Black Democrats Seek Access to Democratic Primary

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Collection:: Land of (Unequal) Opportunity: Documenting the Civil Rights Struggle in Arkansas
Title:: Black Democrats Seek Access to Democratic Primary
Publisher:: Fayetteville, Ark. : University of Arkansas Libraries
Date of Original:: 1942-07-22
Subject:: African Americans--Arkansas
Civil rights--Arkansas
Race discrimination--Arkansas
Segregation--Arkansas
People:: Barrett, Joe C.
Atkins, Homer
Location:: United States, Arkansas, 34.75037, -92.50044
Medium:: articles
Type:: Text
Format:: application/pdf
Description:: Article describing efforts by the Arkansas Negro Democratic Association to vote in 1942 Democratic primary.
Civil Rights -- African-Americans -- Blacks -- Democratic Party -- Arkansas Negro Democratic Association -- Little Rock -- Pulaski
Can't Vote Under Rules, Says County Party Official While officials of the state Dem- ocratic Committee could not be reached last night, June P. Wooten, secretary of the Pulaski County Democratic Committee, said: "Un- der the party rules, they can't vote in the primary." Section 2 of the rules of the Dem- ocratic party of Arkansas states: "Qualifications of Members (party) --The Democratic party of Arkan- sas shall consist of all eligible and legally qualified white electors who have openly declared their alle- giance to the principles and policies of the Democratic party, as set forth in the platform of the last preceding Democratic national and state conventions, who have sup- ported the Democratic nominees at the last preceding elections, and who are in sympathy with the duc- cess of the Democratic party in the next succeeding election." Mr. Wooten said if election judges and clerks chose to abide by the partu rules they could bar the polls to Negro voters in the pri- mary, despite their announced in- tention of voting only for candi- dates for federal offices. State Committee Should Decide, Says Governor. Governor Adkins informed of the meeting and asked whether he be- lieved the Negroes could vote in the primary, said last night he considered it "clearly a matter of party regulations." "I think it is a matter to be de- termined by the state Democratic committee," he said, "and I think they have a right to make their own rules." During the next eight weeks the officer-candidates are just candi- dates, but if they make the grade and are commissioned, any friend- ships they have developed with non- commissioned men must be broken. The army frowns on enlisted per- sons dating officers and vice versa. Barret Opposed To Voting by Negroes. Joe C. Barrett of Jonesboro, chairman of the Democratic State Committtee, told the Gazatte what will happen when these Negroes try to vote in the primary will depend on the lection judges and clerks in each precinct. "But the party rules speak for themselves in the matter, Mr. Bar- rett said, and I feel theu will be complied with." The state committee will not is- sue special instructions to local election judges and clerks with re- gard to voting by Negroes, Mr. Barrett said, "unless some special request is made for us to do so. Judges and clerks are supposed ti know the party rules." Mr. Barrett said if any Negro group shoul request permission from the state committee to vote in the primary he wouldl vote against the request.
Metadata URL:: http://digitalcollections.uark.edu/cdm/ref/collection/Civilrights/id/844
IIIF manifest:: https://digitalcollections.uark.edu/iiif/2/Civilrights:844/manifest.json
Additional Rights Information:: Please contact Special Collections for information on copyright.
Original Collection:: Arkansas Gazette
Contributing Institution:: University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Libraries
Rights: