The Monitor ,r~n
<$v •
A National Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of Colored Americans %o
THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS. Editor %>
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$1.50 a Year. 5c a Copy _OMAHA. NEBRASKA, SEPTEMBER 1. 1917Vol. III. No. 9 >,.ole No. 113)
GRAND REUNION
OF GRADUATES
Hampton Alumni Association
Obsarves fx^rsary.
REID ELECTED PRESIDENT
Fourteenth Triennial Gathering Bring*
Together Member* of Claaao* Cover
ing Period of More Than Forty-five
Year*—Dr. Lettimor* Delivers Fine
Addrese.
The death of Dr. Hollis B. Frlssell
gives added significance to the recent
fourteenth triennial reunion of the
graduates of Hampton institute. Fred
D. Wheelock, Hampton, '88, offers the
following statement concerning the
successful reunion: “Some doubt was
held ns to whether it would be wise to
hold a reunion this year on account of
the unsettled condition of affairs. In
view, however, of the coming celebra
tion next year of the fiftieth anniver
sary of Hampton, the executive com
MAJOR WASHINGTON.
in It tee decided It woulil he most fitting
to bold the reunion, which was called
together by William M. Held, '78.
“Every class from 1871 to 1917 was
represented. A more earnest and
thoughtful gathering of men and wo
men It would he hnid to find. After a
thorough review of the work of the
Hampton Alumni association by the
president and an outline of what re
mained to be done the following com
mittees were appointed; Hesolutlons.
nominations and memorials.
“Dr. John T. Imttimore, a dentist of
Hampton, Va.. made a stirring address
on ‘Hampton’s Ideals.' It was u gem.
tndeed. expressing in choice and heart
felt language the loyalty of the sous
and daughters to their alma mater and
giving also a brief resume as gathered
from the mottoes of all the classes of
the ideals which governed the men and
women who have gone out from the
school. That Intangible something
known as the ‘Hampton spirit' was
beautifully referred to and called forth
a hearty response. At the close of Dr.
Lattlmore's address discussions follow
ed element* were present—the
conservative, and the progressives.
“The progressives, beaded by the
younger members, were for uu enlarge
ment of the functions of the associa
tion uud were anxious to make them
selves felt for good along some defi
nite lines. This awakening is a very
good sign of the times and shows that
there has been some thinking done.
There is no reason In the world why a
thousand and more of educated men
and women should not by co-operation
be able to bring some things to puss
which they desire.
“One of the pressing questions before
the association Is the completion of the
permanent scholarship. The president
called for funds for this purpose, and
the response wus quite generous. There
was on hand $1,-139 towurd the $2,600.
At the close of the session the amount
on bund was a little over $1,900. It Is
intended by nex^ April to have the
entire sum In hand. The following
chapters responded; Norfolk and Ports
mouth, $100; Hampton and Newport
News, $80; New York, $25. Chicago,
Boston and Washington were not heard
from at this time.
“Only a few changes In the executive
committee were made by the commit
tee on nominations. The officers re
main as heretofore: President, William
M. Held, '77, Portsmouth, Va.; vice
president, Caspar M. Titus. '78, Nor
folk, Va.; recording secretary, Don A.
Davis. '09, Hampton Insltute. Va.;
Bnauclal secretary, Allen W. Washing
ton, ’01, Hampton Institute, Va.; corre
sponding secretary, Mlsa Callsta Shep
pard, ’U6, Norfolk, Va.
"One hundred and sixty were present
at the banquet over which Toastmaster
Allen Wssbingtou presided.
"Professor W. T. FI. Williams read n
very touching letter from Dr. Frissell,
expressing his regret at not being able
to be with us, also one from Miss Sher
man and Sydney D. Frissell.
“During the evening n poem. ‘Memo
rles of Hampton,’ by Mrs. Marie Ste
vens, '89. was sung to the tune of
‘America.’ Professor R. Nathaniel
Dctt, teacher of music, rendered an
original selection from his suit, ‘In the
Bottoms,' which was greatly appreci
ated. Thus ended a long to be remem
bered occasion, fraught with much in
terest and enthusiasm.”
—
CANCEL. CONCERT ENGAGEMENT
A Well Defined Case De Luxe of
While Liver Discovered in
Omaha.
A company of students from Roger
Williams University of Nashville,
Tenn., hi ve been giving a series of
concerts in the leading white and
Colored Baptist churches of the coun
try from New England to Nebraska,
in the interests of their institution.
They have met with marked success
and given entire satisfaction wherever
they have appeared. They gave a
splendid recital at Zion Baptist church
Monday night, and had an engagement
for the First Baptist church, white,
for Tuesday night. Tuesday after
noon they were called up by the
church authorities and advised that
in the light of the fact that a Negro
was under arrest on suspicion of hav
ing committed a murder, they deemed
it best to cancel the engagement.
Broad-minded citizens of Omaha,
and their number runs well up into
the thousands, will hardly sympathize
with this action. It reflects anything
but credit upon the church authorities
having the matter in charge.
LAST CHANCE FOR NEW
SUBSCRIBERS UNDER THE
SPECIAL ONE DOLLAR RATE
We will accept new subscribers to
day under the special one dollar rate.
This is the last opportunity. Send in
your subscriptions today. This rate
was on for the month of August to in
troduce The Monitor to new subscrib
ers. Our regular subscription rate
since February, 1916, has been $1.60
a year, payable in advance. We will
publish complete list of the lucky new
subscribers in next week’s issue. Get
your name on the list. Do it today.
I AFRO-AMERICAN BUILDING
AND LOAN ASSOCIATION
—
This is the name of the organization
which N. W. Ware is undertaking in
our city. The objects of the associa
tion are the same as like organiza
tions, but for the purpose of encour
aging and assisting our people in the
buying of homes.
The capital stock of the association
I is fixed at $10,000, to be paid into the
corporation within one year from the
date of incorporation.
Fuller particulars will be given in a
later issue. This is a laudable busi
ness venture in the right direction.
_
RACE RIOTS AMONG TROOPS
Omaha Bee, Aug. 26, 1917.
The mutiny of a body of Colored
soldiers of the United States army at
a Texas post can scarcely be consid
! cred as a symptom of serious trouble
I in the organization. It is rather a fur
j ther proof of the difficulty of main
taining strict discipline in presence of
the unconcealed prejudice against the
blacks that exir.ts generally in the
South and prominently in Texas.
Judgment must be suspended until a
full inquiry has developed the real
reason for the outbreak. This will not
lessen the seriousness of the offense
committed by the soldiers, who have
laid themselves liable to the extremest
penalty by their conduct. It may
serve, however, to place definitely the
blame for a state of affairs that
shows on the surface that something
radically wrong is back of the out
break. Several years ago, in time of
peace, an entire troop of a regiment
of cavalry was dishonorably dis
charged because of an outbreak en
gendered by friction between white
civilians and Colored soldiers in a
Texas community. The scandal then
occasioned has not been forgotten,
but its lesson evidently did not sink
deep enough. Without undertaking to
fix fully responsibility for the deplor
able affair at Houston, public opinion
must lean towards the conclusion that
such clashes may be avoided by the
application of a little forbearance on
the part of the whites. Army authori
ties may be depended upon to deal
with offending soldiers.
Give Us a Colored Commander for
Colored Troops
PRESIDENT WILSON, COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE
ARMY, TWELVE MILLION COLORED AMERICANS RE
SPECTFULLY PETITION YOU, SIR, TO GIVE OUR RACE A
GENERAL IN THE PERSON OF CHARLES YOUNG AND TO
GIVE HIM COMMAND OF COLORED TROOPS; AND WE
PLEDGE YOU OUR HONOR THAT OUR COUNTRY WILL
THRILL WITH PRIDE AT THE VALOR OF THE TROOPS
UNDER HIS COMMAND.
GIVE US A COLORED COMMANDER FOR COLORED
TROOPS. OUR LOYALTY AND SERVICE MERIT THIS REC
OGNITION.
Dangerously Sensational Headlines
Monitor Calls Attention to Unwisdom and Peril of Omaha
Bee’s Report of Recent Crimes In City—No Evidence
Against Man Under Arrest.
Sensational headlines in newspapers
can stir up lots of mischief. With one
exception, the Daily News, Omaha
papers have been singularly free from
this. Recently, however, the Omaha
Bee has adopted this dangerous style,
without any intention, we are quite
sure, of stirring up racial strife.
In Monday’s issue it published a
front page article on the recent crimes
in our city under the following start
ling captions:
ARCH FIENDS SLAY TWO WOMEN
Omaha Is Stirred by Wave of Crime
in Last 36 Hours.
Two Brutal Murders, a Woman As
saulted in Her Room, Three Men
Carved by Negro Running Amuck
and a Woman Harrassed by a
Negro Are Some of the Crimes
Keeping Omaha Police Force Busy.
Our chief objection is to the second 1
subhead and the general tone of the ;
news item, which, although doubtless |
unintentionally so, was nevertheless i
prejudice creating.
The World-Herald’s featuring of
this news item was in marked con
trast to that of the Bee. It gave the
facts as then gathered without start
ling headlines or exciting embellish
ments.
We addressed the following self-ex
planatory letter to the Bee, the first
part of which was published ig its
issue of August 30:
“Omaha, Aug. 27.
“To the Editor of the Bee: I desire
to commend you for your admirable
editorial published in Saturday’s is
sue on the deplorable Houston affair,
which all right-thinking people must
keenly regret.
“All who have our country’s best in
terests at heart must do their utmost
to allay the sentiment quite prevalent
throughout all sections of the country
which underlies and is responsible for
inter-racial tragedies of this charac
ter. This, while necessary in normal
times, is most imperative in these ob
nornial times, when the nerves of the
nation are at high tension. Press, pul
pit, bar and every agency which inflo,
ences public opinion must unite in
counseling sanity, self-restraint and
moderation. Therefore I desire to
commend you for the editorial in ques
tion and for the Bee’s general policy
both in editorial and news columns for
standing for law, order and justice for
all classes of citizens.
“In tonight’s issue, however, there
deems to be such a radical departure
from your usual policy of news report
ing that I beg leave to call your at
tention to it. I do so, most respect
fully, because I believe the sensation
al manner in which the recent crimes
which have deeply stirred our city are
reported in tonight’s issue has a de
cided tendency to inflame rather than
to allay anti-racial antipathies, which
loom so large in the average Amer
ican community.
“I refer, of course, to the report of
the two murders, the burglary and the
evidently unprovoked attack made by
a demented or drunken man, who
chanced to be a Colored man—which
uccident ought not either magnify or
lessen the crime—upon three of our
citizens on a downtown street.
“The subhead and two or three ex
pressions in the news item impress me
aB being dangerously objectionable.
The impression conveyed to the aver
age reader by the subhead is thr.t
Negroes are responsible for the ‘were
of crime’ which has stirred Omaha;
while as a matter of fact, aside from
the crazy or drunken fellow who ran
amuck with a knife and the tramp
who asked a woman for food and in
doing so is said to have ‘harrassed
her, there is no evidence yet as to who
committed the crimes of murder and
burglar;,. The article apparently
would convey the impression that all
these crimes were committed by Ne
groes. It is stated that ‘the assaults
and murders are believed to have been
the work of a Southern Negro laborer
ot the type recently imported North
to work.' This is wholly gratuitous.
And it is also an unfair attack on
honest and industrious laborers who
have recently come from the South,
the great majority of whom, although
perhaps uncouth, are industrious and
law-abiding.
“Inasmuch as it is your policy not
to let your news reports nullify your
editorial utterances in promoting the
welfare of the community which you
faithfully serve, I am very sure that
you will be very careful to suppress
the ‘featuring’ by ambitious reporteis
of even sensational news in any man
ner that may tend to create racial or
class prejudice which can so easily
lead to serious and deplorable results.
“JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS.”
COLORED MAN HELD
AS MURDER SUSPECT
Sunday afternoon the wife of C. L.
Nethaway of Florence, whom her hus
band had directed to join him at a
given point, when he would take her
for a ride in his auto, was brutally
murdered at a secluded spot on the
railroad tracks not far from her home,
Failing to meet his wife at the ap
pointed place Mr. Nethaway drove on
home, but found it locked and his wife
gone. Fearing, as he said, that she
had met with an accident, he got a
friend to accompany him and walked
up the track in the direction he had
told his wife to go. He took the right
side and his friend the left. After
having gone some distance Mr. Neth
away was horrified to find the dead
body of his wife, who had been mur
dered after a desperate struggle.
Suspicion fell upon Charles Smith,
a Colored man, a stranger in this city
from Mississippi, who had been seen
in that vicinity. Smith was arrested
on a freight train at Blair. Smith does
not deny that he was in the vicinity
and admits that he got a drirV of
water at the well at the Nethaway
home, but denies all knowledge of the
crime. He has been subjected to the
usual grilling at the hands of the
police, but aside from the fact of his
admitted presence in the locality of
the murder no evidence has been dis
closed to connect him with the crime.
There are one or two facts which
lead The Monitor to think that the
police have not caught the murderer.
Neighbors have stated that Smith
came to the Nethaway house a few
minutes after Mrs. Netherway had
left to meet her husband and knocked
at the door. Getting no response he
went to the well and got a drink of
water, then left in the direction that
Mrs. Nethaway had gone. Unless he
had met her before coming to the
house it is not likely that he overtook
her. And if he had committed the
\ crime before coming to the house it
does not seem at all probable that he
would have retraced his steps to
where his victim's body lay. More
over, it is not likely that he would
have hung around in the neighborhood
as it is asserted he did.
/
The police should leave no clue un
followed that may lead to ttye appre
hension and punishment of the mur
der or murderers of both Mrs. Neth
erway and Mrs. Anderson.
A VOICE FROM THE PLAINS
Lower Brule, S. D., July 23, 1917.
To the Editor The Monitor, Omaha,
Nebraska.
Dear Sir: You desire to help the
Colored people. Why not organize
them or at least some of them into
farmers’ clubs? This could be done
in this way: Get some of the business
men to finance them toward the pur
chase of at least forty acres of land to
the family.
There is a splendid quarter section
here of the best soil in this part of
the state or any where else that can
be purchased rc®l cheap—at least I
would call it cheap. There is not an
acre on it that could not be plowed or
cultivated, 160 acres of as good land
as lays out doors anywhere.
My plan would be as follows: Or
ganize a society to purchase the land
and then sell it to people on crop pay
ments or shares. Help them to get
to a country where their hogs, com,
wheat or, in fact, anything that they
raise, will bring the same price that
the white farmers get. It is a little
late in the Season to start out this
fall but you could buy the land and
have them start early in the spring.
The land I have in mind at this
time is only 12 miles from a good
railroad town where there are two
banks, a good creamery station, also
good hotels and restaurants, grocery
stores, hardware, in fact, stores of
all kinds and garages.
I will be in your city this fall and
will be pleased to give you any as
sistance in my power that will help
in this matter. The land I men
tioned can be bought this fall for
$1200.00 with a perfect title and ab
stract. There is no incumbrance on
the land. The party’s reason for sell
ing is that it is too far from his home
place which is at least 27 miles from
the land he wyik to sell. Don’t
crowd all those peo,. e that you are
bringing out of the south into the
cities, but send some of them to the
farms so that they can help take care
of those that are by their training
compelled to live in the cities. All
questions and inquiries gladly an
swered. Awaiting your pleasure, I
will close for this time.
Yours respectfully,
W. B. GAMBLE.
ORGANIZE RED CROSS
Last Friday afternoon thirty women
in answer to the request of Mrs. Isaac
Bailey met in the parlors of the
Grove Methodist church and organ
ized a branch of the Red Cross. Mrs.
O. C. Redick was present and ex
plained its objects. The following
officers were elected: Mrs. Isaac
Bailey, president; Mrs. Philip Letcher,
vice-president; Mrs. Daniels, secre
tary; Mrs. U. G. Bell, corresponding
secretary and Mrs. Benson, treasurer.
Meetings are to be held every Tues
day afternoon from 2 to 5 at Grove
Methodist church and all women are
most cordially invited to attend. The
aim and desire is to make it a rep
resentative organization of all our
women in the city. They have begun
work on hospital supplies and workers
are wanted.
WOMEN’S REGISTRATION DAY
September 12 is the day when all
women are requested to register, not
to vote, but to give such service as
they can to the government during
these times of war. Every woman can
do something to help. Full particu
lars next issue. Simply remember
now that the government is seeking
to register women for patriotic ser
vice, for some of which pay will be
given, for others expense money and
other no material returns.
SEPTEMBER 12 IS THE DAY.
_
Business League Asks Aid For Liberia.
The National Negro Business league
nt Its session held at Chattanooga.
Tenu., from Aug. 15 to 17, Inclusive,
adopted resolutions asking the United
States government to lend a helping
bond to the republic of Liberia by re
opening the coaling station and the
appointment of a commission to Inves
tigate conditions of Americans In the
republic. The resolution ulso Indorsed
the day of prayer culled by the Nation
nl Federation of Women's Clubs.
New Labor Organization Formed.
The Associated Colored Employees »l
America is the name of a new organl
cation recently formed In New York
with general officers and an executlv
committee. Thp purpose of the nsso
elation Is to meet (lie demand of em
ployers for laborers and to see Unit a
square deal Is given in wages and
hours, according to the kind of labor
performed.
YOUNG SPEAKS FOR HIMSELF
REGARDING ARMY AFFAIRS
Noted Retired Colonel Sends Patriotio
Letter to Hon. H. C. Smith.
The Hon. Harry C. Smith, veteran
editor of the Cleveland (O.) Gazette,
who was for several terms a mem
ber of the Ohio legislature. Is still on
the firing line fighting with voice and
pen against race segregation nrul^tber
forms of injustice to our people. He
stands for a square deal according to
law. On this score his record as a leg
islator bears abundant witness to his
manhood and executive ability. Like
Sumner, Garrison, Phillips, Lovejoy,
Douglass and other noble sires of the
abolitionist period, be is in earnest and
does not retreat a single inch, but must
be and is heard.
Mr. Smith was one of the many per
sons who evinced great interest in the
recent prospective promotion of Lieu
tenunt Colonel Charles Young, U. S. A.,
whom the war department retired a
few weeks ago. Editor Smith has re
ceived the following letter froln Colo
nel Young, which explains Colonel
Y'oung’s position very clearly on sev
eral matters concerning his future:
Wilberforce, O., Aug. 12, 1917.
Hon. Harry C. Smith, Editor of the Cleve
land Gazette:
My Dear Friend—I cannot thank you
too much for your kindness in coming to
my rescue in your last Issue.
You are right in saying I had nothing
to do with the failure of the new regiment
of Ohio cavalry (dismounted).
I did not ask for command of the regi
ment. 1 simply obeyed my instructions
from Washington and from the adjutant
general of Ohio. By training I am only a
soldier, going where sent and doing what
I’m ordered. So in this case.
The only painful thing in this whole
matter to me has been the petty ambi
tions of certain would be officers of our
own race who waited for me to "bell the
COLONEL CHARLES YOUNO, UNITED STATES
ARMY (RETIRED).
cat" and then made their howl. When in
the world did I ever play politics or seek
my personal preference when the welfare
of my race or country depended upon my
action?
To me the motto of the Black Prince,
“I serve," should be the motto of every
black officer, and I have always made it
mine, humbling myself to serve the rest,
for the good of the rest.
Now as to the retirement of me by the
war department from active service. As
before stated, so I repeat, I am only one
man, and If, according to the rules of the
game, I am to be "scrapped," I shall
submit, sportsmanlike, to the president's
orders.
I have never felt any ill effects of the
surgeon's findings as to disability, and I
shall keep my head, my patience and my
health, still studying until such a time as
I may be needed by the government.
I pray God she inay not need me and
that the war will be soon won. Now
let me beg you and all good people of our
race not to agitate or protest in my favor.
The administration must not he embar
rassed in its extremity. We all love the
country too well for that.
Again thanking you for all your kind
ness to me and wishing you and the Ga
zette success, cordially yours.
CHARLES YOUNG.
Colonel United States Army. Retired.
-—
GOOD AMERICAN CITIZENS.
Silent Parade Was Dignified Protest
Against Lynching, Saye the Eagle.
In concluding nn editorial on the "si
lent" parade to he conducted the next
day by the colored citizens of Greater
New York the Brooklyn Dally Eagle of
Erlday, July 27, said:
The Eagle regards this pnrade as a
dignified nud proper way of displaying
race feeling. It trusts that no street
violence will spring out of It. The Im
mense exodus of southern Negroes to
the north and the degree to which they
have been employed as strike breakers
has given the question of the rights of
colored peaple a wholly new phase In
America.
Well dressed, well fed, fairly prosper
ous, the adults In the parade will be
good American citizens. The children
In bright colors will testify to every
eye that they are well cared for. No
country can afford to tolerate race In
justice. Above all. the United States of
America must protect all its citizens
regardless of color If it Is to keep the
respect of the civilized world.