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, $1.00 per year.
Advertising rates, 5Q cents an inch per issue.
Address, The Monitor, 1119 North Twenty-first street, Omaha.
“HOWL, FIR TREE, FOR
THE CEDAR HATH FALLEN”
What the towering cedar was to
the lower trees of the forest, that was
Booker T. Washington to the Negro
race. He towered aloft and was seen
fron' afar.
However men may have differed
from him, the fact is conceded that
Booker T. Washington, who has just
been called away in the prime of his
manhood and when, humanly speak
ing, the country seemed to need him
most, occupied the most commanding
place of any member of his race in
the confidence and esteem of the na
tion. His services have been of un
told value, not only to his own race,
but to the entire country of which he
was such a distinguished representa
tive.
His rise from penury and obscurity
to a career of far-reaching usefulness
and affluence not only demonstrates
the ability of the Negro to meet the
pragmatic test of today, but offers
a splendid example to the youth of
our land to strive to make their lives
count for something. No people in
America today need this inspiration
as much as do we.
There were many who felt that Dr.
Washington was too apologetic for
the South in his attitude and utter
ances. Wc confess ourselves to have
been among that number and frankly
told him so, because we had the honor
of being numbered among his friends;
but maturer judgment led us to per
ceive that he, as every man, must do
his own work in his own ..ay, taking
into account, his environment and lim
itations- By temperament he was a
conservative and only a conservative
could have accomplished his great
work. A radical would have failed.
He served humanity well and has won
an enduring place in the historic halls
of fame, and we of the Negro race
should sacredly cherish his memory,
emulate so far as we may his use
fulness, rise to the standard he has
set and t^ank God for his life and
useful career.
What do you think of holding
back the anti-ignominy ordinance un
til the public-sentiment-defying
photoplay gets ready to leave town?
Frankly, we do not call it a square
deal. It looks to us like a double
cross. Talk about fairness. We have
been absolutely fair. The other side
has been unfair. Pass that ordinance
NOW.
Christmas is only four weeks off.
Do your Christmas shopping now and
be sure to pationize our advertisers
and tell them why.
We all have cause to give thanks.
Let us do so with grateful hearts on
the national Thanksgiving day.
ENDORSES OPPOSITION
TO PHOTO DRAMA
Editor Monitor:
I was in Nebraska City the other
day and chanced to see a copy of your
valuable paper, The Monitor, and I
read of the manly fight you are mak
ing to prevent the exhibition of the
obnoxious photo play, “The Birth of
a Nation.”
I most heartily endorse the course
the Negroes are taking, wherever and
whenever they can, to stop this insult
to our race. I wish to thank the city
authorities for sustaining your objec
tions to its showing in the Auditor
ium, and I also thank the city au
thorities elsewhere for showing their
disapproval.
The people whom Mr. Dixon now
seeks to belittle and humiliate have
been in the school of his forefathers
for more than two hundred and fifty
years, and in many instances fared
worse than some of the dumb brutes
owned by the same master, and we
were not allowed to own or believe
that we were human beings with
souls.
Mr. Dixon should remember that
there are those of us yet living who,
like himself, could write a play of
the slave-owners in the dark days of
slavery in this country, that w'ould
make young Americans and the civ
ilized world sit up, take notice and
blush.
But we would not be allowed to put
those horrible pictures on canvas.
And Cod forbid that even Mr. Dixon
himself should ever see w'hat some
of these folks he is now holding up
before the world saw' in his people in
those days. I think he would call his
play off, hang his head in shame and
retire from view.
Some years ago, some of the re
fined and influential white ladies, es
pecially mothers, succeeded in having
the play, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” stop
ped in some of the southern states,
because they did not want their chil
dren to see and believe that their
fathers were ever as cruel as that
play represented them to be.
Now, Mr. Editor, we hope that the
time is not far distant w'hen another
noble set of brave-hearted mothers,
sisters and brothers will rise up in
the southland and stop Mr. Dixon
from exposing further and any longer
the kind of education the southern
people gave their Negro slaves for
more than two hundred and fifty
years. They had no other teachers
than their masters and overseers, and
they alone are responsible for these
pet schemes of Mr. Dixon, namely,
“The Clansman” and “The Birth of a
Nation,” which he is now holding be
fore the world in order that he and
his may dodge the responsibility for
the condition of these people.
It may be true that the Ethiopian
cannot change his skin, nor the leop
ard his spots, but the fact remains
visible to all fair-minded people that
the emancipated slaves, from the day
of their freedom until now, havp striv
en to and succeeded in changing their
condition morally, intellectually, fi
nancially, religiously and in every
other way. I regret exceedingly and
acknowledge that some Negroes fall
into and commit crimes, but neither
before nor since their emancipation
I know of no crime they have com
mitted that has not been committed
also by the white race, who boast of
being their superiors.
J. C. C. OWENS,
Presiding Elder Omaha District, A.
M. E. Church, 1914 North Sixth St.,
Kansas City, Kan.
LIKES MONITOR.
Topeka, Kan., Nov. 15.
Dear Father Williams:
I am reading The Monitor and like
it so much that I am sending you a
year’s subscription, and may the pa
per prosper from year to year.
Very sincerely yours,
ELLA M, GUY,
244 Topeka Ave.,
Topeka, Kan.
SOCIALISTS APPROVE.
Headquarters Local Omaha Socialist
Party, 307 Lyric Bldg., Omaha,
Neb.'
Omaha, Nov. 16, 1915.
Rev. John Albert Williams, City.
Dear Sir:—Permit us to assure you
of our hearty agreement with you
concerning the character of the photo
play “The Birth of a Nation.” We
regard it as a blow in the face of
the most enlightened public opinion,
and a menace to the peace and wel
fare of the country. As Socialists we
are firmly opposed to any division on
the race question, knowing that di
vision should occur along economic
lines alone and that the duty of the
workers of all races is to unite and
_
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fight together for emancipation.
We are always glad to extend the
right hand of comradeship to our col
ored fellow workers, and give them
a standing invitation to be present at
our meetings and to take part in
them.
Sincerely,
EDMUND R. BRUMBAUGH,
Sec. Local Omaha Socialist Party.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
CALLED AT TUSKEGEE
(Continued from first page.)
The institute started in a rented
shanty church and today it owns 3,500
acres of land in Alabama and has
nearly 100 buildings valued at $500,
000.
In addition to his prominence as an
educator, Dr. Washington gained con
siderable fame as an author. An
honorary degree as master of arts
was conferred upon him by Harvard
university in 1896 and in 1901 he was
given an honorary degree of doctor
of laws by Dartmouth college.
Married Fellow-Teacher.
He was married October 12, 1893,
to Miss Maggie J. Murphy. He was a
teacher of the Hampton institute un
til elected by the state authorities to
the prmcipalship of Tuskegee, which
he organized and has made success
As a speaker and writer on racial
and educational subjects, he has
gained a nation-wide reputation. “Up
From Slavery,” “My Story of My Life
and Work,” “Sowing and Reaping”
and “Character Building” are from
his pen.
SUBSCRIBE FOR THE MONITOR.
Phone South 701 Phone Webster 48201
Floral Designs for All Occasions J
F. H. SWANSON
FLORIST
Cut Flowers and Potted Plants I
Offic«. 532 N. 24th St. 6ninhoun, 1418 It. 11th St. I
South Omiht Omaho j
| Winter f
1 Outfitting Sale 1
Continued FRIDAY and
SATURDAY in
2 9 •
I Our Great Enlarged Basement I
A sale of the most remarkable character, bringing forth one of
jxj the selling surprises of the year, in women’s, misses’ and children’s g
H winter ready-to-wear and accessories.
Manufacturers, with whom we do a big business, frequently «
Si provide us with special lots of merchandise at very great price re- S
Iduetions. We prevail upon them to co-operate with us for this sale, |
so that we might startle Omaha with a sale of sensational value- xi
giving. I
Through these remarkable buying transactions we acquired |
great lots of manufacturers’ samples and special lots; also many g
from regular stocks—all at tremendous discounts. That we have 1
succeeded in securing some wonderful values will be demonstrated 1
here next Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
About (5,000 New Suits, Coats and Dresses; Chil
dren’s Clothing, Hosiery and Underwear; Millinery,
| m Gloves and Shoes. ®
:t iSF
Brandeis Stores
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