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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 1924)
I V*y Lllt-'roo T U E - M O N I X O R ::R°W THANK TOO ® A NATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor I $2.00 a Year_5c a Copy OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1924 Whole Number 485 Vol. X—No. 17 -. TENNESSEE NEGROES TO CARRY OWN BURDENS (By the Associated Negro Press) Nashville, Term., Oct. 24.—Mrs. M. L. Crosswaith of Fisk University and Dr. J. A. Lester, Meharry Medical Col lege, have been chosen directors of a statewide campaign among colored people to raise funds to carry on the program of the inter-racial league of the state which has for its program education, health, housing, justice at court, recreation and charity among Negroes. An appeal will be made for a contribution of $1.00 from every colored person in the state. SCIENTIST SCOUTS RACE SUPERIORITY Psofessor Franz Boaz of Columbia University Declares That In herent Racial Inferiority Not Proven ADJUSTMENT TO CONDITIONS (By the Associated Negro Press) Professor Franz Boes, of Columbia university, and curator at the Amer ican Museum of Natural History, in an article entitled “The Question of Race Purity”, published in the Amer ican Mercury for October, attacks he doctrines of race inferiority and race superiority and asserts that science has yet seen no proof that any race is superior to any other. “I insist,” writes Professor Boas, “that nobody has ever given satisfac tory proof of an inherent inequality of races, and that the final solution of this problem still has to be found.” Professor Boas finds that people of different races can adjust themselves about equally well to varying cli mates, and to different kinds of task, although there will be great variation among the individuals of any group. “The claim for the superiority of pure races has never been substantiated,” WTites Professor Boas. “As I have pointed out, the purity of any given racial type is a debatable question, and the claim that only extreme types are pure is founded on a misconcep tion.” Concerning the prejudice against Negroes in America, Professor Boas writes: “It is particularly worth remarking that the current unfavorable opinion of the Negro is based largely on com plete ignorance of African native con ditions, and of Negro achievements in the industries and arts and in po litical organizations and that likewise the glorification of our own race is founded exclusively on a consideration of the cultural opportunities given to the few and on the complete neglect of the cultural primitiveness of the great mass of individuals, which finds expression intellectually in the uncrit ical acceptance of traditional attitudes and emotionally In the ease with which they succumb to the power of fashion able passions. We may say with cer tainty that the local types of a he reditary differences in mental char acteristics between the types as qf whole are most unlikely. We may say, furthermore, that cultural an thropology makes the existence of fundamental racial differences very improbable.” INDIAN HEALTH RATE BAD (By the Associated Negro Press) New York, N. Y., Oct. 24.—More than 20 per cent of the Indians on reservations in this country are suf fering from tuberculosis or trachoma, according to an announcement issued by the Indian Defence association. BERLIN LONG ON MARRIAGE BROKERS (By the Associated Negro Press) Berlin, Germany, Oct. 24.—Unset tled conditions growing out of the world war have caused the growth of a form of marriage brokerage in this city. At the present time there are more than 1,000 brokers in the city, divided into three classes, catering to high society, the middle class folk and the poor. They do a thriving bus p iness. Among the upper crust are many women who have money but are not much on looks. They are anxious for husbands, too. YOUNG MEN ORGANIZE REPUBLICAN CLUB Several young men met at the Re publican headquarters in the Jewell bhilding Thesday night and organized “The Young Men’s Republican Wil liams-Barnett Booster Club’’ with the motto, "Talk Little; Do Much.” Their program is to boost for the election of Rev. John Albert Williams to the Sihool Bard and F. L. Barnett to the Legislature. Dillard Crawford was elerted pres ident, E. G. Green vihe-president, Maliom Scott, secretary and James Lewis treasurer. Several enthusiastic “ddresses were made. The club meets next Tuesday night. Republican Party Again Leads in the Recognition of Prominent Race Leaders .... Pictured above are the active poli tical leaders of Negro America. When President Coolidge began his campaign for reelection to the high office he now holds It was announced that the work would be conducted upon a business-like basis. It proved to be so in the selection of his white aides and It is equally so with the colored. The men and women who are now at the helm are there be cause of their peculiar ability to do what is expected of them, to give service that is fuller of conscience than of sentiment. These leaders represent the new order of things. Pictured in the circle in the center is Mr. William Clarence Matthews, Boston, Mass., the organizer of the Negro division of the Republican Na tional Committee. He was born In Alabama and educated at Tuskegee and Harvard. At Tuskegee he or ganized the first baseball and football teams to represent that institution. At Harvard he studied law and was a star football player. He has served as an assistant district attorney in the state of Massachusetts. His ac quaintance with President Coolidge has been over a long period of years and his devotion to the President is the result of both warm personal admiration and a steadfast belief in that honesty, courage »nd straight thinking which have made Mr. Cool ldge generally popular. He has com plete charge of Negro affairs in con nection with the Republican party’s present campaign. At the right of Mr. Matthews is Mias Hallie Q. Brown, former pres ident of the National Association of Women. Miss Brown's position among the colored women voters Is similar to that of Mr. Matthews, she having complete charge of political activi ties touching the colored republican women of the nation. Mrs. M. C. Lawton, president of the Empire State Federation of women, is the organizer among eastern women, with headquarters in New York City. She is at the left of Mr. Matthews. Immediately under Mr. Church is W. T. Francis, St. Paul, Minn., chair man of the western district. He Is a lawyer of enviable standing. In 1920 he was a presidential elector from Minnesota. Next to Mr. Francis is Mr. G. W. Lee, vice-chairman of the west ern district. Mr. Lee comes from Memphis,. Tenn., is an active man in business, having been vice-president of the Mississippi Life Insurance Co. ~ --~ He is a member of the executive committee of the American Legion In th state and is organizer of the Lin coln Legion, soldiers who are fight ing for Coolidge to win In the forth coming election. Immediately under Mr. Lee is Mr. Monroe Mason, secretary to Mr. Mat thews, and a prominent Republican leader in the state of Massachusetts. Mr. Mason is the editor of the Blue Helmet, a soldiers’ magazine. In the center under Mr. Mat thews’ picture are those of Roecoe Conklin Simmons, in charge of the speakers’ bureau among Negroes, on the left, and at the right, Mr. Robt R. Church, Memphis, one of the mem bers of the board of strategy, Repub lican National Committee. Next is Mrs. Mamie E. Graves, assistant di rector among women, eastern divi sion. Next to Mr. Simmons is Miss Jean' ctte Carter, Washington, D. C., ir charge of publicity among coloret women in the eastern district. Under Mr. Matthews, Atty. Robt M. Stevens, Pittsfield, Mass., presi dent of the Massachusetts Civi< League of which William H. Lewis was president for 20 years. Mr. Stevens is the leader among Negro Republicans of the bay state and one of the most active in all party circles. PROVIDE CELLS FOR DIVORCE SEEKERS (By the Associated Negro Press) Paris, France, Oct. 24.—Hereafter men and women seeking divorce in the Paris courts will be compelled to spend sometime in a locked cell. This was made necessary because of the fights the husbands and wives often get into while awaiting adjudication of their suit. AFRO-AMERICAN STEPS ON THE GAS (By the Associated Negro Press) Baltimore, Md., Oct. 24.—With the installation recently of a brand new Hoe rotary press, equipped for color work and capable of printing 24,000 copies per hour of a 4 to 16-page newspaper, or a fewer number of 32 page papers, the Afro-American of this city stepped out into the lead of Negro newspapers in respect to me chanical equipment and operation. The big press was shipped from New York in two freight cars. In struction in its operation was given by experts of the New York firm to the Afro’s pressmen who now are putting it through its paces unassisted. Heretofore the only Negro newspaper to have a press as large as the one of the Afro is the Chicago Defender. The Defender press, however, is op erated by white force, the Afro by Negro workmen. The first issue turned out on the new press consisted of 20 pages, it is expected that the management will go to 28 pages in the near future. The Afro-American is in its 34th year, was founded by the late J. H. Mur phy, and is now conducted by his sons, Clark, president, and John, acting sec re tary-treasurer. CRAPSHOOTERS NOT CONFINED TO BLACK FOLK (By the Associated Negro Press) Chicago, 111., Oct 24.—White crap shooters in this city were robbed of $50,000 Sunday night by young ban dits who invaded the gambler’s quar 1 ters and made them turn loose. Sev eral of the men in the group robbed were southern delegates to the Na ' tional Association of Poultry, Butter ) and Eggs convention. LEGION INVITES NEGRO VETERANS (By the Associated Negro Press) Raleigh, N. C., Oct. 24.—For the first time since its formation, the lo cal post of the American legion has invited Negro ex-soldiers of the world war to participate in the Armistice Day celebration. All the co-opera tion, however, will be on a Jim Crow basis, the Negro veterans assigned special place in the parade, a special section of the auditorium and a spec ial feed at one of the local ball parks. The decision to invite the colored fighters was made by unanimous vote of their white brothers. DAHOMEY PRINCE CHICAGO VISITOR Windy City Entertains Royalty— African Guest Studying Racial Conditions In United States PRINCE IS WELL EDUCATED (By the Associated Negro Press) Chicago, 111., Oct. 24.—Colored Chi cago had the pleasure of entertaining through the past week a real, honest to-goodness prince in the person of Prince Kojo Tovalou Housnou of Da homey. The prince is in this country to study the problems affecting the American Negro. His activities so far have been largely connected with the workings of the Universal Im provement Association. Prince Kojo is a scholar of the first rank. He holds degrees of bachelor of arts, master of arts, and science, doctor of philosophy, doctor of law and doctor of medicine from the Univer sity of Paris, is president of the Uni versal League for the Defense of the Black Race, and editor of the news paper Les Continents. Last winter the prince was the cause of an official warning being is sued to American tourists in France, a party of whom insulted his highness in a Montmarte cafe. The French government informed the Americans that if they could not treat French ’ citizens with respect, they would have to leave the country. Dahomey, on the West Coast of Af rica, between what was formerly German Togoland and Nigeria, is a French protectorate. Prince Kojo is a nephew of King Bohanzi whom, in 1890, the French deposed and exiled. He died in 1906, leaving Prince Kojo the legitimate heir to the throne. WHITE WOMAN PLEADS FOR LIFE OF NEGRO BOY, 16 Oklahoma City, Okla., Oct. 24.— Mrs. Mabel Bassett, white state com missioner <jf charities and corrections in a plea in the form of a public statement, is endeavoring to save El ias Ridge, 16-year-old ignorant Negro boy, sentenced to die in the electric chair for murdering a woman. The boy was 13 when the murder was com mitted and on account of his youth and illiteracy, wide-spread ^interest was centered in his case. If Leopold and Loeb were too young to die at 19 for a murder com mitted for he sole purpose ot a thrill,” Mrs. Bassett said, “then this youth certainly is too young to die for a crime he committed under the in fluence of an uncle.” TAKES DUBOIS TO TASK (By the Associated Negro Press) New York, Oct. 24.—In the current isue of the Messenger magazine, rhomas Millard Henry severely scores ft'hat he terms the Crisis school of literary critics. William Braith waite, Dr. Dubois and James Weldon Johnson, for what he believes is their unpardonable crime in not giving suf ficient credit to the poetry of Paul Lawrence Dunbar. MISTAKES BOBBED HAIR FOR WOODCHUCK (By the Associated Negro Press) Attleboro, Mass., Oct. 24.—A bushy object barely visible through a tree was mistaken by James F. Kennedy, caretaker of an estate here, to be a woodchuck. Kennedy got his shotgun and took a shot at it. He heard the screams of a woman and found that instead of shooting at a woodchuck he had shot at the bobbed hair of a young woman. MASONS ADDRESS ATTORNEY GENERAL ON COHEN AFFAIR (By the Associated Negro Press) Chicago, 111., Oct. 24.—Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, state of Illinois, has ad dressed a letter to the attorney gen eral of the United States urging him to do whatever is in his power to uphold the amendment to the Con stitution which is attacked in the suit made against Walter Cohen, comp troller of the customs at the port of New Orleans.