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Entered as Second Class Matter at the Post
Office at Savannah, Ga., under the Act of
March 3, 1919.
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
Now is a good time for stock-taking. We
can look over the year that is only a flick¬
er away from passing into the past and
note what resolutions still want carry¬
ing out. We shall have to turn over to a
new leaf to get a fresh start in the next
few days. May be noting what our fail¬
ings were in this year will help us make
stronger effort to keep our promise to
ourselves, or help us to make fewer resolu¬
tions for the coming year.
At any rate, we believe the habit is a
good one because through making resolu¬
tions wo set up goals to work toward. So
and njwke be them happy. and strive The Tribune harder to wishes keep them
and Happy New Year. you
yours a
WHAT THEN?
Only the illiterate and the most indif¬
ferent can fail to grasp the meaning and
implications of the current propaganda
campaign being waged in the tradition-
hotintl South because of and in spite of
Supreme Court decisions on segregation.
At great expenditure of money, the cam¬
paign is being waged on the platform,
and in newspapers, magazines and books.
T)ne-writer has resurrected the infamous
books of Thomas Dixon. Jr., an indica¬
tion of the kind of stuff with which segre¬
gationists plan to poison the thinking of
susceptible non-southerners and on which
t* feed followers of white Citizens Coun¬
cils. As we have pointed out in this col¬
umn many times, the aim of the campaign
is to attempt to prove that the Supreme
Court violated the Constitution of the
United States; that it has usurped the
authority of Congress; that its rulings,
ba. cd on social and psychological sciences,
would destroy democracy; that it seeks to
destroy the rights of the people; that it
would establish a government of men in¬
stead of government of laws, all of which
is untrue all of which ignores the fact
that the rights of Negroes are involved.
Those who scream the loudest do not con¬
ceal the fact that under the doctrine
of States Rights they will be able to deny
or restrict the civil rights of Negroes. Of
course, segregation is wrong and vicious
and is made to operate in almost everv
relationship between the two races, and
laws and governors and judges to the
contrary notwithstanding. Negroes won¬
der. when they hear and read what legis¬
lators, governors and preachers say, what
white people would have them do? Do
they want them to admit inferiority? Do
they want them to cease to ajapire to be¬
come first class citizens, to vote, to hold
public office, to become as well educated
as possible? Do they want them to agree
that democracy as a way of life and gov¬
ernment is for white men only? If it were
possible for Negroes to make the conces¬
sions implied here, what then?
A HINT TO THE WISE
It used to be said that some people can
not take a hint unless it comes in the form
of a brick-bat. It is more than a hint that
thousand of men and women struggled for
Y'fiars to gain the right to have a “sayso"
about who should rule them or who should
make the laws that govern them. The
years leading to the achieving of self-gov¬
ernment are streaked with “sweat, blood
and tears," and those to whom it is a herit¬
age are guilty of inexcusable negligence
if they fail, as many do, to preserve that
heritage. People who are worthy of citi¬
zenship in a democratic society strive to
maintain that heritage by exercising the
right to vote, the way to have a part in
self-government. But it seems that the
appeal to be worthy of citizenship by it¬
self is not enough to awaken 6.000 Ne¬
groes in Chatham County and ”50.000 in
the state, to a sense of their responsibility
in this regard. Everyday, almost, some¬
thing happens right here in this county
which ought to prod all eligible voters
to go to the Court House at the first op¬
portunity and register. There will be
hundreds of them going to the Court
House to make tax returns and to buy au¬
tomobile tags, and they should cross the
hall and register then. It seems that any¬
one. who knows what is happening in
Louisiana where nobody tries to conceal
the fact that an effort is being made to
purge registration books of Negroes, will
be anxious to get his name on the voters’
list, or prepare himself to do so. It can
not be said too emphatically that there is
nothing more important to citizenship
than exercising the right to register and
to vote. It must not be forgotten that the
surest way to lose the right to vote is
to fail to vote. Negro voters who failed
to vote were responsible in no small de¬
gree for their disfranchisement. The
present strangle hold of the South on im¬
portant Congressional committees and
31 West 46 Street
New York 38, New York
186 W. Washington St.
Chicago 2, 111.
Whalcy-Simpson Co.
6513 Hollywood Boulevard
San Francisco 5, California
Whaley-Simpson Co.
55 New Montgomery Street
T,os Angeles, California
seniority status is traceable to the fact
that Negroes either did not or could not
vote during the days of “Grand Father
Clause” legislation. We urge now, as al¬
ways, that Negro leaders accept the chal¬
lenge to register and prepare for registia-
tion all non-voters in this county by the
means at their hands. The consequences
foe failing to do so will be on their hands.
A hint, to the wise is sufficient.
DEFENSE FOR ALL
Some years ago an editorial used to
appear weekly in Hearst newspapers, that
was accompanied by an illustration to
picture the main thought of the editorial.
The illustration usually left an indelible
impression on the mind of the reader. One
such editorial has remained with us and
we believe the truth it taught took hold
at the right place in the public’s thinking
for it wasn't long before signs of its ef¬
fectiveness began to show in community
action. The editorial pointed out that the
public welfare was no more secure than
the welfare of the humblest citizen; that
to ignore the heallh needs of the people
who live in hovels in congested health areas was
a sure menace to the 1 of those who
live in mansions. The illustration was
the picture of a funeral procession down
the drive wav from a mansion; the hearse
hearing the coffin of a child, followed bv
its parents bowed in deep mourning. In
the background was a drove of flies
streaming into a window of the mansion.
Communities have learned slowly that the
welfare of all depends largely upon the
welfare of each. This is true in most
aspects of community welfare: in health,
public order, in education, as affected by
housing, medical care, and in the number
and kinds of school houses and the quality
of instruction going on in them. 1 he
slogan of the TB Christmas Seal Sale con¬
firms this truth. And yet there are those
who ignore this fact so eloquently brought
out in the editorial and so positively borne
out by experience. The set-up of Civil
Defense in this community, as far as we
are informed, has overlooked this fact.
The omission of Negroes from participa¬
tion in its training activities and the
benefits derived therefrom reflects a se¬
rious weakness that could nullify much
of what the whole thing is designed to
accomplish. It seems to us that ( ivil
Defense planning overlooks a calamitous
possibility, the possibility of stampede.
Excepting the schools, we know of no at¬
tempt to incorporate Negroes into the
Civil Defei1.se planning. We think this is
a grace mistake. A white gentleman who
appreciates the gravity of the thing, was
overheard to say: "l can hardly sleep for
worrying about what will happen to your
people in the event of an attack. Our
worry is less acute because we believe,
foolishly perhaps, that an attack is a re¬
mote possibility, else our dread would
be desperate as we think of what havoc
an uninformed horde of frightened peo¬
ple can do to well laid plans that have left
them almost entirely out of considera-
t ion.
IMPARTIAL JURY
Several incidents in the recent past
prompted us to look for some statement
concerning jury trial. Article VI of the
original ten amendments to the Constitu¬
tion of the United States, commonly call¬
ed the Bill of Rights, provides that “the
accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy
and public trial by an impartial jury of
the state and district wherein the crime
shall have been committed . . We have
heard this statement read “by a jury of
his peers” instead of “by an impartial
jury." Now we do not presume to know
anything about the law, but we think in
eases where the accused is a Negro, the
amendment means that a Negro citizen
should be on the jury. Trials that have not
met the requirements of the meaning of
the amendment have been sent back to
lower courts for review or rehearing. It
is clear that “right to trial by an impar¬
tial jury" belongs to the accused and per¬
haps by no stretch of interpretation does
it apply to a victim whose person the or prop¬
erty has been injured, that is, law is
concerned with the accused. Whereas it
may not be a matter of Uk) great concern
in some counties, especially where Ne¬
groes are not permitted to serve on juries,
but it has seemed in too many instances
that the ends of justice have not been
served, especially in cases where Negroes
have been the victims or persons offend¬
ed or aggrieved; where they are not per¬
mitted to serve on juries. In Clinton.
Tenn., 16 white men whose offense was
mainly against Negro children were ac¬
quitted ; in Sumner, Miss., two white men
1 THF. SAVANNAH TRIBUNE
WILL HE HE PERMUTEDTO DO IT AGAIN?
: -*P»5iW|
Full Civil Rights For Every American Is
Issue
NEW YORK N. Y., Dec. 14 —-
('ailing the guarantee of full civil
"ights for every American the hunt- 1
>ei one '.'ivil liberties js-ue before
the nation," the American CivU
Liberties Union announced today'
i major organizational effort in 1
he Smith to provide new support
or the national campaign to elim-
nate discrimination. i
The Union’s decision was dis-
losed in a statement commemorat-
ng the 165th celebration of Bill of
tights Dav, the anniversary of the
inal adoption of the first ten
monuments to the Constitution.
he statement was was released by
’atriek Murphy Malin, ACLU
executive director.
Malin declared that the focus
■ f the ACLU effort would be to
mild a larger corps of volunteer
awyers who would be available
munptly to handle all kinds of ,
ivil liberties eases for all groups
n the community. Special attan-
ion also will be given to estab
ishing new ACLU units in South-
rn states and localities. The im-
nediate objectives, he said, are
North Carolina and Texas, where
nterest in ACLU activity is
Mounting. The Union in the last
year and one-half has established
iffiliates in Louisiana, Kentucky
lid Florida.
"While many civil rights ad-
vanccs continue to be made in the
south. ” Malin said, “the opposition
o the Supreme Court’s decisions
has caused serious civil liln rties
problems. The denial of voting
rights in the lust election to hu ge i
EMANCIPATION DAY , !
PROGRAM i
iContinued from Page Onei
---—------ — ;
Joseph’s AME church, and Jas.
E. Shepard Memorial Founda-
tion, and a past president, Dur-
ham Business and Professional |
C1>ain '
He is a member of Omega
Psi Phi Fraternity and was |
elected justice of peace from
Durham County in 1E38, being j j
the first Negro in the South to
run successfully for public off- j
| ice on the Democratic ticket, i
He is a 32 Mason and Shriner. j
The program to be rendered |
j is as follows: [
Devotions. Rev. F. D. Jaudon;
opening selection. “Star Span- |
| j gled Banner”; invocation, Rev. |
w. W. Whitehead: selection. “O '
God Our Help", chorus; Scrip- j
j ture. Rev. W. L. Brown; wel- j
| come remarks and presentation I
i of master of ceremonies. Rev. 1
accused of abducting and murdering Em¬
met Till, were freed; in a Florida town,
six white men were .acquitted of the
charge of kidnaping Jesse W o o d s
because there were reluctant witness¬
es or suffered a lapse of memory.
In this ease the judge complimented the
prosecuting attorney who ‘had done his
verv best, ” such an obvious attempt to
out-Pilate Pilate. Information gathered by
the press in each instance made conviction
seem certain. M e have serious doubts that
acquittal would have been the result it
conditions had been the reverse. While
the verdicts might not have been different
if Negroes had been on the juries in thes ■
cases, there would be less doubt that the
trials were impartial.
numbers of Negroes and the bar-
triers set no to block the work of
the National Association of
Colored People and the Urban
League mean that the First
Amendment rights of free speech
and association are threatened.”
As a result of these attacks, the
ACLU head said, there is need for
other groups to build local organ-
v/at';ons which will stress the full
observance of the bill of Lights,
As local violations of civil lib-
(,, ' ties ha/said.; ACLU vol-
untecr L.wyers on the scene will
bt ‘ available to give legal aid as
ne: Jed.
“Our effort will not be a North¬
ern-imposed campaign,” Malin con¬
tinued. “There are great numbers
of people within the South itself
\yhp want to uphold the Bill of
Rights. Some of them have asked
our organizational aid, and we are
responding to this need.”
Nor does the emphasis on South¬
ern organization mean that other
areas of the country have clean
records, Malin said. “Segregation
anti discrimination are still na¬
tional problems. They exist in the
North, East and West, too, and
must be equally opposed there.”
Malin said that the ACLU’s
twenty-three affiliates are work-
ing actively to help achieve inte-
“ration,
The civil liberties spokesman j
for also quick called Congressional attention to action the need on j
revise Sen-j |
two fronts. One is to
ate Rule 22, which now serves to j
allow any minority bloc to filibus-
C. McMillan; master of cere-
monies, Raleigh A. Bryant, Sr.;
selection, chorus; remarks, Robt.
P. Jordan, principal, Frank W.
Spencer School: solo, F. C. Mc-
Moore; remarks, J. O. Meyer
, fraternal and c i V i C i; remarks,
Frank H . Bynes (business and
professional).
Selection, chorus; appeal, S.
A. Jones; selection. “Lift Every
Voice and Sing”, audience;
Emancipation Proclamation, by
Miss L. B. Wright; presentation
of speaker, Atty. E. H. Gadsden;
adoress, L. D. Austin, publisher.
Carolina Times, Durham, N C.;
prayer, Rev. J. hi. Benton; se¬
lection. “Glory Hallelujah”; pre¬
sentation, of platform guests.
Rev. L. S. Steli: report of fin- j
a nee committee and resolutions,
Rev. R M. Williams; benedic¬
tion. Rev. W. M. Daniels.
Musical direction will be un¬
der Mrs. A. B. Edmondson, as¬
sisted by Dea. F. C. McMoore.
tor objectionable legislation to
death. “The refusal of a Senate
minority to permit important civil
rights legislation to come to a vote
is a thwarting of the democratic
process of free decision after ade¬
quate debate. We hope and urge
that Senators will join the effort
bring planned to change this ob
structionist rule when the new
Senate convenes on January 3.”
The other major and immediate
need in Congress is for legislation
aiding refugees of the Hungarian
revolution who are seeking polit¬
ical asylum in the United States,
the ACLU asserted.
“Congress should act swiftly to
provide statutory authority for the
dmirablc emergency action jin
bringing 21,000 refugees to our
country. On the basis of experi¬
ence at the refugee centers in Aus¬
tria, Congress should consider if
speedier means of processing these
unfortunate victims of Communist
tyranny can be found. And Con¬
gress should also consider whether
the Refugee Relief Act which ex¬
pires at the end of this month,,
should be extended to deal with the
pressing need to give these' rfef-
ugees a haven.”
The Hungarian tragedy, Malin
said, makes dramatically clear the
need for general revision of Amer?
iean immigration laws, particular-
ly the need to eliminate discrim-
inatory barriers based on national
origin and to provide speedier en-
try through careful removal of
unnecessary security investiga¬
tions.
ASK LABOR UNIONS
TO EXPEL LOCALS
(Continue)] from Page One)
in Cleveland construction installa¬
tions, is a defiance of an order
of the Community Relations Board.
The Board found the union guilty
of racial discrimination on June
178.
The racist policy of Local 38
has been presented by the NAACP
to the President’s Committee on
Governmelit Contracts. The matter
also is pending with the AFL-CIO
national civil rights department.
Morris Riger, area director of
the United Textile Workers of
America AFL-CIO, who presented
Mr. Hill to the delegates, called j
upon the AFL-CIO to act more I
vigorously on its declared civil ,
rights program.
At the meeting, Dr. James Levy
was reelected president of
Cleveland NAACP branch and
Harry Wise, international repre-
tentative of the International Un¬
ion of Electrical Workers, was re-
elected to the branch’s executive
board. Mr. Wise again will la*
chairman of the labor and industry
committee of the branch.
NAACP SUSPENDS
OPERATIONS IN LA.
(Continued from Page One)
; but in order “to forestall possible
criminal action by parish attor¬
neys against our members,” he ad-
! vised suspension of activity "until
further notice.”
A New Negro Has Emerged
The South
A new Negro has emerged in .
tlie South today, a Negro capable
of decisive, united action. Dr. Mar- ’
tjn Luther King, Jr., leader of the
Montgomery bus boycott, stated at
the United Negro College Fund
Symposium in Hunter College As¬
sembly Hall, last night (Dec. 11).
The Hon. Chester Bowles, former
United States Ambassador to In¬
dia, was the principal forum
speaker, and Dr. King was one of
four Negro leaders who took part
in a panel discussion, “The Negro
Southerner Speaks.”
“The Negro in the South has
taken a new look at himself,” Dr.
King said. “With his migration to
urban centers and the improve¬
ment of his educational and eco¬
nomic status, he has re-evaluated
his position. No longer cowed by
. hreats and intimidations, his at¬
titude is a reflection of the sense
of dignity being gained by colored
(copies throughout the world to¬
day.”
Mr. Bowles likened the 27-year-
>ld Dr. King’s successful leader-
Ship to that of Mohandas K. Gan-
Ihi, in his address on some inter-
(ational aspects of race relations.
“As Gandhi appealed to
basic decency, honesty and demo¬
cratic spirit of the British, so
treat new Negro leaders will now
appeal to the conscience and the
decency of their white neighbors
throughout the South,” Mr. Bowles
said. "Eventually the day will
come, and I do not believe it is
now far distant, when American
law will protect all Americans
.gainst discrimination on the basis
■f race, or creed, or color, and we
may live with each other in under-
standing and peace.
"When this great day comes,
will lie, the courageous, democratic
spirit of Gandhi and such men as
FISK SINGERS RETURN
FROM FOREIGN TOUR
lOmtinued lrom F-ge onei
vhere received ovation after ova¬
tion. My fondest expectations were
ar exceeded.”
Rave notices followed each of
the 5(> concerts given by the Sing¬
ers. In Rome, an audience of 2,000
demanded — and got — eight en¬
cores. According to one Jubilee
Singer, “We’d still be on that
stage singing encores, if that au-
dience had its way.
For the 17 students who com-
prise the group, the tour will be
'heir major topic of conversation
for mal1 >’ months to come. Opinion
is ...... divided ' ' between ' Rome and Paris "
as a favorite city, but for Betty
Nowlin of Houston, Texas, ‘ Just
seeing St. Peter’s in Rome was
worth all the trip.
Orlando Lightfoot of Chicago
states that “an enthusiastic mi¬
nority of the men, at least, talk
quite a bit about Paris.” Accord¬
ing to Mr. Work, some persuasion
had to be used to get one of these
enthusiasts to board the ship home,
so enamored did he become of the
City of Light. Several of the Sing-
ers have already expressed the
desire to visit Europe again.
The contemporary Jubilee Sing¬
ers are related to the group or¬
ganized in 1871 by an unbroken
line of succession. The original
Singers raised $150,000 during
their first seven years to purchase
the site of the present
and to erect famous Jubilee Hall,
and are credited with introducing
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SATURDAY, DEC. 29, 1956
Luther King which has made this
new freedom possible, and it will
have been achieved in the finest
tradition of the human race,” Mr.
Bowles stated.
Dr. Rufus E. Clement, of the
Atlanta Board of Education,, the
first Negro elected to public of¬
fice in Atlanta since Reconstruc¬
tion, emphasized that the Negro
has made all his gains in this coun¬
try within the framework of the
law. President of Atlanta Univer¬
sity, one of the Fund’s -'ll member
schools, Dr. Clement was a mem¬
ber of the Forum's discussion
panel.
Dr. William J. L. Wallace', presi¬
dent of West Virginia State* Col¬
lege, the first fully-integrated
state college in the South; John
H. Wheeler, Negro attorney of
North Carolina, who has argued
segregation cases before the U. S.
Supreme Court; and Dr. King also
served as panel discussants.
August Heckscher, director of
the Twentieth Century Fund,
Q uinc Y Howe - ABC commentator,
an(l Carl Rowan , Negro author
an sta U write! for the Minneap-
° ,5s Tribune interviewed the panel
members.
The symposium was the eighth
in a series inaugurated by the
United Negro College Fund in
194i). Whitney North Seymour,
former president of the Associa¬
tion of the Bar of the City of New
York, headed the volunteer com¬
mittee. Sponsors, in addition to
the Fund, included the New York
City clubs of twelve college groups:
Barnard, Bennington, Byrn Mavvr,
City College of New York, Mt.
Holyoke, Oberlin, Radcliffe. Sarah
Lawrence, Smith, Vassal', Welles-
ley, and the American Association
of University Women.
the Negro spiritual to the musical
world. The presgnt-day group’s
tour was undertaken to promote
interracial and international good¬
will.
Y NAMES COMMITiEE
FOR ADULT HOBBY
SHOW
(Continued from Luge One)
Geneva Stokes, Hon. ti: fi. Too-
;Tier
plans are in the making to
make this one of the outstanri-
j n g events during National
YMCA Week, Jan. 27-Feo. 3.
Adults of local and national
p ,-.-eminence will be asked' to
place their hobbies oh 1 exhibit.
The Eaptist Ministqriai, Alli¬
ance of which Rev. J. C. McMil¬
lan is president, has set aside
January 29 at YMCA Day for
the Baptists of Savannah. J. R.
Jenkins, executive secretary of
the Y, will be the principal
speaker. This will be a feature,
of National YMCA Week cele¬
bration by the local association.
Frank H. Bynes, president of
the Bynes - Royall Funeral
Home, will give the Christinas
message from the Y, Saturday,.
LOO p.m., as guest of the “Y.M.
C.A. In Action,” over radio sta¬
tion WJIV. He will be support¬
ed by the Bynes-Royall chorus.
A party will be given by the
USO for all servicemen in ^this
area Saturday night 8 30 p. m.
at the Y. All servicemen are in-
vited to attend.