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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 5, 1916)
The Monitor A Weekly Newspaper devoted to the civic, social and religious interests of the Colored People of Omaha and vicinity, with the desire to contribute something to the general good and upbuilding of the community. Published Every Saturday. Entered as Second-Class Mail Matter July 2, 1915, at the Post office at Omaha, Neb., under the act of March 3, 1879. THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor and Publisher. Lucille Skaggs Edwards, William Garnett Haynes and Ellsworth W Pryor, Associate Editors. Joseph LaCour, Jr., Advertising and Circulation Manager. SUBSCRIPTION RATES, $1.50 PER YEAR Advertising rates, 50 cents an inch per issue. Address, The Monitor, 1119 North Twenty-first street, Omaha. Telephone Webster 4243. WHAT UNITED ACTION ACCOMPLISHED A True Story. It was in a town in Ohio which con tained just two hundred and fifty colored Americans, self-respecting and industrious, who lived peaceably with their white neighbors. There was a small opera house in that town located in the W. O. W. building. To this these Colored Americans, or such of them as so desired, went whenever a play attracted them. There came a day, however, when a more rather pretentious play was billed for that house. It was after Dixon’s damnable books had begun to poison the minds of many hitherto untainted white Americans. A young lady of culture and refinement, a schoolteacher, highly respected, went to the ticket window and asked for a seat in the centre of the house about where she had been accustomed to be seated at other times. The ticket seller who knew her said, “Miss Blank, I’ll have to give you a seat on the right-hand side of the aisle.” “Why not in the centre, are the seats all sold so early?” The young man had too much man hood to lie about it, and so he frank ly said, “No, Miss Blank, but I have been given orders to sell tickets to Colored people only on the right hand side of the house. It’s a new rule. Colored people are to be confined to one section of the house. Of course, it isn’t my fault.” Miss Blank plainly showed her in dignation, but replied quietly, “No, sir, I don’t blame you. I shall not, however, submit to such an arbitrary rule. Fortunately, I don’t have to see the play. I shall not buy a ticket.” There was a prominent firm of butchers, who were influential mem bers of the Woodmen of the World. They had a large trade, almost a monopoly of the trade of the Colored people of that Ohio town. Suddenly this trade fell off. Members of the firm began to inquire the reason for it. They knew that the Colored peo ple had not suddenly become vegetar ians and must be still eating meat. When they learned that they were be ing boycotted because they were in fluential members of the W. 0. W. who owned the opera house building where they had begun segregating the Colored people, these influential merchants “got busy” and in less than ten days the Colored people were told that they might have seats, as formerly, wherever they wanted to buy them in that house. This actually happened in an Ohio town where there was only compara tively a handful of Colored Americans, only two hundred and fifty. They made no great noise or fugs. They acted. They refused to patronize the opera house. They refused to spend their money with merchants who though themselves not owners of the building in which the theatre was lo cated, and were themselves personally well thought of by their Colored pa trons, were members of the order which did own the building. The race in Omaha numbers ap proximately 8,000. Have you any idea how many thousands of dollars we spend weekly? The election com missioner is our authority for the statement that we have between 1800 and 2000 registered voters. With united, intelligent, persistent action what can we not accomplish ? Learn a lesson from that little Ohio town. It’s up to you. UNITE! CONCENTRATE! ACT!! BLUSHES FOR HIS RACE. Eugene V. T)ebs, who is an editorial writer on The National Rip Saw, and who always has the courage to say what he thinks, writing in the Janu ary number of that magazine, has the following to say of a disgraceful in cident which recently occurred in the imperial commonwealth of Texas: “An incident is reported from Fort Worth, Texas, that makes us feel that the twentieth century is but a dream and that we are really living in the dark ages, When the Liberty Bell on its re turn trip from the Pacific coast stop ped at Fort Worth, the school chil dren were permitted to gather around the old relic, touch it with their hands, and kiss it with their lips, and then it happened. It was a frightful thing to happen in a civilized community and no wonder the people were thrown into a panic and narrowly escaped riot and bloodshed. A Negro school-child tried to kiss the bell. That settled it. The mob spirit was aroused in that civilized white com munity as if by an electric shock and instantly the blood of ignorant fanat cs was fired and they threatened to drive every colored man out of the ■ity. For shame! When I think of that Negro child I blush scarlet for my race. If the kiss of that child was an insult to that community then the Liberty Bell had no business there. The first blood shed in the war of the revolution which ended in the independence proclaimed by the old bell was the blood of a martyr with a coal-black skin. I was not surprised to learn that the Negro child that caused the near riot was the child of a poor working man. Let us apologize to ourselves for being human beings.” There is a great deal of scarlet fe ver in Omaha. Fortunately as yet, fery few of our people have been af flicted with this dangerous disease. Too much precaution, however, cannot be used. In the case of illness, do not be too quick to jump to the conclu sion that it is only a bad cold or la grippe, particularly if there be sore throat and a fever. Call one of our doctors. Be on the safe side. “Safety irst” is a good slogan at such a time is this. Never be guilty of the crime if concealing a contagious disease. To do so is both criminal and wicked. It s the duty of every good citizen to conserve the health of the community. Our attention has been called to the fact that in our editorial in last week’s issue on “A Significant Action,” which has received most favorable comment, we failed to mention the State Bank of Omaha, as one of the local banks which employs a colored man in a responsible position. We regret the error and hasten to correct it. The State Bank from the start has em ployed a messenger, who like the men employed in the Omaha National and the United States National, has given good satisfaction. In making this correction we desire to state that The Ionitor aims to be both fair and ac •urate and that therefore we shall e glad to have our attention called to any error appearing ih our columns. TWELVE THINGS TO REMEMBER. The value of time. The success of persevereance. The pleasure of working. The dignity of simplicity. The worth of character. The power of kindness. The loftiness of example. The obligation of duty. The wisdom of economy. The virtue of patience. The improvement of talent. The joy of originating. —Marshall Field. We found the above motto in the general manager’s office of the Omaha and Council Bluffs Street Railway company, and asked per mission to copy it. Cut it out and keep these twelve things in mind. “POLLY TICKS.” Do you know “Polly Ticks?” She’s a coy, elusive and fascinating maid en of rather doubtful age, whom many love to woo. Get your name on her list as one of her ardent wooers. Gentlemen, if you have a political aspiration That will lead you to risk flirtation With “Polly Ticks,” a dream and in spiration, Do not have the slightest hesitation In taking advantage of our circula tion, To reach that portion of our popula tion, Which can grant you circumambula tion With this lady of your choice and station. LETTERS FROM OUR READERS. Lincoln, Neb., Jan. 24, 1916. Rev. John Albert Williams, Editor of The Monitor, Omaha. Dear Sir—Having had the pleasure of reading several copies of your pa per, I consider it a great factor in the elevation and education of our race. I take pleasure in sending you one dollar for a year’s subscription. Yours truly, MRS. LAURA JOHNSON. 2010 South 14th Street. Fort Bayard, New Mexico. January 29, 1916. The Rev. John Albert Williams, Dear Sir—I received The Monitor through my sister. We like the paper very much. Enclosed you will please find $1.00 for a year’s subscription. Respectfully, Mrs. Penelope Rucker-Myers. Box 77. Omaha, Neb., Jan. 29, 1916. Rev. John Albert Williams, Omaha, Neb., Dear Sir—I enclose to you my check for one year’s subscription for The Monitor. I thank you for the very kind mention you made of me in The Monitor. My life, actions and principles will certainly justify you for deductions that I will be fair minded toward all men. Very truly, James H. Macomber. *•*«*>*■*«****»+++ ........ ^ Dollar Rate Extended for Thirty Days Subscribe Now for The Monitor Fill out this blank. Send it with $1.00 to The Monitor, 1119 North Twenty-first Street, Omaha, Neb. Send The Monitor for One Year To . Street . Town . State .. Signed . ... ... —.. T , , , t