuit of in surance which th^e compan ies cany on the lives of their policyholders is with the North Carolina Mutual Life lasuranee Company’s Dur- hnip’a inrgf^t. home-ownfid and operated corporation. Citizens of both races in Dur ham should take great pride in the fact that there is domiciled in this city a com pany that has not only the dis tinction mentioned above but is the largest owned and op erated by Negroes anywhere in the world. Sometimes when we are so close to individuals and in stitutions we lose sight of their real worth to the com munity, the state and the na tion. It is with this in mind that we wish to focus the atten tion of our readers on some of the benefits which redound to the economic and social life of Durham because of the presence here of North Caro lina Mutual Life Insurance Company. L«st we forget, it has been this company that has mothered and nurtured through the years many of the o&er corporations and in stitutions owned by Negroes in this city. Durham is proud and boasts of the fact thiat it is a city in which Negroes own more homes per capita than any where else in the United States. It has not occurred to many of us, though, that had it not been for North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Comp any such could not have been achieved. An overwhelmiijg majority of the homes by Negroes here can be traced directly or indirectly to the fact that here is located an institution that not only gives stature to the business ingen uity of the race, but is provid ing the financial means by which its members may b^ come home owners. T^ls can- not be easily traced in dollars and cents what it means to Durham’s lumbermen, elec tricians, plumbers, steamfit- ters, electric appliance deal ers, furniture dealers, etc. We think such a contri bution deserves far more recognition locally than it has been the tendency of Durham to bestow upon its Negro busi nessmen and women. It is no accident that Durham Negroes have from time to time been the recipirats of national hon ors and recognition while be ing overlook^ by their fellow -citizens right here at home It was rather ironical that during the life of the late Dr. C. C. Spaulding, a former president of North Carolina Mutual, that he could qualify as an active member of the Chamber of Commerce of the City of New York but could not do so in Durham. It is also interesting to note that here of late another official of that company has Within the course of 12 months been twice singled out to represent the nation in foreign coun tries while being overlooked by his' fellow-citizens right here at home. The report of the 65 insur ance companion which we have received disclosed that North Carolina Mutual had over $29 million worth of in surance in force with a pre- .mium income of over $11 mil lion and nearly $50 million dollars in assets at the close of business December 31, 1955. It is certain that the company by the end of this year will have exceeded by far the above figures. This means that as North Caroliiia Mu tual grows it is contributing its part to the economic and social life of the city, and those who are responsible for its growth and development We think Durham’s Cham ber of Commerce is missing the boat in not including in its active membership some of the men who are the top offi cials of several of the city’s major corporations as well as North Carolina Mutual. A majority of them are men of training in the nation’s best colleges and universities as well as high achievement in the field of business. Th^ could make a distinct contri bution to Durham if given the opportunity, and -Durham tt^ough them could make a distinct contribution to its Ne gro citizens in making for a better understanding of the aims and aspirations of both races. This newspaper woul4 welcome the suggestions of its white readers as to how we may promote more interracial exchange of ideas on how to make Durham a bigger and better city. €bc Carraila CtotcB BIAIN OFFICE — 4Se EAST PETTIOREW STBUT PhMiM S-M71 aad 2-2I13 — Durham, North Cai«Ena PublUhed At Durham, North Carolina Every Saturday By THE UNITED PUBLISHERS, Inc. Entered os Mcond claw matter at the Pott Office at Durham, North Caralina un der the Act of March 3,1879. L. E. AUSTIN, Publisher CLATHAN ROSS, Editor M. W. A. HENNESSEE, Business Mgr. JESSE GRAY, Advertising Mgr. E. JOHNBON, Controller WIN8TOII-SALEM OFFICE — 3*4 N. CHURCH ST, - MRS. VELMA HOPKINS, Manager PHONE 5-08611 n.M 8UBSCEVTION BATES On« Tmt Tmi Cents Sfaigl* Cepy — Six HI—thi $4.00 — Foreign CountriM. national Advertiting Representatives INTERSTATE UNITED REPRESENTATIVES, Inc. ' 545 Fifth Avztiui New Tohk 17, N*w Yom Fuaea MUisat HIu - a-54§2 FACING THE ISSUE By DR. A. H. GORDON A DISHONORABLE VICTORY! It is the contention o| this column that the victory of Pre sident EUsenhower in being re elected to serve another term in the high office was a dis-honor- able victory. It is also true that this victory is really not any thing like the great “landslide” that the propagandists have tried to make it appear. This so- called “ovurwhelming triumph” consisted in the President get ting about fifty seven percent of the voters to say that they were willing to give him another chance provided he would take it with a Democratic Congress to hold him in theck and see that he does not prostitute the power of his office to altogether liquidate the “Uttle man” in the next four years as he tried to do in the four years he has already been allowed to work towaid that end. We must not forget that about fortji three percent of the voters declared that they did not want any more of “Ike” un- der any circumstances. The People’s Choice One reason why we think tluit the victory was dishonor able is that Eisenhower secured the office, in part, by trying to be popular with voters in all sections of the country by giv ing the impression that he would not insist on compliance with the Constitution by the rebels of the deep South in the matter of desegregation. It seems clear to this writer that Louisiana, Virginia, and Texas would not have supported Eisenhower if he had come out plainly and strongly for enforcooaent of the school desegregation mandate of the U. S. Supreme Court. We bold it is dishonorable for the President of the United States to refuse to enforce the Consti tution for the sake of being popular with the voters and thereby keeping in office. Eisenhower also acted dis honorably when he appeased England and France in connec tion with their aggressive in vasion of Egypt by refusing in the United Nations to kindly Condemn them as aggressors. If the President had stuck by his guns in the meeting and strong ly condemned aggression of England and France as he did for her action in Hungary and elsewhere, he might have saved the lives of many soldiers on all sides and served the cause of peace by increasing the- pres tige of the United Nations. H Bomb Tests Eisenhower acted ^dishonor ably in taking advantage of the ignorance of the masses of the people and claiming that the further tests of “A” and "H’‘ bombs was necessary and use ful as a matter of defense if this coimtry. He also acted dishonor ably in claiming that doin^ away with the peace-time draft would weaken America defen sively. Eisenhower knows per fectly well that no great stan ding army is of any use in de fending this country against any possible enemy. He knows that the draft is a senseless waste of American tax-payers’ money. He was not honorable enough to agree with Stevensonjbecause he knew that doing so would lose some votes and cause St6- venson to run stronger. On account of his own inordi' nate cupidity and the ignorance of the masses of the voters, Ei senhower was able to pile up a large total of votes coming to a great extent from women who do not understand the economic problems involved which may make it impossible for Eisen hower to keep his promise to keep the United States out of war in the Middle East. Since Eisenhower is largely supported by the “Economic Royalists”, he will have to drag the people of the United States into war if they think it is necessary to pro tect their vast oil interests in that region. Finally, Elsenhower has not been honorable enough to admit that the appearance of a great victory by him is due to the out moded use of the Electoral Col lege method of election. This method of election gives the false impression that the loser got practically no support. This is obviously false. A., H. Gordon New York Post Reads Message In Dramatic Negro Vote Shift What Democrats Can’t Forget The followiar editorial was vabMskad la Ihe New York POST on Nov. 8, 1956: One of Tuesday’s biggest stories may be the message that Negro voters finally got through to the Democratic Party. It was as clear, as simple and as drama tic as some of the events which caused it. Segregated wards and pre cincts, so grim all year around, have an ironic advantage on Election Day. A holding opera- tioft, such as occurred in 1948 and 1952, cannot be obscured. But neither can a big historic shift such as Ted Poston de scribed in The Post yesterday. The most lame and empty ex planation of the vote in Negro precincts comes from the Demo-, cratlc Party leaders in Chicago. Some great political brains of Cook County have frantically blamed the shift on the disper sal of thousands of Negro fami-4 lies by slum clearance projects. National Democratic Party leaders will echo this materialist theory of history at their own peril. Many Elements Involved Many complicated elements were involved in the upheaval of Negro voters, including the weak Democratic civil • rights plank. But many of the immedi ate causes may have been com pressed into a brief period of history last winter. Senator Kilgore died on Feb. 28; the shameful succession of Sen. Eastland as chalnnan of the Judiciary Committee came soon thereafter. It occurred al most simultaneously with the unfolding of Autherine,Lucy vs. the Southern mobs. And It was Just at that moment that Adlal Stevenson, speaking in Califor nia, had the misfortune to use the inflammatory word '‘mode ration.” This sequence of events re mained tmforgiven and tmfor- gotten by thousands of Negro voters. Stevenson’s eloquent en suing pleas for civU rights— de livered in the South and North alike—never could banish the shadow of Eastland or the m^ mory of Miss Lucy, perhaps partly because little of the press (leralded hlis words, and the President’s equivocations on the Supreme Court decision were rarely headlined or underlined. Exception In Michigan The exception to the Negro shift seems to have occurred mainly in Michigan, and it serves to highlight the key pomt. It was the Michigan Democrats who led the revolt against spokesmen for the Southern Democratic rotten boroughs in the Democratic con vention. It was Michigan’s De mocratic Governor who broke traditional diplomatic relations with Southern state houses over such life and death matters as the extradition of fugitives. The tragedy is that Adlai Ste venson, who spoke so well and so often during the campaign on the “unfinished business of de mocracy,” ended with Tal- madge’s Georgia and Eastland’s Mississippi in his thin electoral column while great Negro de fection ruined his hopes in so many states. It has been said rhetorically on so many occasions that the Democrats cannot forever hold the liberal franchise if the East- land-Talmadge gang maintains its power in the Democratic Par ty. Tuesday clinched the case. The Democrats i^aust reittain a national party. But they can do so successfully only by joln-> ing hands with the liberal forces of “the new South” and finally turning their backs on the racist demagogues who have so long dishonored the Democrats cause. Hope At Last For The Victims Of Colonialism Spiritual Insight “GOD’S MERCr By REVEREND HAROLD ROLAND Pastor, Mount Gilead Baptist Church Ch*BtU* But why dost thou Judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at naught thy broth er? For we shall all stand be fore the judgment seat of Christ.—(Romans 14,\0.) The people we work with, those who ride the bus with us—let us look upon them with eyes of love and under standing and brotherhood, re membering in our deepest heart the wondrous words of St PauL "Put the mercy seat on the ark... there Will I meet you..“Ex. 25: 21-22. Mercy flows out of the graci- ousness of God’s nature. And this mercy flows out to us mor tal creatures in our sinfulness. The Mercy Seat was a beauti ful symbol of the forebearance of God towards us in our way wardness and wretchedness. You remember the Mercy seat was in the most Holy Plaoe in the Tabemacle-it rested on the Ark which contained the Law. Mercy is God’s answer to the sinfulness of man. Man’s evil na ture calls for God’s mercy. God in mercy is ever ready to heal and restore us even at our worst. Mercy is God’s passionate concern for a sinner. Mercy pleads compassion when we have done violence to God’s Holiness. Honestly, where would you be without the mercy of God? Mercy is God’s willingness to spare us when we have done our worst. Yes, God’s mercy i man’s great hope. God’s mercy finds, heals and brings us back to the fold in our sinfullness. The Prodigal thought of God’s mercy and said..."I will arise and go to my Father’s house...” God’s mercy gives us a second chance. Mercy forbears with us when we have offended the beauty of the Divine nature. We all should be thankful for God’s mercy. Mercy is a fruit of the infinite loveliness of God. John plumbed the depths of God’s nature when he said... “GOD IS LOVE...” And mercy naturally flows from the inner beauty of God’s graciousness. Mercy forgets our sins and mis takes. Mercy brings us bacl^ that we might start anew to work on our infinite possibilities under God. John seemed to have been thinking about God’s mer cy when he said...“God sent his Son into the world not to con demn the world but that the world might be saved...” This is mercy at work in all of its spiri tual beauty and power in the midst of our human sinfulness. God in his mercifulness came in Christ to ^ve us sinners an other chance. Every soul is an object of God’s mercy. In spite of the vileness of your sin, mer cy wants you to have another chance. Mercy calls us to be healed. Mercy calls us back for fellowship and communion with God... The redeemed should be mer ciful. But all too many of us would condemn and crush. Too many would be cruel in our self righteousness. Let us ever re member what God in mercy has done for us. Be careful about hasty condemnation. Whatever you are it is not your goodness. If there be any loveliness in you, it is the work of God’s love and mercy. Love and mercy met at Calvary to redeem you, and give you another chance. God in Christ offers himseU in mercy that we might find the rich spiritual beauty of our souls. Capital Close Up “No Use for White Folks” Last week we were talking with one of this Federal City’s real “town elders,’! Charles WUliams, who came here from Kansas as the protege of Con gressman Charles Curtis, later Vice-President, to work in the Government Printing Office, be fore McKinley took office as President. We looked him up to talk about his recollections of the “unsegregated” inaugural balls, held prior to the administration of the Great Segregationist, Woodrow WUson. We remained to listen to his penetrating com ment on nine decades of the in terracial scene. Alert and vigorous at 88, Mr. Williams was disturbed, that day, by the action of a Negro mother in his block, who had or dered a white child seeking to play with hers to “Go away!” because, she exlcaimed, harshly, “I’ve got no use for white folks!” “We have the same country, the same institutions, the same language—but separation luis taught white Americans to sneer, and has left many Ne groes, like this woman, with chips on their shoulders,” he ob served, adding, “Where you come in contact there Is much less prejudice." Texas, Ksnsss, Capper 'Three years after “fbe war,” Charles Williams was bom in Texas, and the eldest of nine chUdren of a father who, as a slave, had vowed that "if he was never free, he wotdd never By CONSTANCE DANIXL marry.” Fifteen years after freedom—rejected until the war’s end by the Lone Star State—the elder Williams had married and migrated to Bur lington, Kansas with his family. Young Charles was then 10. By the time he was 12, he was al ready at work, there, as a prin ter’s devil. Charles Curtis, later elected to Congress from the 4th District, and publisher Arthur Capper, later U.S. Senator, had become friends of ., the family. There were discuMions about “separation.” "Separation Bad”—Casper “Casper alv(ays said that in the long range, separation was bad—so he was against It,” said Sir. Williams. His father, who had denied himself marriage as a slave, now refused to accept separate schools in Kansas to further the employment of Ne gro teachers. When a “vested interest” teaching post for his own daughter was held out as a bait, he refused to let her accept it B.C.—17 Years Before WUson The yotmger Williams came to Washington to work in the Printing Office as a compositor, in 1896, when the Capital, ex cept for its segregated schools, was relatively open, race-wise. For 17 years after he arrived, it remained that way. Then, he re lated, came the Wilson regime; the orders separating white and Negro government employees— at their machines, at their desks, in the cafeterias, in the lockers, in the rest-rooms. And outside government, the curt, “We don’t have niggers here any more,” at the ticket-wlndow of his accustomed movie house; the “Negro-baiters” on the street cars, taunting, “We’re going to have Jim-Crow cars, here, sooni” 1 thought I was in the South!” Mr. Williams exclaimed. All along he has worked hard, through the organized effort of civic groups, to help build a strong, unseparated conununity. He subscribes to and reads, ea gerly, all the Capital’s daily papers, and several weeklies, and tunes in on all commentary programs on radio and T-V. Boosevelt, Tnunan, Hsenhower Of “FDR” he says: “I can’t give him any credit. He wouldn’t touch the Armed Ser vices situation. He was made bjr circtmistances and was forced into FEPC action by Phil Ran dolph’s March on Washington.” Of Truman: “I’ll give him credit. He’s an ordinary, shrewd, ward politician, who talked more than he did—but he did something.” Of Eisenhower: "He has brought about the greatest change for good, since Tve been here!”
The Carolina Times (Durham, N.C.)
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Nov. 17, 1956, edition 1
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