The Monitor
A National Weekly Newspa^ . 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, May 19, 1917 Vol. II. No. 46 (Whole No. 98)
Miss Rankin Favors
Universal Suffrage
:
—
Congresswoman From West Wants AT i
Women to be Given the Ballot.
Regardless of Race or Color.
TALKS AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY
Representative from Montana Has a
Pleasing Personality—Addresses
Sorority Girls and Gets Warm
Welcome.
Washington, D. C.—Miss Jeanette
Rankin of Montana, the only woman
Congressman, is an object of interest
w herever she appears, as well as to all
visitors to the House of Representa
tives. Last Friday afternoon Miss
Rankin was the center of interest and
attraction at Howard University, when i
she was present upon invitation of the
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority to lec
ture for them.
Miss Rankin was introduced by tht
presiding officer, Miss Maud Burley.
She began her address with “Men and
Women” and spoke of many things
i: and about Montana. Then she be
gan to speak for and in favor of wo
man suffrage. She told how she w'on
out over the men and of her jovial dis
position; of her social service work
and work for woman suffrage during
the past eight years. She said her
first vote was cast for herself, and
that she was in favor of suffrage foj
all women without regard to race 01
color, and would subscribe to nothing
not for the benefit of all.
After the exercises Miss Maud Mur
dock presented Miss Rankin with a
large bunch of flowers and she re
mained and shook hands with the stu
dents. She made a very good im
pression.
CONGRESSMAN PRESENTS PE
TION TO PRESIDENT FOR
BOSTON ASSOCIATION
Washington, D. C.—Congressman
Tinkharn, of Boston, presented to
Piesident Wilson a petition forwarded
to him by the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People,
urging action upon alleged discrimina
tion against members of the Colored
race by the war department.
The petition came to Mr. Tinkharn
from Butler R. Wilson, secretary of
the association and a member of the
Massachusetts public safety commit
tee. Acorn panying it was a letter ex
plaining that R. McCants Andrews of
Boston, a graduate of Howard Uni
versity, of this city, and now a member
of the Harvard Law School, was de
nied admission to Plattsburg by the
orders of General Leonard Wood to
the Boston recruiting office. This or
der, states the letter, prevents the ad
mission of Colored citizens to officers’
training camps unless they apply in
sufficient numbers to warrant the es
tablishment of a separate camp.
ir“—==::=~——:::.- —— --il
+ Join the American
Red Cross Today j|
Issues Stirring Address to Country
The National Association For the Advancement of Colored Peo
ple at Its Annual Meeting in Washington, May 16 and
17, Patriotic, But Persistent For Rights.
—
The representatives of Negro organizations embracing many
millions of men, together with their friends and fellow workers
of other races, deem it fitting at this critical time in the history
of our country and the world to express the attitude and aspira
tions which they think fitting for the twelve million Americans
of Negro descent and for many other millions resident in Amer
ica, in Africa, and in the islands of the sea.
We view as a basic cause of this world war the despising of the
darker races by the dominant groups of men, and the consequent
fierce rivalry among European nations in their effort to use
darker and backward people for purposes of selfish gain regard
less of the ultimate good of the oppressed.
We see peimanent peace only in the extension of the principle
of government by the consent of the governed, not simply among
the smaller nations of Europe but among the natives of Asia and
Africa, the West Indies and the Negroes of the United States.
Despite the imperfect recoid of England, of Belgium, and of
our own land in dealing with Colored peoples, we earnestly be
lieve that the greatest hope for ultimate democracy, with no ad
ventitious barriers of race and color, lies on the side of the Allies,
with whom our country has become a companion in arms. In
justification of this belief we point on the one hand to the splen
did democracy of France, the recent freeing of our fellow suffer
ers in Russia, and the slow but steady advance of principles of
universal justice in the British Empire and in our own land; and
on the other hand we point to the wretched record of Germany
in Africa and the South Seas, and her preachment of autocracy
and race superiority.
We, therefore, earnestly urge our Colored fellow citizens to
join heartily in this fight for eventual world liberty; we urge
them to enlist in the army; to join in the pressing work of pro
viding food supplies; to labor in all ways by hand and thought in
increasing the efficiency of our country. We urge this despite
our deep sympathy with the reasonable and deep-seated feeling
of resentment among Negroes at the persistent insult and dis->
crimination to which they are subject and will lie subject even
when they do their patriotic duty.
Let us, however, never forget that this country belongs to us
even more than to those who lynch, disfranchise and segregate
us. As our country it rightly demands our whole-hearted de
fense as well today as when with Crispus Attucks we fought our
Independence and with 200,000 black soldiers in the Civil War
helped hammer out our own freedom.
Absolute loyalty in aims and in civic duties need not for a mo
ment lead us to abate our just complaints and just demands.
Despite the graph tous advice of those who wish us to submit un
complainingly to caste and peonage, we demand and of right
ought to demand—
1. The right to serve qjir country on the battlefield and to re
ceive training for such service.
2. The right of our best men to lead troops of their own race
in battle, and to receive officers’ training in preparation for such
leadership.
3. The immediate stoppage of lynching.
4. The right to vote for both men and women.
5. Universal and free common school training. '
6. The abolition of “Jim Crow” cars.
7. The repeal of segregation ordinances.
8. Equal civil rights in all public institutions and movements.
These are not minor matters. They are not matters that can
wait. They are the least that self-respecting, free, modern men
can have and live. In asking these rights we pretend to no ex
traordinary desert. We are ordinary men, trained in ignorance,
forced sometimes to crime, kept in poverty. Yet even so we have
(Continued on third page)
The Conservation
of Food Supplies
Unusual Problems Confronting Na
tion to Be Considered At Omaha
Meeting Next Week.
CALLS STATE CONFERENCE
Co-operation of AH Citizens Invited
At Auditorium Meetings
May 22-25.
The nation is now facing unusual
problems in production, distribution
and use of foods. To meet this sit
uation Governor Neville, as president
of the State Conservation and Wel
fare Commission, has called a meet
ing to be held in Omaha May 22 to
25, to consider the conservation of
food supplies, to determine a policy to
meet the situation and to devise ways
and means for carrying this policy
into effect throughout the state.
Representation.
The Conservation and Welfare Com
mission, created by a statuatory ac
tion, in its call says: “We, the offi
cers of the commission, hereby urge
and invite the citizens of Nebraska to
select from their various organiza
tions, agricultural, educational, so
cial, religious, industrial and labor,
representatives to meet in the city of
Omaha May 22 to 25 to discuss the
conservation and increase of foods
and to promulgate a practical policy
to be put into effect.”
You are urged to appoint represen
tatives immediately and send their
names at once to E. R. Danielson, sec
retary executive committee, Munici
pal Auditorium, Omaha.
Program.
The program opens in the Municipal
A uditorium at 8 p. m., Tuesday, May
22, with an address by Governor Ne
ville. Other addresses will be made
by Mayor Dahlman of Omaha, Hon.
W. J. Taylor of Mema, and a repre
sentative of the government.
Wednesday’s program will consider
“Problems in Production.” This will
deal with cultivation of waste places,
poultry raising, late planting, side
crops, meat production, milk produc
tion, the seed problem, city and town
labor on the farm, the conservation of
farm machinery and the financing of
production and marketing.
Thursday’s program will cover
“Conservation in Distribution.” The
topics are: “Speculation and Hoard
ing,” “Conservative Buying,” “Saving
in Marketing” and “Shipping Facili
ties.” A general discussion will fol
low.
Friday’s program will relate wholly
to “Conservation in the Home,” cov
ering kitchen waste, balanced foods,
canning and drying, food substitutes
and uses of cereals.
The domestic science and extension
departments of the University of Ne
braska will give demonstrations
along these lines during the confer
ence. Exhibits by state departments
and meat cutting demonstrations will
supplement the program.