Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (May 20, 1916)
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, May 20, 1916 Volume I. Number 47 Florida Nuns Will Te& Unjust Laws Three Who Teach in Private School for Negro Children are Arrested. GOVERNOR ORDERED ARREST Because of Petition Sent Him Advis ing That the Law was Being Vio lated, Instructed Sheriff to Make Arrests. St. Augustine, Fla., May 19.—The law recently enacted in Florida pro hibiting whites from teaching in Ne gro schools is receiving its first test here in the case of three Sisters of St. Joseph’s Convent, who were ar rested by the sheriff, acting under instructions from Governor Trammell on Monday, April 24. They have been conducting a school for Negro chil dren in their private building on De Haven street. Sister Mary Thomasine, Sister Mary Scholastica and Sister Mary Beningus were the three nuns arrest ed and when they were brought before Judge Jackson the court ordered them released on their own recognizance. Sister Mary Thomasine refused to ac cept her release and she is being held a prisoner at the convent, in custody of Father O’Brien. When the law was enacted by the Florida legislature, the Sisters of St. Joseph consulted eminent lawyers as to the constitutionality of the law. It was the unanimous opinion of the law yers consulted that the law was un constitutional and so the school was continued. The nuns have been teach ing schools for Negro children in St. Augustine for several generations, their work being entirely gratuitous and their only object the educational and religious guidance of the Colored youth. They were not interfered with, even after the passage of the law, until some weeks ago a petition was sent to Governor Trammell, advising him that the law was being violated. This petition was evidently for the pur pose of bringing about a test case on the constitutionality of the law. # The case cannot be handled in the local courts as it is a state law, and so it will come before the Circuit Court at this term. It will probably be carried through the State Supreme Court to the United States Supreme Court before it is finally settled. CLOSED $67,000.00 DEAL The Fontenelle Investment Com pany closed a deal Thursday of last week with C. A. Williamson Co., tak ing over the Edgewood Park addition which overlooks Carter Lake. The club house which is situated on the grounds will be awarded to the Pon tenelle Company after a certain num ber of lots have been sold. The lots range in price from $55 to $750, and some of them can be bought on the plan of $1 down and $1 a week. Something To Make You Think How Men May “Fight For Themselves” (The Omaha Nebraskan) The Crisis, a Negro organ, pays a deserved tribute to the valor of the Colored troops on the Mexican border and says: “So in America, in Europe and in Africa black men are fighting for the liberties of white men and pull-' ing their chestnuts out of the fire. One of these bright mornings black men are going to learn how to fight for themselves.” Hut they are “fighting for themselves” when they make the splendid record they are making in Mexico. They were “fighting for themselves” when they made their record in Cuba. They were not then, nor are they now, “pulling white men’s chestnuts out of the fire.” They were and are fighting for a country that is theirs as it is the white man’s and in whose history and achievements they will have a part commensurate with the con tributions they make. The Crisis gives its people very poor advice when it intimates that the interests of the Colored race lie along lines of “fighting for themselves in the sense plainly meant by the Crisis. To be sure, the Colored race has had many obstacles to surmount but the race has advanced and will advance in accordance with the efforts of its in telligent members to contribute to the general good, to bui d for civilization and to do their part in the most effective way. When such plays as “The Birth of a Nation” give offense let the race show itself superior to the touch of. such humiliations and, bearing it with dignity, win the respect and sympathy of white men who cannot give approval to such taunts. There is hut one way for any individual or any race to push forward. That way is so plainly marked that it need not be stated. The conduct of the Colored troops in Mexico has done much to break down prejudice and win respect for the Negro race. So the generally fine conduct of Omaha Negroes—so often commented upon by observing men— is doing much to do away with this prejudice. “Upward and onward,” not through force but through civilization’s in strumentalities, through faithful service as soldiers and good conduct as citizens—that is the motto and that is the course for every individual and every race who would win the spurs. Prejudice and Art We have said several times in this column that in art the Negro encoun ters less prejudice than in any other field of endeavor. If a Negro writes a great poem or a great book, or paints a wonderful picture or composes real music, his color is little or no hindrance to his gaining recognition and ap preciation of his work. This is one of the paradoxes of American prejudice. It is more difficult for a strong, able-bodied Colored man to break through the New York labor union, and get a job to carry a hod than it is for a tal ented Colored composer to get a hearing for his music in Carnegie Hall or Aeolian Hall. There has just been completed at Jacksonville, Fla., a new armory tor the First Regiment of the National Guard of that state. This armory was opened last week. It was christened by a musical festival given under the auspices of the Ladies’ Friday Musicale, and the work that was rendered was “Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast” by Coleridge-Taylor. A well known South ern tenor of Atlanta, Ga„ was engaged to sing the famous “Onaway, Awake, Beloved.” Does it not seem more than strange that the opening of an armory in a city of the far South should be celebrated with the rendition of a musical work which was created by Negro brain? The Jacksonville papers extolled Coleridge-Taylor’s music before and after the performance. Jacksonville society turned out and made the event a gala one. Those who took part and those who listened were enraptured by\ the divine art of a black man. Yet, Colored citizens were denied admission.. Denied admission to a building paid for out of the public funds. Such are the inconsistencies of prejudice.—The New York Age. Use the Monitor to Reach the Colored People of Nebraska. It Is Their Only Newspaper. Church Elected Delegateat-Large The Colored Republicans of Tennes see Win Notable Victory in State Convention. RACE LEADERS ARE UNITED Impossible to Ignore the Arguments Advanced or Desert Such a Capa ble Organizer Admission of Congressman Sells. Nashville, Tenn., May 19.—All Ten nessee is celebrating the victory won by R. R. Church, Jr., in the Republi can State convention held at Nash ville, May 3. The Negro emancipated himself. Ending a campaign that claimed the attention of every ele ment in the Republican party, Mr. Church was elected a delegate-at large to the coming Chicago conven tion. For the first time sin«e 1892 a Tennessee Colored Republican has been given a place as a delegate-at large to a National convention. It is not too much to say that the victory achieved by Mr. Church in the name of 76,000 Colored Republicans, is the most notable in the annals of Tennessee politics. He had the active support of only one of the State lead ers, former Governor Ben W. Hooper, nominee for the United States Sen ate. Two hours before the meeting of the convention, Mr. Church was told that there was no hope 'or him and his people. Then in a most remarka ble conference, in which all the big leaders took part, the slate was broken. Congressman Sells said that it was impossible to ignore the argu ments advanced or desert so fine an organizer as Mr. Church had proven himself to be. For the first time in the history of Tennessee politics all the Colored leaders stood together, supporting Mr. Church every inch of the way. Among those active in the fight were J. C. Napier, A. N. John son and A. W. Fite, of Nashville; T. H. Hayes, Wayman Wilkerson, Bert M. Roddy, F. M. Nesbitt, 0. W. Wil liams, the Rev. R. J. Petty, J. H. Brown, J. B. Martin, A. F. Ward, H. R. Saddler, of Memphis; Roscoe Sim mons, of Louisville, and P. H. Brown, of Hopkinsville, Ky. HUNTINGTON FUND CLOSE TO 5500 MARK Huntington, W. Va., May 19.—A fund containing $419.91 in cash and unpaid subscriptions to the sum of $50, an aggregate of $468.41, has been raised by Colored people of Hunting ton for the Booker T. Washington Memorial Fund. The campaign which was waged for this purpose concluded Sunday afternoon in a big rally held in Carnegie Hall. However, the com mittee has decided to continue its ef forts until the amount of $500 orig inally suggested as Huntington’s sub scription, is all raised.