Newspapers / The Carolina Times (Durham, … / Oct. 10, 1942, edition 1 / Page 1
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NUMBER 42 . DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10,1942 Editorially Speaking Eleanor Clubs** And The Nearc Tbe most dastardly., the most pernieioug, the mbst fiendish, the most cowardly attack ever made on a first lady of this country, and its Nejfro citizens is that now going' on concern ing the organizing of what is known as “Eleanor Clubs’’ by Negroes in North Carolina and other southern states. It is claimed that Negroes, inspired b|r the doctrines preached by Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, are organizing these clubs for the purpose of obtaining ‘^social equality, forcing all Negro women out of domestic emplosrment, bringing about nn up rising against white people with the intent of overthrowing the government and God only knows wiiat else. So contemptible is this malicious He that we hesitate to even devote time and space to set at rest those who, when they hear it, permit their blood pressure * to run up when there (is absolutely no need of it. Were it not foar the fact that our country is now engaged in a bloo^-Conflic^ to over throw foreign instigators of just such propa^nda,!(^1(/e would let thd lie come to death at its owjp miserable hands. Since there is too great a poissibiiity that tHig fiendish act the qjtfspring of fifth columnists within our midst, we are going to hang the culprits editorially before they have a chance to do any more of their dirty work.^ Now we do not claim to know everything that is going on among Negroes in the South, but we do claim to know what is-frtring^ importance among tham in North CaroUna,^ 4iie principal territory in which this newspaper circulates. We defy any man or group of,men in this state or anywhere elso to prove conclusively that there exists in North Carolina or anywiiere else in the south an organization .among Negroes, such as that described above. We not only def;;^ them tr do it, buc we offer a reward of $100 for conclusive proof that such an organization exists in this state or any other south ern state. We think our readers,, friends and those who may not be classed as either, will agree that the CAROLINA TIMES has never, cringed on any issue of importance that confronted it. We have kept tlve record clean for just such an occasion as this, and we are willing to stake all that we have ever stood for in defying those who would bring about disunity among thei people of the South in this hour of national crisis. If there was any evidence of the existence of one such organiza tion in this state we would not hesitate to admit it and that witUout fear or favor, as we have always done on any and every occasion. This is our way of life, this is our creed and upon it wte have staked our destiny and our journalistic future. On this matter of social equality. The time will nevei come ansrwhere on the face of the earth when wholesale social equality will exist. It does not exist within the white race, nor does it exist within the Negro race. It is purely a matter of personal choice and when successfully engaged in by in dividuals it is by mutual consent of all parties concerned. Likewise it cannot be successfully enforced nor can it be successfuly prohibited. For in spite of our laws and other barriers, established for the purpose of prohibiting ifc, our streets are crowded with Negroes, the color of whose skin bears testimony to the fact that there'are individuals in both races who have been engaging in the highest point of social equality. Social equality is the age*old scarecrow that iij always brought out of the attic and dusted off to frighten the weak minded whenever Negroes ask for better jobs, better wages, better schools and other improvements that will tend to raise their economic standard to the place where th;'y may bccome respectable citizens instead of liailities. We be’ieve there are enough sensible white and colored people in Korth Carolina and the rest of the south to scotcli these mmors and firohibit tbem from destroying tbe unity of our people during these h time» of national crisis. Of this matter of overthrowing the governmeT\t. If after more than 200 years of existence in this country, more than 200 of which were spent as chattel, if after faithfully serving in every war in which tfife nation has fouglit for its rights as a ,free peoi>Je if after serving as maids- cooks, wJisher-WOfffen, hurses fboth-'wet and dry) if- afterrour unblemished record of destroying every attempt to make the Negro disloyal to his country; do not st'Jnd us in % good stead during these times, then may God have mercy up on the hearts that beat in the breasts of those who would accuse our humble group of wanting to overthrow the govern ment of the only country we know anything about. Has it every dawned upon theile nervous, suspicious people that there are only thirteen million Negroes in the United States and that they are outnumbered by white people about ten to one? it ever occurred to them that every strategia place in the government, both armed and unarmtnl, is held by members of their own group? Are they unmindful of ihe fact that even Germans and Italians are accepted for important positions in government, defense plants and th>'’ armei! forces of thus country in preference to Negroes? We think the raising of the ‘‘Eleanor Club” issue is but another attempt to bring about national disunity and civil strife in thro country, at-a t;ime when every loyal citizen of the United States should have one and only one purpose in mind, the winning of the war. We think it is' a dastardly at tempt to besmirch the name of the devoted helpmate of our war-burdened president, both of w:hom are doing all they can to make the Negro feel his responsibility to his country by ■ giving him an opportunity to share in the benefits, of demo cracy and render his best service to the nation in one of its » darkest hours. Whatever have been the misdeeds of both races toward each other in the past, for God’s sake let’s forget them now, and come to our senses long enough to realize that a foreign enemy threatens to take away our rights to criticisc the president, to ‘‘cuss’’ and discuss his wife, to write free and untramelled editorials like this one, to think out loud on the shortcomings of our government and to walk With human dignity upon our highways and byways, -afraid of no man or group of men. - In t.Kia hour of national peril, when American blood of both white and Negro boys is being spilled to preserve our way of life,..the Negro extends an outstretched hand to his white brother in this country. It is not a hand in which there is a hidden dagger, it is not n hand whose owner's heart is filled with ihatr^ed deceit, revenge and distrust. It is a hand hardened and calloused with felling the trees of our forests, plowing our farms, digging in our mines and tunnels, pav ing our highvirays, working in our factories and other places where he may find honest labor. It is the hand of a loyal, true, tried and trusted American citizen, who is hegging for an opportunity to work, fight and die, if need be, for his country—our country. So that w!hen peace is once again es tablished in the land, he may fish in its streams, hunt in its forests, ^hout at its ball games, laugh and cry in its theaters, worship as he pleases in its churches, rear his children and nuture his old, enjoy the benefits of his labor as Uther free Americans, and look uilafraid at the eventide of his Uf* when time shall wrap its mantle of oid age about his should ers and tuck him to sleep in the sacred sod of his native land. That is all the Negro has ever asked, that is all he asks now and that is all he will ever ask. Those who would deny him these sights are themselves imfit to enjcy the beneiits of » democratic form of government. EDlTOIt.
The Carolina Times (Durham, N.C.)
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Oct. 10, 1942, edition 1
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