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Venice,Calif.
Sept. 9,1966
Honorable Ivan Allen
Mayor,City of Ablanta
City Hall
Atlanta,Ga.
Dear Mayor Allen:
There are many words in the English Language,but
none will describe your courage facing a mob as you did. Being
a former Atlantian by birth,we used to call it "Sheer Guts".
It has been a long time since I have felt so proud of being a
former "Cracker" as I was watching you on television,I only wish
I could have been there to help you.
Without regards to political feelings,I would like
to compare you with some of our former leaders like Tom Watson
and Gene Talmadge,you like they,was not afraid to do your duty
as you saw fit. Georgia people are the greatest people in the
world,no matter from what walk of life they come from,they are
not afraid to fight,no matter what the odds are. They will fight
without giving qurter to preserve our heritage and way of life.
I cannot say the same thing about my present residence. Our Mayor
could not be found around Watts. I felt like I Lived in a town
without leadership. The citizens were scared out of their wits.
The reminded me of a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off.
As matter of fact our whole leadership is found wanting. Of course
we do not have leaders such as yourself,Dick Russell,Herman Talmadge,
and Carl Sanders. Our citizens have political opportunists,not
leaders. These people out here are trying to push Watts under the
rug,they are appeasing them with more welfare,and taxing the hell
out of the people who will work for a living. these people on
welfare have even formed a union to get more benefits. They will
tell you. the white man owes them a living,and they want to live as
well as the people who go out and struggle every day for their
daily bread. We can keep going the way Los Angeles is going,and we
will be working to support their whims ,and they will laugh in your
face.e
I am not proposing we go out and kill anyone,but I
am proposing they get out and work like other people for what they
get. There are just as many deprived white people in the country
as there are colored,but I don't see them out breaking windows
and burning to get more out of relief. They may fight to get more
for their labors,or try to create better ways to support their
needs and wants,but these people want us to give it to them.
I will cite you an incidence,out here the Post
Office is begging for carriers,they even send notices through
the carriers asking if anyone wishes a position as a letter carrier,
all I see in my area is white girls working with the mails,yet there
are plenty of colored in the area. This is part proof they do not
want to work,they want state relief,they get nearly as much money
as they do working.
I blame the people out here,when I first came here,
I heard people ridicule the south for their so called holding the
negor down,but they had more segregated areas than Atlanta. Even
today Culver City does not have a negro family living within it.
I am not condoning they lift this restriction,but I do feel they
should not criticize our people. I belong to Culver City Ilks,and
one day during one of the Civil Rights movement in Congress one of
my brothers made a bad remark about filerbusting,plus other remarks
about our people. I ask him if he really believed the southern
people should accept them as equals,and did he believe it for him-
self,and should we equalize here,he stated he did,I said alright
lets get started,if you believe it, I will back you up 100%,first
I will go on the lodge floor and prbpose a circulatory motion that
all Elk Lodges accept them,if you will second my motion. Of course
he backed into a corner. People out here are two faced,they believe
in it for you,but not for them selves,they are beginning to see the
light.
I cannot | see a solution to the problem,as my grand-
mother used to say,"You cannot make a silk purse out of a sows ear".
We can pump money to them,we may as well pour water down a rat hole,
we could give them all a nice home,and within a few years most of them
would be rundown,and they would be back where they started. I do not
believe as a whole they will ever pull themselves up to the white
mans standards. After all they never done anything with Africa,or
any other country they control,or could have controled. I am certain
our forbears did not set up this country and work and bleed for it to
turn over to a bunch of people who does not deserve it.
Again I want you to know you acted like a champion,
and I am certain my admiration is shared by all people who appreciate
a fighter like you,regardless of political feelings. I can still see
that big golden letter sign on the front of your store on Peachtree
when I was a kid. If I remember right you used to come to my grand-
fathers Bar-B-Q place in Buckhead, Tidwells,back in the 20's with
Bick & Inman Grey,or maybe it was with Bill Munday,it has been so long
and I was just a kid.
Thanking you very kindly,and may God Bless you.
Yours Respectfully
hi =~
bf bi).
W.R. Morris
Sept. 9,1966
Honorable Ivan Allen
Mayor,City of Ablanta
City Hall
Atlanta,Ga.
Dear Mayor Allen:
There are many words in the English Language,but
none will describe your courage facing a mob as you did. Being
a former Atlantian by birth,we used to call it "Sheer Guts".
It has been a long time since I have felt so proud of being a
former "Cracker" as I was watching you on television,I only wish
I could have been there to help you.
Without regards to political feelings,I would like
to compare you with some of our former leaders like Tom Watson
and Gene Talmadge,you like they,was not afraid to do your duty
as you saw fit. Georgia people are the greatest people in the
world,no matter from what walk of life they come from,they are
not afraid to fight,no matter what the odds are. They will fight
without giving qurter to preserve our heritage and way of life.
I cannot say the same thing about my present residence. Our Mayor
could not be found around Watts. I felt like I Lived in a town
without leadership. The citizens were scared out of their wits.
The reminded me of a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off.
As matter of fact our whole leadership is found wanting. Of course
we do not have leaders such as yourself,Dick Russell,Herman Talmadge,
and Carl Sanders. Our citizens have political opportunists,not
leaders. These people out here are trying to push Watts under the
rug,they are appeasing them with more welfare,and taxing the hell
out of the people who will work for a living. these people on
welfare have even formed a union to get more benefits. They will
tell you. the white man owes them a living,and they want to live as
well as the people who go out and struggle every day for their
daily bread. We can keep going the way Los Angeles is going,and we
will be working to support their whims ,and they will laugh in your
face.e
I am not proposing we go out and kill anyone,but I
am proposing they get out and work like other people for what they
get. There are just as many deprived white people in the country
as there are colored,but I don't see them out breaking windows
and burning to get more out of relief. They may fight to get more
for their labors,or try to create better ways to support their
needs and wants,but these people want us to give it to them.
I will cite you an incidence,out here the Post
Office is begging for carriers,they even send notices through
the carriers asking if anyone wishes a position as a letter carrier,
all I see in my area is white girls working with the mails,yet there
are plenty of colored in the area. This is part proof they do not
want to work,they want state relief,they get nearly as much money
as they do working.
I blame the people out here,when I first came here,
I heard people ridicule the south for their so called holding the
negor down,but they had more segregated areas than Atlanta. Even
today Culver City does not have a negro family living within it.
I am not condoning they lift this restriction,but I do feel they
should not criticize our people. I belong to Culver City Ilks,and
one day during one of the Civil Rights movement in Congress one of
my brothers made a bad remark about filerbusting,plus other remarks
about our people. I ask him if he really believed the southern
people should accept them as equals,and did he believe it for him-
self,and should we equalize here,he stated he did,I said alright
lets get started,if you believe it, I will back you up 100%,first
I will go on the lodge floor and prbpose a circulatory motion that
all Elk Lodges accept them,if you will second my motion. Of course
he backed into a corner. People out here are two faced,they believe
in it for you,but not for them selves,they are beginning to see the
light.
I cannot | see a solution to the problem,as my grand-
mother used to say,"You cannot make a silk purse out of a sows ear".
We can pump money to them,we may as well pour water down a rat hole,
we could give them all a nice home,and within a few years most of them
would be rundown,and they would be back where they started. I do not
believe as a whole they will ever pull themselves up to the white
mans standards. After all they never done anything with Africa,or
any other country they control,or could have controled. I am certain
our forbears did not set up this country and work and bleed for it to
turn over to a bunch of people who does not deserve it.
Again I want you to know you acted like a champion,
and I am certain my admiration is shared by all people who appreciate
a fighter like you,regardless of political feelings. I can still see
that big golden letter sign on the front of your store on Peachtree
when I was a kid. If I remember right you used to come to my grand-
fathers Bar-B-Q place in Buckhead, Tidwells,back in the 20's with
Bick & Inman Grey,or maybe it was with Bill Munday,it has been so long
and I was just a kid.
Thanking you very kindly,and may God Bless you.
Yours Respectfully
hi =~
bf bi).
W.R. Morris