Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 31, 1918)
; THE MONITOR A Weekly Newspaper devoted to the civic, social and religious interest* of the Colored People of Nebraska and the West, with the desire to con tribute -<»niething to the general good and upbuilding of the community and of the race. Published Every Saturday. Entered aa Second-Class Mail Matter July 2. 1916, at the Poat Office k| Omaha. Neb., under the act of March 3, IS#9. THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor and Publisher. Lucille Skaggs Edwards and William Garnett Haynes, Associate Editor a George Wells Parker, Contributing Editor. Bert Patrick. Business Manager. Fred C. Williams, Traveling Representative SUBSCRIPTION RATES. $2.00 A YEAR; $1.00 6 MONTHS; 60c 3 MONTHS Advertising Rates. 50 cents an Inch per issue. Address. The Monitor, 1119 North Twenty-first street, Omaha. Telephone Webster 4243. RACE SUPERIORITY THE New York Independent, in its issue of August 24, publishes an illuminating and thought-compelling editorial under the caption “Race and the War,” which shatters the idol of “Race Superiority” at whose shrine the nations of the earth are wont to reverently bow. We publish the edi torial in full in this issue and to it invite your attention. It will repay careful reading. The article points out, as did our own Dr. Dubois, editor of The Crisis, j in that able publication a year or; more ago, that “one of the issues of j the war is race prejudice.” Dr. Bu- I bois’ contention was that race' preju dice was THE cause of the war. But, no matter; the point we would now i make is that it is significant that both , The Crisis, the leading magazine of j Colored Americans, and The Independ-1 ent, one of the foremost—we consider it the foremost—magazines, published by white Americans, agree as to one ; of the fundamental causes of the great internecine world conflict. Race I prejudice is undoubtedly one of the underlying causes, and in our opin ion, the CHIEF cause. The Independent points out that the Teuton has been obsessed with the idea of his superiority to all othei men, and that consequently the world’s civilization is the creation of a s'nirle race—the Teutonic. If this be true, and from the Teu tonic viewpoint and for the Teutonic consciousness it is true—then it fol lows, naturally and logically, that world dominance belongs to the Hun by divine decree. He has the right to dominate the world, to subdue king- : dom’s, to subjugate nations, to sup press nationalities. DEUTSCHLAND UBER ALLES (Germany over all.) j Of course. Why not? What else j could there be from the standpoint of ; “KULTUR” and the “SUPER MAN?” All European races are inferior to the Teutonic, and therefore, since might is right, legitimate subjects for conquest subjugation and exploita tion. And if this be the Teuton ic estimate of the so-called “white” races of the world, we can readily un derstand his intensified con tempt and disdain for the dark-skinned races of the world. But, let it be said with j all candor, the Teuton has no monop- , oly of this, it would seem, inherent contempt for the dark-skinned races. It is the common possession of the ! “white” race, everywhere, except among the Latin races. The Teuton, j however, believes n his superiority to all other races, white, black, brown, red and yellow on the entire globe, and that therefore as the “super-man” it is his bounden duty to superimpose ; his “kultur” upon all the world. Race prejudice, therefore, is the real cause of this war. It takes its l rise in the doctrine of “race super- ; iority” which looms large in the Ger- j manic consciousness and is not found ; entirely wanting in that of kindred races. Race prejudice among Eu- ; ropean “white” races has unleashed the dogs of war and set the world aflame. Unfortunately, most unfortunately, | it is this same spirit manifested by J white Americans against black Amer icans, which causes so much heart burning and resentment in the United ! States today. It is pro-Germanism transplanted to American soil. It is Prussianism of the most malignant type. It is the Teutonic doctrine of the "super-man” translated into American speech and action, an exotic peat which must be blotted out, if Americanism and true democracy are to flourish here, as flourish we believe they must. It is strangely significant, how ever, that that nation which undoubt edly emphasizes more than any other the doctrine of "race superiority,” and is not approached by any other nation, except perhaps by the United States, in its contempt and dislike for the dark-skinned races and particularly those of African descent, should be confronted and conquered—as she un questionably will be—by practically all these nations of the earth which she particularly despises. Think of the millions of black men from all quarters of the globe fight ing under the banners of the allies, ■houlder to shoulder with men of ev ery other color! Can you not cqn ceive how these brothers in arms, league of all the races of mankind against the common foe of humanity.” are going to be knit together with golden chains of sympathy and kind ness, unity, peace and concord? The fiction of “race superiority" will vanish before the dawning truth that in the great family of man eacl race and nation has been given its peculiar gifts which are complement ary to each other, none inferior or superior, save in that it fails to con i tribute or contributes its share to the common good. Races, like indi viduals, are superior or inferior onh as they measure up to or fall short of their opportunities and responsibili ties in the service of and in advanc ing the cause of humanity. Neither white skin nor black skin is the outward and visible sign of superiority of heart or i’-4 llect, which after all is the only true measure of superiority by which individuals, races or na ions are to be judged. The superior rave, the superior nation, is that which :olds superior ideals and does superior things. This is the “race superiority” which we should all covet, for which we : should all strive, and which we be I lieve is coming out of the present ! travail of the nations. CARRY IT UP A pernicious custom prevails in some of the Government offices of re fusing to give employment, solely on the ground of color, to applicants who have passed Civil Service examina tions with high averages, been duly certified and ordered to report for duty. As soon as it is discovered that they are Colored, they are either bluntly told that they can not be given the position on that account alone, or else they are politely and suavely informed that “we regret to 1 tell y'ou that at present there are no vacancies.” Several glaring cases of this kind have recently been report ed from Washington and other lo calities. From some local experiences which we have had, we are inclined to be ilieve that in many cases—not all. of | course—prejudiced and officious sub j ordinates, and not the heads of the 1 department, are responsible for this ! discrimination and glaring injustice and that it ought to be taken up with the head of the department. But whoever is responsible for it. those in authority ought to see to il and must see to it that it cease. The Government of the United States is too big to allow this practice to per sist in the face of the crying need for efficient and proficient workers. Loyalty, character and ability should ' be, and eventually will be, the only requisites. When confronted by this discrimina tion, don’t give up. Carry it up to i the head. Justice will finally tri I umph. I GOOD BYE, BOYS; TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES Tomorrow another contingent of Colored draftees leave to do their duty in helping to “make the world | safe for democarcy.” There is a won- j drous truth in these historic words of our President. We are fighting I to make the world safe for democracy, | to win democracy for the world. It is a weighty and glorious task laid | unon the shoulders of this generation. More than 40,000 of Nebraska’s vaaant sons have answered their country’s call. Of this number more than 600 are the boys of our race, of j whom more than 500 have gone from j Omaha alone. It is noteworthy, too, that the vast majority of our boys j who have gone from Omaha have ! been given positions of honor and re sponsibility as corporals and ser geants. This speaks well for the character of the men who have been i called. We expect all who go to maintain an honorable record. And so The Monitor, in wishing you God speed, boys, is confident that every one of you, realizing what is expect ed of you, will do your full duty. Good bye, boys, take good care of yourselves, and a warm and loving | welcome will await you upon your re turn, when a righteous peace shall reign. SCHOOL DAYS Next week will see the schools opened for the next term. Boys and girls, determine that you will mak« full use of every opportunity offered you for getting an education. Be ambitious to lead your class in schol arship. Do your best. Obvious Observations I :-j The papers say that link has been after the profiteer, but somehow Unk hasn’t got him yet. He is still do ing business at the old stand. Somebody said this was the era of high wages. Sure, and it is also the era of high eats. If the Tommies will just keep the Fritzies on the run for thirty dajs. Mister Hindenburg will hope to eat dinner in Berlin just once more, in stead of in Paris. This 18 to 45 business has messed up things just a little, hasn’t it? Now that the stores are cleaning out straws, low shoes and sundry summer wear, you’d better invest, because next summer will make this summer look like the bottom of the chute the chutes as to prices. Believe, muh! General Sherman knew what he was talking about when he cussed concerning war, didn’t he? Some folks have taken up the read ing of fiction. They say that they j get so much false fiction in the news , papers that they believe they would I prefer the genuine. It is said that Mayor Smith hasn’t : any time for Colored citizens. Maybe | he hasn’t, but from the way he talks he either thinks much of the Colored soldier or else he has Ananias beaten seven ways from next Sunday. This paper will offer $1,000 to the housewife who can invent some way to make a pork chop grow larger while it is cooking instead of grow ' ing smaller. Col. Teddy was to remember some Colored school or something before he divided the Nobel money, but when he divided it he forgot. Thanking you kindly for your acute attention, we will now partake of some chronic repose. SKITS OF SOLOMON The Devil In the days that used to was, they told us that everything evil that hap pened on this mundane sphere was the work of Sir Beelzebub, commonly called the devil. But lately, Mr. Devil has suffered an eclipse—a total eclipse. Nobody ever thinks of him anymore. He’s a back number, a frayed deck and a positive cipher. He I might as well close up shop and gn bankrupt just the same as thousands of other business men are doing. The war has ruined him. He has had sc many little mean things charged up ■ against him, that he might have been proud of claiming the world war as part of his handiwork, but for Capt. | Satan there is nothing doing. He has had several years start on the Teuton s | in trying to invent a choice variety ' of hells on earth, but he evidently, didn’t have it under the hat. He’s a f poor simp, a four-flusher and a red bag of superheated atmosphere. In the days gone by he could scare u and make us walk on eggs, but never again. His cloven feet, fiery breath ! and pitchfork, haven’t any place now except in fairy tale books. He has kept the people fooled for a long time, but he has at last come to the end of his trail. Man, the guy that he has ; been putting it over on for a million years, has up and put it over on him, j so heavy that he is gasping for breath. 1 Man has created such a hell on earth that Mr. Devil has simply turned the hose on the fires, put a thousand ton Yale lock on the portals and hung up the sign, "CLOSED PERMANENT LY.” He’s through for good. He has found out at last that he is an ama teur, a piker and a huge beef. All j he does now is to sit in his office and read the reports from the West- ! era Front. He tried as hard as he | could to make life miserable for every human, but Kaiser Bill has made him look like a lone deuce in a poker deck. LIBERTY LOAN APPROACHING Within the next few weeks this paper will devote considerable space j to the fourth Liberty loan. We re ceive no pay in money for the space | used, but we will receive double pay in the realization that we are help ing the government in the great task of winning the war. Our readers should shape their affairs so as to b<* ready for the country’s call. Nebras ka was called on to raise $18,000,000 j in the first loan, $29,640,000 in the second and $31,942,800 in the third, but the quota for the fourth loan will probably be over $60,000,000. No ef | fort will be made to secure a large over-subscription, but each citizen will I be expected to do his or her share. NORFOLK, VA., TO HAVE BANKING INSTITUTION Norfolk, Va., Aug. 29.—The proper ty at 738 Church street, between Queen street and Highland avenue, has been acquired as a location for the Tidewater Bank and Trust Com pany, and a modem banking house with distinctive features will be erect ed upon the site as permanent homd of the institution. The location se lected is in the heart of the up-town business secion and is regarded by the promoters as being ideal for the pur pose for which it has been chosen. RACE AND THE WAR • One of the issues of the war is race prejudice. The Germans have this trait in so marked a degree that it ought to share the growing unpopu larity which now accumulates around things distinctively German, whether good, bad or indifferent. Ever since the Germans took from Frenchmen | like Gobineau, Englishmen like Hous ton Chamberlain, and Slavs like Treit schke, the legend that the world’s civ ilization was the creation of a single race—the Teutonic—they have been unendurable. The bulk of German books on history, politics and sociol ogy for the last few decades have been devoted to the elaboration of this great Teutonic myth. Slavs were bar barians, Latin nations were decadent, Celts were futile, the yellow races were “monkeys," black men were not human, Jews were enemies of the state; only the Teuton was tall, blond, handsome, virile, virtuous, reverent, honorable, practical, idealistic, scien tific, thrifty, contimnt, juac, brave, self-respecting, and capable of self government. The fact that many Frenchmen. Russians and irishmen had all these qualities and that some | Germans had none of them (not even the blondness) did not prevent the Pan-Germans from identifying the imaginary “Teuton” with the German nation. The moral of this pitiful collapse of German humor and common sense before the mirage of Teutonisin should keep us from similar follies. I^et our enemies have a monopoly of racial egotism. It is true, of course, that the Germans are not hereditarily- su perior to any of their neighbors, but it is nonsense to talk (as some of us do talk) of the Germans as natural barbarians whose atrocities but echo the deeds of Alaric and Attila, theii forefathers. As a matter of actual history and ethnology the people of western Germany are brotheis of the ) people across the North Sea in Eng land and lowland Scotland. They are j at least first cousins of the peasants | of Normandy and Flanders. The east I cm Germans (the “Prussians”) are | a mixture between the west German I type and the Slavic and Baltic peoples ' of eastern Europe. The south German ‘ and Austrian is rather closely related to the north Italian and the man of central Franee, perhaps even to the l Welshman. But the war raises the question ot : race prejudice also in a broader form; not merely the claims of the Teutonic super-race but the claims of the “white race” itself to eternal and inevitable superiority. Germany has no doubt on the matter. Inferior as are the non-Teutonic peoples of Europe in German eyes, they take rank above the “native” races of Asia and Africa to such a degree that slavery or the sword is the just wage of the latter. Note the German fury at the allies for seeking the aid of Japan and for em ploying African troops on European battlefields. Remember the day -when the kaiser preached against the “yel low peril” in the spirit of yellow jour nalism. Read any good hook or artido on Germany’s system of rule in her overseas colonies. It is true that pri vate plantation owners in Belgian and Portuguese Africa, and even in a few parts of French Africa, have been ex cessively cruel to the native laborers in their employ. But nowhere have, the officials of a government been so systematically oppressive as in Ger man Africa. The atrocities in the el gian Congo were the work of a soul less capitalism. The atrocities in Ger man Southwest Africa were the work of bureaucrats inspired by racial ar rogance and measureless contempt of those whom they ruled. If the preach er of race hate from the Mississippi valley or the Pacific coast were to migrate to the banks of the Elbe he would not only relieve us of his pres ence but would find an appreciative audience and a true “spiritual home.” Race prejudice is pro-Germanism. If the hideous example of taeiai arrogance afforded by Germany doe | not suffice to cure us of our preju I dices there is another fact which | should make us reflect. Who are the I allies ? At least five nations among i them—China, Japan, Siam, Liberia and Haiti—have no white population | worth mentioning. An absolute ma I jority of the people of the British Em 1 pire live in India; “white” men cer tainly, but also "natives” and non S Europeans. France and its colonics, 1 if taken as a whole, contain nearly as much black as white, and French j Indo-China contributes numerous yel low men to swell the total. Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Brazil, Cuba and r others of the allies have many non white subjects and citizens. The Unit ed States with its ten million Negroe'. and mixed bloods, its Indian tribes, its Pacific colonies, cannot claim to be a racial unity. If we sum together all the peoples who are fighting against Germany it seems probable that at least three out of four of them are “natives;” that is, people not de scended from the races of Europe. Of course, the white race is the most largely represented on the actual bat tle line, but. since an army is only the delegate of a people, we should { learn to think of the war as a league of all the races of mankind against j the common foe of all humanity.— I New York Independent. r 1 Hindenburg has evidently chang ed his mind and since he was unable to dine in Paris, he hopes to be able to eat his Christmas dinner in Berlin. Help our Allies speed the parting guest. Buy War Savings Stamps Thomas Kilpatrick &. Co. > ; Reasons Why the Alamo Barber Shop Is the Leading Shop of the City 1 ISergt.-Major E. W. Killings worth At 0. T. Camp Pike, Ark. Six Chairs First, we are giving the people what they want. Second, the man agement has used discretion in getting the best barbers obtainable. The Alamo barber shop hasn’t waited to see what others could do, but has stepped in the lead and given to the public things unheard of in Colored |F shops in this city. The Alamo barber shop was the first to hail the public attention to a reading and rest room. The shower bath, which no shop is com j| plete without, would never have been given to the Colored population had it not been for the Alamo barber shop. To avoid confusion over who i «• may happen to be next we use the number system. No matter how high or low everyone is dealt with justly when their turn comes. A system I adopted by the Alamo barber shop. Experience has taught* the manage ment that a fatigued barber is not the best barber; to keep the barbers fresh and in good trim at all times the shop is provided with stools so arranged to the height of the barber, it is convenient to rest at will while at work. Never before known in the history of the city. Wo lead, others follow. We advertise and don’t knock. | We w'ill be glad to have the most fastidious give the place a thorough inspection and see if this is true. The Alamo barber shop has done more to further the barber business and bring to the people their very needs, than all the shops put together have ever done. IKillingsworth & Price, Props, j R. D. JACKSON, Foreman. Phone Webster 5784 2416 North 24th Street