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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 1915)
The Monitor A Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of the Eight Thousand Colored People in Omaha and Vicinity, and to the Good of the Community The Rev. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor $1.00 a Year. 5c a Copy. Omaha, Nebraska, December 4, 1915 Volume I. Number 23 Memorial Services For Great Educator .- % Local Colored Citizens in Large Num bers Attend Exercises Sunday Afternoon at Zion Baptist Church. WASHINGTON IS EULOGIZED Many Interesting Facts of 'His Life Told by Those Who Knew Him . Resolutions Adopted. Standing room was at a premium Sunday afternoon in Zion Baptist church where memorial services for the late Booker T. Washington were held. Men and women who knew him told many interesting facts about his life and character and of his de votion to the race of which he was proud, whose needs he knew so well and for which he so zealously and untiringly labored. The exercises began with a hymn by the choir. An invocation followed. Then there was another selection by the choir, after which the Rev. Dr. G. G. Logan, pastor of the Grove M. E. church, who had known him well for many years, gave a most inter esting address on “Dr. Washington’s Early Life as a Student,” in which he emphasized, among other things, the fact that the same determina tion to secure an education which Washington showed in his early life was a dominant characteristic of the man throughout his subsequent career. G. Wade Obee, m a well-chosen ad dress on “Dr. Washington as a Business Man,” spoke of his admin istrative ability, necessarily of a high order to build up and administer such an institution as Tuskegee, and dwelt upon the work he had done in organizing The Negro Business Men’s League. Mrs. J. H. Hutten gave an appreciated vocal solo. Mrs. J. H. Wallace, formerly of Kansas City, whose guest the edu cator had been, spoke most interest ingly on the topic of “Dr. Washing ton as a Guest in the Home,” in which she told of his simplicity and unaf fectedness. Mrs. J. Alice Stewart, who had met him very frequently during her edu cational work in the South, spoke on “Dr. Washington as a Race Man.” In the course of her address she was frequently applauded. She told how, after residing in the South and seeing conditions as they were, and having met Dr. Washington, she be come convinced of the fact that he was absolutely sincere in his devotion to his race, even though his silence on many wrongs to his people which he keenly felt brought miticism upon him from those who did not under stand conditions. She told of his in fluence in quieting conditions during the Atlanta riots, when he arose from a sick bed and went to Atlanta and delivered an eloquent speech to a large gathering of white people, Mrs. (Continued on eighth page) ___________ Thoughts From Our Own Authors There are no beaten paths to Glory’s height, There are no rules to compass greatness known; Each for himself must cleave a path alone, And press his own way forward in the fight. Smooth is the way to ease and calm delight, And soft the road Sloth chooseth for her own; But he who craves the flower of life full-blown, Must struggle up in all his armor dight. _PAUL LAWRENCE DUNBAR._ I THE PROPOSED NEW ZION BAPTIST CHURCH Some Important Fads of Recondrudion. Editor The Monitor: Please accept my thanks for the fight you and The Monitor have made against the “Birth of a Nation.” The more I examine this insidious thing my conviction grows that it is doing untold harm to the colored people of this nation. It is teaching the young white people a lie and hatred against the one group in America today which is so greatly needed to maintain our national existence should we he drawn into the world war. I do not know why this photo-play was produced, or why it is spending such enormous sums of money for newspaper and billboard admertisement all over the country; but it has been suggested to me, by a prominent lawyer of our city, that it was designed to lift the odium of the operations of the klu klux klan from the so-called leading families of the South who were prom inent in its career of murder and other lawless and brutal deeds. Yesterday I met a reporter on one of our daily papers who had seen this play, and to my amazement he said he believed it to be true. He was born in Kansas, holds an A. B. from the University of Kansas. If this man accepts this play as historically true, what must be the views held by other northern white persons who have seen it. The thought has come to me that we need to educate our white friends, insofar as time and opportunity permit, respect ing the facts of reconstruction. The k<u klux klan, which is shown in this play as saviours of civilization, committed its first murders in Tennessee in the latter part of 1865. Some of the victims were white ministers and teachers from the North, and. of course, Negroes. At this time the Negro was without legal status as a freed man, except such as he had gained by the Emancipation Proclamation, me 13th amendment gave him his legal status as a freeman, the 14th amendment made him a citizen, and the 15th amendment conferred upon him the ballot. That was in 1869. Mark well the time. In 1868, nearly one full year before the Negro became a voter, an election was held in South Carolina and other southern states. The Republican party carried South Carolina by a majority of 18,000, without a single Negro vote. The situation in the other southern states was relatively the same as to party majority. Up to this time many thousands of white and colored persons had been murdered by the klans. And when the Republican officers (whitel began th passage of laws to overthrow the klu klux klan, it started on a campaign of crime unrivalled in the history of the world, and kept it up until their toll in murder had risen to one nunareu thousand persons. They burned hundreds of school houses and under cover of darkness they invaded the homes of helpless white and colored persons and gave them brutal beatings with rawhides. Through this means hundreds of (Continued on third page) Colored Student On University Team Wins Place By Merit in Competition With Thirty-eight. Brilliant Debaters. SECURES SMALL SCHOLARSHIP William Haines of Nashville, Tenn., Has Gained Oratorical Laurels Before. Chicago, Dec. 3.—Once again the University of Chicago places itself on record as being willing to recognize merit regardless of race, color or creed. Six men were awarded posi tions on the Varsity Debating Team Monday night, Nov. 23. Of these six William Haines, a race lad from Nash ville, was unanimously adjudged the most brilliant and capable speaker, and placed upon the debating team which is to meet the University of Michigan January 21st, 1916. Chosen Out of Many. The speakers discussed the ques tion: “Resolved, That Congress should adopt the literary tests for all Euro pean immigration.” Twelve men ocn tested as teams. Two debates were held, two teams taking part in each. The twelve wrere all that were left from a field of thirty-eight at the preliminaries held two weeks ago. In dividual ability counted in the prelims, and in the finals, stress was placed upon capacity for team work. Young Haines excelled in both divisions and fairly won the honors which accom pany a position upon the Maroon de claiming team. Wins Eighty Dollars. In addition to being the only under graduate to make the team, Haines has soothing knowledge that by so doing, he automatically becomes en titled to a scholarship of eighty dol lars. This amount he will utilize in continuing his work in the university. The young orator is a son of the Rev. Wm. Haines, of Nashville, Tenn. His collegiate work was pursued at Atlanta Baptist College, now known as Moorehouse. This is not the first lime the youth has won fame upon the rostrum, and is well known throughout the Southern collegiate world for his silvery tongued oratory. U. of C. Draws No Line. By awarding the young orator the place for which his merit warrants, the University of Chicago continues the policy she has always shown, fair play to all students. OWN NEARLY THIRD MILLION. The Negro Odd Fellows of Georgia own more than $300,000 in property. In addition to paying out $100,000 in benefits to widows and orphans, the order is reported to have loaned its members in that state more than $86,000 to buy farms, build homes, and go into business. This is a pro gressive step worthy of emulation.