Newspapers / The Carolina Times (Durham, … / Oct. 2, 1954, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of The Carolina Times (Durham, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
V pagb two THE CABOLIKA TIME8 SATURDAY. OCT. 2, 19M WHAT PRICE NEW CATHOLIC CHURCH? In The Carolina Times, is sue of September 11, we pub lished an editorial in which we charged that “there is something rotten in the Catholic Church in Durham, At the time we felt that in view of the Pastoral Letter, issued by Bishop Vincent S. Waters on June 12, 1953, in which he declared that, “There is no segregation of races to be tolerated in any Catholic Church in the Dio cese of Raleigh,”, that the Catholic Church in Durham was a rebellious unit, de fying the orders of its Bishop to abolish segregation in the Churches of the Diocese of Raleigh. - We thought that Father Charles J. O’Conner, pastor of the Imaculate Conception Catholic Church, of this city might be one of those rju-e individuals who, possessing a conviction, is willing to pay whatever the price to stand by it, and that in spite of Bishop Water’s letter he (Father O’Conner) would admit no Negro chil dren, Catholic or non-Cath- olic, to the Immaculata School in Durham. We there fore, expected by this time that the heavy hand of the Bishop would have been laid on Father O’Conner for de liberately disobeying the or ders of his superior. For all of these blunders we wish to apologize to our readers. We were wrong, as wrong as we have ever been in diagnosing a case of this sort. Father O’Conner is not a rebellious sort, he is not de fying the Bishop nor is he out of line with past Catholic procedure in matters of this kind. On the other hand. Father O’Conner and Bishop Waters are playing in per fect style the ancient role of the Catholic Church as it per tains to Negroes. For one needs only to go back in his tory to discover that the Catholic Church per se has done little or nothing to ad vance the cause of the Negro as a free man in the United States or anywhere else. Like the white Protestant church, then and now, it has stood idly by, winldng at “wrongs perpetrated against Negroes, as in the case of Bishop Cirillo, of the Catholic church, referred to in a let ter to the editor, published in the September 18 issue of this newspaper. It was this high official of the Catholic Church who in 1874 raised not one finger against the execution of Negro slaves, even Catholic ones, who were courageous enough to strike blows for their own freedom. Only about in spots and in a few isolated cas^ has the white church. Catholic or Protest ant, ever raised a feeble finger in protest against slavery, segregation or any other wrongs perpetrated against Negroes. So the pastoral letter of Bishop Waters, hailed by-Ne groes, as a kind of second De claration of Human Rights, so far as Durham Negroes both Catholic and non-Catho- lic are concerned, turns out to be just so much sounding brass and tinkling cymbals. Bishop Waters may not have feet of clay but the big toe that sticks through his rag ged Catholic sock into Dur ham is one of mud. This newspaper has a well- founded suspicion that the Bishop of the Diocese of Ra leigh has capitulated to the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Durham. For it would not be unlike certain of its members, we know, to threaten to withdraw their children if in the name of Christianity, or Catholicism, human brotherhood is prac ticed by admitting Negro children to the Immaculata School. It would not be un like them to refuse to contri bute to the effort now going on to raise $150,000 to erect a new Catholic church edifice in Durham. Thus it now appears that to make safe the $150,000 goal the Diocese of Raleigh has set up an oasis of segre gation in Durham where busi ness as usual will be done at the same old stand and where Negro Catholic children will be sold down the river for a new $150,000 church struc ture. Like the Roman sol(i- iers of old who cast lots for the coat of Jesus, these Roman Catholic soldiers of now are gambling with their souls for $150,000. In the game they are playing, they cannot have both. For in the end, if they achieve the $150,- 000 goal, at the sacrifice of standing up for the brother hood of man, they are bound to lose their souls and if they chose brotherhood, they ar% bound to lose the $150,000. BEFORE,, ETERNAL GOD THEY CANNOT HAVE BOTH. Deep, deep are the roots of race hatred, of white supre macy, deeper than the roots of Catholicism or Christian ity in the most of our white folks. So we see at the Church of the Immaculate Conception and at that monstrous enigma, the Holy Cross mission on Alston ave nue, a joining of hands by Father O’Conner and that notorious apostle of white supremacy, Father John A. Risacher, in an unholy coven ant to keep Ne^oes out of the Immaculata Scchool in Dur ham. Just how long the several upright Negro Catholics in this city can stomach this rot ten condition, we do not know. We do know, however, that their present plight is no different from that of others of their race in the past who have usually found that the Catholic church is not the wealthiest church in the world by divine ordination, but because its high church officials are more often hun grier for the flesh pots than they ^e for the spirit. WORK FOR McCARTHT AMD HIS COMMinEE You read in this newspa- McCarthy and his committ^ per last week that students have been in pursuing their and other young people of work you will then wonder Asia are keeping a close watch J)'® name of high on the efforts of the southern m states of this country to defy 5?®*^ Governor Talma^e, the Sugr^e Court’s ruhng Byrnes and on segregation in public officials ^ eouthern schools. You read later in the states to escape. They are not daily press that several of the 9”^^ the highest court southern states will fight to jn the land but are furmshmg the bitter end to maintain the communist and the col- segregation and that the peopl^ of the world state of Georgia, under the with fu-st hand i^ormation leadership of Governor Her- about what southern states man Talmadge, spitting^ a*'® ^“"8 to uphold white fiance at the Supreme Court supremacy and prevent equal- of the United States, will and hi^an dignity from abolish public schools in that h^coming the right of 15 state rather than obey its or- ders. You also read that Jhe Unit^ Stat^. If the ac- Louisiana wiU attempt to dis- tion of these high official in bar NAACP lawyers repre- souttern states is not giving senting 39 Negroes who at- i tempted to register at a white would like to know what is. school in that state and that As the line is drawn tighter Mississippi ended a special and tighter between peoples session of its legislature at of the free world and those of which a constitutional amend- the “Communist world, and ment was passed which will millions of colored people in allow the legislature to Asia, Africa and South Amer- abolish public schools in that ica jit on the fence watching state, provided the voters will developments, we need not approve the measure on De- wonder if communism is chos- cember«21. en by them as their way of „ , j • life instead of democracy. For You also read m these one thing is certain we in this TOlumnsafew w^ksagothat country may as well come Mrs Anme Lee Moss, a form- to face with the fact that er Durham woman, working cannot have white sunre- for the U. S. Government in Washinffton has been «sus- the southern states frnm «t the Same time influ- 5^ ^ j to our side badly need- dragged into court a second • * • Africa and time under very qu^tionable gouth America. ’ We cannot ff ■■ “have our cake and eat it having been at one time con- » nected with communism. You i J, will recall that Mrs. Moss is J communism is ever stop- one of several victims of Sen- as much as many south- ator Joseph R. McCarthy, hate to admit, it will be whose job it is to run down because of the influence of any and all disloyal persons organizations like the Nation- ♦His countrv tional Association £or th0 Ad* vancement of Colored People When you read of how dili- that are insisting that we in cent and aggressive Senator the United States practice what we preach about democ racy. It will not be because qf men like Talmadge, Byrnes and others who are insisting that democracy exclude J5 million Americans df color. We think there is work here in the South for Mc Carthy and his committee and for the Federal Bureau of In vestigation to do if the fed eral government is sincere about its efforts to implement democracy in the United States. For as long as men like Talmadge and Byrnes are allowed to roam at large and spit defiance in the face of the Constitution and the Supreme Court on the matter of equality for all men with out regard to race, color or creed, this country may as well resolve itself unto the fate of being without outside friends and with being out- numbere(^'in a world that is now ch^ng sides for a third world war that apparently many southern leaders would rather encounter than extend full citizenship to American Negro citizens. Ch*BiU« Be whicli toweth «paringl; shall reap also sparingly; and he irhlcli loweU) bountifully shall reap also bountifully.— (II Corinthians 9, 6.) The man ai womaD who li blessed with, or who develops, the quality of out-going, out giving in love and helpfulnesi to others, never nrill lack good friends or the joy of achieve- ment The selfish person can blame but himself for his lonely unhappiness. SATURDAY OCTOBER 2, 1954 L. E. AUSTIN Pub'lishM CLATHAN M. ROSS, Editor M. E. JOHNSON, Business Manager H. ALBERT SMITH, Managing Editor R. J. HAYNES, Advertising Manager JESSE COFIELD, Circulation Manager PuMlshwl Xvarjr Saturdajr uj th« UNITED rUBLISBKBS, Inoorporatad at SIS X. P*ttl«r«w St M weoad dOM matiar at tlw Pot Grace •« DHrbaai, Morth Carolttu under tlM Act of Itarcb a. ttf». Mattea*] Adrtrtmnt MapnmnlaUrm: laMnUU MMPA. No suiirantce of publication of unaoUcitad mate rial. Lattars to the editor for pubUcatlon muat be ■igiud and confined to 100 word*. Subacrlptlon Batec 10c per copy: Six montlu, fl.OO: One Yeir, $t.00 (Tonlga Couatrtea, *4.00 par jraar.) LETTER TO THE EDITOR The Editor The Carolina Times Durham, North Carolina Dear Sir: In reply to a letter edited in The Carolina Times on Septem ber 18, 1954 by one J. J. Walsh, I would like to make the fol lowing commitments: To begin witl;i his reference to what occured regarding the Ne gro slaves back in 1784 should have postively no bearing on our present day situation. Pri marily, because it holds no so lution to our current problems. Secondarilly, slavery was abdl Ished in the year 1862 and we are now living in the ultra-mod ern 20th Century of Progress Also, it is well to remember, Negroes did not enslave them selves; they were enslaved sole ly at the hands of the white man! Had they been accorded equal opvortunities to learn and find tfiemselves useful (to say nothing of competitive) places in this tumultous world, I say without the slightest fear of sue- cessfui contradiction, that they would have not been classified or referred to as “Savages”, It is indeed unfortunate that the stigma of slavery has carried over to our present day intelli gent Negroes and rendered it self poisonous to the minds of the whi,te population. To get to the core of the prob lem maybe difficult loi^some, because it conflicts with their mode of living, thinking and social conduct. However, it is foiuxded pn the divine teachings of Jesus Christ himself. To ig nore this fact would be to vio late and defeat the whole pur- pose**- for which the Catholic church was founded. The word Catholic means universal” and it is under a uni versal theory that we are in structed explicitly these words -“One flock, one shepherd.” We might assume that all Cath olics unanimously agree on this fundamental truth. Meanwhile, this same thought has been es tablished and perpetrated throughout all Catholic church es since time immemorial. But, does this mean, ironically, “one flock, one shepherd, as long as you are within the Walls of the Catholic church but on depar ting, kindly deposit this theory on the front steps as you leave; above all, do not let it carry ov er into your school system and other communicable enterpris es?” If this be the case, then many ot usr I dare aay have been pitifully and falsely in structed. Prejudice and bigotry are against the teachings of the Di vine Master as plainly illustrat ed in numerous ways during his sojourn here on earth. What kind of Catholicism is this we practise that permits us to love God and at the same time with draw from our brother because he is dark in complexion or for various other intolerable ex cuses? There are many white Catho lics and Protestants who for fear of ostracism and persecu tion shy away from human fel lowship with the Negro. But did not Christ himself tell us the way was not an easy one? There are many otjstacles to be overcome, needless to say, how ever, all this having been ac complished, many of us will never witnes the dawn of a new Kingdom because of hatred, en mity, malice and yes, stubbor- ness that we harbor within the confines of our hearts. God, be yond all reasonable shadows of doubt is an ocean of mercy to tolerate, endure and forgive mlty, malice and, yes, stubbor- s u c h miserable, blundering as we. Sincerly yours, J. J. From another J. J. Box 1248, Durham, N. C. September 24, 1954 The Editor Carolina Times Dear Sir: The Durham Herald of last Saturday carried an article headed “White Christians Wrestling with Their Souls” In this article, having to do with the attitude of the various church bodies toward the matter of de-segregaion, or rather in tegration, of the whites and the Negroes in the churches and their various institutions, such as schools, etc., the author, Bem Price, made the statement that ‘The position of the Catholic Church is simple: There is no segregation before God. There shall be none in the church”. This sounds fine, but the question is, doe.°^ this attitude re flect the attitude of the same church through the ages. Jhis church claimsj:hat its head is in fallible and that he, the Pope, cannot err in matters of faith and morals, when he speaks, ex cathedra, or officially from the chair of St. Peter. This church is claimed to be an unchanging church, a perfect society, and therefore, whatever has been its policy in the past, would be its policy today under like and similar circumstances. An offical Catholic Historian named Glied once wrote a book, approved by the church’s proper authorities called “Catholics* of the Civil War”, and on page 25 thereof he says that “Bishop Martin of Natchitoche (Alexan dria), a Frenchman by birth, in his letter on war dated Aug ust 12, 1861, declared that the i^s as more privileged mem- the Human family ■were not only to be masters of the blacks, but also their pastors”. It seems that this was seg regation of the worst order, and this is from an officially approv ed Catholic History. I wonder how this might be explained away by the Church’s casuists. Truly yours, J. J. Walsh JJW/R C.W. Harder Some Congressmen privately say one of the discouraging fac ets of their job is fact there is too little tendency for indepen dent businessmen to stand on their own feet; too much de pendence upon Congress acting on every situation. •• * It is lmpo»-{ ilble, they aay, (or Congreasj to legislate fori every abnael tliat crops up. There ahoold be more action along old max-1 Im “The Lord helps tho«e| that help tkem- selves.” • • * Illustrative is present growth of discount sales clubs formed for use of employees of large companies whereby they can buy at near wholesale, eliminat ing legitimate retailer. V * * * This invol\^ weird facti. Cor porations premoting cat rate clubs often refuse to ftop prac tice on ground “they fenild mor ale and Improve public rda- tlons.” * • • And there is a fat paradox. * * • Because many of these cor porations depend on retailers tor distribution and sale of their own products. Tet, they will cut throats of 'retailers te “Improve public relations." » • ♦ In addition, manufacturers de pending on retailers, are ag gressively selling these discount clubs, wondering why their legi timate retail vx)lume falls off. * * • “There’s something wrong with the system” they say, Ignorlag- fact they are actively wrecking the syst^. « * « Congress ban also been aslced to step into chaotic auto situa- tion to stop “bootlegging” new' cars as used cars. • • • t Franchise dealers of Big Autos have little, or nothing to say, aboat how many cars they will take from the factory. * * * But major makers racing to drive others out of business are paying little attention to the needs of the market. • * « Besnlt has been that new car dealers to avoid drowiaing in sea of oars forced on them, whole sale to used car dealers. This practice Is not a remedy; mere ly postpones day of reckoning, a * * It is understood factories have made veiled threats to remove new car advertising from news papers not hialdng certain clas sified ads for used cars are bona fide used cars. * • • Tet it is not duty of a news paper to police handling of prod ucts. And there Is something smaddng of Kremlin methods in threats of reprisals for not conforming. * • • So many Congressmen would like to see both Federal Trade Commission and Justice Depart ment snowed under with requests to enforce anU trust laws quick ly, effectively. * • • In addition, many In Washing ton feel it is high time for some agency, against which repris als' cannot oe launched, to give aAcquate pablloity to the firms who depend on retailers, yet en- oourage employee disoeunt club, and on 8rms wIm depend on re tailers, yet sell discount houses. While the principle of the “black- ‘llst*’ Is not an American one, It has already beta demonstrat ed that some neo-monepoiistio corporations do not hesitate to employ tactics of Kremlia. This -poses • moral question, “b it '.better to slondy starve as gen tlemen, or flgAt fir* with flreT" "Will Not Be Stopped By Such Obstructions/' Spiritual Insight ‘‘FAITH GIVES THE VICTORY” BY REVEREND HAROLD ROLAND Pastor, Mount Gilead Baptist Church "Faith is the substance of things hoped for...the evi dence of things not seen’’.... Hebrew 11:12. How can you make it in a world of difficulties, failures, disappointments, tribulations, sickness, sorrow, and problems without fgith? You need the in ward certainty, sureness, con fidence and strong conviction inspired by Faith in God. Such a faith is spiritual energy that supplements human weakness. The great souls of the ages have been under the influence of Di vine power of Faith in God. It has swept great movements to success, in spite of great and difficult odds. It has moved great moral reformers, spiritual seers, scientists, medical scien tists, and ordinary paople who fight their battles in life’s great warfare. Faith is tlte-power of -«v«ry- day living that gives the victory amid trials and great tribula tions. A great faith gives victory in every realm of human endea vor. What would life be without faith in mother, father, sister. brother, doctor, pharmist, ban ker, and insurance man? When you take the medicine, because you have faith in the doctor who wrote the prescription and the druggist on the corner who fills it. What would life be with out faith? Faith is the power that keeps us fighting in the battles of life’s warfare for our hopes ideals, dreams and goals. Faith moves us to carry on in spite of disappointments, heartaches, sorrows and wounded souls. Faith enables us to build again above broken lives and homes. Faith keeps us fighting on in the face of great odds. Faith means that we are confident of what we hope for...“Faith is the power that enables us to make the visible out of the invisible! Faith keeps us fighting when we cannot see the outcome. Truly we need such, a-power. keeps us fighting for our dreams and goals. We have to fight hard battles for ^ long time. The odds and disrauragements may be great—FigUt On! Men will try to block/ you—Fight on! Great souls have fought through the ages to win the victory against great odds. Be not discouraged. Fight On! God will give you the victory. Say with Paul as he stood with liis back against the wall in a dark hour...“I can do all things through Christ which strength ens me”. My soul was stirred by the, great battle of a great souUwho rose above the poverty of the slums to the heights of success. How and why? This person had a vision plus faith in God. That’s all you need—A dream plus Faith in God! This should inspire struggling youths, as they go back to col lege to try to get ready for the realization of a dream. With health, a dream and faith in God, you can do anything. Faith in God can lead you from the darkest depths to the highest heights of success. Re- It] member. Jaith in. God gave us victory on May seventeenth, after ninety years of hard, diffi cult battles. Faith means, we are...convinced of what we do not see...“Faith gives the vic tory! STRAIGHT AHEAD NEW YORK These few words are in de fense of a universally maligned group of people—New York subway riders. It is an unsolici ted testimonial to the fact that they are, contrary to popular belief, human beings. These people are depicted as some thing rather sub-human, and they are accused of putting on masks »the minute they start down the subway steps, not to remove them until they emerge into the sunlight again. The subways themselves are often spoken of in the same breath with the “Black Hole of Cal cutta” and out-of-towners often approach them with dread. But anybody who has nothing but disparaging remarks to make about the New York sub way rider simply does not have the one magic thing that can transform an otherwise' grouchy subway rider into a human being—that “thing” is a child or two. Having gone op and down the 8th Avenue sul>- way line ttwice a day for four long years, escorting the two lights of my life to school, I can make this report with au thority. Naturally I believed some of the mythi surrounding the New York subways, and I launched upon the venture with misgiv ings. I was certain my children would l>e tom apart the first day. Imagine my astonishment when, in the midst of the mad scramble, two people stepped aside and let the children on firstf We soon discovered that many of the same people catch the same train every morning, and before long they would strike up a conversation. It al ways started, nostalgically, with talk of .school days from first grade to the bitter end, whether it ended in eighth grade or went through graduate school. After that, the conversation de veloped into the back fence variety. We would hear about jobs, mean bosses, operations, family ills, and accounts of va cation trips. During the four years, I learned a lot of per sonal history and made the hap py discovery that my children would be safe in the company of these humans who knew their “stops” as well as I did, and would help them off if neces sary. —Bf OUv* A. AiUma By the time I gave up my job as escort, the children were* long since able to make the trip alone. I tliink I gave it up re gretfully, because one of my acquaintances whose name I did not know, was^ going through a harrowing experi ence with her young sisters who had been blinded by an acci dent and was scheduled soon for an operation which, it was hoped, would restore her sight. I have often wondered how It all came out, but now I shall never know. UNITED NATIONS NOTES By JABIES B. LAWSON (Accredited UN Correspondent) UNITED NATIONS, N.Y. AFRICAN' DELEGATION TO THE UNITED NATIONS GEN ERAL ASSEMBLY: From Ethi opia comes H. E. Yilma De- ressa. Ambassador Extradordi- nary and Plenipotentiary to the U. S. A., Chairman of the Dele gation, former Minister of Com merce and Industry, also for mer Minister of Finance; and H. E. Ato Zavade Heywat, to the United Nations. Mr. Heywat i3 former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia. Other delegates are Addimon Tessema, Counsellor of Embas sy; Araya Oqbaezy, Director General, Minister of Commerce and Industry; Ketoma Yifru, Director General, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Solomon To- kle. Secretary, Department of Eritrean Education; and Abate Agede, Secretary of the Delega tion. Albert H. Garretson is ad visor to the DelegaUon. Delegates from Liberia in clude H. E. Henry F. Cooper, Ambassador Extradiordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Court of St. James, Chairman of the Delegation; • J. Dudley Lawrence, Cecil D. B. King, Angie E. Brooks, W. Fred Gib son, Charles T. Railey, B. H. Roberts and Mrs. Mae Ball. H. E. Roland, H. Cooper, En voy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Federal Republic of Germany, an4 George B. Stevenson will join the delegation in ten days. The Egyptian Delegation is the Permanent Delegation, with the exceptiori of General Mah- mond Riad, Director of the Foreign Office and Abdel Gha- nia, Press Officer, Egyptian Office. However, Maj. Salah Salem, Minister of Sudan Af fairs, is expected .to join the Delegation later.
The Carolina Times (Durham, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Oct. 2, 1954, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75