The Mcdowell Times

GOP
Head Declares
Self
On
Racial
Issue
In
Chicago
Speech
(Speech of Hon. Wendell L. Willkie, Republican nominee for President of the United States, delivered at Chicago, Ill., on September 13, 1940, to an audience of colored citizens.)

Senator King—my voice is a little husky from constant talking, but what I was about to say was, Mr. DePriest, Senator King, and my fellow Americans:

I want you to send Senator King down to Washington to help me. I thought so highly of him that I appointed him a member of my Advisory Committee in this campaign and I want him to be a member of my Advisory Committee when I am President of the United States.

You know, we talk a great deal of democracy in this country, and we have more democracy in this country than in any other country in the world, but there are some things that we must do before this democracy can claim to be reaching in any ways near perfection. And one of those things is to completely eliminate, in this country, any discrimination between people because of race or religion.

Although up to four or five months ago no man in the U.S. had less notion that he would ever occupy public office than I had, at every phase of my life, from the day I was conscious of doing things, every time the opportunity has come to me, whether as a boy in Ellwood, or a lawyer in Akron, or a business man in New York, I have struck at every type of intolerance that has come in my way, and have done so publicly.

I have written out a few things here today, merely because I want them much to be quoted. The real test whether our leadership is making democracy work is whether it excludes any portion of its citizens from full participation in the opportunity and responsibilities of government on account of race.

Now the Negro people of this country are citizens, and entitled to every right that any other citizen is entitled to. And those of us that are so unfortunate as to be on relief are entitled the same treatment on relief as everybody else. And if you elect me President of the United States, I shall see to it that relief is continued until we can again start the wheels of industry working, so that men will have jobs instead of relief.

And I will see to it while relief lasts, that there shall be no discrimination between persons on it by reasons of their color.

Now, I have written it out, I want to make it exact so that no man can doubt what I say.

If elected, I should continue relief for those who cannot secure gainful employment. It is not right, however, that America shall continue the practice where the Negro is the last to be hired and the first to be fired. The Negro has little hope if he must wait until every unemployed white man has been employed, at last, under this administration. I promise to do away with the theory that relief is a Negro reservation. I will abolish
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G.O.P. HEAD
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discrimination in the administration of relief, and shall strive to find creative work for the Negro, as well as every other American. It is indispensable that the leadership of America both in government, industry and in labor, give the Negro an opportunity to be creative and to participate in the great enterprise of American life. I hope that the government, capital and labor will cooperate in providing such opportunities.

Now, a second question:

I want to say that no man in America looks upon the hideous line of lynching with more marked condemnation than I do. Mob violence shocks the conscience of the nation, and legislation to crush this evil must be enacted.

Now, in addition to that, in the administration of the affairs of government during this administration, they have talked in fine words about democracy, but practiced little of it. In certain departments in Washington, regular Jim Crow departments have been created.

I say to you, under my administration there shall be no discrimination between people because of color, race or creed, in the appointment to federal positions; and that any man who serves as my subordinate who makes such discrimination shall be fired on the spot.

Now, if there is anything about my language it is just simple language—anybody does not understand, there is no Harvard lilt to it, but if you do not understand, speak up and I will restate it.

I will carry out the Republican Platform pledge to the Negroes by seeing to it that Jim Crow departments in the federal government—a device which the New Deal created by executive decree—should be eliminated and colored citizens appointed to any branch of the Federal Civil Service to which they are qualified. I will give the Negro a chance to be heard before the government takes its decisions affecting his welfare—a right denied under the New Deal. It is my profound conviction that the Democratic party is incapable of protecting the civil liberties of this country in times of stress, and I believe that the colored citizens above all others needs a leadership which can protect the civil liberties of every group. I pledge myself to give you such leadership.

Now, let me say to you that I am a complete believer in democracy. I think it not alone the most pleasant way of life, but I think it the most effective way of life. I think we must make it so effective that no totalitarian dictator will seek to destroy this great democracy of ours. But we cannot possibly make it so effective against these totalitarian leaders if we deprive ourselves of the abilities and enterprises of ten per cent of our population.

I pledge to you what I want to do with America is to stop boondoggling, stop extravagant stop theories, stop words and start work, want to start to turn the wheels of industry, and produce, produce, produce. The reason Hitler crushed France is because Hitler produced and France failed to produce. The reason that London failed under the regime of Chamberlain is because they talked and Germany produced and produced, and produce. And I want to turn America into a great production, cat production of defense material, a great production of those things that create the satisfaction in life and are really the wealth of the people. And if you start on a pro-