,
,
during the Gr at 0 pr s.lon of the 1930's th
African Am rlcane began the mov from th R publican
'p rty to the ra ... of th 0 moerat . Among tho leading
t mov m nt r the -Negroes· in Pr sid nt Franklin O.
ROOMY • -BI ck Cabin t.·
All re highly compet nt peciar ts In various fi Id •.
In 1138 th roup includ d (front raw, I It to right) Dr.
Ambr Cliver, Oepartm nt of the Int rior; Dr. Roecoe C.
Brawn, Public Health S rv c ; Dr Ro rt C. Waver. Hous
Ing Authority; Jo. ph H. Evana, Farm S curlty Adml ..
tlon; Dr. Fra Horne (th poet) Hou Ing A hortty; ary
cL od 8 hwte, National Youth Adm n tr Ion; Ue� n
ant Lawr nee A. 0xI y, I;> partment of Labor; Dr. win m J. .
Thompkl .... Recorder of 0 cia; Chari • E. Halt, D rt
ment of Comm rc ; William I. Ho�ton, Departm nt of
Juetlce; Ralph E. Miz lie, Poet Otfrlc .
In t t.c rON. (lett to right) re 0 y R. Jon •
De rtme� of t Int rlor; Ed r Brown (t nnl. star) Clvl.
Ian Con erv Ion Corpe; J. Parker Pre eott, Ho Ing
Authority; E d H. La on, Jr., Wor • Projecta Adm •
letr tlon; ArtbJr W eger. 0 .,.rtm � of, Labor; Altr d
Edgir mlth, Work. Project ; Henry A. Hur:tl, (not plctur d)
F rm.Crecit Administration; Jom W. Whitt n, Work. Pro
Ject.; and JOHph R. Houchin •• D pIIrtmert of Comm rce.
-lac Congr
on olt ical a ..... i
man
Th ap.ech, trom the Congre lon.l Record tOr ji,l;e 1; 1 •
I. reprint d In -A Documentary H OIlY of The Negro eo" Un ed StIlI ... 1833-1945-
Edited by Herbert Apthek r. A Citadel Pr .s Book publl.hed by Carol Pub at,lng Group
"
The Democratic representative out of Chicago's ghetto, Arthur W. �itchell,
delivered himself of some remarks in the House in Jun�, 1936, WhlC� con
veyed both hard facts and high spirits. He commenced With remarks directed
to the Republican Party.
. justice, and an opportunity to develop into !he fullest �egree of man�
hood. We shall not take either party. altogether upon 1tS p�st record,
we shall deal with both parties as they show an inte�es! In us �nd
deal with us in 1936. For my part there is no question In my mind
but that the Democratic Party,' as constituted today, offers the Negro
by far the best opportunity in this country, and I shall use all the
influence and all the power that I possess to drive this truth home to
the Negroes in this country.
Today the Negro refuses to stand by you simply o� 60-year-old
promises still unfulfilled. Until you make good the promises that you
have made for the last 70 years, we shall try new political fields not
marked "G.O.P."
Mr. Robison of Kentucky. Will the gentleman yield? '
Mr. 'Mitchell of Illinois, I refuse to yield. The gentleman from
Kentucky told you about conditions in Texas and what the Democratic
Party would do to you. I come from Alabama and I would like to
tell you what the Republican Party will do to you in Al�ba�a. ,
I was a Republican and in a Republican convent1�n 1D Alaba�a
when the "lily white" Republican Party came into existence. I, WIth
many others was driven out of the Republican convention in City Hall
just across 'from the big Hilman Hotel in Birmingham. The "lily
white" marched into the hotel. The Negroes were told to go out where
they belonged, and no Negro could be admitted to the "lily white"
party. ' " "
There were a few of us who met the educational qualifications, a
few who met the property qualifications, and the Democrats registered
us. After we were registered it was left to the Republican Party of
Alabama to drive us out, although we were registered voters there.
They said they were going to have a real white party. It is high time
that you Republicans stopped playing the hypocrite. When the Demo
cratic Party kicked us out they told us they did not want us. You
told us that you wanted us and then kicked us out of the party.
The Republican Party has conjured with the name of Lincoln long
enough. Lincoln has been dead for 70 years, and his party as the
party of human rights died years ago., .
Now, I am going to conclude with this story: There were two,
Irishmen-and I am making no reflections on the Irish; they are my
friends-there were two Irishmen walking through the cemetery and
reading the inscriptions on the tombstones. They came to one and
they read, "Not dead but sleeping." Mike said to Pat, "What does
it say there?" Pat says, "Not dead but sleeping." Mike says, "Listen;
if I was dead I would confess it and not teU a lie about it, would
you?"
Congressiona! Record, June 1, ]936; 74th Cong., 2nd sess., LXXX, 8551-52.
... For 70 years we followed you blindly; for 70 years we perpetuated
you in power; and for 70 long years you promised relief, and forgot
your promises the minute you found yourself in office. You have had
, your day with the Negro vote. .
Granting that all you contend is true-and I say it is not-has
not the Negro paid you for what you did for him in 1861, 1863,
and 18651 Is it your idea that because he was liberated during the
administration of a Republican President he must still vote your ticket
as a matter of gratitude, with his eyes closed toward his present and
future needs? I deny that this should 'be the requirement of any party.
Does not 70 years of unbroken loyalty to you and your party even
up the debt, or is it your contention that this party loyalty you are
claiming is to be an eternal thing? Can you not cease to talk about
what your party did 70 years ago, and tell the aspiring youth of this
country what your party proposes to do in 1936 and the years to
follow? Do you think we are so blind and so dumb as to be led
again to the political slaughter by Republicans seeking to hold office,
whose record insofar as we are concerned is a chain of broken promises
reaching across three-quarters of a century? ...
Now, my friends, what is the matter with the gentlemen on this
side? I sounded an alarm to you the other day, and whether you
believe it, or not, you are' going to witness not only difficulty but an
impossibility in putting the Negro vote in your vest pocket this year.
You can no longer fool the Negroes as you have done for 70 years. '
You have boasted that you carry us in your vest pocket. That boast"
tbank God' is no longer true. In 1928, over here in t e Barr Build-
, '.
ing, when Hoover was running for President of the ted States, hIS
campaign manager was approached and asked to give some money to
maintain a Negro headquarters in Chicago, and he said, "We will not
give another dime; we have the Negro vote in our vest pocket, and
we can win without spending another cent on them.". ,
Now, the Negroes have learned you do not want them.
You have said here today that the Democratic Party does not want
them. I am inclined to concede that neither party particularly wants us.
You, the Republicans, had us for 70 years, and kicked us around like
footballs, and showed you have no real respect for us.
It is not a question now of which party wants us; it is a question
of which party offers us a better opportunity to rise in �is �ount�y
and live as citizens should live. In other words, the question IS this,
which party does the Negro want? And I say frankly that the Negro
not only wants but he is going to work for that party that assures
him of the largest opportunity to enjoy the blessing of freedom,
, ,