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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, $1.50 PER YEAR
Advertising rates, 50 cents an inch per issue.
Address, The Monitor, 1119 North Twenty-first street, Omaha.
Telephone Webster 4243.
TIME TO CALL A HALT.
A suit for damages against the
management of the Strand theatre
has been instituted by attorneys for
Mrs. Erlius Stephenson and Mrs. Leon
A. Smallwood for ejectment from that
picture show house November 10,
1915. The matter has been kept quiet
until the suit was filed and the par
ticulars of this disgraceful outrage
to which these cultured and refined
gentlewomen were subjected has only
recently come to our attention. The
facts as we have learned them are
subtantially these:
On the evening of November 10th,
1915, Mrs. Stephenson and Mrs. Small
wood, ■women of education and refine
ment, went to the Strand theatre to
see “Damaged Goods.” They stood
in the line of patrons for a long time,
passed to the ticket window and pur
chased balcony tickets. They went
quietly to their seats; but they had no
sooner been seated when an usher told
them they could not sit in the balcony.
They were finally told by the manager
that they would have to go out of the
theatre or up in the gallery. They
quietly but firmly refused to go. In a
few moments after this refusal, two
uniformed policemen went to Mrs.
Stephenson and Mrs. Smallwood, and,
taking them by the arms, roughly
pushed them out of the theatre. These
officers had no business to touch these
women. Their names should be
learned and charges filed against
them.
Mark you, the patrons did not com
plain of the presence of these ladies;
they doubtless did not know they were
there, until they were humiliated and
assaulted by officers who are charged
with enforcing the laws of the state
of Nebraska.
These ladies are citizens, and as
such are entitled to the full protection
of the laws of this state and *'! the
laws. They knew, too, that the Civil
Rights Law should guard them
against such an outrage, as indeed it
does. And that the story we are tell
ing here may be complete, we set it
down. Here it is, read it carefully.
Chapter Thirteen of the Revised
Statutes of Nebraska, Civil Rights.
Enacted in 1893.
Sec. 1. Civil rights of persons. All
persons within this state shall be en
titled to a full and equal enjoyment of
the accommodations, advantages, fa
cilities and privileges of inns, restau
rants, public conveyances, barber
shops, theatres and other places of
amusement; subject only to the condi
tions and limitations established by
law and applicable alike to every per
son.
Sec. 2. Penalty for Violation of
Preceding Section. Any person who
shall violate the foregoing section by
denying to any person, except for
reasons of law applicable to all per
sons, the full enjoyment of any of the
accommodations, advantages, facili
ties, or privileges enumerated in the
foregoing section, or by aiding or in
citing such denials, shall for each of
fense be deemed guilty of a misde
meanor, and be fined in any sum not
less than twenty-five dollars, nor
more than one hundred dollars, and
pay the costs of the prosecution.
You will see by this law that this
act complained of was not only an
outrage; it was a crime. You know,
too, that the City Commission has the
power to grant licenses to theatres
and places of amusement, and that it
has power to revoke licenses for a fail
ure to observe the laws of this state.
But what do we see? Policemen
who are sworn to enforce the laws
against discrimination, not only see
ing the laws violated but themeslves
violating the laws by assaulting re
spectable gentlewomen in a thea
tre in a civilized and enlightened com
munity. Gentlemen of the Commis
sion, what do you think about it?
Your action will be your answer. Do
you think we are going to stand for
this in Nebraska? Not on your life.
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But in this outrage there is bitter
tragedy. Not a tragedy for these wo
men, whose only offense is that God
in His wisdom carved them in ebony
instead of ivory, but awful tragedy
that such a thing as this can happen
in the Great West in the twentieth
century . Can it be that Omaha wishes
such a thing as this Will she toler
ate it? We do not believe it.
Whence came this insolent theatri
cal manager who would rear up such
a monster of prejudice and caste?
There is no call for it here. This
practice should have no place in a
great city in the American Republic,
certainly not in Omaha.
W'e hereby serve notice on all those
whose duty it is to protect us under
the law that we will not sit supinely
by and witness such an infamous
RAPE OF JUSTICE AS THIS.
It is time to call a halt. Our peo
ple as aclass are law-abiding and self
respecting. We should and will keep
the law and others must.
W'e have asked thinkers and work
ers along certain lines to write spec
ial articles for The Monitor on topics
in which they are interested and upon
which our readers should be informed.
These articles will be published from
time to time. W'e are pleased to pub
lish in this issue an article from our
good friend, Jesse T. Brillhart, on
Socialism. This is a political move
ment which is making its influence
increasingly felt not only in this
country but in Europe.
Hon. John L. Kennedy for United
States senator. To our race out in the
state who may not know him we com
mend him to their attention. Talk
about him to your friends and neigh
bors.
I. L. Beisel, who is a candidate for
county treasurer, subject to the re
publican primaries, is well qualified
for the position which he seeks, inas
much as he has been deputy for twelve
years. He is a native of Pennsylvania
and has been a resident of Omaha for
thirty years. He is well spoken of
by all who know him intimately. He
has always impressed us as a cour
teous gentlemen and we believe he
has earned the promotion sought.
Our choice for president is Henry
I). Eastabrook.
Grow with Growing Omaha.
NEW ADVERTISING MANAGER
FOR BRANDEIS STORES.
Mr. Charles Koethen has arrived
from New York and has taken
charge of the advertising department
at the Brandeis Stores. Mr. Koethen
was born in the east and has had a
wide experience in the advertising
business, not only in the United States
but in Canada.
Charles Koethen began his adver
tising work sixteen years ago in New
York City. Graduating from one of the
oldest agencies, he made a place for
himself with the Royal Baking Pow
der Co. After two years with this con
cern, he became associated with Abra
ham & Straus, the largest department
store of Brooklyn, and one of the
largest in the world. His connection
with this establishment covered a pe
riod of more than thirteen years, dur
ing which he was first assistant ad
vertising manager of Justin McCarthy
and then upon the death of Justin
McCarthy he took over the manager
ship.
He comes to Omaha with the high
est recommendations and the very
best wishes of hundreds of newspaper
friends in the east. He, no doubt, will
receive the very best wishes from
Omaha and all will wish for his suc
cess in his new field.
Mr. Kotehen is a gentleman with a
most pleasing personality.
For Rent—2 room house, East Om
aha. A good place for a garden and
chickens. Web. 5361.
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