The Monitor
A National Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of the Colored
Americans of Nebraska and the West
THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor
$1.50 a Year. 5c a Copy Omaha, Nebraska, Feb. 17, 1917 Vol. II. No. 33 (Whole No. 86)
Monitor Plan Is
Proving Successful
Tangible Results Being Obtained Af
ter Two Months of National
Investigation.
SOUTHERN LABOR IS WANTED
Race Papers Often Wrongly Informed
and Colored People of the South
Unintentionally Misled.
About two months ago The Monitor
decided to undertake some definite
steps to assist the Colored people of
the South who intend coming North,
and to ascertain just what oportuni
ties were offered. Much had been
written concerning the influx of
southern labor and while much of it
was true, much was also untrue. Many
of the larger industries which were
reported as having employed large
numbers of Colored men, have done
nothing of the kind; while a number
of new industrial operations that were
reported hiring hundreds of Colored
laborers proved absolutely mythical.
The consequences of these reports has
been that hundreds of Colored people
have left the South and gone to the
larger cities, only to find that things
had been misrepresented.
During this investigation, however,
The Monitor learned that there are
many industries which do want Col
ored labor and want it badly, and have
welcomed our effort to bring them
in touch with the same. We can now
say confidently that there is room for
hundreds of laborers and that when
they come North they will find good
paying jobs ready for them. The
greatest problem which we are facing
now is that of transportation. Many
of our people in the South are really
poor and have not money enough to
pay railway fare. This is something
of a handicap for the reason that our
great industries cannot consider trans
portation for large numbers of men
when there is no assurance that they
will be remunerated for the money ex
pended. However, we hope to be able
to solve this perplexing problem in
some way before spring.
Another difficulty which is con
fronting us is that of getting in touch
with the Colored people of the South
who wish to leave. The white South
is inimical to any effort being made
to bring away the black laborer, and
for this reason any propaganda to
bring to the Colored man the real op
portunities that await him in the
North is almost an impossibility. The
v endless chain letter system is about
the best method that can be adopted
at present. This system is as fol
lows. Let each Colored man who
wishes to leave the South write five
letters to five different friends who
also wiBh to leave and request that
each of the five write to five of their
friends and so on. The form of the
letter should be as follows:
“If you are anxious to leave the
Scuth and want employment before
leaving, write to The Monitor, Omaha,
Nebraska, and enclose a two-cent
stamp for reply.”
By this method the entire South
may be covered in a compartively
short time.
The Monitor is also negotiating
with industries that may possibly
hire hundreds of families for season
able work, as well as considering the
western colonization of groups of Col
ored farmers who have a little capital
to make such a vpnture a success.
We are justly proud of the work we
are trying to do for those of our race
who wish to come North and West,
and we want it to be known that we
will make no promises that cannot be
kept. The labor is in the South and
the opportunities are here and it is
one of the missions of The Monitor
to bring the two together.
Has More Trouble Been
Bought By the U. S?
Danish West Indies Brings More
Colored Citizens and Also
Suffragists
WILL THE PEOPLE SUBMIT?
Washington, D. C.—The purchase
of the Danish West Indies presents a
new suffrage problem to the Congress
of the United States becaus the wo
men of the islands now possess rights
and suffrage equal to those of the
men.
When the subject of Danish West
Indian legislation comes before Con
gress officers of the National Ameri
can Woman’s Suffrage Association
will urge the retention of the rights
now possessed by the women of the
islands. They take the position that
the United States, the first country to
declare that “governments derive
their just powers from the consent in
the governed” should permit the wo
men of the islands to retain their ex
isting suffrage rights.
Another question is aroused in the
minds of both Colored and white citi
zens of the United States. . Will the
Colored population of the new posses
sions, and they are legion in numbers,
tamely submit to the insults and hu
miliation that follows the “Stars and
Stripes” wherever a mixed popula
tion is found ?
There is no color line noticeable
now in the Danish West Indies.
The various races mingle and inter
marry freely and no man is known uy
the color of his skin. What will the
islanders of mixed blood do when the
soldiers and sailors of Uncle Sam ar
rive with the poison virus of preju
dice in their veins?
There is going to be some trouble
before these men allow the offscour
ings of the United States to pose as
“Lords of Creation."
JUVENILE COURT OFFICER
Pittsburgh, Feb. 15.—Mrs. Mollie
Durham Randolph has been appointed
an officer in the Juvenile Court.
PROF. ROBERTS SNUBBED
New York.—Prof. James C. Rob
erts, one of the four commissioners
that have represented the Danish
West Indies in the negotiations for
the sale of the islands to the United
States, was snubbed when he went to
the Imperial Hotel seeking accommo
dations, The commissioners had just
arrived from Denmark, where they
had been in consultation about the
sale of the islands. Mr. Roberts was
irdignant when the hotel clerk gave
the other three commissioners rooms,
looked at his dark-skinned face and
said that there was nothing doing.
The commissioners are now in Wash
ington in consultation with officials
of the Department of State.
Mme. E. Azalia Hackley
111 In New York
Famous Race Diva Receiving Treat
ment From Leading Specialists—
Guest of Dr. Lyman Abbott.
New York.—Mme. Azalia Hackley
is still in the city receiving treatment
for her ear in the hope of evading an
other operation Although because of
the rare case of inner ear trouble, an
operation has been assured her gratis
for the sake of science. Ear special
ists are much interested in her case.
Two deaconesses, one from St.
George’s Church and one from St.
Bartholomew’s Church, are looking
after the comfort of Mme. Hackley
during this trying period.
She spent a pleasant week-end at
the home of Dr. Lyman Abbott at
Cemwall-on-the-Hudson, as the guest
vf Mr. and Mrs. Hamlin, brother and
sister of Dr. Abbott, whose son is also
her medical adviser.
All arrangements for the Folk
Song Festival were cancelled, but
Mme. Hackley hopes to return to
New York City in the near future if
her health permits.
ARTIST GRIEVES OVER
LOST PICTURE
Antonio Guarino, a young Italian
artist who is now creating much ex
citement among New York art lovers,
is mourning the loss of what he con
sidered his best work, “A Wounded
Lascar." The picture represented one
of the black soldiers of Algiers who
was wounded while fighting for
France. The picture was aboard the
Ancona when she was torpedoed by
a German submarine.
WILL CHECK SUBMARINES
A demented Colored man sought ad
mission to President Wilson Wednes
day with a proposition for drying up
the Atlantic Ocean. Perhaps he thot
that was the only way to prevent the
German submarines from operating.—
Baltimore Afro-American.
Bishop Walters Is
Laid to Re&
Large Concourse Pay Last Tribute of
Respect to Senior Prelate of
Zion Methodist Church
HAD A REMARKABLE CAREER
Was Elevated to the Bishopric When
Only Thirty-three Years Old—
Prominent in Church Work.
New York.—A vast throng attended
the funeral of Bishop Alexander Wal
ters at Mother Zion church Tuesday of
last week. Bishop George W. Clinton
delivered the eulogy, and a number
of other bishops and clergymen as
sisted in the services. Interment was
in Cypress Hill cemetery.
Bishop Walters died Thursday pre
ceering, following an illness dating
from last summer. It was only sev
eral weeks ago that he left St. Luke’s
hospital after a vain effort to regain
his health.
He was a little over 33 years of age
at the time of his elevation to the bis
hopric in 1892, being one of the young
est men so honored in this country.
He was a noted figure, and probably
was more in the limelight than any
minister of his denomination since the
days of the late J. C. Price.
Bishop Walters’ Career
Bishop Walters was born in Bards
town, Ky., August 1, 1858. He re
ceived his early training by private
instruction. He began the study of
theology at Indianapolis in 1876, and
the following year was licensed to
preach. He filled a number of im
portant charges in his denomination.
He was elected to the bishopric in
1892, and the retirement of Bishop
Hood last May made him the senior
prelate of the connection.
He was a trustee of the National
Christian Endeavor Society, had been
a delegate to an ecumenical confer
ence and served for seven successive
terms as president of the old Afro
American Council. The last meeting
of the Council was held in this city
in 1908.
Bishop Walters was an outspoken
advocate of the rights of the race.
He was one of the Colored men who
believed ardently that a considerable
number of Colored men should seek
an honorable standing in the Demo
cratic party. As president of the
National Negro Democratic League,
he worked hard to bring this about.
The league was active in the congres
sional elections of 1910 and two years
later worked ardently for the election
of President Wilson. Despite the hard
work done by him and his colleagues
he was able to secure but scant rec
ognition for the Colored democrats.
It is said that Bishop Walters was of
fered the position of United States
Minister to Haiti, but declined as he
considered his work as a bishop of
more importance.
During the past years he had fre
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