THE MONITOR
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A Weekly Newspaper devoted to the civic, eocial and religious interests
of the Colored People of Nebraska and the West, with the desire to con
tribute something to the general good and upbuilding of the community and
of the race.
Published Every Saturday.
Entered as Second-Class Mail Matter July X, 1916, at the Post Office at
Omaha. Neb., under the act of March 3, 1879.
THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor and Publisher.
Lucille Skaggs Edwards and William Garnett Haynes, Associate Editors.
George Wells Parksr, Contributing Editor and Business Manager.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES, 81.90 PER YEAR
Advertising Rates. 50 cents an inch per issue.
Address, The Monitor, 1119 North Twenty-first street, Omaha.
Telephone Webster 4043.
“AT FORT DES MOINES”
Under the above caption the Omaha
World-Herald in last Sunday’s issue
published the following admirable and
appreciated editorial:
One cannot read accounts of what
is being done at the training camp for
Negro officers at Fort Des Moines
without feeling that the men from thi.i
camp, before going to the field to
fight for their country, are fighting
a splendid battle for their race.
The representatives of the Colored
population of the country at Fort
Des Moines come from every state in
the union, and, of course, the greater
part of them are from the south.
They are from the most intelligent,
the most ambitious and the most suc
cessful class of Colored people, and
correspond with the young men of
the white race who are in the other
training camps. They are students,
professional and business men, in
large proportion, and they seem to
have gone to this camp to set their
race forward by their conduct there
and by the capacity they would show
for the important work with which
they are soon to be entrusted.
All reports, both in the press and
from personal observation of visitors,
agree as to the unexceptional behav
ior of the men at this camp and as
to their capacity as students of mil
itary science. For Des Moines is not
behind any of the training camps.
The young Negro men went there to
be gentlemen, they went there to
learn to be soldiers and to command
soldiers. They went there to be
worthy representatives of their race,
and so to commend it and win in
creased respect for it. And they have
succeeded admirably. The people of
Des Moines felt at first that they
would have to be on their guard
against the men at the Negro training
camp, and several instances of dis
crimination were shown, but the camp
has won Des Moines. It fs a favorite
objective of excursion and automobile
parties. It is just as interesting as
any training camp for white officers.
The Negroes there under instruction |
use the street car line to and from the
city that is also patronized by large
numbers of white people living in the
outer parts of the city which the line
serves, and these white people testify
to the uniformly good conduct of the
Negroes aboard the cars. If the cars
are crowded the Negroes are as quick
as any whites to give up their seats
to women.
The Negroes in the camp have
“made good,” and there is no reason
to suppose that they will not make
good in the army camp and on the bat
tlefield. And so will the Negro troops.
Just now, when preparations are being
made to court-martial over a hun
dred men of the Twenty-fourth infan
try for the deplorable affair at Hous
ton, it is gratifying and reassuring
to read letters to the press and pri
vate statements from old officers,
white, who have commanded Negro
troops, praisipg their efficiency as
soldiers. Notable among these state- j
ments is that of Colonel J. A. Cole, re- j
tired, which has bepn given wide pub
licity in the press. He sums it up
by saying that white officers who;
serve with Negro troops like, admire
and trust them.
The Negroes make up 10 per cent of ;
the population of the United States.
They are called upon to do their share
of the fighting. There is no no con
spicuous number of slackers among
them. The slackers we have han
trouble with are whites. The Negroes
ask no special,, exemption. They are
willing to do their part, and they
should be given every chance to do it
by being honorably treated in the
camps and in the ranks. Their will' ;
ingness, patriotism and fidelity to the j
flag, in spite of some peculiar griev- |
ances they might express, entitles
them to this appreciative treatment.
Even southern newspapers are frank
enough to admit that occasional out- j
breaks of Negro troops, such as that
of Brownsville and Houston, were!
probably caused by their too harsh |
treatment by white police officials, |
and some of these papers, as if want
ing to give the south a chance to
atone, suggest that the Negro troops
be quartered in the south until the
time comes for them to go abroad.
A NOTABLE REPORT
Two fascinating volumes have just
been issued by the government. They
are known as Bulletins No. 38 and 39
of the Bureau of Education. Their
t'tle is, “Negro Education.” The two
volumes present the results of a thor
ough, scientific and sympathetic study
of the private and higher schools for
the Colored people of the United
States.
Those entrusted with this difficult
task have done their work remarkably
well. They deserve unstinted praise
for their thoroughness and painstak
ing work in their collection of data,
for the frankness with which they
have stated the conditions as they
have found them, and for the far
sighted wisdom of the recommenda
tions for improvement suggested.
The studies were prepared in co
operation with the Phelps-Stokes
fund, under the direction of Thomas
Jesse Jones, specialist in the educa
tion of racial groups, Bureau of Edu
cation. The Phelps-Stokes fund was
founded by Miss Caroline Phelps
Stokes, who left her fortune of nearly
one million dollars “for the education
of the Negroes, North American In
dians and deserving whites.” Gov
ernment experts, co-operating with
the trustees of such as fund as this,
would naturally prepare a most satis
factory report of educational condi
tions as they found them.
At some other time we shall speak
of particular features of this report. |
For the present we desire simply to |
call attention to these volumes, which :
can be obtained from the department
at Washington, and to express our
profound gratitude that such a no- i
table work has been done for the
cause of education, which must neces- j
partly improve conditions among the :
race in the United States.
It notes another mark of advance ,
in frankly meeting and improving ra- j
cial conditions in this country.
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A UNIQUE PUBLICATION
"Little Talks on Furniture and Fur- i
nishings” is the name of a unique and
attractive eight - page, illustrated
magazine “devoted to the beautifica
tion and enrichment of our homes,”
edited by E. Lewis Holland, the pro
gressive advertising manager of the
well known and always dependable
firm of Orchard & Wilhelm company.
The September number, which is the
initial issue, begins with a friendly
“foreword” which gives one a home
like feeling.
“The Evolution of the Rug,” by
William J. Eldridge, is an interesting
article which grips the attention.
“The Story of Span-Umbrian Furni
ture” tells you something you would
not ordinarily otherwise know, and
“Period Styles” sends you delving
into history.
The samples of furniture and
furnishings, artistically illustrated,
makes one regret that his editorial in
come is so limited that he cannot
gratify his desire to refurnish his
home.
Mr. Holland is to be congratulated
upon this splendid publication.
GIVES GOOD ADVICE
The Richmond Planet, edited by
John Mitchell, jr., whom we have
never met, but long admired, has a
most happy way of giving excellent
advice to its large reading constitu
ency in terse sentences. Here are two i
good examples from its last issue:
“Save some of your money, Colored
folks. If it is only one cent per day,
save some of your money.”
“When you are tired, rest. When
you are hungry, eat. When you are
illiterate, learn. When you are anx- j
ious for a good time, look at your
pocketbook and consider your actual I
needs, and pause before you engage in
reckless spending.”
Pretty good advice, isn't it?
We are of the opinion that it is be- 1
cause John Mitchell has practiced
what he preaches that he has been for
I 1
I’ ■III 1^ V for the announcement in
JL m. • the Sunday papers about our
3 3
Third Anniversary Sale I
2
in the
DOWN STAIRS STORE
Which Starts Next Monday Morning
BURGESS-NASH COMPANY
a number of years a highly respected
member of the American Bankers’
Association.
What do YOU think about it?
W’hen you are inclined to complain
of some injustice which you feel you
have been called upon to endure from
some individual of the so-called supe
rior race, just recall how many disin
terested kindnesses you have been the
recipient of from other individuals of
the same race. Don't condemn all for
the injustice of the few. T1 "ft’s not
fair, is it?
Obvious Observations
Everything on the western front is
a quiet as a city park on a beautiful
moonlight night.
Uncle Sam is ready to let drafted
Colored men volunteer for the regular
army, so step to the front, boys, and
hand in your monicker.
One nice thing about King Ak-Sar
Bcn is that he rests more comfortably
than most kings. His reign only lasts
a year.
Wish coal would stop dancing the
giddy glide so that we common peo
ple could find out whether our pen
nies in the little iron bank are suf
ficient to fill the shed.
As to conservation of food, one
Omaha daily says to eat all you want
to eat and the other says to eat as
little as you possibly can eat. We
are daily waiting to have the third
come out and tell us to stop eating
anything.
The Literary Digest of last week
had three articles in it concerning
the culled race. We sho’ must be an
impo’tant factah in the community,
how?
No wonder there isn’t any beef in
Germany. German diplomacy has re
ceived so many black eyes lately that
all the beef steak had to be requisi
tioned and used for plasters.
There are still a large number owing
subscriptions. Please remember that
winter is coming and that a newspaper
has to keep warm the same as you.
Thanking you kindly for listening
to these few deals of dull dope, we
will now attempt to dodge the bill
collector for another four weeks.
SKITS OF SOLOMON
The Harvest.
Now comes the beautiful time of
the year when we gather in the har
vest from our gardens. When said
fruits and grains and vegetables were
planted, the visions were great. Even
old Jeremiah didn’t have anything on
us when it came to prophesying what
was behind the big green plush cur
tains of time. We watched the moon
closer than a Chaldean star-gazer,
figuring out which seeds to plant
when the moon was new and when it
was wobbly from being full. We had
the dope and we tended the soil until
our crop of blisters were the squares
and cubes of our crops of seed shoots.
But whither, oh, whither, have gone
the dreams of April and May and
June? The boys are gathering our
potatoes to play marbles with and the
worms have made sieves out of the
cabbages. The corn has anemia and
the squash the ricketts. The turnips
have refused to fatten and the onions
are just about the same age and height
they were several months ago. Our
bit for Uncle Sam hasn’t helped much
and the big eyed speculator is rub
bing his hands and pussyfooting
around with a large purse jammed
into his hip pocket. Our prodigious
harvest will last us until October the
halfway, and then we will saunter to
the grocery with the market basket
ind holler on the high cost of living.
The mistake wo made was following
the words on the back of the seed
package. The best way to raise a !
crop is to ignore all seed catalogued
instructions. A seed catalogue and a
patent medicine pamphlet belong in
the same class. Remember this ad- j
vice when you start exercising next ;
spring, because you’re going through ,
the same thing again. You wouldn’t j
fee! right unless you did. Hope
springs eternal in the human breast,
as Mr. Pope said the morning he tried
to swat the fly that was entertaining
him.
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MAINTAIN SCHOOLS
_
The United States Commissioner of ;
Education has issued the following: I
“To parents, teacher associations, I
mothers’ clubs, etc.: During the pres
ent school year and while the war
continues, there will be many tempta
tions for parents and guardians of
children to keep their children out of
school, and there will be many diffi
culties in the way of maintaining <
schools at their full measure of ef- 1
ficiency. On the other hand, it is of
the very greatest importance that the
efficiency of the schools shall be main
tained in every way and that there
shall be no falling off in attendance.
This is necessary both for the pres
ent defense of the country and for
the welfare and safety when the war
is over. While we are fighting for the
maintenance of democracy we must
do everything possible to make the
democracy strong and efficient in >
every way. This will depend on the
schools more than on any other one
agency; and I am, therefore, taking
the liberty of suggesting to all par
ent-teacher associations and other sim
ilar organizations that they imme
diately use all of their influence in
this direction. Of course each asso
ciation will know what is best to do
for its particular school and com
munity.”
FACT AND COMMENT
Incesasnt activity does not always
indicate intelligent industry.
Who answers Evil Speaking with a
Flood
Of Evil Speech would wash off Dirt
with Mud.
He who loses his temper seldom
finds it as good as before it was
lost.
I’upils in certain Iowa public schools
are signing a pledge that binds them
not to find fault with the food set
before them while the country is at
war. The penalty for each violation
is a fine of one cent, which will go
into a fund to help the children of
Belgium. It were a good pledge for
all of us to sign.
GEORGIA BEGINS TO LEARN
Atlanta, Ga.—The State legislature ;
has just passed a bill providing for |
the establishment of an industrial and j
normal school for Colored students!
as the first move towards educating i
the Negro beyond the common schools j
in this State. This bill grew out of!
the fact that Georgia whites have be- :
gun to realize the best way to keep '
the Negro in the South is to treat him j
like a citizen. I
II
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Thompson, Belden & Co.
The Fashion Center for
Women
Established 1886
__ , , T....
.
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Nitrous Oxide and Oxygen Gas for Painless Extractions
Best 22K gold crowns.—.*f®0 *;>'00
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Porcelain crowns —...J™
Full upper or lower plates, best material. *10.00
Silver fillings-- *!-00
Temporary filling3-- * -“0
Extractions ------* *50 and up
Clarence H. Singleton, D. D. S.
109 South 14th Street
(Over Peoples’ Drug Store)
Office Hours, 9 A. M. to 12 M.
1 p. M. to 7 P. M. Phone Douglas 7812
.... ..
Our Growing
Popularity
Up-to-date methods, courteous atten
tion, clean, sanitary surroundings, five
barbers who know thtir business. This
is what my shop offers you.
Omaha's Most Successful Barber.
P. H. JENKINS
„ . , „ ,, , . Telephone Bed 3357 I
Omaha* Most Successful K S
Barber. 1313 Dodge Street Omaha, Neb. |
A Church Where
All Are Welcome
— -
Services
Sunday School, 10 a. m.
Preaching, 11 a. m., 8 p. m.
League, 6:30 p. m.
Florence P. Leavitt Club, Mon
day afternoon.
Prayer Meeting, Wednesday
Evening.
W. H. M. S. Thursday Afternoon
GROVE METHODIST CHURCH Ladlea’ Ald’ Fr‘day Aft«rnoon
22nd and Seward St*., Omaha, Neb. Re(|> j'628 N. 22nd.M> Web.’ 5003
if
THIS IK A PICTURE OF
St. Philip’s Episcopal Church it
ON TWENTY-FIRST ST., BETWEEN NICHOLAS AND PAUL STS.
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Easily Reached From All Paris of Cily Hy Street Cars. •
Within Walking Distance of a Large Number of Colored People.
If You Are a Member of the Episcopal Church this Will Let You
Know Where It Is.
If You Are Not a Member of the Church, You Ought to Be,
Come to the Services Anyway and Get Acquainted.
SUNDAY SERVICES
Holy Communion, 7:30 a. m.
Church School (Sunday School) 10 a. m.
Holy Communion and Sermon, 11 a. m.
Evening Prayer and Sermon, 8 p. m.
Please accept this as a personal invitation to attend servicee. All
seats are free. Everybody is welcome. It’s your
Heavenly Father’s House—Come.
JNO. ALBERT WILLIAMS, Pastor. . 1
