FDR, Costigan-Wagner, and the Lynching of Reuben Stacey: Against Romanticized History

[alcibiades_mystery]

There is no doubt that Franklin Roosevelt was one of our greatest presidents, and there's no doubt that he accomplished much for the people of this country and the world. So it's not surprising that when people want a yard stick for comparison, they'll often invoke the sacred name of FDR. It's fitting and appropriate. At the same time, we should avoid comparisons that romanticize history at the expense of the present. To this end, I want to tell the story of the anti-lynching movement, and perhaps one of FDR's greatest failures of leadership. Certainly, the historical story has its modern day analogy, and it's better if we face that like grown-ups.

We often heard it said that if health reform didn't pass now, it would be a decade at least until it could be taken up again. This was indeed the fate of anti-lynching legislation in the early part of the 20th century. In 1922, after more than 20 years of activism, the House of Representatives passed the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill, which would allow federal prosecutions for those involved in lynchings. The bill was filibustered in the Senate, and died. It would take over a decade for another bill to be introduced at the federal level: Edward Costigan (D-CO) and Robert Wagner (D-NY) introduced the Costigan-Wagner Act, which specified federal penalties for law enforcement officers who conspired with or allowed lynchings in their local jurisdictions. Federal anti-lynching legislation, at the time, enjoyed widespread popular support - one Gallup poll suggested that most regions even supported federal anti-lynching legislation at close to 70%.

Franklin Roosevelt refused to speak out in favor of the legislation.

In the midst of the debate over Costigan-Wagner, in July 1935, a white woman named Marion Jones was supposedly attacked by a black man in her house in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Three days later, a black day-laborer named Reuben Stacey was picked up by police for acting suspicious - Jones identified him as her attacker immediately. He was housed in the jail, until a sheriff deputy's named Bob Clark suggested that a crowd was gathering, and that the suspect - who denied involvement and had never been formerly charged or arraigned for any crime - must be moved. A judge ordered him moved to Miami. Bob Clark took Reuben Stacey and hung him from a tree with a clothesline. He then urged members of the crowd that had gathered to shoot Stacey's dead body with his own revolver. Many in the crowd did just that.

Still, Franklin Roosevelt refused to speak out in favor of the Costigan-Wagner. It ultimately failed in the Congress, and it would be almost three decades before federal anti-lynching legislation, in the form of the Civil Rights Act, would be enacted into law.

Franklin Roosevelt fretted over his agenda, and particularly over the support he needed from southern Democrats. There is no reasonable historical record that suggests his shameful silence on Costigan-Wagner had any other basis than this - no Constitutional objection, no procedural objections, nothing. It was pure politics. The measure even enjoyed majority support among constituents of these hardline Dixiecrats! Furthermore, Roosevelt had campaigned, at least to some constituencies, as the man who would do something about lynching, and, of course, Eleanor Roosevelt was outspoken in her support of federal legislation. Anti-lynching activists had every expectation of at least verbal support for the bill based on previous statements. Still, Franklin Roosevelt refused to speak out in favor of the Costigan-Wagner. Does any of this sound familiar?

I post this little footnote to history not to criticize FDR, nor to engage in same-as-it-ever-was tediousness. Rather, I want to suggest that we view current day failures of the present administration with some clear-eyed historical sense. In particular, I'd suggest that the Obama Administration's failure to speak out forcefully and decisively in favor of our LGBT brothers and sisters is equally disgraceful, and, for my money, the most disappointing element of the administration to date. But let's not pretend it is without precedent, even among our greater heroes.


Reuben Stacey, near Fort Lauderdale, July 1935

[Dr Morbius]

1. Interesting story, new to me. Thanks.

Awful man, really. Great President.

[Blue_Tires]

2. k+r

[alcibiades_mystery]

3. One kick

[tishaLA]

4. thanks for posting

[Bullet1987]

5. It's horrible to see lynching pictures...it's even worse

to see some with children in them. But this is how racism has been allowed to live on for so long. It's never been honestly talked about before.

[alcibiades_mystery]

6. Agreed

[Hippo_Tron]

7. I've been making this argument for months so I'm glad you posted this

Obama's primary goal as President just like basically every President before him (excluding perhaps James K Polk) is to stay in power for as long as possible. Everything else is secondary. People have this mythical conception of FDR and others that they actually put the people's interests before politics. But in reality they did no such thing. You can't become President if you're not a rationally self interested opportunist. It's just not possible.

Obama's goal is to be a two term President. It's not to enrich Goldman Sachs and it's not to bring hope and change. But to paraphrase the West Wing, I would imagine that in the process of his seeking a second term he hopes that people will force him to do good things.