Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 24 October 1936 — Page 4

PAGE POUR

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

Saturday, October 24, 1936

AN INSUL T TO YOUR INTELLIGENCE BEER AND BARBEQUE vs BALLOTS AND BRAINS

“THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS THE ONLY PARTY FOR THE AMERICAN NECRO." —BOOKER T. WASHINGTON.

“THE REPURLICAN PARTY IS THE SHIP-ALL ELSE, THE SEA." —FREDERICK DOUGLASS.

AN APPEAL TO REASON One of the most sickening and disgusting exhibitions of the cheap tricks used by political hood winkers to ensnare the unthinking ihto support of an unpopular and unsound program of public office is the use of age-old housewives slogan, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” The weakness and utter unsuitability of this artifice is that it reveals a deplorable attempt to gain by indirection what is feared does not otherwise “hold water.” Political promises, party platforms, sane and intelligent discussion of the issues of a political campaign should not, in an enlightened commuinty, have to rely upon physical stimulants for their logic. Ours is supposed to be a republican form of government—one in which the people systematically and carefully choose their representatives to carry out the will of the majority. Underlying this structure is the allimportant condition that the electorate at all tim es have the freest and fullest opportunity to express itself upon matters of general and specific policy and the selection of officials to put them into effect. • Forthright, untramelled registering of the public which requires the same opportunity to reason and think clearly on the part of the masses as in the case of individuals. But is this being done, is this rule being observed by certain aspirants for public office? Figure it out for yourself. Here are the facts. Several weeks ago in Marion county a purely sporting event of wide appeal was bogged down with the tie-up of a political rally. In the minds of the promoters the purpose was to lure lovers of automobile racing in large numbers to the State Fair grounds through the appeal of a spectacular and thrilling gas derby, but once the crowd was there to harrangue and harrass it with long flowery recitals of the achievements of the political party for whom they were working and attempt to show that only that party on the basis of its record in office could continue the country in its present condition. A fabulous admission was charged which a record number of people paid. At the hour designated for the start of the race a troupe of political speUbinders stepped to a microphone and began warming up to an old-fashioned rabble-rousing ballyhoo. The immediate thundering roar of bOoes and razzes from the aggrieved crowd left no doubt as to its resentment of this kind of cheap trick. More lately the board of strategy working for the same organization re-enacted the maxim about the way to a man’s heart. At a big rally at the same State Fair grounds a fountain of beer and a box car of imported barbecue were used as, bait to stampede a large crowd into attendance. The mad scramble for the free handout, a disgraceful spectacle in a country where billions are being spent recklessly that everyone mav be sha Itered and fed, is added proof that people are still human—still willing to take something for nothing. In the face of such brazen, open attempt to buy political support by beer and barbecue, it isfbighly doubtful whether a single open-minded citizen in all the vast throng of 20,000 understood the interminable babble of the speakers who essayed to give the low-down on just what this country and state need in the way of more efficient government, reduction of unemployment, sharp dicline in taxes and recognition of the birthright, of each American to the constitutionally guaranteed privileges enjoyed by any and all other Americans. The fate of the colored people of this state and country are inextricably tied up with the ouf-JJ come of this election. If the party now holding office is returned to power, they can hope for no better treatment than they have received during the past three and half years. They have been j] largely on relief because they had little when the depression began flourishing and even that lit-^ tie in the way of jobs was lost because they were the first fired when business was forced to shut down. Even the relief they got was “Negro Re-lief” and was far below that given others in no b etter circumstances and with no better claim. x Colored people have the highest grade natural intelligence. They can think for themselves.' Given a fair chance, they can maintain themselves as cleverly and successfully as any group of people in America. They are no longer the dupes and easy-marks they once were in politics.:! They want to decide things for themselves in the light of their own self-interests. They want to hear the unvarnished tale of what has been done, good and bad, by those in power and why; what measures are now proposed to solve the weighty problems retarding recovery; why officials should attempt to fool the people into indiffer-ence about the rapidly increasing cost of government when as a matter of truth they pay one-fourth to one-third of their incomes in direct and hidden taxes; will the ranks of the unemployed, reaching to the staggering total of 12 billions remain at the same levels during the next four year 5?; will colored people be compelled to continue * accepting only the crumbs from the political table on which the spoils of victory are gouged; will „ the colored people who live in Indiana still have to bear the brunt of an intensity of race prejudice that is equal to that of Georgia, Mississippi or any other Southern state; will one of their race again be kicked out of the state legislature because he has the guts to ask and fight for the rights of his neople? The Democratic party may kid itself that th enlightened community, have to rely upon physic^ which holds the balance of power is to substitute beer and barbecue for brains and belief. There are other forward-looking citizens, however, who believe colored people are conscien-' tious and determined in their aipbition to help work out their own salvation and that of their country as any other grodp of people. These citizens representatives of the .Republican party in ^tate and nation are willing to present facts, tell the truth and work together. Under no circum-; stances would they belittle and mock the intelligence of their colored brother by craven attempts to dissipate honest beliefs and drown common sense in an orgy of beer and barbecue.

YOUR VOTE WILL DETERMINE THE PLIGHT OF MILLIONS OF NEGROES NOW LIVING IN THE SOUTH.

LET'S PUT INDIANA BACK IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

Vote Your Own Sentiment Don’t Let The Beer Barons Do It For You RIGHT THINKING COLORED VOTERS WILL NOT BE BRIBED INTO SUPPORTING A PARTY CONTROLLED AND DOMINATED BY THE UNREDEEMABLE, LYNCH-LOVING, BLOOD-THIRSTY, NEGRO-HATERS OF THE SOUTH. VOTE A STRAIGHT REPUBLICAN TICKET

—PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT.