Letter from Samuel W. Silverman, the president of The Allied Veterans Political Association of America, to Members of the United States Senate linking anti-Theodore Bilbo sentiments to communism.

Title

Letter from Samuel W. Silverman, the president of The Allied Veterans Political Association of America, to Members of the United States Senate linking anti-Theodore Bilbo sentiments to communism.

Description

This 4-page letter from the national president of The Allied Veterans Political Association of America defending Senator Theodore Bilbo against attacks by communists during his campaign for senator. In addition, the letter provides a detailed description of race relations in the United States and attempts to explain how Bilbo works tirelessly to help African Americans.

Creator

Samuel W. Silverman

Source

Theodore G. Bilbo Papers, M2, Historical Manuscripts, Special Collections, The University of Southern Mississippi Libraries.

Date

1946-12-31

Rights

Copyright not evaluated.

Language

En

Type

Text

Original Format

Paper

Files

Letter written by Samuel W Silverman on letterhead from the Allied veterans political Association of America organized by act of Congress July 14, 1933<br /> <br /> The letter reads as follows:<br /> <br /> December 31, 1946<br /> <br /> Office national president Suite 819, 63 Park Row, New York<br /> <br /> Office, national secretary, 1701 Monroe St. NE., Washington DC<br /> <br /> To the members of the United States Senate:<br /> <br /> Re:: Senator Bilbo<br /> <br /> Who rules America? Is Congress already yielding allegiance to the purse strings of communism? Is communism so strongly entrenched in the high places of this land that he who refuses to serve them must be eliminated? Why should communism seek to unseat Senator Bilbo? For the past several years, Bilbo has been an outstanding opponent of communism. His name is high on the must eliminate list of communism. To attack and asked Bilbo is to silence other senators and to make them amenable to direct control – to intimidate them. The communists organized a purge during the recent political campaign. The purpose of that purge, overtly conducted in the CIO and PAC groups, was to defeat those politicians and others, who were outspoken against communism. Bilbo was not defeated. Public records to close that CIO and PAC groups did not oppose any member of Congress who had not openly voiced antagonism against the communist party.<br /> <br /> December 26, 1945, a letter was mailed to every member of the Congress, and the other public officials. Headed, and appeal to the conscience of the house of representatives, the letter describes the policy of the American veterans committee to control the veterans and play upon their emotions by inciting racial and religious antagonisms. Their method was that used by subversive and calmness groups – seeming championship of disinfected my Nordie groups. This letter stated: we know how absurd the appeals to religious and racial prejudice may be, but we also know from sad experience the actual crimes that have been the direct result of such appeals. The AV see alleges to fight the cars a persecuted groups. They December 26, 1945, a letter was mailed to every member of the Congress, and the other public officials. Headed, and appeal to the conscience of the house of representatives, the letter describes the policy of the American veterans committee to control the veterans and play upon their emotions by inciting racial and religious antagonisms. Their method was that used by subversive and calmness groups – seeming championship of disinfected my Nordie groups. This letter stated: we know how absurd the appeals to religious and racial prejudice may be, but we also know from sad experience the actual crimes that have been the direct result of such appeals. The AV see alleges to fight the cars a persecuted groups. They build their power on the blind faith and loyalty of weaklings. Once convinced of a VC Segnette sin see your tea, these poor, misguided but sincere people follow those who appear to be fighting their battles for them. We cannot censure them. But, gentlemen of the Congress, the same blind faith and loyal support-no matter how sincerely intended, can create a very serious political crisis-a crisis that now bids fair to become the most destructive and our whole national history. They are organized and directed by group of highly intelligent. A, I experienced and wealthy leaders-toward a well planned objective! It is only when you and I who know better, Who are aware of the spurious nature of their cogent and spacious pretense; it is only when you and I lose our heads and play cheap and dirty politics; we forsake sincerity of people in the welfare of all the people: that we play right into their hands. Find ourselves and miss the strange bedfellows. God and Stalin or Satan cannot bed together the gentleman of Congress are familiar with the message used by the communist.<br /> <br /> It is needless to cite the case of Senador Theodore Bilbo in Mississippi-a sincere, loyal and fine southern gentleman. Senator Bilbo had spoken upon a subject which is of a very controversial nature; a subject which has given a great deal of close attention and real study. He had every right to express his opinion of the subject. Yet communism crucified him for doing so. While I do not necessarily subscribe to his opinions, my organization will fight to the limit for his right to express that opinion. In doing so, he stepped on the corners of certain groups-for the subject was one commonly used by communist as a ready means of Augmentin is power in membership,. Under the leader ship of the communist party, thousands of letters, highly inflammatory in nature, postmarked from every state in the union, flooded the office of Senator Bilbo. Those letter subjected Bilbo to every conceivable form of vile anathema and vilification. He was criticize, cursed and called and principally filthy names. His secretary, Edward Terry, prepare replies to them, and, and righteous admin indignation, Bilbo signed and permitted a few well justified letters to go to remote sections of the nation; to widely separate localities. However, we are not not confronted by all of these letters, all assembled obviously, but one hand; all viciously use by that hand to re-create Senator Bilbo as the persecutor of racial minorities. Bilbo was goat it into situation situation, and<br /> <br /> At the end of page 1 there is a summary of the objectives of the allied veterans political Association of America. It reads: shall be in to foster and perpetuate the principles of real Americanism; to enter veterans on a united front and every national, senatorial and congressional elections; to enter candidates for state, county and local offices and four present and County Republican and Democratic committee; to work for the feet or recall of all members of Congress and other public officials who vote for legislation sponsored and desired by special privilege interest; to expose all false propaganda against the veterans and against the people of the United States; to fight the political ballot battles of veterans organizations who is constitutions or bylaws prohibit them from entering politics.
Page 2<br /> <br /> They are too, is now being used as a cross to crucify him behind this whole campaign stanza sinister force of the communist party. You are being made a party to the conspiracy. What they are now doing to Senator Bilbo, they can and will do to you! The communist want to control our government. They will stop at nothing to see the control. Part of that control invested in you. You, yourself, I may be there next victim. Even your most cautious to fences will be as beautiful as those available, and a value nothing in your trial!<br /> <br /> They are too, is now being used as a cross to crucify him behind this whole campaign stanza sinister force of the communist party. You are being made a party to the conspiracy. What they are now doing to Senator Bilbo, they can and will do to you! The communist want to control our government. They will stop at nothing to see the control. Part of that control invested in you. You, yourself, I may be there next victim. Even your most cautious to fences will be as beautiful as those available, and a value nothing in your trial! Trial!Proof of what was their written to Congress is amply shown in the parade of the beds before your Senate committee investigating the bill bouquets. They are, Ed TERRY, the confidential secretary of state at work senator Bilbo, boldly admits that, on September 15, 1945, he excepted from a wealthy communist leader Simon LIBERFELD $15,000 in cash, to be used by him for the purpose of the feeding in the elections, his own employer. He was promised additional $10,000. Observe, in this bride, a tacit agreement to provide for Terry’s own business future! Terry has revealed that the communist are destroying Bilbo, presumably to replace him with their henchmen. You, the Senate, Or duty-bound to exhaustively investigate those other sums of money necessarily give it to Terry to bribe him to affect Bill goes to feet. The Senate should ascertain just how many months prior to September 1945, this broad taking was going on. Was Terry the immediate agent and cause of the widespread insurance of those inflammatory letters? Or the replies they are too, admittedly written by him and signed by Bill Bill, actually invented by Terry for use as part of this come in a scheme to disgrace Bilbo and destroy him? This is a very crocs in the essence of the entire investigation! Terry definitely links communism with the smear campaign against Bilbo; it disclose is the perpetrators of the cause of this investigation<br /> <br /> Bilbo has submitted an acceptable explanation of every other fact involved in the inquiry.<br /> <br /> Every member of the Congress knows all too well-secretary to make or break a senator. The secretary has complete control of all correspondence. It is impossible for any senator to read every letter arriving at, or emanating from, his office. That task is necessarily the function of the secretarial staff. Naturally, senators must sign documents place before then buy a secretary-a person in whom he must have absolute confidence and faith-and usually with none for cursory scanning. His-when a secretary is brought by the communist party to frame a senator-that senators almost in evitable a trap! This procedure is merely one of the lesser phases of the familiar, his procedure-Boreen from with in with traders!<br /> <br /> Every member of the Congress knows all too well-secretary to make or break a senator. The secretary has complete control of all correspondence. It is impossible for any senator to read every letter arriving at, or emanating from, his office. That task is necessarily the function of the secretarial staff. Naturally, senators must sign documents place before then buy a secretary-a person in whom he must have absolute confidence and faith-and usually with none for cursory scanning. His-when a secretary is brought by the communist party to frame a senator-that senators almost in evitable a trap! This procedure is merely one of the lesser phases of the familiar, his procedure-Boreen from with in with traders! The Senate should also investigate the other secretaries of senators-and, for that matter, try to discover how many senators are themselves involved in this communist attempt to overthrow our government by a policy of quietly permeating all subordinate channels. Have the communist already acquired complete domination of a majority of our leaders of cells?<br /> <br /> Show me a senator who is not guilty of taking care of his constituents-and I will show you a legislator who will never be reelected to serve a second term. A legislator must first of all protect our nation-and then fulfill the necessary obligations of his office to his constituents-my personal favorite as well as by securing that legislation deemed requisite for local need, or a benefit to constituents directly this is the commonly excepted procedure for perpetrating every legislator in office. You do it while Blaine Bill about it?<br /> MI have delineated an organized, communist attempt to out Bilbo. Does the Senate know of the exact Word for Word resolution urging impeaching a Bilbo, simultaneously presented to the major veterans organizations all over America? Why I didn’t go? Why spontaneous if not emanating from the same common source? A few veteran groups pass that resolution. It was presented in New York City and pass by some American Legion Post – but New York county threw it out as communist inspiration-largely because of my analysis an opposition. Did these resolutions emanate from the same hand that dictated the inflammatory letters about Bilbo? What is the hand Terry’s? Through the six year war., I was chairman of the American Legion subversive activities-American committee-in a strategic position to know the actual workings of the Commies control groups and directing their slur and smear propaganda against Senator Bilbo, as well as others. I knew what happened! Being a sociologist of a successful politician for many years-I could interpret it too!<br /> <br /> I sincerely maintain Senator Bilbo as an honest an upright legislator who is the main and has shown a much more discerning long-range vision than most politicians. Bilbo has shown no anti-Semitic, or anti-this or that – racial group tendencies. Nor has he ever shown any
Page 3<br /> <br /> Amity for the Negro. His attitude is much like a sincere and Farsi parent who is invading indulgence and pampering of every whim of his child in a very real effort to bill for that child, a bright and promising future. Millions of our citizens agree with Bilbo as to what constituents Negro welfare. Curiously enough, the highest type any Negro also agrees with Bill bow theories. Give the Negro the false opportunity for self expression, educate and develop the best in his race to his optimal capacity, and allow them to live their own lives in their own way. Bilbo, as does almost every white man, object to 100% acceptance of the Negro into participation in private family lives in affairs. Many whites honestly believe in her marriage with me Groves-but only if it is the other fellow whose sister Or daughter and her Mary’s. Invariably, the wind or Negro girl who Mary’s into the office at Rice is an outcast in both races. Because of the unseen forces we got by group miss use and abuse of the championship of the rivals? Of suffering? Minority groups, most people are reluctant to honestly express their views. In their hearts, they agree with Bilbo; for Social Security, they tactfully can form and give lipservice. There are many groups, as in New York City, who have never before bed for or against any racial group. A New York mayor made the whites Negro conscious and start a page 140 gross. That mayor imported the Negro for his ballot and put him on relief. Landlords, with houses tentative by Negroes, found that quartz would neither require the tenants to pay rent nor VICS them. To avoid a complete loss of property, landlords raise their dwellings-and set up a house shortage: citizens are daily assaulted, robbed and killed by Negro criminals, with the lease turn in an unseen back knowing that to protect the Citizen will be to lose their own jobs.<br /> <br /> Force in the Negro on the white is not building up a Negro future. You cannot teach, train, educate, guide and develop a Negro by passing laws. Dumbo is a keen, analytical student of sociology. He knows history. He is an authority on the race problem. Bilbo has urges at the future of the Negro be assured by saying, sound, educational policies. He does not seek to nurture the spoiled and pampered brat. As a politician, he differs from that mayor of New York and cultivated the Negro to achieve certain personal political objectives. He does not want to protect the Negro in crime and justice, nor train him to a life of cancer is social growth. Never refuse the Negro the right to vote. If a state has set up socially acceptable conditions to wish the warm if he is to vote, and the Negro must’ve been the wall every motor has to conform to legal safeguards on the ballot. If Mississippi has set up certain regulations for declaring a change in party allegiance, the Negro must conform to those regulations if he is to change his party!<br /> <br /> The Republican Party has secured control of the Congress on probation. If they use that power to unseat Bilbo, they will make a grievous and Irreparable mistake. In effect, they are confirming the Democratic accusation of Republican complicity with communism. They are driving at one of the most fundamental of our constitutional rights end freedom of expression, freedom from fear and freedom to think, feel and act of God guides us to do. We can either forward an American Stalin to patterning to punctuate our thinking, feeling and doing. The people of Mississippi elected Bilbo. They like him. What right halfway to dictate the good people Mississippi who is to represent them? If they’re thinking of a man it has a highly culture, educated experience of Bilbo who is extraordinary intelligence and political acumen has never been challenged is not approved by subversive, minority groups, then it behooves the Senate to examine into the activities of those groups who persecute Bilbo. Focus the spotlight of investigation on the persecutors – there is robbery and corruption there.<br /> <br /> The critics of Bilbo in a little, and care less about, the real racial needs of any minority group. They are not students, autonomous or sociologist. They are pandering to racial bigotry because it is a ready weapon to crucify Bill though, it was honestly expanded opinions chance to be contrary to acceptance by certain small but active groups. His utterance was publicize, missed quoted, and misinterpreted to serve as a flame to incite racial antagonisms. Then, with the cooperation of the racial bigots as a basis, common seek to eliminate Bilbo by bribery and conspiracy. Terry seems to be well-versed in these political machinations. He has placed himself in much the same category as a former New York mayor who rode to power on important Negro votes. Then, in the flowering a political success, that mayor abandon the Negroes to join another more fruitful issue. We are told that Terry now has $1 million credit with which to embark on housing construction. Was that million dollar credit authenticated by the same communist to bribed him with an initial $15,000 to initiate Bilbo‘s political downfall? One suspects $8000 clerks who get millionaire credit. Is this millionaire dollar credit Terry’s pay off? Is it the 30 pieces of silver?
Page 4<br /> <br /> It is certainly not the duty at the Senate, it’s it’s official investigation of allegations made against Senator Bilbo, to fritter about on a witchhunt. But is there plain duty to thoroughly investigate every pertinent factor of developed in this investigation.<br /> <br /> Terry, his admitted $15,000 bride, his offer of additional funds, his he succession to invest money credit for entry into a highly paid instruction activity-his sudden success and financial power after quitting and minor and low wage position-all of this is very pertinent data. Every power of the Senate; every agency of our government, should be called upon to explore the latent possibilities of criminal conspiracy line they are in.<br /> <br /> Who is responsible for the demand Bilbo be subjected to the humiliation of investigation by the Senate? Why was he denied the privilege of facing his accusers? What is the purpose of the Senate enclosing in silence identities of those who are immediately responsible for an investigation of Bilbo<br /> <br /> We think that Ed Terry can supply the answer to a lot of these questions. He should be compelled to do so. The person who gave Terry is $15,000-a question moly, many additional thousands of dollars to induce Terry to betray Bilbo-that man did not come to Terry unknown and unsolicited. He was introduced it to Terry by mutual friend, and then only after Terry had been sound it out and expressed willingness to sell out. Terry should be forced to disclose all he knows about these persons who were instrumental in his betrayal up his employer. Those persons new Terry-his weak points, his ability and willingness to deliver. They knew how to approach him; how to lay the groundwork and how to affect liaison between Terry in their own principles. No trust, confidential secretary can be easily bragged or influenced unless some of his personal friends are in on the tape. Who were Terry’s Confederates in this conspiracy?<br /> <br /> The United States Senate-through you, gentlemen,-is it self on trial. It is up to the Senate to clean its own scared of the contamination of communism-or to confess it’s firm allegiance to a controlled by communism. Every sincere and honest legislator who now investigates feel well, is himself face-to-face with the same elimination policies by the same communist party power. What happens to Bilbo, gentlemen, can happen to you!<br /> <br /> America should not easily forget the bear lesson learned in the downfall of Germany; the betrayal of France, Austria and Poland. The conquest of these nations was not an overnight achievement by external forces alone. That conquest was the result of a long, patient, tedious and in situ ask him to ration through the power of those on the inside. The first conquest was that of the political leader ship of the country. The first victory was betrayal by those who held places of power and trust-just such a place as you hold now. America face is that same in situ us infiltration and domination at this moment. The Congress is an immediate objective. It is for the Congress to determine just how far and how successful this domination from with out is to progress. It is for the Congress decide when and how it is to end.<br /> <br /> Who now rules America? And your investigation of Senator Bilbo, you were answering this very pertinent question. The Senate is on trial as well as Senator Bilbo.<br /> <br /> President Roosevelt was accused of fraternizing with the communist. Even intimidated newspapers both covertly and overtly describe communist party infiltration in control in Washington. It was because of the bureaucratic control of the Democratic Party, their communistic alliances-that I, and many like me, organized reform groups. Incorporated the New Jersey state Democrats, and advocate in the defeat of the democratic party so that I complete party purge would be affected. We must illuminate the communist from American government an American political parties. But no citizen worthy of his American heritage expects the republican party can to continue as the instruments to affect the objectives of the communist party. your conduct in investigating Bilbo is your declaration of purpose as to your stand on communism. My organization stands for the American principle of equality of opportunity for all, without discrimination between race, creed or color.<br /> <br /> <br /> Respectfully yours,<br /> <br /> Signature of Samuel W Silverman<br /> <br /> Samuel W Silverman, national president

Citation

Samuel W. Silverman, “Letter from Samuel W. Silverman, the president of The Allied Veterans Political Association of America, to Members of the United States Senate linking anti-Theodore Bilbo sentiments to communism.,” Online Exhibits at Southern Miss, accessed April 16, 2024, https://usmspecialcollections.omeka.net/items/show/173.

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