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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 21, 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, August 21, 1915 Volume I. Number 8 United Brothers of Friendship Pleased Forty-Fifth Annual Session of the Grand Lodge Held Here Most Successful in Its History. WARMLY WELCOMED BY MAYOR A Well Arranged Program Carefully Carried Out—Interest Centered in Election of Officers. “This city excels all places in which our Grand Lodge has ever met in the accommodations provided for us in this magnificent building, in the com pleteness of arrangements, in cour teous attention and warm hospitality and your mayor made the best welcoming speech 1 have ever heard, | and I’ve heard a great many, and what pleases me more is the fact that I believe his words come from his heart and are backed up by his ac tions,” said Captain C. H. Tandy of St. Louis, Mo., the oldest member of the order, when asked by The Monitor for an expression of opinion on the convention now being held in Omaha. He added: "You have a beautiful city; and this court house is magnif icent. I’m not covetous, but I wish we had one like it in St. Louis.” Equally enthusiastic were the words of Dr. Caston, the distinguished grand master of the order, also a resident of St. Louis, who said: "This is one of the mose excellent meetings we nave ever had; in fact, in my judgment, ,'t goes beyond any thing we have ever had, as to meeting place, hospitality and uniform cour tesy from black and white alike. Our reception in this city city speaks, vol umes for your citizenship. it pro claims ihe type of leadership you have here, in visiting the average north ern or western city, I don’t have to enter a single Negro home to tell the character of colored people of that place. The manner in which I am treated in the stores and business houses tells me the kind of Negroes who live in that town. Omaha has a fine type of citizenship. You have a city to be proud of and the members of our order will never forget Omaha.” The Hon. Nelson Crews of Kansas City, Mo., said he could not find words to express his sentiments. He said: "There may be other cities in the United States that would do it, but I don’t know where they are, that would light the city’s welcome arch in honor of a Negro organization as Omaha has done. That-’act alone man ifests a liberal spirit that moves me deeply and makes me thank God and take courage. Such a spirit as that will make Omaha great, as she richly deserves to be.” These expressions voice the unan imous sentiment of hundreds of dele \ gates and visitors attending the forty fifth annual session of the grand lodge of the United Brothers of Friendship and the thirty-second annual grand _ THE REV. WILLIAM F. BOTTS. Pastor of Zion Baptist Church. session of the grand temple of the Sis ters of the Mysterious Ten, which closed their sessions in Omaha today. The sessions were held in the Doug las county court house, the entire fourth floor being placed at their ser vice, allowing them ample accom modations for all their deliberations and committee meetings. Monday was occupied with the de liberations of the Grand Royal House, which convened in its twenty-first an annual session. Tuesday morning was given over to the business session of the grand lodge, presided over by Dr.- J. T. Gas ton, M. W. G. M.; and of grand tem ple, at which Mrs. Ida L. Garnett, M. W. G. P., presided. Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 a public meeting was held, at which addresses of welcome were made by Mayor Dahlman and others. For this meet ing the large court room was literally packed by an immense audience which remained throughout the entire pro gram of three hours’ duration without the slightest show of impatience, so interesting were the whole proceed ings. Promptly at 2:30 Grand Master Cas ton called the meeting to order and introduced the Rev. W. T. Osborne, pastor of St. John’s A. M. E. church as master of ceremonies, who then took charge, and presided with abil ity. Prayer was said by the Rev. Dr. Hirst, pastor of St. Stephen’s Baptist church, Kansas City, Mo. A selection was then given by the S. M. T. choir of Kansas City. The Rev. W. T. Os borne gave a well prepared address setting forth the achievements of the race and speaking hopefully of the fu ture. He then introduced most hap pily Mayor James C. Dahlman. Mayor Dahlman’s speech of wel come was a masterpiece. It breathed a spirit that would have done credit to a Charles Sumner or a Wendall Phillips. He was frequently inter rupted by prolonged applause. In closing, he said: “In conclusion I present iO you the keys of the great city of Omaha, spotlessly white and clean, for I be lieve the men and women who consti tute this great organization are hon est, law-abiding citizens and will re (Contlnued on eighth page) The Good Birth Science Discussed Tuskegee Physician Discusses Eugen ics and Speaks Plainly on Important Subject. INDISCRIMINATE DANCING BAD Women Unwilling to Fulfill the Duties of Wives and Mothers Ought Not to Marry. Tuskegee Institute, Ala., Aug. 20.— One of the most unusual and effective addresses ever heard at this school was the one delivered by Bt. J. A. Kenney, medical director in charge of the John A. Andrew Memorial hos pital, before the teachers in attend ance upon the Tuskegee summer school which closed July 23. Dr. Ken ney s subject was "Eugenics and the School Teacher," and with solemn eloquence the speaker handled with out gloves the question of race sui cide, denominated as the “crime of the age.” Declaring his intention to call a spade a spade, Dr. Kenney took up first the social dance. He did not in discriminately condemn dancing, but declared that too little discrimination is shown in the selection of the dance partner. He declared that the rake and libertine are too often permitted upon the floor of the dance hall to take liberties with our best young mothers, wives, sisters and daughters. He appealed to the teachers to use common sense in removing the veil of mock modesty and prudery which has caused boys and girls to drift into bad habits through ignorance and brought about a general tendency to race decay. Referring to the science of eugenics, Dr. Kenney said that in its simplest terms it might be called the giving birth to better babies. It is not a new idea, he said, but only recently has it been recognied as a science. He declared that the eugen ist contemplates baby culture just as the agriculturist studies and discusses corn culture. Women Unable and Unwilling to Bear Children. A startling statement was made by Dr. Kenney when he declared that 20 per cent of American women are un able to bear children and 25 per cent are unwilling to do so. Of the chil dren born from the remaining 55 per cent, one out of four die in infancy and many of the others become wards of the nation. With emphasis the speaker declared that women unable or unwilling to perform the duties of wife and mother should not marry. Dr. Kenney’s address was in part as follows: “Today we shall call a spade by its old vernacular, a spade, and not a certain instrument of manual labor; a house shall be a house and not a residence. "The social dance—all too long leaders, educators, preachers, physi (Contlnued on fifth page)