PAGE TWO
THE CAEOLINA TIMES SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 1957
THE LETHARGY OF IHE DURHAM COMMUIS
ON NEGRO AFFAIRS
“These are the times that try men’s
souls. The summer soldier and the sun
shine pabrlot will, in this crisis, shrink
from the service of his country; but he
that stands it NOW, deserved the lovie
and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny,
like hell, b not easily conquered; yet
we have this consolation with us, that
the harder the conflict, the more glorious
the triumph. What we obtain too cheap,
we esteem too lightly: ’tls dearness only
that gives everything its value. Heaven
knows how to put a proper price upon
its goods; and it would be strange in
deed, if so celestial an article as FREE
DOM should not be highly rated.”
—THOMAS PAINE
This editorial is one of those that has to be
written. It has to be written whatever the
price that must be paid or whatever the con-
quences. It lias to be written because this
newspape^ senses a stagnation that is be
ginning to creep over the Durham Commit
tee on Negro Affairs which, if allowed to
continue, is certain to spell its doom. For
the past several years we have doggedly
fought off the notion that has persisted in a
whispering campaign here that the Durham
Committee on Negro Affairs is beconting too
high-brow, too soft and too compromising
in its approach to certain problems that
seriously affect the very future and lives of
the people for whom it is supposed to exist.
We have also paid little or no attention or
attached little significance to the whisper
ing campaign that has been going on for the
past several months that the chairman of
the Committee on Negro Affairs gets his
orders from the chairman of the Democratic
Party of Durham County. A whispering
campaign at its best is most undesirable in
a situation such as now faces the Negro
citizenry of Durham. We must confess,
however, that we are getting restless at the
manner in which the Committee has been
dragging its feet here-of-late on such mat
ters as waging a determined campaign to
open up new avenues of employment for
Negroes in Durham, the drawing up of a
constitution and by-laws for the organi
zation—awaited for two long years—the
promotion of integration in the public of
municipally owned theaters and the muni
cipally owned Durham Athletic Park.
^ a result of the Committee’s feet-
dragging, Negro leaders in cities of Raleigh
Charlotte and Greensboro have forged
ahead of those in Durham and are making
forthright efforts to secure equal opporuni-
ties for the race. In Charlotte a total of 34
Negroes have filed applications for ad
mission .to all-white schools; in Raleigh a
Negro student is seeking admission to the
all-white Needham Broughton High School,
and in. Greensboro Negroes have a case
pending in court against the city for deny
ing them the use of a municipally owned
golf course, plus the fact that they are wag
ing a persistent fight against segregated
theaters of that city. In Durham not one move
has been made in either direction, except
the little skirmish that took place at the
Durham Athletic Park the opening night
of the baseball season, which albeit was not
originated ofiflcially by the Committee.
Apparently the Durham Ministerial Al
liance has fallen in line with the lethargy
of the Durham Committee on Negro Affairs,
-and is dragging its feet on these same vital
and important questions in an apparent ef
fort to conform with the do nothing policy
of the Committee. The old guard of the
Alliance appears to have smothered efforts
of the younger and progressive members to
push the segregation question to the front
Thus the two most influential organizations
among Negroes of the city have become
practically “dead ducks” on the all-import
ant question of civil rights.
There comes a time in the life of an or
ganization when it needs new blood, new
faces and some new ideas. There comes
time when those who have been in control
too long become satisfied to rest on their
oars and boast of their past achievements.
That is the darkest hour of any organization
and in that hour a major operation may be
the only hope for its salvation. Certainly,
this is no hour to be at ease but an hour for
positive action. The struggle for freedom
and human dignity for all must go on. If
must 'not be sacrificed on the altar of greed
and power merely to obtain a few crumbs
for the few. What we do now will determine
the destiny of thousands who come after us.
God forbid that we falter or recoil from per
forming our solemn duty.
WE WILL REMEMBER THE STATE
jENATEOfl95?
TRIAL BY JURY
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The statement below is an editorial
comment by the Journal — Every Evening publish^ in
Wilmington, Delaware, on the controversial question,
TRIAL BY JURY, now spotlighted by the CivU Bights
issue before Congress. The e^torial appeared Saturday,
June 1.)
The right of an accuied per
son 1« a basic American right.
So is the right to vote. Good
liberals and good conservative
uphold both. But in Congress
some of them may be confused
when Southerners tell them
they must not pass a civil rights
law protecting the right to vote
because that law would take
away the right to trial by jury.
It is a false issue. The pro
posed legislation says that offi
cials who try to keep people
from registering and voting
may be enjoined to stop the
process by a federal court. And
if they disobey the court, they
may be seqtenced for contempt.
Now whether a man has obeyed
clear court order is a matter
of fact, easily established. No
Jury is needed to protect his
rights t>ecause they aren’t in
danger. Obviously, if he obeys
the court, the court is not going
to punish him for disot>eying.
This principle ,is so well es
tablished that it has hardly
been brought into question un
til now. In matters far less inv
portant to us all than the right
to vote, judges issue injunctions
and punish defiance of them, all
without the help of juries. Some
of the very states which profess
to be concerned over the right
to vote have passed laws for
bidding the NAACP to engage
in activities such as assembly
and propaganda, which are con
stitutional rights. NAACP offi
cials who engage in such activi
ties are subject to injunction
and to pimidmiept without tri
al by jivy if they disobey.
The reason southern con
gressmen are insisting m trial
by jury of persons charged with
violating civil rights injunc
tions is that they expect south
ern juries to acquit guilty offi
cials in disregard of the facts.
If you think they wouldn’t do
just that, you haven’t read
about what happened this week
in Montgomery, Ala.
A jury the^e acquitted two
young White men charged with
bombing four churches, a Ne
gro taxi stand, two ministers’
homes, and other houses. Were
they guilty? Their lawyer talk
ed as if he thought they were.
The lawyer said their acquit
tal would give encouragement
to every’' white man, woman,
and child in the South wlio
wanted to preserve “our sacred
traditions” of segregation. He
said a verdict setting them fre«
would "go down in Ustory as
saying to the Negroes that ‘You
shall not pass.’ ” Clearly, an ac'
quittal could not have such ef
fects if the accused were inno'
cent.
The right of trial by jury is
basic. It is not threatened by
long- established Injunction
practices. But it is grossly per
verted wherever juries acquit
men they Icnow to be guilty. If
the civil rights law is amended
to permit — and encoiurage —
such perversions, the right to a
jury trial will not be strength'
cned but weakened.
Life For The Teen-Ager Becomes
Bright With New Interests
In striking down the bills aimed at the
National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People the senate of the 1957
General Assembly of North Carolina jper-
formed its most important duty. Of the bill
which would require the NAACP to dis
close its officers and financial contributors.
Senator J. Spencer Bell said, it is “illcon-
ceived and illadvised.” Of its campaign
bill aimed at lawyers involved in racial
litigations, the offense being defined as
barratry. Senator Bell sai(^ “This is the lit
tle brother of the earlier bill. It is no bet
ter planned, no better worked out and no
better conceived than its older brother.”
Said he further it would “wipe out the com
mon law offense of barratry,” which he
said, “is good enough.”
Negro leaders of the state are no doubt
very grateful to the Senate for its action and
will watch with keen interest the future
political aspirations of those who took the
lead in striking down the pernicious legisla
tion. Although authors of the bill attempt
ed to cover up their intentions by including
brgantuTibtis that &TCT for segregation it
was the consensus of opinion that they were
aiming solely at the NAACP.
Senator Bell and his auociates who led
the fight have saved the state from being
involved in much litigation as well as both
the state and its Negro citizens the expendi
ture of much money, which always results
when such cases are brought. With the
same alertness Negro leaders will watch
those legislators who led the fight against
the legislation they will watch those who
were for it. If we forget them may our
“right hand forget her cunning” and “may
our tongue cleave to the roof bf our
mouths.”
EVERY NEGRO MAN AND WOMAN
MUST REGISTER AND VOTE!
THE WHITE BABY PLAN, BY HARRY GOLDW
Harry Golden, writing in the Carolina
Israel, has come up with a most unique plan
for Negro citizens to circumvent segrega
tion in theaters, parlis, bezels, trains, buses
and elsewhere. It will be recalled that Golden
proposed several months ago the standup
desk plan for schools since white people gen
erally do not mind standing up with Ne
groes on buses, elevators, in stores, and other
places.
Now Golden proposes what he calls
“The White Baby Plan To End Segre
gation.” Said he, “Some months ago
there was a revival of the Lawrence
Oliver movie, Hamlet, and several Ne
gro school teachers wanted to see it.
One Saturday afternoon they asked some
white friends to loan them two of their
little children, a 3-year-oId girl, and a
6-year-old boy, and holding these white
children by the hands, they obtained
tickets from the movie house cashier
without a moment’s hesitation. They
were in like Flynn.
This would also solve the babysitting
problem for thousands and thousands of
“whit^’ working mothers. There can
be mutual exchange of references, then
the people can sort of pool their children
at a central point in each neighborhood,
rnd every time a Negro wants to go to
the movies all she need to do is pick up
a white child—and go.
Eventually the Negro community can
set up a factory and manufacture white
babies made of plastic, and when they
want to go to the opera or to a concert,
all they need do is carry that plastic doll
in their arms. The dolls of course should
all have blond curls and blue eyes,
which would go even further; it would
give the Negro woman and her husband
priority over the “whites” for the very
best seats in the house.
We think Mr. Golden has something there
and we would like to propose immediately a
stock company with shares selling at $100
each for the establishment of the factory be
fore the baby-lending plan begins to run a
shortage. Southern white people are simple
minded about this question of segregation
and should they doubt the reaUty of the
plastic white dolls a small water tank could
be installed in each of them with a secret
push button known only to the Negro ac
companying the doll. Should any “smart
alec” cop or other white person grab one to
examine it, the doll could do the “wee wee”
act which would result in its being quickly
handed back to its Negro owner for diaper
attention. ’This would inflate the ego of the
southern white who feels that changing i
,baby is strictly the responsibility of its Ne
gro nurse. Yes sir Mr. Golden we are in for
it. Let’s start the factory and get it run
ning before the North Carolina General As
sembly meets again.
What fun to be a teen-ager!
Life is suddenly a bright ball
of new interests with ao much
happening that there hardly
are enough hoars in the day for
everything. Yesterday, the
youngster ^ho never combed
his hair, is now quite careful
about appearance, for he has
discovered girls.
And—girls have discovered
that they are girls, too. Good
grooming and care of sicin, eyes,
and teeth may go on for end
less hours and, doctors a^ee,
it’s a good thing.
One of the most Important
adjuncts to general he^th is
checlc-up on vision to sm 11 eye
sight is normal, or if giuses are
needed.
Even if glasses are not need
ed, eyestrain can result from
improper reading iiabits. This
is the age when most teen-agers
begin to d» 4»or« reading- than
ever before. Reading can go on
for hours, and if it isn't done
under proper lighting condi
tions, tired eyes are the result.
To male sure good reading
habits are observed in your
home, establish these rules rec
ommended by resa^rchers for
the Murine Company.
1. Teen-agers go in for “fads”
in lighting. Sometimes they
lilte to study by the tiny light
of a small desic lamp in an al
most totally darlc room. This
is completely wrong. General
over-all illumination is best.
Reading in a darkened room on
ly serves to bring on eye fatigue
that can cause teen-agers to be
come tired and irritable.
2. It is best that young eyes
are not facing a window when
they read. Sun-glare bounces
off the window and onto the
page, then into the vision of the
reader. So malce sure all light
ing comes from the proper di
rection.
3. Avoid shadows. Adequate
light should be placed at an ap
proximate distance of 20 inches
away from the page, to avoid
any furtive squint or strain to
adolescent sight, say Murine' re
searchers.
4. A reading lamp should cqn-
tain a bright enough bulb to
l>anish shadows without induc
ing glare. A 100 watt bulb is
considered ideal.
5. Also, make certain you rest
your eyes from time to time.
Placing one or two drops of eye
lotion in each eye refreshes tlT'
ed eyes. Practice moderation in
reading or in attending motion
pictures. Staring off into the
di4^ce for fit short while if- a
fine way of resting one’s eyes.
6. Follow a proper, well-bal
anced diet and get plenty of
sleep. Sleep is vital at this peri'
od of life and will help to keep
eyes healthy, bodies fit, and
iiUfida alert for all the
ful things that go on daily in
the exciting life of a teen-ager.
D
NAACP lego!
Dafanta-Educationo! Fu.~>J Inc.
107 W.43rd Street
Hew York 36.N.Y.
“WHAT COUNTRY ARE WE IN NOW, MOM?”
Spmtual Insigkt
“DANGERS OF FALSE FLATTERY”
By REVEREND HAROLD ROLAND
PastoTf Mount Gilead Baptist Church
Graduates Get
Fellowships
NEW YORK
Fiorina Lasker Fellowslilps
have been awarded to three
1957 honor graduates of United
Negro College Fund manber
institutions, W. J. 'Trent, Jr.,
Fund executive director, an
nounced today.
Barbara L. Hill, a graduate
of Bishop College, Marshall,
Tex.; Donna M. Wood, of Knox
ville College, Knoxville, Tenn.;
and Dorothy E. Watkins, of
Tuskegee Institute, Ala., have
been awarded stipends to help
finance their first year of study
in graduate schools of their
choice.
HERE'S HEALTH!
By Lewis
CHERRIES
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Woe to you when all men
speak well of'you ...” Luiie
6:26.
False flatteries are dangerous
pitfalls to human beings. They
lull us into the peaceful slum
ber of a false complacency. And
complacency carries great spir
itual and moral dangers. The
dangerous sleep of conQ>lacency
causes us to lose our alertness
and awareness amid the many
dangers ol this life’s journey.
We should all leam the great
truth taught by the life ol Je
sus: IT IS DIFFICULT TO
PLBABE EVERVBODY. Yte
can 'jtry to treat everybody
right. But it is Impossible to
please everylx>dy. Thwe is
something in us human beings
that makes us easy victims of
the sugar-coated, sweet little
is this true? There is a deep
hunger in us for the good will
and recognition of men. Thus
Jesus is right again. . . “Woe to
you when all men speak well
of you. . . ”
Tl*e honey-coated words of
human flattery puts us to sleep.
They lull us into a false and
dangerous sleep. Flattery is one
of the devil’s greatest weapons.
He came with flattering words
to Jesus in the temptations but
Jesus told him . . . "GET THEE
BEHIND ME SATAN ...” Ma
ny have been led to ruin by his
sweet words of flattery. Many
have lost their integrity and
their homes because they were
put to sleep by. false flattery.
Flattery slurs over our weak
ness and imperfections and
thiis it hinders true spiritual
growth. False flattery is a drug
tiiat induces the pitfalls of spir
itual and moral complacency.
The wise human being di-
cerns between the honest com
pliment and false flatteries.
let us not fool oursebTea. This
is a hard job for us. We all
need honest compliments and
encouragement. That word” of
encouragement may mean the
difference t>etween success and
failure. A Job well done amid
trial, struggle and sacrifice calls
for a word of encouragement.
An honest word of encourage
ment is a token ol gratitude and
appreciation. We must be alert
to guard against the spiritual
and moral dangers of false flat
tery.
Can we go the way of God’s
will and please all men. No!
No man in history has been
able to achieve this thing. Not
even the sinless Son of God.
You know what happoted to
iiim — He died on the cross.
The Man who follows Ood’s
will cuts across the grain ol hu
man sin and seUlahness. Thus
he can be right but he. cannot
please all men. The human be
ing who would please all men
must of necessity lose his integ
rity and his soul.
fieware,. leal, you be drugged
by false flatteries into a danger
ous sleep of complacency . . .
“WOE TO YOU WHEN ALL
MEN SPEAK WELL Of
YOU. . ”
By Rmbgrt Spivaek
Watch on the '
Poto]
ANYTHING FOR A PAL —
Rol>ert B. Anderson, the new
Secretary of the Treasury-to-
be, is In hot water even before
taking office. It’s all because he
tried to help out a fellow-Tex-
an.
The man-in-need turned out
to be Sid Richardson, the mul
ti-millionaire Texas oilman, one
of the richest men in America,
with a^net worth estinwted at
$900,000,000. Richardson was
hopping mad because the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers want
ed to acquire full title and
rights to some 1,207 acres ol
land Richardson owned at a
flood control project_near Fort
Worth.
Money wasn’t the issue. He
was willing to let the govern
ment have the land under an
“easement rii^ts” arrangement
lor $1. The Engineers ollered
to buy it outright for $162,000.
What Richardson objected to
was letting commonlolk cross
his land to fish at the Benbrook
reservoir or hunt in the vicinity
of his property or simply picnic
around the place. He wanted
and got the reservoir as a “pri
vate lake”.
All this .information "was
brought out at hearings of a
House Government Operations
subcommittee, headed by Rep.
Earl Chudoff of Philadelphia.
Chudoff apparently didn’t real
ize what a powiirful man Rich
ardson is supposed to 1)0—or he
wasn’t impressed. Anyhow he
is one of the few men in Con
gress who dared to tackle the
oil tycoon.
What Chudoff discovered was
tliat Richardson, never one to
deal with underlings, toek the
case all the way up to the wiilte
House and made a “personal
complaint” to the President.
The President personally in
tervened, ordered an investiga
tion and eventually the Corps
of Engineers had to reverse its
land acquisition policy. It
agreed to take land extending
only 300 feet from the “private
lake” shoreline. But this didn’t
satisfy Richardson entirely, and
the matter is now lingering in
a Federal Court.
Anderson’s role is a bit mys
terious.
The Army Corps of Engineers
was not under his Jurisdiction,
while he was Deputy Secretary
of the Defense. By statute it
was under the Secretary of the
Army, who was then Robert T.
Stevens. He was going along
with Richardson, too, in his own
leisurely manner.
This apparently was not
quick enough for Anderson who
stepped in'and,- in effect, su
perseded Stevens.
••••••••
PUT IT UP TO IKE—Ander
son, according to the former
Deputy Chief of Engineers,
Maj. Gen. Bernard L. Robinson,
Continued on Page 7
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