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, September 4, 1915 Volume I. Number 10
Governor Praises Race
For Notable Progress
Twelve Thousand People Attend the
Opening Services of the Lincoln
Jubilee Celebration.
FIFTY YEARS OF FREEDOM
Show Remarkable and Steady Ad
vance—Racial Ability and
Achievements.
Chicago, 111., Sept. 3.—The great
exposition which demonstrates the
wonderful achievements of colored
Americans during fifty years of free
dom was formally opened on Sunday
afternoon, August 22nd, by a great
religious service in the Coliseum, at
tended hy twelve thousand people.
The official opening was on Monday
morning, when President Wilson
pressed an electric button in Wash
ington and thus signalized the open
ing.
This national half-century exposi
tion and Lincoln Jubilee has attract
ed the attention of the colored race
everywhere throughout the United
States and Canada.
The opening exercises were marked
by several notable addresses, the prin
cipal one being that of Governor
Dunne of Illinois, who unstintedly
praised the race for its notable prog
ress.
Bishop Samuel Fallows of the Re
formed Episcopal church, president of
the half-century Illinois commission,
opened the proceedings with a gavel
cut from wood taken from Lincoln’s
home in central Illinois.
Governor on Platform.
On the platform were Governor
Dunne, David E. Shanahan, speaker
of the Illinois house or representa
tives; the Rev. J. W. E. Bowen of
Gamon college, Atlanta, Ga.; the Rev.
A. J. Carey, pastor of the Institutional
church, Chicago; the Rev. Dr. J. T.
Jenifer, historian of the Methodist
Episcopal church; Charles F. Gunther
of Chicago, who has loaned his Lin
coln collection to the exposition;
State Senator I>ailey; Simeon W.
King, former United States commis
sioner, Chicago, and many representa
tive men and women in colored cir
cles in Chicago and elsewhere.
One thousand colored men and
women, who had organized them
selves into a great chorus several
months ago, sang national and relig
ious anthems under the leadership of
J. Gray Lucas. The great crowd out
side, unable to gain entrance, took up
the refrain.
Dunne Pays Respects.
In his address, Governor Dunne first
paid his respects to the name of Lin
coln and to Bishop Fallows and oth
ers who have labored for the success
of the exposition.
"We meet today to demonstrate in
the most conclusive manner the ef
Let’s Play MUF
Woodmen of the World Building.
feet of freedom on the human race,”
said the governor. “We meet to prove
the worthiness of the black man for
equality under the law. Fifty years
ago, within the personal memory of
many of us here today, the black man,
before the law, was a thing and not
a man; a chattel and not a human
being.
Vast Progress of Race.
“De profundis ad astra. From the
depths of poverty and slavery, a race
has risen into the starlit heaven of
liberty. In 1865, 90 per cent of the
black race of America was wholly il
literate; today 70 per cent of the same
race can read and write and possess
the education given by the grammar
schools.
‘‘The aggregate wealth of the four
million blacks in 1865 did not exceed
$1,250,000. Today these black men
and their descendants own $1,000,000,
000 worth of property.
“In 1865 there was but one college
open to the black man in the United
States; today he maintains success
fully 400. In 1863 there was not a
black physician, lawyer or banker In
the United States. Today there are
over 5,000.
“In 1863 the black man had but one
newspaper; today he has 400. In 1863
he had but 400 churches; today he
worships God in over 30,000.
“Within fifty years the black man
has been developing skilled and schol
(Contlnued on seventh page.)
The Sunday Meetings
Draw the Color Line
Choirs of the Co-operating Colored
Churches Invited to Sing, Then
Told They Are Not Wanted.
IS SUNDAYISM PHARISAISM?
This Action Was Taken by Local
Committee but Apparently Act
ing Under Instructions.
We did not intend to give the Sun
day meetings any special advertising,
and it will be noted that up to the
present we have not even mentioned
the name of the widely-advertised
evangelist who is coming hither for a
vigorous and protracted campaign In
which it is confidently expected that
he will turn this place upside down
and overturn the customs of the peo
ple. We have not done so for sev
eral reasons, chief of which is that
we do not believe in the sensational
methods employed by the modern
evangelist, in which methods it is
claimed Mr. Sunday is an adept. The
blatant familiarity with Diety affected
by these men and their irreverent and
frequently blasphemous expressions
fill us with horror and shock our
sense of reverence. We do not be
lieve that the cause, of true religion
is advanced or can be advanced by
such methods. Upon the contrary, we
believe it suffers sadly and grievously
from such methods oftentimes at the
hands of those who, no doubt, believe
that they are doing God service; for
undoubtedly among those who employ
such methods there are to be found
many sincere and well-meaning men
Inasmuch as there are those who be
lieve that good does come from these
Sensational religious campaigns, we
have not tried to convince them to
the contrary and so we have said
nothing about either Mr. Sunday or
the proposed meetings. So far as our
own pastoral work is concerned we
shall go on in the same quite unos
tentatious way with the usual daily
and Lord’s Day services, happy and
contented to do what little good wt>
can.
We have been moved to break our
silence with reference to the Sunday
meetings by a most un-Christian spirit
that has manifested itself at the out
set and which >ve would be recreant
to our duty to let pass unchallenged
and unrebuked.
The promoters of the Sunday meet
ings invited the co-operation of the
"evangelical churches’’ — whatever
that may mean—nay, more, they in
sisted that before Mr. Sunday would
consent to include Omaha in the field
of his evangelistic labors, these
churches must close up and co-oper
ate. This co-operation included the
choirs of the respective churches.
Among these choirs were St. John’s
A. M. E. and Zion Baptist, which con’
tain many excellent voices. They
(Continued on fourtli page)