The Augusta Courier

Union Heads Use Members Money To Aid NAACP -Thurmond

Walter Reuther, Boss of Northern Democratic Party Fighting The South

Senator Strom Thurmond, of South Carolina, in a speech on the floor of the United States Senate on June 16, 1958, charges that the labor unions take their members' money and contribute it to the NAACP to be spent to destroy segregation in the South.

The union members have no say-so and no control over their own money and if it is spent by Walter Reuther and some gangsters exactly as they see fit.

Money For NAACP

In part, the Senator said:

There is another organization to which the unions are contributing, and that is the NAACP. Why should the unions contribute to the NAACP? The people in South Carolina who belong to the unions do not like it. They do not favor the unions contributing to the NAACP.

In the McClellan committee hearings, Walter Reuther admitted that the UAW contributes to the NAACP. In one specific instance, Walter Reuther presented a $75,000 check of the UAW to Arthur Spingarn, President of the NAACP. A picture of that ceremony was published in the newspapers. I am sure many Senators saw it.

On January 28, 1958, according to Labor's Daily, Ralph Holstein, the president of the United Packinghouse Workers, presented a $5,000 check from his union to Dr. Channing Tobias, chairman of the board of the NAACP. How does Mr. Holstein know that his members favor contributing that money to the NAACP?

$5,000 For Fund

The AFL-CIO News of November 7, 1955, announced that the UAW-CIO board contributed $5,000 to the "fight for freedom fund" of the NAACP, to broaden the auto workers' own fight in the civil rights field.

The people of South Carolina believe in civil rights, but they believe in the civil rights itemized in the first 10 amendments of the Constitution of the United States. They do not believe in the kind of so-called civil rights which have been advocated by numerous people connected in one way or another with the Federal Government, labor unions and the NAACP—and, incidentally, the Communist Party.

Union members in South Carolina bitterly oppose the use of their funds by the unions to contribute to the NAACP to do the very opposite of what they want done. They want segregation in the schools. The Negro people in our communities have schools as good as do the white people, and the people down there are willing to pay for separate schools and buildings in order to maintain separate accommodations.

Integration Kit

The AFL-CIO national headquarters has distributed on a tremendous scale an "integration kit" prepared by the CIO department of education and research. This kit contains, among other things, a story of the necessity of forced integration, including inflammatory pictures.

Again I say that the union workers in South Carolina do not want to have to pay for integration kits to be distributed throughout the Nation. This is in conflict with their basic beliefs.

At a recent AFL-CIO convention, it was announced that the organization had earmarked $100,000 for the fight for integration. The objective of the NAACP is integration of the races. Their program calls for an FEPC. I do not believe that the majority of the people in the United States favor an FEPC. I do not believe that the majority of the working people—not only in South Carolina, but in any other State in this Nation—favor an FEPC. I believe that if a referendum were conducted on the question of the FEPC, the overwhelming majority of the people would vote against it. Yet the working people who are members of unions in South Carolina are compelled to contribute their dues to unions which contribute money to the NAACP, which is advocating an FEPC.

Public Housing

The NAACP favors integration in public housing. It favors integration in transportation and in the schools.

I think this item will interest Senators. The NAACP favors abolition of free debate. It favors abolishing rule XXII in the United States Senate. The people of South Carolina, including the union workers down there, do not favor abolishing free debate in the Senate. That is one of the great bulwarks of this Nation. It is important that there be free debate, in order that there may be full discussion of all issues before the American people.

Cracks And Otherwise

"The Constitution is a written instrument; as such its meaning does not alter. That which it means when adopted, it means now. Any other rule of construction would abrogate the judicial character of this Court and make it the mere reflex of the popular opinion or passion of the day."

Justice Brewer.

"By taking one step after the other, one can reach the end of the earth."

Chinese proverb.

"However the Court may interpret the provisions of the Constitution, it is still the Constitution which is the law and not the decisions of the Court."

Charles Warren in "The Supreme Court in U. S. History"

"The reason for my concern is that the instant decision overruling that announced about 9 years ago, tends to bring adjudications of this tribunal into the same class as a restricted railroad ticket, good for this day and train only."

—Justice Roberts, U. S. Supreme Court.

"I cannot frame any definition that will explain when the Court will assume the role of a third legislative chamber and when it will limit its authority to keeping Congress and the States within their accredited authority."

—Judge Learned Hand

It's funny, but the preacher is running on liquor money.