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THE YELLOW RATS OF UNADILLA
(By Ralph McGill Atlanta Constitution)
Easter was a beautiful day.
It was beautiful too, in Unadilla, Ga.,
but there was an ugly shadow on the
town.
It is a good town with fine people. It
has fine homes and churches. It has a
real man, too, in the Rev. M. W. Flan¬
ders of the Methodist Church.
In time Unadilla will translate those
good homes, good people and churches
into the jxnver to say to the cowardly,
evil-minded, wicked jerks of whom the
town now is afraid, that the town no
longer is afraid of them. But now they
seem to need some help.
I pick this story from the Associated
Press. The Camp Creek Baptist con¬
gregation of Negro Christians had set
Easter Sunday as the day to honor their
pastor, R< >. .George Taylor,w ho is 87
years old and who has preached more
than 50 years. He has taught them
through the years that ( hrist’s will is
their law and that it will prevail against
evil. The church is a small one a few
miles out from Unadilla.
THREATS
Two white ministers had agreed to at¬
tend. But, there began to be calls. Ac¬
cording to the story, the Rev. M. VV.
Flanders, of the Methodist Church, was
threatened indirectly. The congrega¬
tion was threatened and sent word to
the white ministers that they had call¬
ed off their Easter services because
they didn’t have the programs printed
in time.
But, the Rev. Flanders (all honor to
his name) got in his car and went any¬
how. There he learned the truth. The
real reason was summed up in three
words:
“We is afraid.”
That was Unadilla, Ga., on Easter, 1050.
A few yellow rats had cast their shad¬
ow over that of the cross and its mean¬
ing. hats— 4\
We can forget all the pretty
the fine sermons, the eloquent testimo¬
ny to the meanng of the cross and the
f tomb—until somehow' mobi¬
empty we hristianity
lize the strength of ( so
that any person who wishes to worship
Christ is not afraid of the Ku Klux Klan
or anything like it.
When Christians are afraid to be
Christians—especially jon Easter Day—
then the cross and the empty tomb have
tost meaning.
SECOND TIME
It was only a few months ago that
these same evil ghouls in Unadilla burn¬
ed a cross in front of the home of a
man who had .spent his life among them,
doing good and working in every com¬
munity enterprise because a neurotic,
war-orphaned boy from a DP camp had
spread lies .in resentment against being
kept in to study when he wanted to go
nut and play, and because of a refusal to
be given bikes and all the things some
other boys had.
There again we saw the curious pa¬
ralysis of fear. The town didn’t like
it. But the town was afraid of the
unknown.
It doesn’t matter if some of the law
enforcement people are lined up with
these rats. They are not many. They
are willing to strike only in the dark.
If the town will face them down they
will run.
That cowardly act was on Aug. 9.
It went unopposed save for a courage¬
ous newspaper woman in the town.
KKK
Now, the rat-soulod gang has set it¬
self up as more powerful than the mean¬ '
ing of Christ. 1 •
TT.ie Klan is anti-Christian, and al¬
ways has been, despite its cynical and
depraved u®ei of the cross—which it
burns. A burning cross is a destroyed
cross. Men who set it in flames violate
every Christian concept The Klan Is
un-American and always has been, de¬
spite its use of the flag and its hypo¬
critical protests of un-Americanism.
It is not powerful in Georgia or the
South.
It is powerful only in small towns and
communities where law enforcement
isn’t willing to kick it in the teeth and
where the people are uselessly afraid of
a few small-souled. evil wretches.
I would like to see the Baptist church¬
es of the State arrange a real celebra¬
tion at the t amo f reek church. The
rats might even burn it down. We
should then build them a better one.
But. it seems to me that Christianity
. o ‘‘ '•mii** ' 4 ]!c*' 4 ' t - Viis, affront to
standi 1 think we should have a great
Christian rally at the Camp Creek
church and that every public official
Entered as Second Class Matter at the Post
office at Savannah, Ga., under the Act of
March 3 1879
National Advertising Representative:
Associated Publishers
562 Fifth Ave.
New Yo rk 19> New York
|
- J^'V'
”
G««un
from the Governor on down join in mak¬
ing it a success.
Are the yellow' rats of Unadilla more
powerful than the cross? Aren’t we at
last tired of this scum, small in number,
disgracing the whole State?
RELIGION AT STATE COLLEGE
How gratifying it is that Savannah
State (ollege has made a place in its
program of activities for religion. To
ns, life on the campus of most state col¬
leges has been drab and empty to the
extent that emphasis on religion has
been lacking. Somehow or other, one
scarcely expects to find much chance
for religious experience in state colleges.
Religious Emphasis Week was observ¬
ed at the college last week. The theme
for the week was: “The Christian Faith
and the Good Society.” “What’s it to
you?” asks the front page of the pro¬
gram,”—that modern living demands
deep, personal religious resources?—that
a just society idealism?—that needs the dynamics of
religious human rights
rest on a Christian view of man?”
Could more anpropriate questions have
been asked of college youth? Week
We see in Religious Emphasis
that the college intends to keep pace
with a movement which has becofne
marked among students in some private
institutions. Students have shown that
they recognize a need for some point of
anchorage from which to stake their
hopes, a point of reference or star by
which to chart their behavior, their lives.
Religion furnishes that anchorage, that
point of reference.
The observance of Religious Empha¬
sis Week, now in its second year, will
become, we hope, an activity as firmly
fixed in the college program as other
activities that are considered indispens¬
able in college life. We hope it will call
forth the same sort of zeal and devotion
a St athleti, achievement.. for instance.
We congratulate the college for giving
timely attention to a most important
phase of student life, that has been too
much neglqcted.
WE SAID IT
After' many efforts from too many
sources to pooh-pooh and ignore our re¬
velation that boledo was rampant in Sa¬
vannah, and that pin ball machines were
robbing our children of thpir nickels, it
seems that everything has slumped
down into acceptance of both evils. We
do not see very much being done about
either. The apprehension of a boledo
runner, now and then, who swears that
he is an independent has one importance,
as we see it: when too many independ¬
ents begin doing business, the “old lin¬
ers” are going to raise a protest, and
perhaps something else. They are com¬
plaining now that the independents are
cutting into their business. The his¬
tory of rackets is that when they begin
Invading the; territory of each .other,
trouble starts.
Hanging tags on pin ball machines,
announcing certain prohibitions, will
nuan very little to most merchants whose
scruples did not lead them in the first
place to keep the things out of their
places.
So far as we know, nobody in author¬
ity has come out vigorously against bo¬
ledo and the pin ball machines, but we
are still hopeful that ministers and
church groups, and social and law en¬
forcing agencies will gain courage or un¬
derstanding enough to join the battle
against these evils. It may be, the in¬
action of these groups is due to their
disagreement with us. We could be
wrong—wo can’t change—and boledo
operators, pin ball machine vendors and
bootleggers and those who agree with
them could be right. It is generally
knowj that these e Ms evtot. What
are the citizens going - to do about it?
THE SUREST HOPE
The politicians of long foresight set
the pattern of race relations fifty years
ago, that is, they saw to it that the sit¬
uation of Negroes would remain rela¬
tively the same. The whole scheme
was so arranged that the Negro could
not use the democratic means for get¬
ting relief from the evils of segregation
and discrimination that have “plagued,
discouraged and embarrassed" him.
The attorneys from 16 Southern states
in the recent cases made much of the
fact that t ougress has voted some sev ¬
enteen times against certain civil rights
vi '*|"v M a ,,r ) v. ny *1 to rd’ h‘.' : i v i!y on
their apijM-al to sentiment. hose men
know that if they could make the con¬
tention^ stick: that Congress and not
TER SAVANNAH TRIBITNR
BETWEEN THE LINES
By DEAN GORDON b. HANCOCK for ANP
THE JOB QUESTION RECURS
There are evidences that some crucial
times are ahead for this country. Our
Congress seems stalled on almost every
important question and politics is in the
saddle and riding high and wide. It is dif-
licult to avoid the conclusion that the Mc¬
Carthy allegations are designed to discred¬
it the democratic administration and there¬
by unleash a demand for achange of regimes
in Washington. In fact, Sen. Taft, has in¬
ferred that the best way to clean out the
supposed Communists is to change our gov¬
ernments.
It is an old political trick; but in sheer
desperation the defunct Republican party
must have some recourse to salvage its de¬
cadent fortunes. The Republican parry j s
a sorry lot viewed from any angle and the
latest Communist smear will not help mat¬
ters. A party that resolves itself intd an
opposition party instead of a proposition
party is doome^ The current attempts to
oust the Democrats by a campaign of Com¬
munist smears is pitiful. Be the political
situation what it may, there is one thing
that is pressing upon the nation for con-
sidera'ion and that is the growing incidence
of unemployment. We arc trying to soft-
pedal the fact but it remains that the mil¬
lions of unemployed are being recruited
monthly. The baleful hand of this unem¬
ployment is not heavy at present, but it Is
getting heavier as the months pass. Even
a city like Richmond which because of its*
tobacco Industry is slow to respond to em¬
ployment slacks, is beginning to feel the
pinch.
The point of this relccse revolves about
the hold-your-job gospel that this column
heralded so long and so faithfully. For
quite a few years we have laid upon the
•shelf this pertinent and pungent doctrine of
job-consciousness, but from all indications
we must take it from the shelf and give it
a good dusting off and begin again to
proclaim to Negroes watch their jobs. Job
abuse among Negroes has been flagrant in
the flush years that are just closing. But
jcb abuse through the current crisis is go¬
ing to be suicidal. There is no more tiifte-
ly exhortation that could be served to the
Negroes of this country than the old Hold-
Sweatt To Attend School in
North if Jimcrow Case is Lost
SWEATT TO ATTEND SCHOOL
WASH INGTON—(A N Pi —
Herman Marion Sweatt, central
figure of the “separate but eq-
ual” schools case now facing
the U. S. Supreme court, tolr
ANP reporters last week he wil
attend law school at a northern
university if he loses hi; case
If I win,” he told them, "I shall
study for my law degree at trie
law school of the University. of
Texas.”
His case is one of two big ca -
es facing the high court today.
The other is the Elmer Hender¬
son case for equal service in in¬
terstate transportation.
The Swegtt case was argued
before the Supreme court Apri
3. Sweatt, himself 37, is here in '
Washington waiting to hear
whether he will be allowed to!
pursue an education in his!
,ome state that already is off- J
the federal court has authority in the
issues involved in the three cases be¬
fore the court, Negroes would have no
other recourse. They also knew that
for the most part the federal court
in the past has not been the protector
of the civil rights of Negroes; that the
“Supreme Court upheld the many sub¬
terfuges which, for years kept the Ne¬
gro from voting in the South;” that
it “sustained the legality of the Grand¬
father clauses and the exclusive white
primaries in the Grovey cases;” that
Negroes in the South can do nothing to
change the complexion of Congress so
that it would vote favorably on civil
rights proposals.
When the court’s complexion was
changed a few years ago it became the
surest hope of Negroes. We could
wish that Negroes as American citizens
did not have to run to the Supreme
Court to secure the rights they are en¬
titled to.
We do not know how the Supreme
Court will decide in these eases. So
much depends upon the decisions. We
do know that the South .will have to
adopt a technique for making adjust¬
ments in race relations. We have been
suggesting conferences between white
and Negro leaders as one important
technique. Dr. Ivey, director of the
Southern Regional Education Board
agrees: "It will take the best thinking of
white and Negro leadership to develop
jointly ways and means of improving
educational opportunity.” Dr. George.
Mitchell of the Southern Regional Coun¬
cil, says, “there is more need for con¬
ference and concessions than agitation
and howling.”
“FIREFIGHTERS”
From time to time, civic-minded peo¬
ple complain about the kind of movie
or radio show which the children of our
Year Job gospel of yesteryear. Already the
United States Departmnt of Education is
service notice on the coming crop of grad-
uates from our high schools and colleges
that “Glamour jobs” are growing scarcer and
scarcer and that these graduates should
rather be content to take something less
than they expected than to keep their ex¬
pectations too high. If it were not true the
gdvmment would not have said it!
In other words, the high collar jobs are
about filled and some of these people grad¬
uating from our colleges and high schools
will have to take ordinary jobs. This is not
pleasing news for a people who have been
trained to look askance at the lcwly jobs
that were inviting a decade or more ago.
But times are changing and in a short time
the question is not going to be what kind of
Job the graduate is going to get but wheth¬
er he will get one at all. If things get crit¬
ical the graduates will displace the non¬
graduates but this does not help the unem¬
ployment situation. It will be a matter of
robbing Peter to pay Paul.
There are many indications that our vo¬
cational aspirations will have to be revis¬
ed and tht sooner they are revised the bet-
tr. It would be tragic if the white gradu¬
ates decided to take low before Negroes. This
would be a calamity for our race. There is
no greater service our press and our pulpit
and our forums could render than getting
the Negro to face the fact that job-con -
sciousr.ess as a religion is crying for con¬
verts.
Even years ago when Negroes were crowd¬
ing the bread lines it was difficult to drive
home to my people the necessity of hold¬
ing their jobs. ’ This writer in lor
came
seme very caustic criticism from sources
that should have known better because h-
faced the ugly fact that all positions mtlsl
be maintained by jobs and that unless Ne¬
groes have jobs those in positions must
suffer. This is not popular writing. It
rubs the race's hair the wrong way. It ir¬
ritates Negroes to be told (hat holding their
jobs is important. But somebody must cry
aloud and spare not. Another era of job-
consciousness is upon us. He that hath
ears to hear had better hear!
to white citizens cf his
state.
Since 19 '6 Sweatt ha; beer
trying t) enter the law school
of the University of Texas,
mainly no state Negro school ot¬
tered an accredited law course.
When he first applied for ad¬
mission rie was rejected because
of hi; race.
To ward off a latvsuit the state
in March, 1947, rented quarters
for a ha tily set up law scncol
lor Negroes in a basement in
downtown Austin, and invite.
colored students to enter. The
state leased the law school for
six months but Sweatt refused
to enter, and no one else ap¬
plied. Since trien Sweatt has
been in court after court seeking
a chance for an education in
his home state,
Here in the capitol Sweatt
docs not comment on what h;
community must listen to. Some of
the movies display arts and emotions
of questionable desirabilty for children.
They show too often the glamorous suc¬
cess of infidelity on the part of men and
women, that places too great a load
upon the sense of discrimination of
children of tender age. Radio show's
are, perhaps, greater offenders in this
regard. Some of the comedy shows are
particularly vulnerable to the charge of
using the -joke of double meaning or
intention.
Both movies and radio shows have
erred in presenting shows of crime and
adventure in which the gangster, or vil-
lian often comes through in the spot¬
light. Here again the tax upon juve¬
nile judgment is too great, even though
prodikers 'somqbimes jremind their au¬
dience that the picture or radio play
intends to show that crime does not
pay.
It would be exerting a positive influ¬
ence from the start to use a show of
adventure in which crime does not have
a role at all, in which need and heroism
still play an important role. Such a
show is the Firefighters. Jt is a thril¬
ling and adventurous show that pictures
the deeds of firemen like ours. It
gives a splendid opportunity to drive
home the lessons of fire prevention which
is the topic of a lecture the Fire Chief
gives at the end of the show. The
theme possesses unlimited opportunity
for showing children that they have a
part to play in reducing fire hazzards.
This show, the Firefighters, has re¬
ceived the endorsement of the Mayor,
the Police Commissioner, the Fire Chief,
and many civic organizations. We join
with all of these in commending the
sponsors of Firefighters, Claussen’s of
Savannah. The Firefighters are heard
over WCCF. Monday, Wednesday and
Friday from 6:15 to 6:30 P. M, .
thinks will be the outcome of
hi; case, blit -.ac does talk about
his future. He’ll come north if
he loses, if he wins his case he
intends to attend but will stay
south if he wins.
Sweatt i; employed as a pos¬
tal carrier in Houston, Tex. He
became interested in law a'ter
;e got what he considered a
bad deal when he first passed
his test for postal clerk but was
given a pob at a carrier instead.
In the second big case Elmer
Hendesron Is seeking permiss¬
ion to- eat -freely without any
discrimination while traveling
on trains. tiis : uit has been
pending mut.i lodger than
Sweatt's.
It dates back to May 17. 19*12
wren as a member of the fed¬
eral Fair Employment Practices
commission he could not get a
table in the dining car on a train
from Washington, D. C., to Bir¬
mingham. He could not even
get served at the jimcrow table
hid by curtains.
The Saannah District F. y A.
M., Georgia Jurisdiction, will
hold its Ma s Meeting Sunday,
April 30 at the Masonic Temple.
The district comprises C i&tham.
Liberty, Bryan and Effingham
counties. A large delegation
from these counties is expected.
District Deputy Duncan Prin¬
gle ha; convinced all oificers.
and members of lodges in the
district that this meeting will
contain constructive, informa¬
tive and inspirational address¬
es. It will a.so be the mean: of
knowing each olrier better by
personal contact. This meeting
will begin at 1 p. m.
The entertainment committee
has in store for the visiting Ma¬
sons a program that will blend
with the atmosphere of trie oc¬
casion, and bring smiles upon
the countenances of many.
|
INSURANCE LEADER PASSES—
J. Thomas Walker, director of
the Pilgrim l ife Insurance com
pahy of Augusta. Ga.. died a’
the University hospital in that
HOME EDUCATION
Issued by the National Kindergarten Association, 8 West 40tli
Street, New York City. These articles are appearing weekly in
our columns.
“THE CHILD S FIRST SCHOOL IS THE FAMILY”—Froebel
PLEASE EXCUSE MARY
by Irma Dov y
‘Please excuse Mary. She
couldn’t come yesterday.—Moth¬
er.”
How little a teacher learns by
reading such a note. Do teach¬
ers need excuse notes? A few
parents seem quite rure they do
not.
Let us listen to part of a real
telephone conversation—edited
somewhat—between Mrs. Harp
er, a parent who does not be¬
lieve in written excuses, and
Miss Brown, a bu y teacher. Of
course, only a very few are so
lacking ! n understanding—b it
it does happen.
After preliminary conversa¬
tion: "What do you need a note
for anyway? You sent Jcnnnv
wome for a note and his Pa says
“Don't write. He doesn’t need
any note.’ We . end Johnny up
there for you to teach him. ana
if he has to stay home a day
that’; our business.”
Mrs. Harper, if you'll just—'
"Money for pencils, money for
note books, take him to the den¬
tist, write down what he nas lo:
breakfast—it is . omething all th
time. Seems to me the schoo,.'
are getting all too—”
“We are only trying—”
“Now I'm not going to write
any note and I’m gong to sen.
Johnny right back. I’m working
and I've no time.”
The receiver bangs down.
Miss Brown would like to sug
gest that she also is busy this
morning. She would like to an¬
swer that the work in the school
room, for which Mr . Harper and
other parents are paying, re¬
mains undone while cue is ken 4
at the telephone. But she goes
back to her class, wondering
whether to accept Johnny wher
he returns or whether t) make
an issue of this refusal to com¬
ply with school rule'.
Schools are willing to accept
excuses for illness, for alarm
clocks that do not ring, and fox,
occasional ab ences due to com¬
pany or visiting. Mcst parents
are cooperative; few keep child¬
ren at home without sound rea¬
sons. Presenting an excuse note
is a formality made neccessary
by trie small number of parents
who would evade responsibility 1
Savannah District F. & A.
Masons, Ga. Jurisdiction
TO HOLD BIG MEETING SUNDAY, APRIL 30,
At The Masonic Temple, W. Gwinnett St.
The ladies of the Eastern Star
will be the guests of the Mas¬
ons and they will lend every ef¬
fort to make thi; occasion o re
of enjoyment.
Ti;e foliow'ing is the program:
Opening song, invocation, pre¬
senting Master of Ceremonies,
District Deputy Duncan Pringle,
Master of Ceremonies, J. Adkins,
selection, F. A. B. choir; Crea¬
tion, Mr:. Juanita Gilbert; Inj
instrumental medley, Prof. Rr
Ruffner; solo, Miss Betty Jones:
selection, Eastern Star Criorus;
introduction of speaker, Leroy
R. Bolden; principal speaker,
Rev. A. D. Powell; selection,
Mayflow'er Singer;; response,
Allen Sampson; closing.
After the program tasty re-
fresments will be served in the
recreation room, during which
time greetings will be exchanged
by the visitors.
city recently after a brief illness.
He was the son of Col. Thomas
J. Walker, one of the founders
of Pilgrim, trie company which
has forged ahead so rapidiy as
to become one of the important
ri k organizations in the South
A graduate of Morehouse coll¬
ege. he did graduate work at the
School of Business Administra¬
tion of Temple university in
Philadelphia. An athlete and
orator in his college days, he
started at the bottom in the in¬
surance company and worked
up through all the departments
serving in many capacities. He
was widely known among in¬
surance men. — 1 ANP 1
Please give freely to the Caiv-
cor Drive.
A good way to get burned is to
fall asleep smoking a cigarette.
THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 1950
and by unusual occurrences
from which children must be
protected.
A note that does not tell any¬
thing is not of much help. You
would be amazed to know now
many afternnons a teacher
i leads, ‘ Benje didn't come this
; morning. Please excuse him.”
The teacher according to law
in most states, should know the
I reason for all absences.
When there is no note of any
kind, trie school regulations oft¬
en require the teacher to tele¬
phone to the parent. Some
chools have attanaance c.erics
to do this work, but the vast
majority of schools do not have
such help. If the principal and
other teachers or the conscier,-
. tious mother who always call
report absences, are not on trij:
line, she may get a chance
put the cali in at once. NiiF
times out of ten, it seems to her,
the line is busy and she must
wait or make the trip to the of¬
fice teleprione again. When the
connection is finally made, the
mother in many cases sounds
annoyed at being disturbed for
such a “trifle.”
Why ail this in istence on
sending excuse;—this red tape?
Oniy once in a million times it
happens that sweet little blonde
Loretta is lured, with offers of
candy by some strange man in
a car- and picked up "for a ride.’
Only once in thousands and
thousands of days attendance
does some small boy yield to
temptation to go fishing and
then step into a deep hole at the
river’s edge. Only cnce—Mout—
who would not rather nelp the
teacher check up and prevent
the tragedy of that once!
Wrien your boy or girl cannot
attend .chool, it is wise to send
a note to trie teacher by some
other child—just a brief mess¬
age givng the reason for the ab¬
sence. You will find it worth an
occasional excuse note to know
that your child has rear ml
school safely—because otherwi c
the teacher would have called.
If you write trie note, you can
relax and do your work peace¬
fully—and the teacher can relax
and teach.