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, April 15, 1916 Volume I. Number 42
American Soldiers
Fight For Mexicans
Men Who Were Formerly in Service
of United States, Commissioned
Officers in Mexico.
COLOR NO BAR TO PROMOTION
Colored Americans Now Residents of
Southern Republic Prominent in
Army.
Mexico City, Mexico, April 14.—
The American race man is not unwet
comed in Mexico. During the revolu
tion they have been found fighting
on both sides. Most of them have
been discharged soldiers of the Amer
ican army who have come into Mex
ico and have been reaping such re
wards as their ability warranted.
They will be found on the general
staff, as line officers, commanders of
machine gun platoons, captains of ar
tillerymen, scouts, chaufeurs and pri
vates in the ranks. The most suc
cessful of these men has been Harry
Beaver, who is lieutenant colonel on
the staff of General Calles (pronounc
ed Kais), the military governor of
the state of Sonora, and the strong
est supporter of the present Carran
za government. Lieutenant Colonel
Beaver served two years with General
vuia, iransierring nis allegiance 10
Carranza. He earned rapid promo
tions for bravery under fire.
Victims of American Prejudice.
While in a semi-official capacit
during the A. B. C. convention in
Washington, D. C., U. S. A., the cap
ital of the American republic, he was
somewhat of a figure, but fell a vic
tim to the American prejudice, a
growing institution in that country,
which will some day cause its down
fall. Colonel Beaver is garrison in
spector for the state of Sonora. He is
a native Texan, but, finding his race
was so hampered and given no chance
in his home state or any other part
of the country, he decided to cast his
chances with fate and go across the
border, where he has met with abun
dant success, and has never been
turned down on account of his color.
His uniform and his rank are looked
upon aB a source of admiration.
Former Ninth Cavalryman.
Major Fleming, formerly a member
of the Ninth U. S. Cavalry, has for
some time been in command of the
artillery forces of the Carranza army.
He recently resigned his commission
and married into a well-to-do Mex
ican family and is now living at Guay
mas. No mention was made by the
people as to his color or creed. He
is simply a Mexican citizen. Bud
Johnson, electrical engineer, is In
charge of electrical equipment of Car
ranza, operating on the border.
Charles Donnelly, another former
member of the Ninth Cavalry, en
tered the Villa army early in the
stages of the revolution as a private
(Continued on fifth page)
j Use the Monitor to Reach the
j Colored People of Nebraska.
THE RT. REV. ARTHUR L. WILLIAMS, S. T. D.
Itishop of Nebraska, Who Will Administer Confirmation at the Church of
St. Philip the Deacon Sunday Afternoon.
EDITORIAL EXPRESSIONS
(From Indianapolis Ledger.)
The editorials in any newspaper are the direct opinion of the paper in
which they appear. There are various kinds of editors represented among
the Negro journalists of today. .Some, there are, who are always on the job,
fearlessly attacking the wrong and upholding the right. There are others
who nestle snugly on the fence, cringingly non-committal, who keep the read
ers of their papers eternally guessing, after reading their long, tiresome,
wordy harrangues, as to what it was all about and what they are really trying
to say. These are the “artful dodgers” in the game, whose quibbling tactics,
in handling issues vitally affecting the future of the race, are largely respon
sible for the Negro's lethargic indifference and failure to act at times when
action and oneness of purpose would have meant everything. This class of
editorial writers may be depended upon to drag their readers through a verita
ble maze of flexible phraseology—double meaning sentences and the like—
for the purpose of befogging, and not to instruct, or take a positive and un
equivocal stand on a subject. This is “giftin’ by.” They say nothing, there
fore they will not be called upon to deny anything.
This class of Negro journalists is really the most dangerous of all. Even
more so than the character represented in our cartoon of this issue. The
pork barrel “hedger” soon finds the Primrose path he has chosen for himself
turned into a lane of thorns. Those from whom he accepts his mite have no
confidence in him, and those he betrays soon “get on to him”; he is, ulti
mately, a joke from both ends of the string.
The Negro newspapers succeeding, in a material way, are the ones which
stand pat and call a spade a spade—the ones who refuse to employ “respect
ful” words in commenting on, or demanding a retraction of a DISRESPECT
FUL situation. Nothing may be obtained by raving, it is true, but much may
be acquired by a fearless and manly assertion of facts. Plain English, with
out the frills, should not he criticised but commended by all really sincere
Negro editors.
From Fair Nebraska
to Sunny Tennessee
Incidents of the Trip and Impressions
Received by Editor on First Visit
to the Southland.
SEES A UNIQUE RESTAURANT
From the Sign it Bears One Would
Draw the Conclusion that it Was
an Enterprising Colored Es
tablishment.
Suppose you were standing on a
rather prominent business comer of
a southern city waiting for a street
car—although the car has nothing
particularly or important to do with
this story—and keenly alert to ob
serve all you could, what would you
think if you saw on the opposite cor
ner, a modest but not uninviting two
story brick building—we are pretty
sure it was brick, although we may
be mistaken as to that—bearing this
sign “The Booker T. Washington
Cafe." What conclusion would you
draw? This, would you not?
A Reasonable Conclusion.
“Some wide-awake enterprising
Colored man is running a restaurant
over there for his race. That certain
ly must be a “Colored cafe,” adopt
ing, as we probably would, the pop
ular usus loquendi, by which we are
wont to differentiate that which ap
pertains especially or exclusively, to
the two respective races the chief dif
ference of which seems to be color.
The Use of Adjectives.
You know how we use these ad
jectives. We say “white shop” and
“Colored shop;” “white church” and
“Colored church.”. And, by the way,
that reminds us we are frequently
asked by people of both races, who
pass by the rectory in which we reside,
hard by the pretty little church, in
which it has been our privilege to
serve for nearly a quarter of a cen
tury, and we are by no means a back
number yet, “Is that a Colored
church?” Our reply generally is:
“Why, can’t you see, it’s a white stone
church.” Honest, in saying this we are
not trying to be witty; we couldn’t be
that if we tried. Knowing our limita
tions we respect them. We are not
trying to be witty; but to have a little
fun. We love fun. It helps keep one
young. And we get out of our reply.
Our inquirer invarably looks a little
confused and comes back with some
thing like this:
“Er-er-er-ah! I don’t mean that.
Er, you know what I mean.”
“Yes, of course, I do, we reply.
“Yes, it’s the church of a Colored con
gregation, but all people and all
classes are welcome within its doors;
and its priest is ready at all times to
minister to all who may need and are
willing to accept his ministrations.”
The Hooker T. Washington Cafe.
But to return to “The Booker T.
Washington Cafe” which we saw in
(Continued on eighth page)