; 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
