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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 1917)
THE MONITOR A Weekly Newspaper devoted to the civic, social and religious interests of the Colored People of Nebraska and the West, with the desire to con tribute something to the general good and upbuilding of the community and of the race. Published Every Saturday. Entered as Second-Class Mail Matter July 2, 1916, 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 and William Garnett Haynes, Associate Editors. George Wells Parker, Contributing Editor and Business Manager. Joseph LaCour, Jr., Lincoln Representative, 821 S. St., Lincoln. 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. TRYING TO FOOL THE PEOPLE The Omaha Electric Light and Power Company owes it to the cit izens to live up fairly and honestly to the terms of the contract which was ratified at the recent election. One of the terms was reduction in light rates to 6 cents per kilowatt-hour for electric current used. That was to have become effective January 1. Now comes this company before the city commissioners and asks authority to charge 6V2 cents per kilowatt-hour, with a reduction of half a cent for payment within ten days of rendering the bill. Four of the commissioners, Messrs. Dahlman, Hummell, Jardine and Withnell voted “yes;” while Butler and Parks voted “no.” Ivugel was ab sent. By a vote of four to two the city commissioners have granted per mission to the Electric Light Company to raise the rate. This is, in our judg ment, a questionable proceeding. It is a most clever ruse to fool the peo ple. It is this method of playing fast and loose with the plain letter and meaning of contracts which has brought public service corporations into disfavor. We supported the Electric Light contract and were an important fac tor in helping to carry the election, because we believed it to be advanta geous to the city, and private consum ers. We believed that a 6 cent rate meant a 6 cent rate, clear and straight. Commissioner Jardine’s “explana tion,” as reported in the World-Her ald of January 30, show's that his con science hardly sanctions his vote. The other commissioners voting for the raise have not given “explanations” but our opinion is that second thought will convince them they have voted unwisely. Commissioners Butler and Parks arc absolutely right in their opposi tion to this raise. The Electric Light Company is violating both the spirit and the letter of the contract which was ratified at the recent election and if they want to hasten municipal own ership they are going at it in the right way. It never pays to fool the public. JULIAN STREET ON THE NEGRO In Collier’s, for January 27, Julian Street, well known journalist, begins a series of articles upon The Negro. Every one should read them for the reason that such literature upon the race question has not appeared before. Mr. Street writes with a fairness of an impartial judge, but his deep sym pathy for the race is apparent in every line. To him the race is as great a race as any other and he pictures the shortcomings with as sympathetic a hand as he delineates the great achievements. No fairminded man can read the first article without leaving it with a friendly feeling toward the race and a firmer hope for its ulti mate triumph. Mr. Street closes with these words: ! | “A few years more of Negro progress and it will be only a very blind or a very cruel white man who will fail to extend a hand—not necessarily the hand of social equality, but certainly the hand of good will and helpfulness —to the black man struggling out of the morass.” We shall try and arrange to repub lish this article in installments for the reason that we want our readers to become acquainted with it. An other man of the stamp of Ray Standard Baker has taken up our cause and we thank him for his favor, it means mucn. FIGHTING JIM CROWISM AND DISFRANCHISEMENT — The program mapped out by the National Association for the Advance ment of Colored People for this year is a vigorous fight against “Jim Crow” cars and disfranchisement. The Association believes that by concentration of its fire much will be gained. We agree with this view. Our race everywhere is growing in intelligence, integrity, ability, wealth, self-respect and genuine worth. This being true we are not satisfied and should not be satisfied with the ef forts in vogue in certain sections of this country to humiliate us and de prive us of our just rights. Moreover, the toleration, without protest, in any section of our country of certain indignities, permits the evil to spread. Those of us who live in more favorable localities cannot hope to enjoy the privileges dear to us if we regard with indifference the indig nities heaped upon our people else where. For this reason the National Association should have the hearty support of the race throughout the United States. The recent election of President Wilson made possible by the stolen votes of the South has at last aroused republican leaders to the necessity for taking action against disfranchise ment. This will aid in the fight against disfranchisement. Carefully prepared and vigorously pressed suits for violations of Interstate Commerce Lawr, as applied to interstate passen gers, will undoubtedly enlist the friendly and powerful suport of the railroads, in eliminating the present glaring injustice and dishonesty of the pernicious “Jim Crow” car sys tem. Let the race in Nebraska and the great Northwest vigorously support the National Association in its fight against Jim Crowism and disfran chisement. GROWING IN THRIFT Have you ever noticed how many of our people in this city are buying hemes, saving money and giving other evidence of thrift? It would surprise you to know how many have bank ac counts. Another gratifying fact is this: Our people are showing commendable discretion and judgment in patroniz ing those banks and saving institu tions which are giving some recogni tion to our people in the matter of employment, or by giving advertising patronage. The banks in this city which have the largest number of Colored depositors are those who give this recognition. Let the good work go on. We have been too long inclined to be spend thrifts. We are glad to chronicle the fact that so many are getting the saving habit. SONG OF SOLOMON Knocking. 1. Listen, O my son, while I string my banjo to the tune of rebuke. 2. There is one gentle art our race hath learned to a frazzle and a fare you-well and that is the art of knock ing. 3. They use not a hammer, O my Son, but an ax and use it most royally. 4. Whenever a black man would try to do he is hammered to a cute finish. 5. If he succeed the mob handeth him the noise that he is a robber and a thief and that he hath the swelled noodle and the high eyed go-by. 6. If he faileth, they giggle with glee and whisper joyfully, “I told you so.” 7. Racial praise for a grand race effort is as rare as an oasis in the Mojave desert. 8. Thou must know, 0 my Son, that a little praise to a man or woman for something rightly done is like gas oline and motor oil for a struggling automobile. 9. Lay aside thine axe and get thee a horn and learn the tune of the root ing rah rah. 10. Thy race needs it, O my Son, in its travel towards the high lights and great plateau. COLORED NEWSPAPERS The newspapers of the race are con stantly lauding the merits of our men and enterprises. They are setting before the world the many achieve ments of the race in all the vocations that tend to make man honorable and worthy of distinction; the essential thing for it is the noble acts or ac complishments that the white papers a sa rule fail to print, or give an ob scure place. And yet we have met men who will openly declare that it doesn’t mean anything to advertise in a Negro paper, and that the short comings of the Negro paper is that they don’t fight the white man’s burden.- How ever, as Winston and thousaids of others have won, so will the Negro news journals win, and the race must finally recognize them as their great est defender in championing and fight ing a righteous cause for all the peo ple.—Searchlight. OBVIOUS OBSERVATIONS Caranza, the big chief of Mexico, and Villa, the big bandit, both are tell ing the Mexicans that they made the Americans trot back across the bor der. Now for some real fun. Last week one of Omaha’s Colored citizens of local fame told us that after he had devoured a two pound chicken, three pounds of fried pota toes, twenty-one biscuits, a plate of hot cakes, two bowLs of cereal, and five cups of coffee, in the morning, he had just then begun to develop an appetite for breakfast. And what is more, we believe it. We all call him "Jim." The tiny rivulets are running down the streets and the birds are twitter ing in the warm sunlight and—are we dreaming ? Have you read Julian Street’s ar ticle on The Negro in Collier’s ? Read it and you will find it is one of the finest things you have ever read. Wilson’s peace note was a gem. Now let him study up something nice to deliver to the senate on the race problem. The Colored race in America is do ing some great things these days, but you will find the record of their achievements in your own jounrals. We thank subscribers for paying up their subscriptions so willingly and our inside secret is that we are con stantly planning for a bigger and better paper. Thanking you kindly for your at tention, we will now proceed to in vestigate the price of prunes. A GROWING QUESTION We wonder when Robert Smith, clerk of the District Court; Michael Clark, the sheriff; and Harry Pearce, the register of deeds, are going to give our people those positions to which we are entitled. In the lan guage of Dunbar, “Speak up, Sam; ’spress yo’ sef.” Those who are familiar with the Bible will recall the words of the Psalmist, which read: “I said in my haste, all men are liars.” Wonder if he could have foreseen “the leak in vestigation” at Washington? LETTERS FROM OUR READERS Mr. Editor: Please allow space in your valuable paper to say that too much encouragement cannot be given the women of our community who have the ability and tact to hold together an organization of women and through them accomplish much good for the race. A more influential woman could not have been selected to take up the splendid work of the Old Folks Home, where the matchless organizer end president, Mrs. Martha Smith left off than the one selected, Mrs. James G. Jewell. She is holding the organ ization together and continuing the work grandly. The luncheon given by Mrs. Lawrie, who has always stood by the Home, under the management of Mrs. Jewell, was a marked success. The house kept filled and there wras a continuous coming and going of in terested women anxious to help the worthy cause. Mrs. Jewell, in her pleasing manner, greeted all and made each feel that it was a duty that fell upon every Colored woman in Omaha to help support the Home. Being much impressed by the method and ease the worthy president, the members of the Home and Mrs. Lawrie handled the guests at luncheon, I felt the flowers of encouragement now would do more real good toward impressing others to give to the community and to the glory of God the benefit of their tal ents. The churches and organizations of Omaha are calling for women who can do, and we have the ability and i real leadership lying dormant among us that if utilized could accomplish great uplifting good among our peo ple. We are pleased to say that many arc coming to the front and giving to the public something worth while at the Tuesday Eve Forum at St. John’s A. M. E. Church. Mrs. W. T. Osborne. Subscribe for The Monitor.