_JL_
Vol. 4, No. 15 Lincoln 3, Nebraska Officia’ a Thursday, February 2, 1950
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FEPC Pushed Aside In House;'
Rayburn Ignores Rights Leader
BY RAYMOND WILCOVE
WASHINGTON. (INS). Speaker Rayburn (d., Tex.),
sidestepped a fight in the house over civil rights Monday,
Jan. 23, by calling up for debate a bill to confer statehood
on Alaska.
Rayburn declined to “recognize” Chairman Lesinski
(d., Mich.), of the Labor committee, who tried to bring up
the Fair Employment Practices bill and gave the floor to
Chairman Peterson (d., Fla.), of the Public lands committee,
for the statehood bill.
Speaker Rayburn, commenting
on his failure to recognize Chair
man Lesinski, said that the “tem
per of the house” was unfavor
able to the FEPC bill at this
time.
Despite Rayburn’s decision to
delay action on the FEPC bill,
southern congressmen launched a
minor filibuster consisting of a
series of dilatory quorum calls
and adjournment motions.
Their maneuver was seen as
designed to prevent completion of
action on the Alaskan bill Mon
day afternoon. Such a procedure
would give the statehood measure
a continuing priority over the
civil.rights bill.
In announcing that he would
call up the Alaskan statehood
bill, Rayburn reversed an earlier
decision to call up legislation pro
viding for United States contri
Sac Says
Thi*> In Dm- first in a scries of columns
prepared by the Lincoln Social Action
Council. an organization of religious, civic
and social service groups and Individuals
Inti rested in social action locally. During
Its three years existence, the organization
hat been instrumental in ameliorating a
number of discriminatory practices in
Lincoln and is continuing with a program
of study, education and action.—Ed.
Greetings to the readers of The
Voice from the Lincoln Social
Action Council! Perhaps if we
can keep in touch with each
other, we can find out how each
can help the other. It is our hope
that an occasional column in this
very fine newspaper will enable
us to communicate to you what
we are doing and what you can
do to help.
I am sure you have heard of
SAC and the work it has been
doing for several years. SAC
believes in a community wherein
all members share an equal op
portunity in which the color of
one’s skin is not a bar across any
door, whether it be that of em
ployment. services, education,
health, recreation or anything
else; a community which is not
dragged down by the human
misery caused by discrimination,
nor the human tyranny existing
in prejudice. This is no Marxist
doctrine—it is found in the writ
ings of our founding fathers and
the literature of all the great re
ligions.
Thus our programs, <?ur proj
ects and our publications are
aimed at achieving these goals,
through education, legislation
and a host of other methods.
Without your support and inter
est, we shall fail. Are you a
member of SAC? Is your or
ganization represented at our
meetings?
Future columns will tell you
more of our work, our plans, and
what you can do; but let me end
our first column by urging all of
you to come meet us at our next
SAC general meeting Monday,
Febrdary 6. at 7:30 p. m. at 1417
**R” street. We’d be delighted to
have you!
TED SORENSEN, President,
Lincoln Social Action Council.
butions to various international
organizations.
It is the first time that an
Alaskan statehood measure has
ever reached the floor of the
house, although bills to give
statehood to both Alaska and
Hawaii were approved by the
Public Lands committee at the
last session.
Under house rules, Chairman
Lesinski must now wait until
Monday, Feb. 13, before he can
seek recognition again to bring
up the FEPC bill. The House
voted a year ago that the rules
committee cannot bottle up a bill
more than 21 days. If it is tied
up longer than that, the chairman
of the standing committee which
approved the bill can move to
bring it out on “discharge Mon
day,” the second and fourth Mon
day of each month if he is rec
ognized by the speaker.
In the meantime, rather than
wait until the next “discharge
Monday” on Feb. 13, friends of !
FEPC legislation have launched
a movement to get it considered
before that time.
Rep. Franklin D. Roosevelt, jr..
of New York has started circula
tion of a petition which if signed
by a majority or 218 members
will force the bill on the floor.
On Wednesday, two republicans
prepared themselves to join four
southern democrats in killing a
House leadership move to obtain
rules committee clearance for the
FEPC bill.
A six-man coalition can force a
tie vote thereby stopping any ac
tion by the 12-member House
group on the controversial FEPC
measure which is part of Presi
dent Truman’s civil rights pro
gram.
The two G.O.P. members, who
asked that they not be identified,
privately told newsmen that they
would turn thumbs down on
sending the bill aimed at racial
job discrimination to the floor.
The four southern members,
who are opposed to the legisla
tion are Reps. Cox (d., Ga.), Smith
(d., Va.), Colmer (d., Miss.), and
Lyle (d., Tex.).
The house rules committee ses
sion on FEPC was scheduled by
Chairman Sabath (d., 111.) after
the stormy session Tuesday when
Rep. Lesinksi (d., Mich.) chair
man of the House Labor commit
tee, was unable to call the bill
up under the 21-day rule.
Bethune Club
To Participate
In World Power
Feb. 24 has been set as World
Day of Prayer, and millions of
women will lift their voices in
thanksgiving and a supplication
all over the world for peace and
Christian growth.
Participating in the Lincoln ob
servance will be the Mary Bethune
Literary and Art Club which will
render a choral reading. They are
beipg coached for the occasion by
Gebrge Randol.
Among the other participants
will be Mrs. Jennie Edwards and
Mrs. Rubie Shakespeare
(/.S. .mocracy 'Poor
Product' Davis Tells UL
Grice, Riley
In Midyear
Graduation
Among the 660 midyear gradu
ates at the University of Nebraska
Jan. 28 were Alfred Bernard
Grice, Omaha, and George Riley,
Little Rock, Ark.
Mr. Grice is the son of Mrs.
Paul Grice, Omaha, and received
his bachelor of science degree in
business administration. He plans
to continue his education at Omaha
University in February with work
toward an advanced degree. He
is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha
fraternity and has served Beta
chapter as president and two
terms as secretary.
Mr. Riley is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. George Riley, Little Rock,
Ark.t and received his bachelor
of science degree in business ad
ministration. He plans to work
toward his masters degree at the
University of Nebraska beginning
in February. He too is a member
of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
Face of South’s
News About
Race Changing
By Charles Goolsby
Perusing the Memphis Press
Scrimitar for Jan. 7, I noted a
two column item headed “Mem
phis in 1950 should—” which in
cluded the candid comments of
four Negro
leaders—Dr. E.
J. Walker, pres
ident, Universal
Life Insurance
Co., Dr. Hollis
F. Price, presi
dent, LaMoyne
college, J. A.
McDaniel, exec
utive secretary, _
Memphis Urban Mr Swingler.
league and Lew
is O. Swingler, editor, the Mem
phis World, the city’s biweekly.
The item caught my attention
because it hasn’t been but a few
months that the widely read
southern dailies have considered
Negroes’ opinions, much less dis
cussed them in their pages and
especially when the suggestions
have been so to the point.
Dr. Walker said that above sav
ing buildings, a greater effort
should be made to save lives by
establishing a hospital and mak
ing it possible for more doctors
and nurses to train; provide more
low rent housing and expand La
Moyne college.
Dr. Price echoed the college ex
pansion and added that a Boy
Scout camp site was badly needed;
and some effort should be made
to “enlarge the area of inter
racial understanding.”
Mr. Swingler, who was the U. of
N.’s school of journalism’s second
Negro graduate and editor of the
Memphis World since 1931, has
been civically active. He led the
campaign for Negroes on the po
lice force in 1948 and now urges:
that firemen be added; that the
cultural programs of the open air
theater be shared; and the fur
thering of the “commendable situ
ation” between races in the city.
Mr. McDaniel urged 60,000 Ne
groes to register and vote; that
“The world is not rushing in to buy the American kind
of democracy,” said Dowdal H. Davis, general manager of
the Kansas City Call and president of the Negro Newspaper
Publisher’s association as he addressed 225 members of the
Lincoln Urban League at their annual dinner and election
of board members January 25.
He preceded his remark by saying that democracy had
not failed, but that there is a feeling of unrest as found
Lula Williams Succumbs
If
MRS. LULA WILLIAMS.
Mrs. Lula Williams, 81, of 2026
Q, died Sunday after a short ill
ness. She had lived here three
years.
Born in Anderson, Texas, Mrs.
Williams moved to Alliance,
Nebr. in 1924. Her husband,
Henry, preceded her in death.
Surviving are a son, David Taylor
of Alliance; four daughters, Mrs.
Lottie Johnson, Mrs. Joseph
Green and Mrs. Jessie Linear, all
of Lincoln, and Mrs. Andrew
Jackson of Ennis, Texas; one
brother, Aler Brent, of Convoe,
Texas; 16 grandchildren and 12
great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held
on Thursday.
Death Takes
Rev. Riley Bell,
37 Years Here
Rev. Riley Bell, 89, 2703 So.
8th Street, succumbed Sunday,
Jan. 29 at 10:45 a. m. at a local
hospital after an illness of some
eight weeks. Rev. Bell was born
Sept. 15, 1860 in the Indian Terri
tory of Oklahoma. He came to
Lincoln about 37 years ago
and has remained here since that
time. He has been a member of
Mt. Zion Baptist church for many
years and served its congregation
as Assistant Pastor at various
periods.
He is survived by his wife, Hen
rietta B. Bell, 3 sons, Frank and
Bradford Bell of Chadron, Ohio,
John of Tulsa, Okl.; half-sister,
Mrs. Mary Duncan of Iola, Kas ,
a daughter, Mrs. Alenir Kelley
of Lincoln; 6 grandchildern and 6
great grandchildren. Funeral ar
rangements had not been com
pleted at press time.
all school teachers meet minimum
standards for the same pay; the
establishment of a vocational high
school and expansion of adult edu
cation a more active and articu
late church in the field of race
relations and fewer barriers be
tween denominations.
Fold all towels lengthwise be
fore hanging to dry. Prevents
“long corners,” and they’ll be
handier for hanging on racks
without re-folding.
among Negroes in economic inse
curity, personal insecurity, and in
security of personal dignity. Too
many people love ease, they don’t
like a situation, but sit idly by
in the status quo, preferring to
withdraw rather than participate,
while they are sold down the
river.
Mr. Davis continued saying that
there are many people who are
decent and want to do the right,
but live under prejudiced teach
ings because of the pressures of
certain social groups. “I agree
with Pearl Buck, we should make
up our minds about what kind of
government and society we want
and work toward it.”
In our present struggle with
Russia, the problem is not money
but a way of life, and our real
resources are not arms but the
hopes of mankind looking for a
way of life.
He reported that Gen. Clay,
Berlin aiflift chief, told a group
of publishers that the most diffi
cult thing about teaching the Ger
mans democracy was trying to de
fine democracy in the face of the
situation and practices (i. e. of
Jim Crow army units). If being an
American is valuable, why
should we have to apologize, ex
plain or qualify it abroad.
HOPE FOR DEMOCRACY.
“Despite its frame of imperfec
tion,” the newsman continued, “it
(democracy) can cure itself.” Its
cure, he averred, lies in the re
wards to the state of good citizen
ship. If more officials in Wash
ington had more integrity, there
would be little opposition to civil
rights legislation. And if Negroes
were given an opportunity to com
pete in the open labor market,
our national purchasing power
(Continued on Page 3)
Army Plans More
Integration As
Javits Probes
| WASHINGTON, D. C. (NNPA).
As the Army planned to make
public its program envisioning the
integration of colored and white
soldiers, Representative Jacob K.
Javits, Republican, of New York,
Thursday, Jan. 12, offered a reso
lution calling for congressional in
vestigation of racial and religious
segregation in the armed services.
Under the resolution, the pro
posed inquiry would be made by
a selection committee of 19 rep
resentatives appointed by the
Speaker from tlje House Commit
tees on Armed Services, Educator
and Labor Affairs, and Expendi
tures in the Executive Depart
ments. The resolution calls for
a report by the special committee
not later than next June 1.
In introducing the resolution,
Mr. Javits pointed out that the
Navy, the Air Force and the
Army have each adopted separate
policies to assure equality of treat
ment and opportunity for all
members of their personnel in re
sponse to an executive order is
sued by President Truman July
26, 1946, and a directive issued by
Defense Secretary Louis Johnson,
last April 6.
