North Carolina Newspapers

TWO THE CAtOLDfA TtMBS SATURDAY. DEC. It, ltS6 FOUR PROPHETS WITHOUT HONOR Nearly 2,000 yean ago Je> Ml made the statement that “A prophet is not without honor, save in his own coun try, in his own house.” Today these words come thundering down the corri dors of time to us as we re call recent happenings among Negro citizens of Durham that have focused both nation al and international attention on this industrial dty of North Carolina. The events present a most paradoxical situation and could only hap pen in a land where democ racy is more of a farce for 17 million Negroes than a real ity. First, it was Asa T. Srauld- ing, vice president of North Carolina Mutual Life Insiu*- ance, who was appointed by President Eisenhower aa a delegate to the UNESCO con ference in New Delhi, India; second, it was Dr. Helen Ed monds in a most electrifying speech seconding the nomina tion of President Eisenhower at the Republican National Convention; third, it was Lee Calhoun of North Carolina College, blazing to a new Olympic record to win the 110 meter high hurdles at Melbourne, Australia, and, last, it was John Wheeler, president of the Mechanics and Farmers Bank, appearing as a panel member of the ei^th annual symposiiun of the United Negro College Fund of which August Hecs- cher is director. ^These four achievements of Negro citizens of Durham present a most ironical if not embarrassing situation when it is recalled that all of them are prophets without honor in their own city and state, if not in all of their own country. V^le all four of them could without notice enjoy the full rights of American citizens in foreign lands and in other states and cities, it is sad to think what would happen if they attempted to enjoy those same rights within the state of North Carolina. Let it be said here and now that solely on account of their color, not a one of them could get a room in a single white hotel in Durham or elsewhere in North Carolina; not a single white cafe or restaurant would sell them a morsel of food in this state or any other soutiiem state unless they subjected themselves to the hui^ation of segregation. Not a single white church would welcome them to its hour of worship of a Christ, who declared nearly 2,000 years ago, through ms ser vant Paul, that "God is no respecter of person” and that He “hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth.” Neither of these Ne gro citizens who can qualify for national and internation al recognition could qualify for membership on an im portant board in the dty and state to which they have brought such a distinct hon or. Let’s look at the birthplaces of each of these distinguished peifeonalities. Asa Spaulding, born back in the woods of Columbus County, North Carolina; Helen Edmonds, bom in the obscure village of Lawrenceville, Virginia; Lee Calhoun, born in, of all places. Laurel, Mississippi; and John Wheeler, bom in another ob scure village, Kittrell, North Carolina. Put all of the edu cational opportunities of these remote little towns and coun ties together and they would not equal those affo^ed the average white child in a town of 5,000 population. Oh his tory, oh history, why dost thou so often twist the fate of puny men into such peculiar angles? Just how long our south- em white folks can stomach the odor of their own foul deeds we do not know. There is a possibility though that when one has never breathed the fresh air of freedom or has been continuously fed on hatred, vidousness, narrow ness, prejudice and meanness, he could not live otherwise. These are the kind of people that keep eternal the truth that “A prophet is not with out honor save in 4iis own country and in his , own house.” THE RUSSIAN MENACE TO WORLD PEACE If thoughtful American Ne groes ever had any sympathy or love for Russian commun ism, it must have all gone down the drain when the Soviets perpetrated their bloody invasion of Hungary. Whatever the Reds may say about American imperialism it cannot accuse soldiers of this country of shooting down in cold blo^ women and chil dren. History is bound to record the merdless manner in which Russian tanks and planes attacked Hungary as one of the most beastly acts of modem history. The dvU- ized world will not soon for get the many bloody acts and murder of helpless women and children by Russian tro^ that invaded that coun try against the approval of ev ery respectable natio^. on the face of the earth. *' So far as we are concerned you can write Russia off the list of the nations of the world as being civilized. A nation that can resort to such hein ous crimes in the name of peace must be watched, and our own country would do well to keep its eyes on Rus sia. Those skeptics who have heretofore championed the cause of Godlessness in a na tion should come to the front now and tell us how in the name of all that is right can they justify the manner in which the Russians murdered and pillaged a small and weak nation like Hungary. We would like for them to ex plain just why In America, that h^ been charged by the Reds with having imperialis tic motives, there has been found more humanitarianism for Hungarian refugees than in communistic nations. As far as we are concern ed Russia has acted like a big bully and whatever hope sen sible American dtizens have had that this country would be able to trust the Com munists is gone. The sattelite nations of Russia will no doubt take a cue from y\rhat has happened to Himgary and bide their time when they can without risking a similar fate get from under the Red terror. Other nations will now have no doubt in their minds that communism is a menace to world peace and will play their cards ac cordingly. Whether Russia realizes it now or not, she lost whatever friends she ever had or was about to have. STAND UP AND BE COUNTED FOR FREEDOM The Carolina Times does not have before it all of the facts involved in the turning over of the records to the courts of the Atlanta, Georgia office of the National Asso- dation for the Advancement of Colored People by its pres ident J. H. Calhoun. He may or may not have been justified in giving them up after he was plac^ in jail. It appears to us, however, that if it was necessary to withhold the rec ords before he went to jail, it was necessary to withhold them afterwards. Whether the records contain the names of school teachers and other persons who will become tar gets for Georgia southerners to vent their spleen upon re mains yet to be seen. If they do, then the head of the At lanta branch of the NAACP should have rotted in Jail be fore he exposed tlywn, That courts in several southern states are out to de stroy the NAACP is plainly evident. Whether they will be able to do so will ^ deter mined by how much its lead ers are dedicated to the pro gram of the organization. The time has come when those who lead an oppressed peo ple must not be shaken by the clanging of prison doors or other reprisals inflicted on them. The path of fre^om is paved with jail doors, the gallows, the executioners’ swords and nsMmninn bullets. Ask Jesus and His disciples, ask John Brown, Thoreaii, Gandhi, Enunett 'Till, Martin Luther King and thousands of others who have struggled, fought, bled and died for free dom. If the records of the Atlanta branch of the NAACP reveal only financial information, then it mi^t be tiiat Calhoun was Justified in turning thgm ovef to revenue agents. If they reveal the names of per sons who have supported the organization at the peril of their jobs, it appears to us that it should have taken more than a jail sentence to force the head of the Atlanta NAACP to expose them to Georgia state revenue agents Negroes who accept places of leadership may as well here and now s^liiw that the day of the opportunist Negro leader is over, as much over as that of the handpicked Ne gro leader. Either those who accept positions of leadership must stand up and be counted on or sit down and be counted out. These are no times for cringing, compromising and belly crawling. Oppressed peoples all over the world are on the march, and a new wave of freedom is sweeping the earth. Cint^s yAlK OFFICE — 4M EAST PETTIGREW STREET naam 5-M71 aa# 2't913 — Durham, North Carolina Published At Durham, North Carolina Every Saturday By THE VNrrED PUBUSHERS, Inc. Entered as second eku$ matter at the Pott Office at Durham, North Carolina un der the Act of March 3,1870. L. E AlfSTIN, Publisher “ CLATHAN BOSS, Editor JESSE GRAY, Advertising Mgr. M. E. JOHNSON, Controller WINSTON-SALEM OFFICE — M4 N. CHURCH ST. — PHONE 5-0869 MRS. VELMA HOPKINS, Manager SUBSCRIPTION RATES One Tear Ten Cents Single Copy - 8i» Months ~ $4 .00 — Foreign Counties. NaHonal Adoertising Representatives INTERSTATE UNITED REPRESENTATIVES, Inc. tihrni Av«»u* ' N*w York 17, New Yobk Phons MUuat HIll - 2-5452 FACING THE ISSUE By DR. A. H. GORDON WE PAGANS PRAISE CHRIST It has been almost two thous and years ^ce “Shepherd’s keeping watch o’er their Uocka ol sheep” among the rugged hills ol Palestine were startled to see an unusually brilliant star, since known as the Star of Bethleheni, shining over their heads and heard Angels singing “Peace on Earth Among Men of Gk)od-will”. These events heralded the birth of a Jewish child who grew up in an humble conmiunity as the son of a carpenter. At the age of thirty this young carpenter be gan what he considered as bis life’s work as what we would call today and itinerant preach er. His “Gospel” consisted in a re-emphasis upon the finer and more lofty spiritiial insights ol the old Jewish prophets and a new emphasis upon the charac ter ol God as the loving Father ol mankind. He was a most se vere critic ol hypocrisy and ma terialism which had crept into the religion ol the Jews in theii* worship ol the great God Yah- weh, the God ol Abraham, Isaac, and Moses. Alter tliree years ol intensive labor, Jesua passed on to one ol the “many mansions” in his Father’s House. He lelt a lew disciples who la bored to spread His gospel which He summed up in the la- mous “Sermon on the Mount.” One ol His later disciples, A Roman Jew csiUed Paul, began a mission movement which re sulted in making His religion accepted on a world-wide basis. Today millions call themselves Christians and proless to loUow the teachings ol Jesus. We just said above that millions ol us modems “call” ourselves Christians and “pro fess” to loUow the teachings ol Jesus. Those words “call” and “proless” are well chosen,. we think, to indicate that we are largely hypocrites in calling ourselves loUowers ol the I “lovely Nazarene”, disciples ol the “Prince ol Peace.” H we face the issue squarely, we be lieve that we wUl have to admit that mo^t of us only praise Christ with our mouths but we are Pagans at heart? II you question our statement here, may we invite you to examine the meaning ol the word pagan as delined by Webster’s or any accepted dictionary 61 today. Handy to the writer is The American College Dictionary which is Widely used among col lege students and others. There are several definitions ol a pa gan in this dictionary. Among these are the loUowing: 1. One who is not a Christian, a Jew, or a Mohammedan. 2. an irreligi ous or heathenish person.—adj. 3. pertaining to the worship or the worshippers ol any religion which is neither Christian, Jew ish, nor Mohammedan.” 11 we are honest, 1 think most ol us will have to admit that although we call ourselves Christians and proless to lollow Christ, defini tion number 3 really describes us. Perhaps most of us have some kind of religion but we lear that 11 Christ were here and described it He would cadi it “Irreligious and heathenish.” By the time the prospective readers see this column it will be only aboUt three days away from Christmas. We pagans will be thinking about celebra ting the birth ol Christ In many paganish ways, such as drinking whiskey and wine, dancing throughout the “night belore Christmas”, or shooting fire works and giving expensive an^ useless gUts to many people who do not need or want them. We might go on indefinitely re citing how we celebrate Christ mas more like pagans than like true desciples of the Pennylesa Preacher ol Palestine. Some of our celebrations will seem oi^ the stuiace at least to be more appropriate. Many millions of us so-called Christians will ga ther in great, expensive chur ches, temples and cathedrals where we pagans will sing lusti-t ly, if hypocritically: All hail the power of Jesus' namel Let angels prostrate jail; Bring forth the royal diadem. And crown Him Lord of All! Perhaps now and then a pa gan here and there may ask hlmsell: “do I really love my enemies, the Russians, for ex ample? Do I really believe that it is common sense to return good lor evil? If my enemy should strike me on my right cheek would I really turn the left?”. If I were in Montgomery, Alabama, would I be walking with the Negroes with a song in my heart, or would I be in sym pathy with the White Citizens’ Councils or the Ku KlOx Klan? If we face the issue in this way we may feel discouraged, but let us not forget that during the tumult and the shouting of our mostly pagan celebrations, a few here and there, now and then may realize that: Jestt* esiis -us; o’er the tuwwlt Of our life’s wild restless sea. Day by day His sweet voice soundeth. Saying, "Christian, follow Me.” POTOMAC WATCH By Robert G. Spivack The “Leader" Who Will Not Lead The basic issue in the contro versy now raging around the head of Senate Democratic Lea der Lyndon Johnson is simply stated, but not very widely un derstood. The question is this: Can the Democrats ever recap ture The White House if their congressional leaders sound “re treat” before they begin to fight? In November of 1955, John son announced, with consider able fanfare, a 13-point legisla tive program for the following session of Congress. He labelled it a “program with a heart.” It read well and even includ ed a proposal for repeal of the .poll tax, which was about as far as Johnson felt he could go on, the question of civil rights. But when Congress went back into session it developed that John son did not have much heart lor the “program with a heart.” Ol the 13 points he lought vigorously only lor the “mitural gas” bill which was backed by the oil-gas lobby. Demo Paralysis After the "natural gas” de bate, something approaching political paralysis seemed to al- fiict the Democratic leadership in the Seriate. The House leader ship seemed pretty leeble, toor Yet there were many Demo crats, and not all ol them were Northerners, who lelt that there were half dozen made-to-ordei; issues which the party leaders were deliberately by-passing. The whole sordid story of ad ministration favors to the big eastern banks, as represented in the “tight money” policy, wa^ played down. Yet it was a Tex an, Rep. Wright Patman, who had done more to expose it than almost any other member of congress. Had the Democorat^ developed the issue, their cries of Republican favoritism to Big Business would have had some real meaning. There was considerable presi sure exerted on another Texan, and there still is, to go easy in exposing the role ol Republican National Chairman Leonard Hall in that somewhat peculiar Nicaro nickel plant deal in Cu ba. To the credit of Rep. Jack Brooks ol Texas much of the story came out anyhow. But it was no fault of the Democratid party leaders that Hall foum^ himself in an embarrassing situ ation. They would just as leave have pave passed this story up, too. This business ol pulling pun ches has gone on for a long time. If Johnson had his way, Estes Kefauver would never have been able to expose the Dixon-Yates deal. Timid Texan Johnson takes the view that the Democrats should not op pose the Eisenhower adminis tration simply for the sake of opposing. ’This sort of proposi tion is, of course, unarguable. But it means very little. Six Democrats, led by Sens. Paul Douglas and Hubert Hum phrey, now contend that the first order of business is for the party to put forth in legislative lorm the propositions approvedi by the national convention in the Democratic platform. John son immediately opposed the idea. Instead he favored wait ing until the Eiseithower ad ministration came up with its program. Then, if there was aofything wrong with it, the Democrats would oppose it. That all soimds like a very neat proposition until it is ana lyzed. What it boils down to Is this: the Democrats in congress are abdicating their responsi bility and allowing all initiative to come trop The White House. (Please turn to page Seven) THAT woNDnnn. sfomi nniNO you CAN QUtCKLyfiUILD yoUR CUSHION lySYSTBMATlC SAVINGS ON THE PAVROIXSAVINGSi PLAN WHERE 7# you WORKv/' AsyouvwwLic LIFE'S TlGKrWlltE, m COMFORTMO tOKNOIVVDu hawcthat Big "CUSHION* UN^you/ AND ir youic or ON sAu^Ry MTYOUR B0ND9 IM Wl 5ON0-A- lONTH Plan OUltSJkN COUKTtU OH McNight S/ntUcaU^ Spiritual Insight ‘Flashes From The Christmas Scene’ By REVERBND HAROLD ROLAND Paster, Mount Gilead Baptist CSmrch "1 bring you good news-For unto you is born this day, a Savior which is Christ the Lord.." Luke 2:11. Beautiful, sublime spiritual fiashes arise from the first Christmas scene with its ma jestic simplicity. Under the spell of the money changers we can lose the rich spiritual wonder of the Christmas message. Men In their selfishness will pervert and corrupt the message. Man will corrupt the most sacred Wngs. Let us not lose the rich inner core of spiritual beauty which stands at the heart ol the ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS MES SAGE. What is a Christless Christmas? It Is much to do about nothing. Take the Christ out of Christmas and what do you have left? Well, you have the “MAS” left. The “MAS” without the Christ yfeiy mean... MAN’S AVID SENSUALISM (A passionate concern for the materialistic) Will you now take time to read the beautiful ly sublime story as told by the Apostle Luke? Let its spiritual Christmas is God’s gracious re sponse to our deepest needs— THE NEED OF A SAVIOR.... We need God in Christ to save us from our sins...This is the heart ol the Christmas message. The message ol Christmas was to save us from our enemies... Our real enemies are the dark inner passions of sin...The Sa vior was to guide our feet in the way of peace...We need {md want peace...A war-torn, con flict-ridden world cries out lor peace...Amid the rumblings of ferment and turmoil our so^ls need peace...The Glory of the Lord came on the First Christ-^ mas...Man in his sordidnesS needs the ennobling touch ol God’s glory... WHY?...Man is miserable when cut oil Iron^ God... -Fear Net” is- anotbec great spiritual flash Irom the Christ mas message...lear haunts and torments our minds and souls... Christ is the one true remedy lor our terrible enslavement to our lears...” I bring tidings ol joy to all peoples...”.,.God’s gilt beauty saturate your soul. Nothing can take the place of the majestic simplicity ol the origmal story and its message as found in God’s Holy Word. Then let us think On the Christmas message and its beautilul flashes of spiritual ' sight: It is light for those who walk in darkness...men the world over are still in We need the Christnuis message, ol the Savior includes all men... God’s ilicltisiveness is set over* against man’s narrow, exclusiveness...we need this part ol the Christnuus message in th« critical hour ol transition in human relations.... Good News, n savior is bom.. The Angels bring a message Irom Heaven TO MEET MAN’S DEEPEST NEED: Ar SAVKHl, -AND SALVATION...God Bless' you. Merry Christmas..“To you is bom this day, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.” lETTERS TO THE EDITOR Christmas Meditation " ...and on earth, peace, good will toward men." —Luke 2:14 It is Christmas Eve, 1818. Josef Mohr, a young priest new ly appointed to the tiny Roman Catholic Church in the village of Obemdorf, near Salzburg, Austria, has scaled to the heights of the near-by mountain peak. There he remains lor hours drinking in the beauty and serenity ol the moon-lit night. Earlier in the evening, he had been stirred to emotional lervor and spiritual Inspiration by local talent who had given a simple but sincere perlor- mance ol the Christmas story. Returning to his room in the wee hours ol the morning, h€| sat down and wrote the words lor what was to become one of the best known Christmas carols; “Stille Nacht! Heiling NachtI It has come to us, the English speaking people,, as "Silent Night, Holy Night.” But it was left lor the Spanish speaking people to capture the deeper significance ol that occasion in their title lor that l>eloved Christmas hymn. They call it, “Noche de Pas, Noche de Ar-i mor.” In English it means, “Night ol Peace, Night ol Love." That is the Christmas story In, a nutshell. God embodied in Jesus a Living Idea—PEACE THROUGH GODLY LOVE. H we can understand the Idee, we can grasp ttae real meaning ol| Christmas. From the very beginning, it was God’s Idee that man should Uve In peacelul rela«onship( with his Creator and with his lellow creatures. But man has allowed prejudice, pride, and selfishness to distort and dis color peacelul relationships. In lact, human relationships in our times are characterized by a “dog-eat-dog” attitude. •The Idea must be recapturedi To press home its value, I pass on to you a free translation ol a portion ol the first chapter of the Gospel According to John: “In the beginning was the Idea, and the Idea was with God, and the Idea was divine. All things were made in pur suance ol that Idea, and v^th- out it nothing was made. The Idee was the Sustaining Sub stance, the Inner Reality ol all that was made. The Idea became aUve and the lile ol it was the Light ol men, the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. The Idea was made flesh and dwelt among us full ol grace and truth. No man hath seen God at any time, but no man having once seen that lile lull ol grace and truth can lail to catch the Idea.” Young Mohr never Iiecame known for an}rthing else. But there was no need, lor in a mo ment he had caught the Idea and had put it into wprds that live eternally. Let us not l>e so wrapped in tinsel and toys that we lail to glimpse the Visioni Splendid. We need to come into contact with God’s Idea of PEACE through DIVINE LOVE as expressed In the life of JESUS CHRIST. During this Yuletide season let us pray that we will catch the IDEA anew, and that it will be the guiding force in all ol oiu: endeavors. John W. Fleming Director Christian Education, Gen. Baptist State Cenventionj Africans Are Humans Also To The Editor: Hie current world-wide^ys- teria over tKe oppression oi the people o^^ungary has occupied the spotUght throughout the Am«£an Press, Radio and othM media. Within recent weeks, our dis- ^guished President EUsen- hower has courageously taken the lead in ottering sustenance and aid to the bewildered people ol Hungary. Certainly, every American Iretely Joins our President in this remark able gesture ol human kindness. Wliile we are boisterous in our concern and sympathy lor the sullering people ol Europe, it would be well lor us to re member that there is alter all one race, and that is the Human Race. It is high time that we the American people, would demonstrate our true and sin cere interest in mankind by ex tending aid to all people ol every land who are the victima ol cruel oppression. It will be dilficult lor thei people of Alrica to undmtand and appreciate our American humanitarianism when we bea1| the drum and sound the trum pet for the people of Europe; and yet we are completely ob livious and unobservant to the cruel and brutal treatment which the African people jtre suffering at the hands of the white rulers ol Britian, Prance, Belgium, and especially South Africa. According to the Associated Press, the Government ol South Alrica is presently pursuing a campaign of murder, suppres sion of all human rights, and are fUUng the Jails with every African leader who even seeks a breath of freedom. The Dec, 14th issue of The Washington Post and Times Herald reports 149 African leaders have bcei^ jailed, including Professor Z. K. Matthews, regarded as one of the leading Christians of Alrica. According to the same article, twenty-seven prominent leadf ers, such as the Archbishop oil Capetown, Alan Paton, and a prominent Methodist Minister, are attempting to raise a fund to assist these deleriseless hu mans. (Continued On Page 7)