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COMMITl'EES: CHARLES LONGSTREET WELTNER BANKING AND CURRENCY FIFTH DISTRICT, GEORGIA UNAMERICAN ACTIVITIES SMALL BUSINESS WAS HINGTON OFF'ICE: 17.24 LONGWORTH BUI LDING TELEPHONE, .2.25-3801 cteongrtss of tbt Wnittb ~tatts J,ou5e of l\epre5entatibes mta~ington, :ill).~. 20515 DISTRICT OFF ICE : 32.7 OLD POST O FFICE ATLANTA 30303 TELEPHONE, 5.23-5041
ar---- H ouse of Repres~ntatives WEDNE DAY, SEPTEM BER 7, · 196 ATLANTA STRIFE (Mr. WELTNER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minu te and to revise and extend his remarks.) Mr. WELTNER. Mr . Speaker, I join with ot h er citizens of At lan ta in com mending the prompt action and cou rage of Mayor Allen in quelling the dist urba nces of recent hours. Once again , h e h as demonstra ted that high caliber of leadership which has ea rned for him a national reputation. I a m cer tain t h at all but a minute fraction of our citizenry view wit h a bhorrence the strife and violence that has m arred our city. No grievance--real or fa.ncied-can justify mob action and insurrection. No conditions--however grim- can justify massed assa ults u pon law enforcement officers and fellow citizens. The question comes in determining proper courses of public action to preven t future outbreaks. Obviously, t he first duty is the pr otection of th e persons and p roperty of inn ocent citizens by the p rompt an d full a pplication of t he police power. Again, Mayor Allen deserves credit for h is personal direction of the matter. Second, all persons fl'Uilty of law violations-in fomenting disorder, or in committing assaults-must be prosecuted and, upon conviction, punished. Lastly, our need is leadersh ip. We n eed leadership for con struct ive action in t h e extension of opportunities. And we need leadership against the dest ructive action of "black power." F or despite quibbling over meanings, that term is consistently used as a call for violence and a summons t o disorder. Thus our n eed is for leadership throughout our community, and particularly among elected Negro officials. Men and women of good will, determined to continue the rem arkable achievements of Atlan ta, will n ot be deterred from that goal by the few In our midst who would h < progress 1n the name of demagogue, y- be it white or black. �
