PAGE TWO
THE CAROUWA TIMES SATURDAY, AUG. 24, 1957
WILKINS CANNOT SEPARATE HIMSELF
FROM HIS ROLE
It is regrettable that Roy Wilkins, NAACP
•xecutive secretary, found it necessary to
publicly state his acceptance of the Senate
version of the civil rights bill. His well-in-
tentioned attempts to dissociate the official
NAACP position from his own is just as in
effective as the jury trial amendment will
make the bill. A former newspaperman him
self, Roy Wilkins must know that any im
portance attached to his comments on na
tional affairs do not derive their significance
from the position which he as a man — as
merely Roy Wilkins — holds but rather from
the fact that he is not just Roy Wilkins but
Roy Wilkins, NAACP executive secretary. It
is perhaps unfortunate but no less true that
in our highly Romanticized culture, no in
dividual can successfully separate himself
from the role he assumes. Thus, it is im
possible for Mr. Wilkins to completly divorce
his position on any important issue from that
of the NAACP.
If it were possible for the NAACP execu
tive secretary to spejJc simply as Roy Wil
kins, Negro American, it is probable that his
statement would have gone unnoticed by the
nation’s press, Just as any off the cuff com
ment of a “barbershop" politician is ignored.
But the nation’s press — and the nation
knows that Roy Wilkins has b6en inseparably
identified with the NAACP and that he can
not speak as Roy Wilkins without somehow
also speaking for the NAACP. Thus, despite
the fact tliat he has emphasized the notion
that his position does not represent the
NAACP’s, the effect of the statement is pret
ty much the same as if he had been speaking
with tiie full sanction of the organization.
In the view of all except the pro segrega
tionists and white supremacists — and even
in ]Vlr. Wilkins’ own estimation — the Sen
ate bill represents so far reaching a com
promise that it really amounts to almost
nothing. (In an earlier statement, Mr. Wil
kins himself pointed out how the amend
ments cripled the bill and rendered it in
effective.) Those who describe it as “half a
ioaf ' are really generous. Thus, what Mr.
Wiliuns has done has been to commit the
NAACP to compromising one of its basic ob
jectives. This represents a drastic departure
by the organization from its long history of
maintaining a policy of no compromise. And
for an organization like the NAACP, this cer
tainly must be a novel position.
REUIHES OF THE ava HGHIS SIIUAIKNI
Roy Wilkins’ stated reasons for announcing
his acceptance of the Senate version of the
civil rights bill are apparently backed up by
sound and reasonable conclusions. The facts
which he has marshalled in support of his po-
sition are certainly formidable, and given ac
cess to the vast experience and information
of the Washington legislative bureau, Mr.
Wiliuns is certainly in position to speak with
some authority on matters of legislative
strategy.
For Mr. Wilkins, the issue became one of
choosing between wliether to have a weak
Dili or no bill, flis announced acceptance of
the weak bill apparently stemmed from the
conviction that such an alternative was*
forced upon the couiitry. His major conten
tion IS tnat a stronger bill is not possible in
thm session of Congress nor in the ne^t. in
explainmg his position, he said:
“The realities of the poltical situation sug
gest strongly that the politicians now calling
so loudly tot a ‘strong bill’ are not able to
deliver the votes tor Xbm Senate. Oux
feeling is that if their policy is followed, no
bill at all will be enacted. They will have an
issue in the next election campaign but we
will have no bill.
“Our position is that there is some good in
t^e admittedly weak bill and that it would
be better to have that good than to have ik>
bill at all.”
Obviously, by announcing his acceptance
of the weak bill before the Republican lead-
■ership—and liberal Democrats—indicated a
wilLngness to quit the fight for a stronger
bill, he has put these men in an awkward po
sition, in effect sawing off the limb onto
which they had been urged to crawl by the
NAACP in the first place.
Though Wilkins, and possibly others with
in the organization, feel that the Republicans,
making political capital out of the issue, are
running the risk of destroying chances for
the enactment of any measure, it appears to
us that the basic reality of the total situation
has to some extent been ignored.
It is a patent fact of American legislative
experience that a political issue which bodes
favor for one party or politican will be play
ed to the hilt, all other considerations sec
ondary. In withdrawing from the Repub
licans the base on which they formulated
their stand for a stronger bill, Mr. Wilkins
has denied them the oportunity to make po-
Utical capital out of the issue.
Although we are opposed in principle to
the practice of eking the last bit of political
juice out of the issue, we accept the reality
that it will be played for all it is worth. Hav
ing been denied the political opportunities of
the issue, it is highly likely that the Re
publicans are going to look with some cool
ness on the future NAACP proposals for ac
tion. And VtfA tm southern Demoerato in
virtual control of the congress, one wonders
where the NAACP expects to exert its in
fluence for legislative action.
It is just possible that the same motives
which brought the Congress this close to an
effective ^il rights bill have con^
ceivably brought it, during this session, to.
the enactment of a strong, effective measure.
The mere fact that the bill got this far this
time is a direct concession to politics. One
wonders if in the long run Mr. Wilkins was
dealing with the strong reality of the whole
situation or had he become so engrossed with
the specific details of the moment that he al
lowed his usually good judgement to elude
him. >
A MAN WHO CIUNGED DUI»IAM
On Wednesday night of this week, one of
Durham’s smallest men was to be honored.
He is Philmore Hall, for over a decade direc
tor of the Hillside high school band. Though
Mr Hall is small in physical stature and
though he is really an adopted Durhamite,
his profotmd influence for good on the city
could not have come but from a very big
ynan.
Philmore Hall strode into Durham back in
1945, and on first glance appeared to be an
arrogant, cocksure little man. He boasted
he would make the Hillside band, then a
motley crew of inept stragglers, the best In
the land. There were numy who doubted
him then.
Now, 12 years later, Mr. Hall is about to
depart from his familiar haunts. No one who
doubted his confident assurances of 12 years
ago would dare dispute him now. For in those
twelve years he proved that his air of con
fidence was no mere pose and actually made
the high school band one of the best in the
region.
But Mr. Hall has done more than put to
gether a good group of scholastic musicians.
In the process, he has helped to mold count
less young people into fine young adults. His
work in creating an kbiding interest in music
in youngsters of the city has no doubt gone a
long way toward curbing dilenquency, by
guiding the raw energies of youngsters into
creative and constructive channels. But what
is of even more importance is the fact that
by his sometimes fanatic insistence upon per
fection, he has instilled into a generation of
students a genuine regard for standards of
excellence, an indispensable quality.
Durham is not the same for the presence of
Mr. Hall, and it will never be the same again.
We reluctantly say goodbye to this dynamic
little man and hope for him success in his
new position.
Cht Caiwla €tmg)8
L. E. AUSTIN. Publisher
M. E. JOHNSON. ControUm-
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Mm. Dorothx M. RoBncBow, Mamaou
MAIN OFFICE — 43« EAST PETTIGREW STREET
Phenes S-0t71 and 2-S91S — Durham, North Carolina.
Published At Durham, North CmtoHm Every Saturday By
THE UNITED PUBLISHERS. Inc.
Entered os tecond class mattier at the Pott Office at Durham, North Carolina un
der the Act of March 3,1879.
Survey Of Nation's Press Shows
Civil Rights Bill Pleases None
NEW YORK
An NAACP iturvay ul utiws-
paper comment on the civil
rights blU indicates that no one
IS really liappy about the mea
sure as it emerged from the Se
nate. Some papers call lor
veto of the bill—the southern
press because it is too strong,
the Negro and northern papers
Because it is too weai^- Others,
wiiUe dissatisiied, express the
opinion that it should be enact
ed because it is the best that
can be passed at this time.
if'oUowing are excerpts from
editorials published in some of
Uie nation's leading newspapers
and magazines.
Southern Press
JACKSON (MISS.) DAILY
N£WS: Even ii passed in its
present emasculated and water
ed-down form, the proposed
civil rights law. maens that an
army of Federal bureaucrats
will descend upon Mississippi
and other southern states like a
plague of locusts to intimidate
the people and demand that all
Negroes, regardless ot iiliter'
acy, be allowed to vote...Tbat is
the reason why Senator East
land says he is unhappy about it
and why he does not favor pas
sage of the bill in its present
form.
U.S. NEWS & WORLD RE
PORT: Legal opinion is that a
court could keep registration
rolls open or bold ballot boxes
until the Negro’s name or vote
was included. Results of all this
could be that many Negroes
who have not been voting lu
the past will vote in 19S8.
RICHMOND (VA) TIMES
DISPATCH: The civU righU
bill, as passed by the Senate, is
still a bad and dangerous bill...
a veto by President Eisenhower
of any “civil rights” measure
on which the House and Senate
might manage tills year to agree
is eminently desirable.
CHARLESTON (S.C.) NEWS
AND COURIER: Even if the
present form, which may not
stand, the Civil Rights Bill in
fact is a force bill full of dan
gers to American liberty.
WINSTON-SALEM (N. C.)
JOURNAL; Contrary to the to-,
ken, last-ditch argument of
some Southerners against any
civil rights bill at all, the bill
passed by the Senate stops short
of an "intolerable law.” U those
who tiave been determined to
pass a civil rights law in 1957
will compromise a\png the
lUth woul
out itl^ro-
good
The Negro Press
NORFOLK (VA.) JOURNAL
AND GUIDE: We hope that
President Eisenhower will veto
the civil rights bill if the House-
wiu compromise a^pna
ol ttiu vm, tiartfSuth
wise to try to afcy o
visions in good faith.
to let It go to the President as it
is.
PITTSBURGH (PA.) COU-
ence committee, as we tiope it
will be, this bill though Umited
solely to voting rights, prepre
sents a belated advance—in fact
the first such step taken by the
Congress in 85 longr weary and
agonizing years. Certainly it Is
too important a step to be
thwarted by political stalemate.
CALIFORNIA EAGLE (LOS)
ANGELES: Frankly, we thinir
the present Senate legislation is
worse than no legislation at all
because its enactment will tend
to keep down agitation for an
other genuine law. It seems to
us that supporters ol civil rights
legislation would be well ad
vised to vote against it in its
present form, as amended by
the Senate, and that the Presi
dent ought to veto it if the Sen
ate version is sent to him.
NEW YOW AMSTERDAM
NEWS: We therefore call on
President Eisenhower to veto
the bill in any form wiiich it
will be placed before him. For
no one, no matter how sincere,
can make civil rights out of this
mess of batter wliich Congress
has mixed up for liis signature.
Northern Press
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONI
TOR (BOSTON): The more the
Senate bill is studied the harder
it becomes to oppose it as inef-
fective...Precisely because it
would enliist in essential degree
of consent we believe the Sen
ate bill is strong—^in terms of
actual effectiveness.
NEW YORK HERALD TRI
BUNE: It would be a severe
blow to American prestige and;
distinct failure ol Congress to
meet its responsibilities il the
House of Representatives meek
ly accepted the civil ri^ts bill
as amended by the Senate...
From every standpoint includ
ing that ol its own integrity,
the House must do its very best
to improve the civil rights bill.
SEATTLE (WASH.) POST-
INTELLIGEICER: The angry
disappiontment voiced by Presi'
dent Eisenhower at the 51-42
Senate' vote tliat killed the
heart ol the administration’s
civil rights bill, was justified...
While it is true that legal sub-'
tleties contused the issue, es
pecially in lay minds like ours,,
we tiiink the President is right
in his position tliat the jury->
trial amendment makes right-to
vote protection “largely inellec-
tive’’ and ttiat “many Amerl'
cans will continue in effect to
be disenfranchised.’’
MEW YORK TIMES: Let u#
see wliat 'cab be done: II the
proqpective law does not im
prove an unhappy situation, let
us study how that law can Ipe
strengthened and improved.
NEW YORK POST: In any
case the situation has deteriora-
Senate conferees shonld decider ^ed to a point that presents only
a choice between lesser evils. In
the absence ol any fighting
Presidential leadership, there is
“THEY MUST NOT BE PERMnTED TO
SABOTAGE ITS ENFORCEMENF
Spiritual Insight
“Togetherness”
By REVEREND HAROLD ROLAND
Pastor, Mount Gilead BaptUt Church
RIER: We think the changes clearly no prospect ol reviving
sought by the President to pre- Part U at tills juncture; all that|
serve the strength ol the courts
"All thete with one accord
devoted them»elve$ together
to prai/er..." .Acts 1:14.
A little band ol believers
acldeved ttie rare spiritual
quality ol togetherness. This
was very essential lor the
spiritual blessings ol the Holy
Spirit they were waiting to re
ceive Irom God. The inner
harmony ol their souls and ol
the group made them ready
lor the gilt ol the Holy Spirit.
Their spiritual togetherness
aciiieved through prayer
crowded out aU corrupting
evil influence*. In their toge
therness disunity nevei; had a -
chance. In the unity ol pray
er they had Qualified to re
ceive the rich spiritual bles
sings ol the Almighty God...
“these with one accord devot
ed themselves to prayer...”
'Kirough the uaUying power
ol prayer we, too, can be
made ready lor the rich spiri
tual blessings ol God. God’s
blessings can be ours. How
ever, we must be ready to re
ceive (3od’s blessings. We must
prepare to receive God and
his blessings. We can have
God’s blessings through the
discipline ol prayer, medita
tion and lellowship. It comes
tlirough making the right
choices. You must give up
something to get it. What
must I give up to achieve this
inner harmony ol togetherness
in my soul and in the body ol
Christ? Jesus set lorth the
price....“U any man will come
alter me let him deny hlm-
sell..-
Rlch spiritual blessings will
c^e to you, when you are in
lenowsliip with God and man.
Sin had been overcome. Thus
the little band achieved lull
lellowship with God and one
another. Thus they liad loimd
the spiritual beauty and
power ol Togethernoai Sin
and its disruptive power
keeps so many ol us Irom this
rich spiritual unity in our
souls and in the fellowship ol
Christ. Sin, with its pride,
selfishness and disobedience
broke lellowship between the
creatures in Eden and their
God. Yes, these things es
trange, isolate and break com
munion with God and man.
Through laith in Clirist Jesus
our sins are forgiven and we
have lellowship and peace
with God and with men.
There is a i;ich spiritual bles
sedness when we are living
in harmony with humanity.
Tlie little band had overcome
things tliat build barriers be
tween men and groups/ TLey
liad overcome envy, lear,
jealosy, dishonesty and use
less competition—these tilings
divide and keep us Irom the
rare spiritual quality ol to
getherness or unity.
In oiu: deep longings lor hu
man and divine lellowship we
must be Ireed from the dis
rupting powers of evil
tlirough giving ourselves lul-
ly to God.
under other statutes are neces
sary and wise. However, 11 such
chaises are made, we believe
the bill should be signed. We
do not accept it as the lull or
der lor civil rights. It is a civil
rights minus bill. But it is un
questionably a step in the right
direction. It is a grudging sur
render to the demands of. the
times. These demands are insis
tent and continuing.
BALTIMORE AFRO-AMERI
CAN : With the phony Jury trial
remains is the question as to
whether a llimsy bill is better
than no bill at all. To that ques
tion is seems clear that the an
swer must be yes. |
THE NATION: Time alone
will tell how much the toothless
CivU RighU BUI, il President
Eisenhower permits it to ecome
law,. wiU help the Negro citi-4
zens exercise his rights. But
anyone can see right now that,
come 1960, it will painluUy^
hurt the Democratic party*;
whose senators, for a variety of
By Robert Mpivoek
Watch on the
Poto]
amendment extracted in conler-, reasons, extracted the bill’s bite.
Life IS Like That
By U. ALBERT SMITH
Not An Accomplished Fact
When the Supreme Court
handed down its lirst decision
outlawing segregation in the
public schools, there was
great rejoicing among Ne
groes throughout the length
and breath ol this country.
To many ol us, the decree was
the equivalant ol an accom
plished fact, the death ol a
segregated society. We failed,
however, to take into consi
deration that a law propound
ed is not a law accepted, that
the thing which makes a law
effective is enlorcement; and
we also lalled to consider tilat
there are two lectors essential
to effective enlorcement ol
law. The one is the determi
nation of law-enforcing, agen
cies to carry out the law and
the other is the extent of the
resistance offered by those
opposed to the law.
Weak Enforcement
The enlorcement ol the 1954
desegregation decree and
others that loUowed leU into
the hands ol men, lor the
most part, outside ol the
South, and Irom these too
much could not be expected.
Both race and politics were
and are determining lactors
here. In spite ol sectional pre
judices, the northern white
man Is closer to the southern
white man than he is to the
Negro and, besides, there was
and is the matter ol the Ne
gro’s poUtical weakness in
the south, however strong it
may be in certain other areas
ol the country.
This latter lact is revealed
In the coalition between
southern and non-southem
senators, especiaUy those in
the West—a coaUtlon which
' resulted in a watered-down
CivU Rights BiU. Too much
could not be expected ol
those solons representing sec
tions ol the country where
they have little to lear In the
Way ol Negro political repri
sals. They could rest in the
assurance that the Negro
could take nottdng Irom them
nor give them anything.
Opposition Strong
Besides being handicapped
by lack ol a strong enforce
ment policy, the character ol
the South’s opposition stands
in the way ol immediate in
tegration. As soon as the 1954
decision was handed down,
the South not only cried out in
bitter protest, but its leaders,
with lew exceptions, went
into open revolt. Governors
and legislators united in a
leadership that had only one
purpose the circumvsDtlon ot
LOOKING BACKWARDS
It’s lun sometimes to pause
in this helter-skelter capital
and ask yoursell, “Where am
I going?” and “Where have I
been?” Lile here olteii re
sembles a merry-go-round or
a treadmUl. There’s lots ol
action and a great deal ol
energy expended, but when
day is done it’s olten difficult
to add up' the results and see
wliat you have accomplished.
What makes me so intro-
trospective at the moment is
that we have Just finished our
annual office clean-up and In
the course ol moving tilings
around I came across a 10-
10-year-old copy ol “The Pro
gressive”, that lively monthly
published at Madison, Wis
consin by the spiritual de
scendants ol old Bob La-
FoUette.
I took a hasty glance at the
this new law calculated to
overthrow a pattern of lile
that had existed for genera
tions.
In soma sections, this anti-
integration activity has In
creased in tempo. It involves
ev^ threatened use ol force
to prevent integration and to
maintain a segregated society.
Distinguished and able men
have shouted, “never «h»ii the
races mix, the law to the con
trary not withstanding.”
That Integration is ol the
warp and wool ot the Chris
tian doctrine ol brotherhood
and segregation an evU that
degrades men and is a foul
«m»iHng putrefaction In the
nostrils of God malces no dil-
lerenc* to these leaders. In
(continued ca pace 7)
cover and noticed a cartoon.
It was a drawing of Lincoln
as he sits at the Lincoln Me-
moriaL Undemeeth were
these words:
"The legitimate object bl
government is to do for the
people what needs to be done,
but which they cannot by in
dividual effort, do at all, or
do so weU, for ^themselves.
There are many such tilings.”
TBe cartoonist, a man named
Tom Gray, then pictured a
littte man who looked like a
politician wearing blinders,
carrying a “Lincoln Day
speech” under his arm. Scat
tered around were news
papers bearing headlines,
“Food Costs Up”, “Housing
Shortage” and “Steel Shor
tage”. But the politician was
ohUvioUs to what was going
on as he hurried to make his
speech. Lincoln just looked
on sadly.
For a moment 1 thought it
was the latest Issue ot the
magazine and prepared to
read it from cover-to-cover,
as 1 usually do. Then I no-
j ticed the date. It was Feb-
I ruary, 1948.
I I thought to myseU how
little things have ph«tig«iH
Here is the President taiiHng
about the rising cost ol living.
Here is George M. Humph
rey moving in as head ot a
big steel company. Only a
lew weeks ago a national
housing conference warned
once again ol ttie nation’s
“housing sliortage.**
It was the old merry-go-
round, going round 'and
round.
INSnn TBS COVXBS
mnnt
Once I got pMt the cover I
looked .inside to see what the
Editors considered newswor
thy 10 years ago. There was
an article by Wayne L. Morse
ol Oregon entitled “Crisis in
the RepubUcan Party.” There
was an article by Hobart
Rowen, now ol Newsweek,
that bore the heading, “WiU
the MarshaU Plan Break
UsT”
About the only thing that
dated the magazine was a
symposium on Henry A. Wal
lace’s presldental aspirations.
The book reviews dealt with
conservation of our timber
resources, several volumes of
Lincoln biography, and one
on civU and racial issues.
There was an advertisement
by Americans for Democratic
Action announcing a new
booklet entitled ‘Toward To
tal Peace”. Tlie DaUy Worker
called it "an elaborate apolo
gy for the world policy of ’
U. S. big business" while a
newquper in Peron’s Argen
tina denounced ADA as an or
ganization promoting “night
club democracy”. Everyone
else thought it was pretty
good.
Have we learned anytiiing
in aU this time? I guess the
answer is "a Uttle". As I
look beck at the headlines,
though, I’m reminded of the
conversation between a proud
father and his son, who iiad
just been graduated from col
lege.
“What was the tougliast
thing y6u had to leamT” the
father asked.
"How to uncap a beer bottle
with a quarter," the bright
lad answered.