The Story of Tee Davis- A Negro Eho Fought for His Home
The Story of Tee Davis- A Negro Eho Fought for His Home One Law for the Black and One for the White, So the Btack Man Went to Jail ' * ! * i«'the story of Tee Davis—a man who sought to defend...
...J You know us personally...
...Tee Davis was one of the residents of the community, but not one of the landowners...
...20, J 941) became, on account ol his rjgfusal to enter a united front, the target for the eTistdmary'epithets that the Communists hurl against those who refuse to go along with them...
...Salerno's insult against me and my associates in the Italian-American Labor Council, was...
...Gigliotti is a known liberal...
...only 2.7 per cent advocate isolationism...
...Salerno had the.affrontery to tell the delegates of the C.LO...
...D Y this time, the other officers had arrived, and they finished breaking down the door ao^ arrestefi Davis...
...For those interested further in the caw j | Tee Davis and who wish to help, write Wwfcen Defense League, 112 East 10th St, N. I . Who Are the Italian Anti-Fascists — Antonini Gives Names, Dates, History BY LUIGI ANTONINI Aa Open Letter to Phr/ip Murray, -resident of C./.O...
...This suit also is being delayed by toe same tactics, but Sutton expects eventually to win H. . . *• ;*• ' * : \ . I BELIEVE the foregoing will help yea to un» derstand toe situation, and how the Negro people there are fighting to get back their home* and their community...
...A new organization wa formed under name of America* Committee fe Italian Dmnocracy, with Pecora as Chairmar *ad myself as vice-president...
...Another speaker, George Baldanzi, of the Textile Workers' Union, made similar insinuations...
...Joseph Salerno: "During the past twenty years...
...is a picture of what may develop in Italy...
...But what started as high hope has ended in tragedy...
...Gene ro» Pope was named treasurer...
...The original sources for the above information are in our possession and you may have access to them...
...anfajS the conviction made a motion for a new which was overruled...
...Were we fascists, as Mr...
...workers' affiliated with our Italian-American Labor Council...
...drove out many other families, and deported the town officials to Tennessee, pith instructions never to return...
...They lined u with th* Communists...
...dr'v- * • . TjLflTH the community in this plight, the taxes " w e r e allowed to JSecome delinquent on much Of the land, and it was of course sold, and a white man named Weaver, who appears to be jat the head of the reactionary white planter .forces, bought it in...
...Sutton any* that this white antagonism to the community exists because ef the belief among the planters that it is bad to have any land-owning Negroes in the county...
...The union employed Mr...
...Thi program was approved by everybody present s the Pecora meeting...
...The Southern tenant Farmers Union (STFU) was handling .the case and appealed to the Workers Defense League for help...
...Itsliad-American Labor Council, the BelancaCatalanotti group, together with several communist-controlled unions which had never belonged to the Council, called a rump meeting st the headquarters ef the Amalgamated Clothng Workers of America for the same night, for the purpose of creating a dual organization, rhis was just the move which the DaQy Worker had urged many times before—0adp the signature of Israel Arater, a eongmptt leader...
...One-third of the students thought the next war wttl'come by 197...
...It is also the story of a group of southern Negroes who bought some land and tried to live at peace...
...The City College students believe in international cooperation, to include Russia and all other states, large and small, bet they are skepocaL They think the chances are against the practical application of the principles of the Atlantic Charter and the carrying out of the premise* of the Moscow pact...
...He bujlt a commissary and honky-tonk in the town, plowed up some of the streets and tore down some, of the buildings, and in general seemed determined to destroy the community...
...One speaker at your convention, Joseph Salerno of Boston, told your delegates that the leaders of our labor body were nine-tenths fascists...
...Bellanca...
...Davis asked who was outside, and Weaver told him it was Mr...
...officer or being on any legal mission, but continued to kick the door, and had succeeded in splitting it from the bottom halfway up...
...A sincere and courage ous lifelong democrat like Sforza never "wouli have contributed special articles for II Pro grreeo unles* he was sure of the" present demo era tic stand of Generoso Pope...
...However, in after years many of these people drifted bock...
...He missed Weaver, who then drew a pistol and fired two or more shots through the upper part of the door, fortunately not hitting anyone...
...aad the' latter visited Italy after the Ethiopian war, when Mussolini was at the peak of his "glory...
...Bellanca...
...We shall never dtffc** from the democratic principles and Msnli P which wf have been devoted for many v**n> We will thus be worthy of the confidence ei the working people and all democrat**• IsrUto Meanwhile, dear Brother Murray...
...The Story of Tee Davis- A Negro Eho Fought for His Home One Law for the Black and One for the White, So the Btack Man Went to Jail ' * ! * i«'the story of Tee Davis—a man who sought to defend his home...
...thsj changed their name...
...Joseph Salerno of Boston not only gave no real contribution to the anti-fascist cans*, but used to associate with the fascists rather than with anti-fascists...
...Some day—and we hope it w « to soon—the American labor movement adit fit...
...Sutton tells me that he believes that the possibilities for delay have just about been exhausted, and he expects eventually to win this suit...
...The Communists, even before r-eari Har. her, tried to make united fronts with former ' Italian pro-fascists...
...or else directly or indirectly helped Mussolini's collections among Italian-American workers...
...And Generoso Pop** who had been praised as a good democrat by the Communist press (Units' del Popolo, Sept...
...Weaver did not make any, statement about being an...
...electing Negro Republican sheriflg and ether county officials...
...Hundreds of thousands of American works** of Italian origin, both in the A. F. of the C.I.O., are with us...
...in Italy...
...Vice-Pre«ident of the lulliaa|Paa)ifr**ies Ijipsjnl Workers, tells the story h e r y ^ ^ ^ Another War by 1970?What Do You Think...
...Mitchell | 3 that it is vitally necessary that Davit' rigkteM protected, and that it will be quite a eethatfcw what the union is trying to do in Edmoaoteaw he has to go to prison...
...The former visited Italy during the Matteotti crisis in 1924...
...X The splitting role played in this oecasioafift people like Bellanca...
...w« h*P* in all your fairness, that the Congress of j*t dustrial Organizations will npudiat* famous and slanderous charge of fasckes wkito wa* made aginst our Democratic labor body **' the Philadelphia convention over which J** presided...
...Joseph Caitalanotti and their subordinates is quite different...
...Stoety one per cent of the students fsvor oar membership in a world federation...
...What are other eoUef* stadento thtekng...
...Also, about two years ago, an election for •own officials was neid in nnnoaason, ana tne union put up a slate of candidates against Weaver's candid »tea...
...gresso I talo-Americano" and a presidential * i elector of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940...
...that during this war period I have been broadcasting to Italy, as spokesman, not only of Jthe A; F. of L. workers, but also for the C.I.O...
...Sutton to file a suit to recover the lost property from Weaver, which suit has been pending for about two years, every possible legal device to delay it having been employed by Weaver and his backers...
...As secretary, Ben Frank Gigliotti, of La Mesa, California, wa elected...
...Joseph Salerno, particularly Mr...
...by 19>»xthoeght 44.4 per cent: 12.9 per cent picked Britain as our next enemy...
...I suggested to the Executive Committee of the Italian-American Labor Council a nationwide conference ef Italian-American organizations with the purpose of uniting them around our democratic program, thus avoiding a danger of a Communist monopoly of "unity movements.'' , - . • I explained that our invitation would be extended to everybody expept Communists and Fascists, bet as for those prominent indivduals who had honestly changed their minds, <otA«r we thotdd invite all of them or none of tAetx..__ Before making such a proposal, I called to my office August Bellanca and Joseph Catalanotti, who were, at the time, two top leaders of the Italian-American Labor Council...
...The ballots _ for the union candidates were thrown out by the election officers, whom Weaver controlled, and Mr...
...J. Mr...
...union, objected to these slanders from the floor of the convention...
...We have confidence that will recognize that our request for a is justified...
...W* etP"» •verything to hasten and not hinder the uawto* tion of the democratic forces of A merioaaJr^t In this spirit we appeal to you Democratic Italy The split in the Italian labor force*, occasioned by Communist intrigue, now threatens to wreck another fighting organization of the aati—fascist movement— The Mazzini Society...
...HE Executive Committee of the Italian* American Labor Council, composed, as you know, of A.F.ofL...
...They have, proved their anti-fascism during more' than 20 years of struggle, during years when they alone, in the' Italo-American community, dared openly to oppose Mussolini's wars, in .Ethiopia, in Spain, in Greece, or in France, "'The record of those who slander us is quite different...
...But there was one prominent Italian-American who refused to unite with the Communists...
...We think this is an important document— this ease of Tee Davis, and print, therefore, the full report: * • * THE background of the story is this:—The case occurred in Crittenden County, Arkansas, which I understand to be just across the Mississippi from Memphis...
...We have been slanderously attacked and .fif, attempt has been made to wreck our ItehPt American Labor Council, in order to fP*?& the interests of the Communist Party, at off expense of democracy, both in Aaseaig.*to...
...Sutton says is uhjStoE th* case under tiw laws of Arkansas...
...that there it ae distinction to the disadvantage of Gene rose Pop*, between him and other prominent ItalianAmericans who in the past used to praise MugsolinL most of them out of a mistaken feeling We thought that if we bad united (bm didn't), as the Communists and the Amalgamated Clothing Workers' leaders have done with a Cavalier Spatuzza in Chicago, a Judge Alessandroni in Philadelphia, a. Judge Forte in Boston, it would, have been unfair to discard Generoso Pope, only because the Communist: wanted to punish him for his unwillingness tc Joan, their^ united fronts...
...l l / H AT are the real causes of the controversy...
...One of the vice-presidents of our Council, Brother Anthony Esposito, an officer of a C.I.O...
...Luigi Antonini...
...ha« aaBt the Ha Man lsbor movement is simple: tt is whether the democratic forces shall have a chance to lead the Italian community—now that the terror grip ef Ike Fascist* fa* been broken—or whether they and tor totalitarian group will sneak in...
...POLL of New York City College BJteergraduate* showed that S4 per cent predicted that there will, he a World War III...
...Weaver, which did not mean anything to Davis, because he had only recently moved into the community...
...The issue .that...
...Ft was Intended to be a 100% Negro settlement...
...the president ef W ill-begotten "Free Italy American Laker < ! •# efi," only a few weeks before his split eit» * participated in a political symposium •* 'Pi future of Italy sponsored by Grnrroso Pet* * hie "II Progresso I talo-Ant meano...
...We read the report and were struck by its simple, terse sketching of a race relations pattern that started nearly 70 years ago and has held sway to this day...
...Catalanotti and their friends, at alliance dictated by petty New, York, polities rushed to do their part, by issuing statements to the press, with the false charge that I hail •one to the Pecora meeting on behalf of the Italian-American Labor Council without having been duly authorized...
...Now they call thtiapitei "Free Italy American Labor Council* To give further proof that the Peps infill was a mere pretense and shabby excuse, I *epi lfke to point out that Giacomo Bsttistoni, dent of the Mazzini Society, has stated puMW without denial, that August Bellanca had #• preached him to enroll him to favor ef PssstW move...
...M O ton represented Davis at the trial...
...You are a«ruasstst...
...The Negro community is shattered under the rapacious ] onslaught of a white planter who turned a respectable town into an uproarious honky-tonk...
...The Bellanca group walked out because it could net rale the society, and not being a We to rile, Ihep prefer to ruir...
...The fight going en ftere...
...It seems that there had been complaint of thieves in the county, and two deputy sheriffs and Weaver, who had been specially deputised for the purpose, came to Edmondson at night to search for the thieves...
...If at any time he Was invited by the anti-fascists to speak at mass meetings, his answer was that some pro-fascist politicians would have to be invited, too...
...reunited and - serve as a powerful feetto ~P*" democracy triumphing over all forms of tarianism throughout the world...
...Weaver arrived ahead of the others, and finding the door of the house locked, began to kick it down, shouting to the inmates to "open up, you Goddamned black son of a bitch...
...And since then he has preferred to have his pictures taken together with fascists who suddenly became democrats...
...Davis then aimed a shotgun at the lower part of the door, and fired both barrels through the door...
...The Boston anti-fascists, unwilling to accept Salerno's impositions, often preferred to call off their meetings...
...They did this in order to bring greater pressure in favor of' Communist policies in Italy...
...The decision remainei A few days later, our liberal and pro-labc N. Y. Supreme Court Judge, Ferdinand Pecor< whom you know, called a meeting of prominer Italian-Americans, republicans, democrats, an laborites, with the purpose of rallying Italiai Americans around our war effort and Of helpin the people of Italy in their present predicamen I went to that meeting solely as repretentativ of Local 89, J.L.G.W.V...
...However, the decisio Of the Executive Committee to call our natioi wide unity conference was not abrogated c modified in any way...
...The Italian*American Labor Council was founded on December 20, 1941, with a democratic program both for Americans of Italian origin and Italians in Italy...
...Seme of the prominent former pro-fascist Italian-Americans ' consented to unite with the Communists, and since then they have been praised by the Communists as an example of genuine . patriotism...
...In fact, it was" the last county in Arkansas to 1* "rescued" from Republican rule...
...As I recall from what K. T. Sutton (the Arkansas attorney for the STFU) said, the town was established around the torn of the century...
...It came to us not as a social document, but in the "prosaic" form of a lawyer's report...
...he Was renting land from one of tike Negro landowners of Edmondson at the time the shooting occurred...
...Tee Davis is in jail today, serving ten years, although he hurt no one...
...They think the three rreat oow-ers will continue to almv the game ef power politics, that imperialism will continue and the conflict of national totoMOH will prod ace World War I I I . These are the pessimistic opinions of the students ef eae college...
...I ^answered that I never went to that meeting as representative of the Council, but of Local 89, and that whether the Council was or was not to join the American Committee for Italian Democracy, was a matter to be decided by the delegates to the Council...
...Not before...
...TP HE Communists had tried to enter th< * Pecora committee, but as they failed, the] mobilized all their agents, fellow-travelers ant allies to wreck the new organization, by raising a cry of protest against the same Generos< Pope whom they had editorially praised as c sincere Convert to democracy, even before.Pea* Harbor, and with whom they sought to joir hands only a few months ago...
...and in view of the fact that it would mm ably be impossible to get the facts befotofto and the WDL executive board in time for 2 to act on th* case, Mitchell decided to go asofil on behalf of the STFU and authorise Sanaa to take the appeal, although the STFU bnveS little money for this purpose...
...Some years thereafter, the white planter element organised a raid on the community, killed a targe aaa*?*r o?Jtogroes...
...Should you continue your investigation in Boston, you would also find: "Joseph Salerno of Boston came out openly egainst...
...After searching a number of home?', they came to that of Davis, which is somewhat removed from the main settlement...
...During this period, a group of Negro families acquired a txuet u?^ndt in the county where the town of Edmondson is now located, and established tr* town there...
...The WDL asked lawyer Joseph S. Freeland of Padncah, Kentucky, to investigate the case and report...
...And also: "The Italian anti-fascists of Boston have always thought that the value of Joseph Salerno as anti-fascist amounted to zero, especially at the t.Hb« when fascists were collecting money for their Ethiopian adventure...
...The answer came from Catalanotti He said that he was ready to go with anybody, Pope included, even with the devil if necessary i for the -good of Italy, but never in (A the Commuaistt...
...Sutton says that -this is no great matter, as he can prove by the voters themselves now the votes were cast...
...N e i t h e rWjU nor I had known that the time was so topS out...
...fit miceotuem...
...No wonder that they refrained, until Pearl Harbor, from openly fighting against fascism...
...During those days, men like Joseph Salerno of Boston, and his associates, either stood silent...
...What do yon think...
...At the convention of the society la-1 week, forces led by Aoeust Bellanca...
...Let as know...
...the stores and businesses were all owned by Negroes, the town officials were afl Sag^fbpdJtf reel eatete was owned by Negroes...
...unions, has instructed me to protest against certain defamatory remarks made against the Council by speakers at the recent Philadelphia convention of the C.I.O...
...The leaders of the Italian-American Labor Council have always been in the forefront of the struggle against fascism...
...August Bellanca and Mr...
...A« CEVERAL officers of M. Bellaneo's uniea, m Business Agents Caatelracci and uOlPto had banqueted and posed for picturto Generoso Pope, even before Pearl Harbor wtp1 out being reprimanded or repudiated P s*t way by Mr...
...Sutton was not able to save me the date of the occurrence, but stated it happened in the spring of this year...
...I went to Europe in 1935 for the Congress Against War and Fascism, held in Brussels, and the most I could do was, from tie top of a Swiss mountain, to catch a glimpse of a distant piece of Italian land where my mother was buried...
...and C.I.O...
...He was Generoso Pope, publisher of "II Pro...
...Its slogans and activities have been praised by the President of the U. S., by several government departments, and by all the organizations and underground fighters of Italian democratic anti-fascism...
...Catalanotti aafiyfifrhwfifi' must give food for thought to all those ekg have the interests of democracy and of th*Pbw movement at heart...
...They mobilized their forces and their allie Bellanca and Catalanotti rushed to inform n they had changed their mind...
...OHOULD you care to, make an investigation ~ among the Italian anti-fascists of Boston, you would find the following information about Mr...
...I asked their opinion...
...Immediately the ballots disappeared, but Mr...
...He defended his home against an illegal search and was convicted of "shooting a rifle with intent to kill...
...hi the last twenty years, it was never possible for me or my close associates to set foot on Italian soil...
...YOU wotild find the same results should you extend your investigations in New York, in relation to jother Amalgamated Clothing Workers' officers associated with Mr...
...Of course, they had no search warrants, but in Arkansas it is not customary for officers to observe any of the-legal formalities in dealing with Negroes...
...Soviet Restate will be at war with the U.S.A...
...Crittenden Countyhas a large Negro population, and far many years in the Reconstruction period and after was eentsoMed -by the atepaatieans...
...I said that I could nc renounce an inch of the unity program approve by the Italian-American Labor Council...
...fascism and for democracy only after Pearl Harbor...
...Universal military training was favored by (2.4 per cent...
...The ease of Mr...
...The STFU became interested in the situation several years ago, organised a local there, and started a fight to get the town back for the Negro people...
...The Executive" Committee of the ItalianAraerican Labor Council, at a meeting held a few days later, approved my plan of inviting everybody to the nation-wide unity conference, except those who still had mental reservations in favor of dictatorial'forms of government HPHE Communists then realized that their J| whole "unity" business was in serious danger, and decided to wreck our democrat umfy move...
...August Bellanca, the "MachiaVClli" of tjhis sordid affair...
...convention, a sinister reflection would be cast also on you, Brother Murray, because it was under your authorization as President of the C.LO...
...However, Mr...
...also an insult against you and the delegates at your Philadelphia convention whose good faith he betrayed...
...Sutton for the union filed a suit contesting the election...
...it aught make the Negro tenant* and laborers uisa* .isned with their tot...
...Sutton, on November 26...
...SuoseoueirtyrVmiSfaxJ other officers found the thief they, m H {poking for, Who was not Davis but ntoZ Negro, and this other Negro iilasihul j3M the theft and want to the i*nittomwU&J was tried for shooting with intent *a^E3 was convicted aad given ten years, deagj&K plea that he acted within his righto in fijjKS of his home, which Mr...
...of the Amalgamated Clothing Worker*, walked oat of the convention, despite messages calling for unity from Count Carlo Sforza and Benedetto Croce...
...Davis had ?0 days under Arkansas law to pan feet an appeal, and the time expired, aeeordkw to Mr...
...It was after the formation of this America: Committee that Count Sforza became a con tributor to Pope's paper...
...No white people lived in the town...
...That it jthe story of Tee Davis...
...Instead of coming to the regular meeting of th...
...For a short while the BrUanca-CatalaeotaCommunist group tried to use the name *f tp Italian-American 'Labor Council, but as ttoj knew they were committing s fraud, throtjk which the Italian workers could see...
...Joseph Catalanotti...
...Some of these leaders have been anti-fascists since the very first day in 1919 when Mussolini formed his fascia...
...with our record...
...Our position was, and still is...
Vol. 26 • December 1943 • No. 49
