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 22, 1916 Volume I. Number 43
Segregation Law In
Supreme Court
Arguments For and Against The
Validity of Louisville’s Noxious
Measure Being Heard.
CASE IS ONE OF IMPORTANCE
Became a Law in Baltimore First—
Cities Have Approved It—Cus
tom Rapidly Spreading.
Washington, April 21.—The United
States Supreme Court heard argu
ments for and against the validity of
Louisville’s segregation law Monday
and Tuesday, April 3 and 4, Moorfield
W. Storey, former president of the
American Bar Association and pres
ent head of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored Peo
ple, took up part of the two days in
contending against the law. He said
that it not only violated the princi
ples of justice but was an infringe
ment upon property rights.
The case is one of grave import
ance to the Colored residents of Bal
timore, where the law was first
passed; Atlanta, St. Louis, Balias,
Texas., Richmond, Va., and other
places. The Maryland Court of Ap
peals recently sidestepped a decision
as to the validity of the Baltimore
law, awaiting the decision in the Lou
isville case.
Clayton S. Blakely, Louisville, ap
peared with Mr. Storey, having been
retained by Colored citizens and or
ganizations of that city.
Justice Pitney asked many ques
tions of Mr. Beckley concerning
those features of the ordinance which
prevent a Negro from living in a
house after he has purchased it pro
vided the house is on a “white” block.
He wanted to know if, under the law,
a Negro purchasing such property
would be required to allow it to re
main untenanted until enough white
people moved from the block to give
the Negroes a majority and thereby
make it a “Negro” block. Mr. Beck
ley replied that the law did provide
this but he held that white people
were subject to the same provisions
in such sections of Louisville; he said
the population was constantly shift
ing and such property seldom re
mained idle for more than a few
months. He pointed out that the law
did not affect the right of a Negro
to live on a “white” block if he owned
the property prior to enactment of
the law.
Mr. Storey declared the ordinance
to be in violation of Section I of the
Fourteenth Amendment of the Con
stitution in that it deprived one set
of American citizens of rights and
privileges given to others. He held
that it made no difference whether the
denial of these rights affected whites
or blacks.
“The Constitution gives to every
American citizen the same rights,”
(Continued on second page)
| Use the Monitor to Reach the
} Colored People of Nebraska.
Will N. Johnson Wins the
Republican Nomination
For Public Defender
WILL N. JOHNSON, Attorney
Republican Nominee for Public Defender
The primaiers are over and we
lave triumphed gloriously.
Will N. Johnson has won the nom
ination for the office of public de
fender on the Republican ticket, de
'eating his nearest competitor by
nore than 500 votes. John W. Long,
andidate for state representative,
dso made a good showing, being de
feated by a very narrow margin.
These were the only two of the three
Colored candidates, who in our judg
ment, had any show of winning. We
did not believe that G. Wade Obee
A'ho filed for the Water Board had
he remotest chance of success, and
yet he received a fair sized vote. He
vas not the lowest man on the ticket.
The good showing that all these men
made demonstrates what we as a
race can do by united action.
It was definitely known at the out
set that the Colored Americans of
.his community whose registered vot
ing strength, acording to the of
icial returns from the election com
nissionef’s office is about 2,000,
ninety per cent of whom are republi
■ans, were very much dissatisfied with
,'ie political recognition they had
>een receiving and were organizing
or effective work. This led the pow'
ers that be to believe, and they are
correct in this belief, that, if they de
sired to pull through their slates they ;
must give recognition on their slate
to the Colored voters. And so both
Johnson and Long were placed on re
spective slates. This undoubtedly
brought strength to the slates and
also to the candidates. An analysis
of the votes shows that the race vote
was loyal to its candidates and to
their friends. If the unregistered Col
ored voters had registered and voted
Long, in all likelihood, would have
been nominated, too. But be that as
t may, the result shows the wisdom
of united action upon the part of our
people, and justifies the acumen of
the slate-makers.
The nomination of Will N. Johnson
is indeed a victory. It shows a re
gaining of lost ground.
The indications are that this will
be a republican year. In the event
that it is, Mr. Johnson ought to be
elected. We must see to it that every
available voter of our race is regis
tered and votes. Mr. Johnson ought
to be^lected. He has had the training
which qualifies him for the position
and in it he can and ought to make
good. Let it be known that the race
:s solidly and unitedly for him and
he will win out at the election in No
vember as he has won out at the pri
maries in April
Unite. Concentrate. Act.
A German Problem
Threatens America
Chicago University Professor Thinks
This Will Result Should Teutons
Be Defeated.
GERMANS WILL BE ISOLATED.
Their Position and Attitude Will be
Similiar to That of Colored
Americans.
A Chicago University professor has
expressed himself rather forcefully on
the present war in Europe. He thinks
after the defeat of Germany there
will be a German problem similar to
the present Negro problem. He thinks
the Germans will be a “sore” and will
be isolated socially, as are the Col
ored people today. His own words
follow:
”&ir—ine Crerman-American proD
lein as it touches our national life ana
interests has not, in my opinion, been
fairly stated or discussed since the
beginning of this world war. From
the point of view of history, and of
natural social evolution, most of our
editors of newspapers and other perl
jdicals have contented themselves
with straight partisan treatments. To
me it is as natural for the well-to-do
ierman, whether bom in Germany or
n the United States of German par
entage, to side with Germany in the
present crisis as it was for the well
to-do Southerner in the Nerthwest
to side with the South in 1860.
“What I fear from the present dis
cussion of the problem is that when
the war is over we shall have a per
manent German problem not unlike
the Negro problem. With Germany
defeated, our German element will be
;ore in feeling and isolated socially.
Our best men are making this cer
tain by their speech and conduct. To
ne our interest requires us to become
nation as soon as possible; but
every great mass of men who vote en
bloc, especially if they speak a for
eign tongue, defers that day. The one
justification of disfranchisement of
the blacks in the South, if there is
iny justification, would be that, as the
exslaves regain their privilege of vot
ing, they would or might, if carefully
treated, divide and become simply
American voters.
“As things now stand, we are soon
to have a solid German vote, a solid
labor vote, a solid capitalist influence,
all added to the solid South or set up
against it. I am not sure that this Is
not inevitable as things stand in the
world; but why make things worse
by ignorant discussion?
“Possibly I ought to say that I am
not in any sense a pro-German try
ing to influence opinion. My feelings
and my judgment as well are with
the allies. But I think a newspaper
which gives the news and comments
on the news is so important in this
country that an understanding of the
(Continued on eighth page)