VOL. XXI—No. 28. OMAHA, NEBRASKA—THE OMAHA GUIDE—Saturday, August 7th, 1948 ONLY TEN CENTS PER COPY ICharles P. Howard of Des Moines, Iowa was selected to deliver rthe keynote address at the new party convention nominating I Henry Wallace for President in Philadelphia July 23-26. An attorney, newspaper publisher and prominent Iowan Repub i lican leader for the past 25 years, he resigned his Republican | posts to support Wallace. He is a member of the American Legion, Elks and Shriners and has served as parliamentarian i 1 at national conventions of the NAACP in recent years. PROGRESSIVE PARTY New York—“The best keynote speech delivered at a major political convention in many years.” . That’s what New York newspapermen, speaking off the record, said about the address given by Charles P. Howard, Negro attorney, editor and former leading Iowa Republican, at the founding convention of the Progressive Party in Phila delphia. Ten days after the convention, newspapermen and polit ical observers were still talking about the hard-hitting charges and eloquent phrasing of Howard’s keynote address in which he declared that ‘the plain fact that I stand here before you tonight defines our party. For the first, ime in my life, I am experiencing human digniy.” Declaring that “I see no delegate who will rise to speak for the Klu Klux Klan . . . the Hague machine ... or the House of Morgan,” Howard said that “this is really only the second convention to meet in this election—the Republicans and Democrats were merely two sectids of the same con vention. Howard charged that the killing of the anti-lynch, anti poll tax and FEPC bills in the last session of Congress “was the joint handiwork of Republicans and Democrats, plotting together in a Congressional Murder Incorporated.” He charged that the Republicans and Democrats “have never once relinquished the idea of human slavery.” “Slavery has always been a profitable business,” he said. “What was once the slave quarter and the auction block has become the Jim Crow coach and the starvation wage. This slavery of the Negro people is not o thing to be wiped out by campaign oratory or a passing promise. It is a sickness deep in the very bone of the country. Its fever sores are the ghettoes of Harlm and the South Side of Chicago, the thous and cities and towns acrosstheland where a Negro cannot eat in a restaurant, sleep in a otel, go to a movie, be treated in a hospital—where even children’s games are Jim Crow. “We have heard the civil rights promises of the old part ies, but we have learned to read between th lines—and be tween th lines w read btrayal. What else can we expect from the men who years after year ruled tjiis country with a nation al policy of Jim Crow—backed by the nightstick and the hangman’s rope? “We have been blinded with promises for too many years. Our eves are open now. We believe only what we see. We have seen Henry Wallac go into the South and insist on speaking—and speak—to non-segregated audiences. We have seen Glen Taylor, a United States Senator, defy Jim Crow in Alabahama and go to jail—arrested by a police chief who later turned up as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. “But most of all, we of the new party see ourselves. We see ourselves not picking up political crumbs, but helping to make political policies. The Progressive Jarty says to the Negro people—‘Come help us to make this nation what you would have it.’ * “The plain fact that I stand here before you tonight de fines our party.” PROGRESSIVE PARTY New York—More than a mil lion copies of the Progressive Party platform as adopted at the new political organizations founding convention in Philade lphia July 26th — including what is believed to be the strongest plank on civil rights for Negroes ever adopted by a major political party—will be circulated throughout the nat ion within the next two weeks, it was announced this week by Albert J. Fitzgerald and Paul Robeson, co-chairman of the Progressive Party. In addition to demanding “a bolition of Jim Crow in the armed forces,” the platform contains a detailed, 350 word plank on freedom, all of it af fecting American Negroes. The full text of the Progres sive Party freedom plank as follows: “The Progressive Party con demns segregation and discrim ination in all of its forms and in all places. “We demand full equality for the Negro people, the Jew ish people, Spanish speaking Americans, Italian Americans, Japanese Americans, and all other nationality groups. “We call for a Presidential proclamation ending segrega tion and all forms of discrim- i ination in the armed services i and Federal employment. “We demand Federal anti lynch, anti?discrimination, and fair employment practices leg islation, and legislation abol ishing segregation in interstate travel. “We call for immediate pas sage of anti-poll tax legisla tion, enactment of a yniversal suffrage law which would per mit all citizens to vote in Fed: eral elections, and the full use (Continued on page. 4) WOMAN WHO KILL ED HER WIFE PLEADS GUILTY Los Angeles, Calif. (Special) —The final chanter was writ ten on the “husband-wife” re lationship between two women with the sentencing Tuesday morning in Superior Court of Miss Ruth Mae Foster, 28, for the fatal stabing of Mrs. Vir ginia Louise Ford, 48, refer red to as the “man’ ’in the Af fair. The stabbing ocTured dur ing a fight between the two women on the night of May 19th, at 4445 Avalon boulevard where both lived. The manslaughter verdict which was handed down by Walter S. Gates, judge of Superior Court, department 46 makes a sentence of one to 10 years mandatory. Miss Foster was ordered committed to the state prison of women at Te hachapi. Changes Plea Shirtly after the trial open ed upon advice of Attorney Gordon, Miss Foster changed her plea from “guilty by vir tue of insanity,” to that of guilty of manslaughter. A trial by jury was waived by the de fense. A packed courtroom heard the defendent relate a sorrid tale of the illicit romance that existed between herself and the slain woman which she testi fied amounted to a virtual “man •wife” relationship. Mrs. Ford she stated first approached her five years ago while she was working as a waitress in a lun chroom on Central avenue and asked her to go on dates to which the defendent admitted the witness stand, she agreed. When asked by Prosecutor Meyers as to why she contin ued the relationship, Miss Fos ter said she had fallen in love with the slain woman and for this reason she worked and supported her and her six children. ARGUE OVER WOMAN In summing up his examin ation Prosecutor Meyers told the court that in all the many years of his caeer as prosecutor he had never heard a more sor did tale than that told by Miss Foster. He further stated that ujst as it is the prosecutors du ty to prosecute it likewise is his duty to defend when he thinks the circumstances merit such action. The evidence presented in this trial, he stated, made it impossible for him to ask the death sentence usually asked in a murder trial of this nature. Berating the moral conduct of the two women. Meyers expres sed his doubt of existence of the element of pretnediation and upon this basis recommend ed that Judge Gates return a verdict of guilty of second de gree murder or manslaughter. In her testimony of incid ents leading to the fatal stab bing, Miss Foster stated she had come home about 11 o’ clock on the night of the kil ling and had gone to bed when Mrs. Foster began an argu ment which resulted when she said she had found another woman whom she referred ti as Bernice Hall, to take her olace and that she would have to get out. Following the argu ment, Miss Foster said the slain voman struck her se\feral times and it was during this fight that she somehow rained possession of a knife and began stabbing her friend. The first time she knew her victim had died she said, was following her arest when informed by police officers. Throughout the examinat ion ’by both attorneys Miss Fos ter insisted that in the heat of the fight her mind became blank and that she didn’t know what she had done. The romance the defendant said, was frequently interrup ted by fights and quarrels of which she stated Mrs. Ford al ways started after they had gone to bed. When asked by Prosecutor Meyers whether Mrs. Ford’s husband Lawrence, knew of husband Lawrence, knew of their relationship, Miss Foster admitted he did know about it and that the three slept in the same bed. Ford, she said, later demanded his wife to choose between himself and (Continued on page 3) • ■IIIIIIIIIIIIIM News from BREAK THE FILIBUSTER ORGANIZATIONS URGE Washington, July 30—The 51 Republican and 19 northern Democratic senators were cal led upon “to proceed forth with to break the filibuster” against the anti-poll tax bill in a statement released today by the Conference on Civil Rights Legislation composed of 19 national civil rights, labor, and church, Negro, Jewish, profes-| sional, and trade organizations. The conference also outlined a progam of action for the loc al units of the constituent or ganizations. This program dir ected the local units to form joint committees to mobilize grassroots support of civil rights legislation through mass meetings, calls upon local and state political leaders of both parties, enlistment of support of local newspapers and radio stations, and sending of letters and telegrams to their respect ive senators urging a vote for cloture. Denouncing the filibuster as a “transparent sham," the con ference statement charged tha [ “the Republican leadership pro poses to use southern poll tax Democratic opposition for the purpose of blocking all legis lation.” It warned that “the “the American people who des control sky-rocketing prices, to provide an adequate supply of housing within the reach of the average purchaser or renter, and to insure basic human rig hts, will not stand for a polit ical deal that prevents enact ment of such legislation.” » , The conference, organized here, July 22, on call of the NAACP, is composed of del egated representatives of the following organizations : National Council of Negro Women; Congress of Indust rial Organizations; Odd Fel lows, Beauty Culture League, United Automobile Workers, CIO; Alha Kappa Alpha Sor ority, American Jewish Com mittee, National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses, Friends Committee on Nation al Legislation, American Vet erans Committee, American Civil Liberties Union, Nation al Council for Permanent FE PC, Anti-Defamation League, B’nai B’rith, National Assoc iation Negro Milliners, Hair Stylists and Dress Designers, National Alliance Postal Em ployees, National Medical As sociation, International Ladies Garment Workers Union, AFL American Jewish Congress, and the National Association for the Advancement of Color ed People. The full text of the Confer ence statement follows: It is appalling that respon sible members of the Congress of both parties are contempla ting at this critical hour of human history such synical, political trickery as is reported in connection with the civil rights legislation. Southern Democratic Sen ators privately admit that the> cannot defeat cloture if Repub lican and northern Democrat ic Senators insist on a cloture vote to stop a filibuster. But in the foce of this admission by a southern minority of the" Senate, it has been reported that the Republicans do not intend even to file a cloture petition, much fess support a motion to invoke cloture. They apparently have agr eed to make no attempt to throttl endless and meaning less talk amending the Journal or opposing the motion to con sider the bill, although no Sen ate rule forbids limitation of debate of these points. Senate precedent alone has permitted unlimited debate on such mot ions. The alleged impotence of the Republician and northern Democratic majority to stop this filibuster demonstrates a new the necessity for amend ment of the Senate rules to per mit limitation of debate by majority vote and to prohibit filibusters on technicalities. We denounce the transpar ent sham of this “gentleman’s agreement” where by the Re publican Senate leadership pro poses to use southern poll tax Democratic opposition for the purpose of blocking all legisla tion. As the plans have been announced, this will be a fil ibuster in name only. The Re publican leadership proposes to keep bankes hours, conduc ting Senate sessions only from noon to six p. m., installing a six hour day at a time when the national welfare and sec urity would require a twenty four hour working day to break a filibuster. This use of a fake filibuster on a civil Rights Bill is a fraud The Republician majority, un der the announced plan, becom es the silent partner in a fili buster against all legislation, in eluding civil rights. We reject as needlessly dila tory the proposal to ban the poll tax by Constitutional a mendment as a substitute for legislation. There is no reason to believe the so-called states righters wou,ld not oppose rat ification of the amendment. Congress has the power to act and must do so now. The American people, who desparately need legislation to control sky-rocketing prices, to provide an adequate supply of housing within the reach of the average purchaser or renter, and to assure basic human rig hst to all citizens, will not sta nd for a political deal that pre vents enactment of $uch legis lation. On behali ot the national church, labor, civic and other groups of all races and creeds whom we represent, we call up on the 51 Republician and the 19 northern Democratic Senat ors to proceed forthwith to break this menacing filibuster by maintaining conttnuous ses sions of Congress and by unam ous support of a motion to in voke cloture. We call upon decent Amer icans to let their senators know in no uncertain terms, by tele grams, letters, petitions, tele phone, and personal visits whe re possible, that the Senate must stop any and all filibust ers by invoking cloture, The following program of action was agreed upon: 1. Cooperating organizations to send each of their local un ts a statement of the issues with direction for mobilizing grassroots support of the civ il rights legislation. 2. Oragnization in each com munity of joint committees to call on local editors and rad io stations managers in an ef fort to enlist their support. 3. Oragnizations of delegations to call of both parties to gain their support. 4. Arrangement of joint mass meetings under auspices of the cobperating organizations. 5. Delegations from the nation al organizations to call upon the Senate and House leaders and dliairman of the National Democratic and Republician Committees. ASKS SENATE TO CEN SURE JOHNSON I Washington, July29—Charg ing that Senator Olin D. John ston (D., S.C.), in a speech on the floor of the Senate, threat ened “to risk plunging the na tion and the entire world into obliterative germ and atomic warfare rather than to permit enactment of civil rights legis lation, Walter White, Secret ary of the NAACP, today wir ed Senator Arthur Vandenburg (Continued on page 4) Billie Holiday on her arrival at Grand Central Station to ful fill her Broadway theatre en gagement at the Strand Thea tre. Miss Holiday, pictured a rare occasion when she wears a hat is shown wearing one of the latest creations in chape aux, set off by a luxurious Blue Mink Stole. Photo by Leo Fuchs . BILLIE HOLIDAY, NATION’S NUMBER ONE RECORD BREAKER I New York—The so-called slump that is supposed to hit I the attendance market due to the soaring heat wave is no deterrent where Billie Holiday is concerned, according to recent performance. Miss Holiday, the Nation’s Number One Song Stylist is breaking long standing attendance records everywhere she has appeared. Going on tour after seven record breaking weeks at Club Et)ony on Broadway, Miss Holiday appeared three capacity weeks* at the exclusive Blue Note Cafe, in Chicago, where she excelled all predecesors and even outdrew the record of the famous Louis (Satchmo) Armstrong and bulged over the attendance fark of all other attractions who previously blaz ed the trial and left behind the tops of the top, figuratively speaking. Simultaneously a week at the swank Tia Juana Club in Cleveland, Miss Holiday attracted the largest crowds of all time there, surpassing the record established by the King Cole Trio an