Center for Labor Education & Research, University of Hawaii - West Oahu: Honolulu Record Digitization Project
Honolulu Record, Volume 10 No. 9, Thursday, September 26, 1957 p. 8
Senator's Incitement to Rebellion
By Koji Ariyoshi
President Eisenhower has finally taken steps to enforce the Supreme Court decree on integration. He was forced to do this—federalizing the National Guard in Arkansas and sending U.S. troops into Little Bock—in order to preserve order in a state of rebellion.
Earlier he had issued an order instructing riffraff mobsters, backed by racists among politicians and businessmen, to "cease and desist" its "willful obstruction of justice." The mobsters, howling, like packs of animals 1,000 strong, forced officials at Little Rock to withdraw nine Negro students after they had safely gotten into Central High.President Eisenhower, through boldness and foresight, could have avoided or minimized the untold suffering of brave Negro students.
The Supreme Court ordered desegregation of public schools in April 1954. Since then many states have been adopting plans for integration. Some are dragging their feet, while some others oppose desegregation altogether.
At Little Bock a gradual plan for integration had been adopted and approved by the Federal court of the region. But Governor Faubus personally wanted to delay step one of operation desegregation until next year, until the Democratic primary when he intended to run again for governor.
Gov. Faubus, by using, the National Guard to bar a few select Negro students from Central High emotionalized the whole issue, fed the appetites of racists and riffraff.
Show Deep South
The President could have and should have demonstrated his determination to enforce the Constitutional provision of equal rights in the border state of Arkansas. Further south in the Deep South states, opposition to the Supreme Court's decree is more stubborn and strong.
The President could have flown to Little Rock many days ago, on his private plane, and taken the hands of Negro students while leading them to school. He should have visited Tennessee where a new school was dynamited by racists opposing integration.
> He could have, federalized the National Guard, thus stripping Gov. Faubus' backbone of the present resistance.Sen. Johnston for Insurrection
The President was forced to act. By this accident he and the Republicans will undoubtedly ride high politically, win votes for the GOP. How different it would have been if the President had taken the initiative from the outset to enforce desegregation.
President Eisenhower is a villain today to bigots in the South. One of the bigots is Sen. Olin D. Johnston (D., S.G.), who sounded off on the Arkansas crisis in these words:
This racist came to Hawaii with another big league bigot—Sen. James Eastland of Miss.—last year, ostensibly to investigate communism but actually to knife statehood and attack the ILWU.
Contempt for Constitution
Johnston then talked like a law-abiding man, with a great love of the U.S. and unwavering obedience to the Constitution. He scolded those who used the Fifth Amendment provided in the Constitution. He said that any law-abiding person would speak out before the Senate committee, etc.
This racist doesn't give a hoot about, the Constitution when it comes to civil rights. He has contempt for those who rely on the Constitution and he clearly demonstrated his despicable attitude in Hawaii last December. When he and his fellow racists are forced by court decree to up-hold the Constitution, they advocate open "violation of the order.
Actually Sen. Johnston advocates open rebellion. If such a movement were feasible for the South, it means civil war. It means open and positive effort to overthrow instituted government.While here, Sen. Johnston and his colleagues of the Eastland committee, made constant references to the Smith Act and those convicted under.
No Need of Stoolpidgeons
The "Smith Act convictions were effected by whipping up public feeling, striking fear among the people and by the use of coached perjurers. The Supreme Court has thrown back, for example, the Pittsburgh Smith Act case because it was poisoned by lies of government witnesses. Now the Justice Department has been forced to abandon the case.
Sen. Johnston has openly advocated insurrection and rebellion against Federal authority. There is no need of stoolpigeons to haul him to court. His was no abstract talk. His advocacy was positive and concrete, in a situation where racist mobsters are in open rebellion.The Smith Act should be used against Sen. Johnston, who says the witch-hunting act is constitutional.
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I do not say that at odd hours a patient must be given the regular hot dinner or supper. Few people would expect this.
But what is so complicated about opening and heating a can of soup, making some toast, or preparing instant coffee or tea? Why cannot a night nurse do these simple things after the kitchen to closed? Is it just too much trouble?
It is only common humanity to feed the hungry. If our hospitals are too big, too complex, too impersonal to do these small kindnesses for the sick, something is very wrong.