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
$1.50 a Year. 5c a Copy. Omaha, Nebraska, February Volume I. Number 33
Persistent Prelate
Prods President
Bishop Walters Requests President to
Put Question of Negro Office
holders up to Senators.
MAKE RECORDSHIP TEST CASE.
Open Letter Quotes Wilson’s Pre
election Promise to Give Race
Absolute Fair Dealing.
Washington, D. C., Feb. 11.—Since
President Wilson has informed Bishop
Walters that to nominate a Negro for
the office of Recorder of Deeds for
the District of Columbia would en
gender a bitter fight in the Senate,
increasing and intensifying race pre
judice, many have come to the conclu
sion that the President was simply us
ing that argument as a basis for fol
lowing out his own inclination.
Bishop Walters is not of this mind,
and seems to be placing much confi
dence in the letter written by Gover
* nor Wilson from Trenton, N. J., on
October 16, 1912, in which he declared
that if elected President the colored
people might count upon him for ab
solute fair dealing and for everything
by which he could assist in advanc
ing the interests of the race in the
United States. In order that this
opinion may be confirmed, and that
the Negro Democrats may know just
their status in the councils of the
party, Bishop Walters has addressed
an open letter to President Woodrow
Wilson, begging that he nominate a
Negro for the office of recorder of
deeds, and put it up to the Senate to
go on record as to its attitude to
ward Negroes holding important of
fices. The letter is as follows:
Open Letter to President Wilson.
Honored Sir—In this open letter I
desire to thank you mo, t heartily for
audiences granted and favors given
me since your election as President of
the United States; and further I
thank the heads of the departments for
appointments and promotions made in
their several bureaus.
There is a sentiment abroad that it
is not the policy of the national dem
^ ocratic party to appoint and confirm
Negroes to prominent offices. In the
light of the following letter and the
nominations of Mr. Patterson, Judge
Terrell, and Mr. Curtis, it is hard to
believe that your excellency shares in
this statement:
98 W. State St., Trenton, N. J.,
October 16, 1912.
My Dear Bishop Walters—I hope
that it seems superfluous to those who
* now me, but to those who do not
know me perhaps it is not necessary
for me to assure my colored fellow
citizens of my earnest wish to see
justice done them in every matter, and
not mere grudging justice, but justice
executed with liberality and cordial
good feeling. Every guarantee of our
law, every principle of our Constitu
(Continued on second page)
Besidetffe cabin fire- -
Gods woruand mans;- to peer :
d Above the page^nsmou&ferintj fleams,
3 And catch, like far heroic ;hymes, 3 :
3 Theonmarch of his dreams. 2 !
hIKJ peaceful life:- to hear the low 3 3
: Of pastured herds. ,, ; ;
1 Or wood mans ax .that, blow on blow, :
3 Fell sweet as rhythmic words. 3 :
5 And yet there stirred within his breast 3 E
3 A fateful pulse that, like a roll 3 e
: Of drums, made hi^h above his rest 3 <
3 r_ A tumult m ius soul. = '
1 [i^jy peaceful life!—They haled him even B t
p prSJu As One was haled
a Whose open palms were hailed toward Heaven
l when prayers nor ausfht availed. B
a And,lo.he paid the selfsame price.,, - *
a a » To lull a nations awful strife 5 5
N 3 And will us, through the sacrifice : ^
Of self, his peaceful life. : 1
i 1 1
Something to Make You Think
Will Engender Common Racial Consciousness.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter bearing upon the very inter
esting topic, the effect upon new Pan-Americanism upon the African element
in the Western hemisphere.
It is a mathematical axiom that the whole is greater than any of its parts
and equal to all of them taken together. The sum total of good, therefore,
lor all of the peoples of the two Americas must, also be good for the various
elements of these peoples.
Th African constitutes the controlling element in Haiti and San Domingo,
and a considerable element in the Southern Republics; and an unconsidered
element in the United States. It is but natural that the common consciousness
of the African contingent will be engendered by this new Pan-American
movement.
The American Negro will undoubtedly be simulated to learn the Spanish
language as a medium of communication with his racial brethren south.
South America affords a much broader field for the exercise of Negro
talent, than the United States, the great difficulty at present being the barrier
of language. In my judgment the breaking down of this barrier is a prece
dent to any general understanding and polling of interest between the Negro
elements of the Northern and Southern continents and the adjacent islands of
the Western hemisphere."
Yours truly, KELLY MILLER.
Use the Monitor to Reach the
Colored People of Nebraska.
It’s their O'nly Newspaper.
Attorney’s Eloquence
Makes Impression
Lewis Makes Great Fight For His
Client in the Sensational Mohr
Murder Case.
A RATHER STRANGE VERDICT.
Accused Negroes Convicted—Woman
Charged With Instigating Crime
Acquitted.
Providence, R. I., Feb. 11.—Aside
i'rom the astounding verdict which the
jury gave in the sensational Mohr
nurder trial which ended her last
Saturday, the feature of the closing
days was the masterly summing up
lis case for Spellman Thursday by
Attorney Lewis.
Lawyers from all parts of the state
,vere present and were unstinted in
heir outspoken admiration of his elo
juent presentation of the case which
onsumed two hours.
They marvelled at his eloquence as
he denounced Healis, the half-breed
chauffeur ; pathetically referred to
the children of the accused woman;
summed up the evidence and scored
he police.
“There is a reason,” he said, “why
there has been no public clamor for
life and liberty of man, woman or
child because of the Barrington trag
edy. It is because the people of
Rhode Island realize that behind the
man and woman who stray so far
rom the morality which was taught
;hem at their mother’s knee there
lurks and stalks forever the spectre
>f retributive justice. And the joy
ride becomes the ride of death.”
The mighty voice quickened into a
roar as he flayed the police, “who, fol
lowing upon the easiest course, seized
the persons most easily to be followed,
charged them with the crime and then
moved heaven and earth to convict
them—a loving and devoted wife and
wo servants.”
“The theory started with George
Rooks,” he continued, pouring forth
contempt upon the brother-in-law of
Emily Burger, the woman wounded
A’ith the physician. “Rooks,” he said,
“while not condoning the conduct of
Dr. Mohr, told the suffering wife when
she came to him to ‘go thou and do
likewise.’ ”
“The beginning and end of the
State’s case,” said Mr. Lewis, ‘is
George W. Healis,” and the lawyer
proceeded in an eloquent attempt to
tear to pieces the chauffeur’s story
that he had stopped Dr. Mohr’s auto
mobile so that the doctor and Miss
Burger might be shot to death.
“Healis is a dog,” shouted Mr.
Lewis, with all of the contempt he
could express in his voice. Then he
stopped, lowered his voice to a soft,
calm tone, and continued:
“No, Healis is not a dog. There was
^ dog in the automobile on the night
of the murder, a gentle, pedigreed
(Continued on third page)