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, 50 cents an inch per issue.
Address, The Monitor, 1119 North Twenty-first street, Omaha.
ATTORNEY H. J. PINKETT
MISQUOTED BY THE
OMAHA DAILY NEWS
Friday night’s Omaha Daily News
contained a purported interview with
Attorney H. J. Pinkett, in which he
was represented as stating in sub
stance that “The Birth of a Nation”
was not seriously objectionable, save
in two very minor and unimportant
parts, and urging all to see it.
While frankly admitting everyone’s
right to his own opinion, the colored
people of Omaha felt very indignant
indeed that this position should be
taken by a man of Mr. Pinkett’s
training and advantages in the face
of the opposition that is being of
fered all over the country, and which
is being made here to have at least
the most objectionable features elimi
nated from the sinister designed pro
duction.
It was further known by some that
Mr. Pinkett, at his own expense, had
sent a night letter to Mr. Arthur D.
Brandeis in New York, urging him to
use his influence there to have at
least the most objectionable features
cut out. The reported interview and
his activity at suppression seemed
strangely inconsistent.
It was therefore gratifying to see
published in Saturday’s issue of the
News the following signed communi
cation from Mr. Pinkett:
“In a recent issue of your paper
yon published an interview with me
in which you wrongly make me say
that “The Birth of a Nation” is a
praiseworthy production.
“Everybody is quite ready to con
cede that the Negro has done his full
duty in all our country’s wars, up
to 1850 the wealth of the nation was
the result of Negro slave labor. His
reward for these contributions was
what chattel slavery gives to all its
victims.
“When the Civil war ended in 1865
the Negro was supposed to be free.
But the war had no sooner ended
than the legislatures of the seceueu
states assembled and enacted what
were known as “black codes,” or
vagrancy laws, which declared all
persons to be vagrants who could not
show they paid taxes on real estate
of a certain value or had been regu
larly employed in the service of some
white person for pay for an impossi
ble time. Upon the failure of any
person or persons to meet these re
quirements (and, of course, it ap
plied to Negroes only) they were
tried, convicted and sentenced and let
to service until they had worked out
the fine. (‘Aftermath of Slavery,’ by
Wm. A. Sinclair.) Thus, in a short
time after the war the Negro was
found in a worse slavery than ms
former state. If this should continue
the fruits of the war would be nil.
“Two courses were open to the
friends of freedom—either to arm all
the Negroes or place the ballot in
their hands, that they might defend
themselves. Frederick Douglass, the
great Negro of that day; Thaddeus
Stevens of Pennsylvania and Charles
Sumner of Massachusetts believed in
gradual enfranchisement of the Ne
groes. But the seceded states would
make no compromise, would do no
justice. After a struggle of four
years the ballot was given to the Ne
gro. And among the first things
which the Negro legislatures of the
south did was to pass laws creating
the free public school system of the
south, where, as is well known, there
had been none before.
“Out of that pei’iod came such
men as Douglass, Langston, Bruce,
Elliott and Pinchback, who have been
an inspiration to colored youth
' throughout the years that have
passed. And thanks to a generous
north, schools were established all
over the southland, and she gave the
very flower of her youth to teach the
Negro how to re-establish family life
and become a useful part of society.
How well they have succeeded, the
Negro’s progress attests.
“May we not fairly ask of the Eng
lish-speaking race, which has done so
much to spread the spirit of liberty
in the world, if they would not make
a better case for their claims to
greatness by refusing to further han
dicap the already unfortunate Negro
by exploiting his weakness through a
highly-developed photographic art?
Are you not strong enough to be
just?
“It is a small thing to cripple a
man and then chide him for his fail
ure to win the race, as some scenes
in this play would do. At best, the lot
of the Negro in America today is
hard enough, and such plays as ‘The
Birth of a Nation’ and ‘The Nigger’
should be suppressed, that it may not
be made more difficult.
“H. J. PINKETT.”
“AN ORDINANCE IS PENDING.”
“We have no ordinance at present
to reach it. If we had one, of course
I would see that it was enforced.”
This statement was made to us by
Mayor Dahlman, in whose sincerity
we have had the utmost confidence,
Saturday morning, November 6.
An ordinance was introduced the
following week, was favorably re
ported, but has been held up at the
behest of a sentiment,defying outside
corporation, until they are about
ready to leave town.
The city authorities are reminded
that this movement on their part is
regarded in a most unfavorable light
by nearly 1,800 voters.
It will require lots of explanation
THAT WILL NOT SATISFACTOR
ILY EXPLAIN.
Do your Christmas shopping early
and give preference to our adver
tisers.
Self-respecting members of the race
will not spend their money to help
any cause that is designed for their
injury, but upon the contrary they
will contribute their money to fight
such enterprises.
Do not forget that we suggested
some weeks ago that our people here
pay for the Old Folks’ home. The
Monitor has started a fund to help on
the good work. One contribution of
$5 has been received. Don’t hesitate
to send in your contribution because
you think it is too small.
“Buy homes.” This was the fa
vorite and persistent slogan of our
journalistic predecessor, The Enter
prise, published for many years by T.
P. Mahammitt. That slogan was ef
fective. Many of our people were in
duced to undertake home-buying. Let
the good work go on. BUY HOMES.
We have devoted a great deal of our
space in this issue to editorial and
personal comments on the life and
work of Booker T. Washington, be
liev:ng that the same would be of in
terest to our readers who might not
otherwise see these tributes to a great
man and leader. Of course, what we
have been able to find space for forms
a very infinitesimal part of what has
been said and written. As a race we
must gain inspiration from the fact
that one of our own kith and kin rose
from lowly and adverse surroundings
| to such a commanding place in Amer
ican history. It should be an inspira
tion to every Negro youth to make
the best and most of his opportunities.
James Johnson, a young colored
man who plays on the Y. M. C. A.
football team (white) of Oil City, Pa.,
has been re-elected captain of the
team.
WHITES, NOT NEGROES
ARE RESPONSIBLE
(Continued from first page)
chance except such as the white man,
his master, had given him. It shows
us, in a word, the Negro as the white
man had made him.
Compare the typical Negro or
“The Birth of a Nation” with the
Negro of today, either north or south.
The writte nhistory of all time
records no other human achievement
comparable with what the Negro has
made of himself, under the most ad
verse and discouraging circum
stances, in barely two generations of
freedom—or freedom of a sort. The
more unflatteringly the Negro as he
came from the hands of the white
man in 1865, is depicted, the more
startling becomes the contrast with
the Negro of fifty years later, and
the higher the degree of credit due
the race.
The solemn truth is that the Negro
of today finds far less occasion for
shame and apology in anything pre
sented in “The Birth of a Nation”
than does the white man. It was the
whites, not the Negroes, who were
mostly responsible for the condi
tions depicted in this drama. It was
the whites who were guilty first of
the inhumanity and impiety of en
slaving and brutalizing the blacks,
ind guilty next of dealing with the
problems following the emancipation
with a degree of ignorance and stu
pidity, unfair to the Negroes as it
was harmful to themselves, that was
a disgrace to civilization.
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Phone South 701 Phone Webster 4820
Floral Designs for All Occasions
F. H. SWANSON
FLORIST
Cut Flowers and Potted Plants ]
Office. 532 n. 24th St. Gritnhouu, 1411 N. 11th St.
South Omohi Omiht
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1 I
I1 Next Saturday’s j
calendar of sales contains a number of features of great interest to ™
shoppers who must get themselves, their families and their homes
ready for winter or the holidays.
Saturday will occur the season’s first great sale of FURS—a
wonderful purchase fairly startling in value giving.
Also a sale of trimmed hats—choice of the house—at a very low
figure.
A big sale of jewelry for Christmas gifts.
Three extremely important sales of Hosiery, Handkerchiefs and
Ribbons, bringing truly wonderful values.
In the Men’s Store will occur a sale of Pure Thread Silk Hose
that will interest every man in Omaha.
Opening of Toyland
Next Monday
The great Christmas fairyland of toys, dolls, games and books;
everything for all ages; for indoors and out—Santa Claus will dis
play his wonderful wares next Monday. See Sunday’s advertise
ment.