The Pittsburgh Press (October 20, 1940)
DAVIS DEFENDS ELWOOD RECORD
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No Discriminating on Negroes, Senator Says
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Washington, D.C. (PWB) –
Senator James J. Davis (R-PA), one-time city clerk of Elwood, Ind., home town of Wendell Willkie, defended today the record of that community in the treatment of Negro citizens.
This was in reply to Senator Minton (D-IN), who had declared that a “special permit” was required for Negroes desiring to enter the town.
No such permit was required when I was a city clerk of Elwood, and since then there have been about an equal number of Republican and Democratic administrations of the town.
This is part of the spirit of persecution that has been abroad as a part of the third-term campaign, and it is a wicked violation of our American traditions. The first manifestation of this spirit came from Henry A. Wallace, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, who described the presidential contest as between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Hitler.
I knew the Willkie family well in Elwood, and their strong spirit of devotion and loyalty to what we call Americanism.
Senator Davis presented a telegram from city officials of Elwood taking violent issue with statements of Senator Minton.
The Pennsylvania Republican said he had accepted an invitation from State Chairman Torrance to introduce Mr. Willkie at campaign meetings in Erie and Sharon next week.