Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1919)
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE RACE? W7HAT do you think about your ▼V race? Are you proud to be a Negro—proud to wear the “livery of the burnished sun?” Are you trying to get away from your race, get away from its characteristics of color and hair and features, which were once considered the most beautiful in the world ? Do you feel “proud” when a white man or woman says you might pass “for a foreigners,” or do you resent it and make them understand that you want to be nothing but what you are ? Do you ever pass on the l inspiring words you have read about our boys over there—pass it on to your own and to those who prob ably' have never heard of it? Do , you ever stop a moment to tell some boy or girl of the glorious inherit ance of our blood, or do you know anything about it? The Irish are proud to be Irish; the Jew is proud to be a Jew; the Japanese is proud to be a Japanese; are you proud to be a Negro? If not, get proud and get proud quickly. A proud race is ever a great race. Alien education has kept from us much of the truth that creates pride, but today there are race men throughout the land who have dug and discovered the truth and are try ing to tell it so that all the wcrt-ld may hear. Catch up the cry and carry it in your heart and mind and upon your lips. Let it be your theme morning, noon and night, and speak It into the ears of men until they grow' tired and grant its truth. That is no less your mission than another’s if you are a Negro and if you are proud of your race. bunble of faggots, but the soldier has taken them from her and is carrying them upon his own broad shoulder. Under the picture is the large legend: A Colored Gentleman, and beneath this, “Dat’s too heavy for you, Missus.” The magazine only costs a dime,, but it wilt be worth a hundred times that a few years from now. Buy it. THE EVILS OF GRAFT IT is to be regretted that one of our local young men has been impli cated in a most unpleasant scandal connected with the police department. It was only a few months ago that he secured the position which, all things considered, was a very fair berth for one of our aspiring young men. That he has abused the confi dence placed in him is a serious thing for his race and that he has been accused of accepting money and aid ing and abetting the escape of per sons confined by law, is a serious thing for himself. We hope that the charges will be proved groundless, but whether groundless or not, the stain is there and it will have its effect upon the race. Our young men in accepting political positions should always re member that they have a two-fold duty; a duty to themselves and a duty to their race and of the two, their duty to their race should come first. It is the race whom they represent. THE FEBRUARY CRUSADEER THERE has just come to our office the February number of The Crusader Magazine. It is a gem. It lives up to its name and from the first page to the last it proves the spirit behind its name and is earning forth the new spirit in battling for the race. There are four poems of much merit and a prose poem, The Call, which carries a beautiful senti ment. "With the Buffaloes in France,” by Lieut. McKaine, is a dandy war contribution and there is much that is inspiring in Noble Thoughts and an article on Success. The continued stories of The Colonel’s Narrative, by Bruce Grit, and Punta, Revolutionist, by Romeo L. Dougherty, carry on their interest, the former coming to an end with a most delightful finale. The editorials are short and force ful and furnish much food for thought.. The entire number is ex cellent. We congratulate the editorial staff on the sort of magazine they are publishing and predict a great future as soon as the race awakens to its value and unending interest. ARTHUR L. WILLIAMS, BISHOP AND FRIEND THE sudden and unexpected death of the Rt. Rev. Arthur Llewellyn Williams, Bishop of Nebraska, in the early morning of Wednesday, has re moved from the earthly sphere of hict consecrated labors one of the sweet est, warmest-hearted, truest Chrig tian gentlemen who ever trod the earth. His death will be mourned by thousands, both in and out of hig communion, who knew him and to know him was to love him. None will more sincerely mourn him than our own people who found in him a loyal and devoted friend. He was a man absolutely void of blighting racial prejudice and looked upon all men as children of our Heavenly Father. Devoting himself unsparingly to the duties of his diocese, he was not con spicuously or spectacularly in the pub lic eye, but the work which he has so quietly and faithfully done will en dure. In the Nearer Presence of Him Whom he loved and served we may well believe that he will still inter cede for those who tarry behind for awhile. Bishop and friend, farewell! Hu manity is richer and better because of thy life. May light perpetual shine upon thee! MAY HIS TRIBE INCREASE A LOCAL pastor in sending in his church notices inclosed a $1 bill with this memorandum: “When you see this, say nothing. No paper like the one you are putting out to the public can exist without money. Just let me know when my subscription is due. Your editorials are always up to the mark.” The Monitor appreciates this con siderateness. While we have never THE RACE AT THE PEACE CONFERENCE IT is more than gratifying to learn from the press dispatches that the darker races are strongly represent ed at the peace conference and sig nificant to learn that they are lined up with the United States in pressing the claims of democracy. It is no longer a question whether or not men tion will be made of the rights of the American Negro to enjoy life, liberty and the pursuits of happi ness. Deputy Diagne is reported to have the ear of Premier Clemenceau, the Tiger of France and the Chairman of the Conference, and has already taken up with nim the matter of the treat ment of the Negro soldier in France by the American army. Then, too, there are delegates there from Brazil, Cuba, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Liberia, Nicaragua, Portugal and Pan ama. We are sure that the American Negro will not be forgotten. SOLDIER EMPLOYMENT ONE of the greatest problems be fore the country today is the re employment of soldiers and their mer gence again into civil life. From one end of the country' to another newspapers are publishing more or less acid editorials respecting the fail ure of former employers to take back those who answered the call to war. There are two sides to the question and when, between an economic phase and a sentimental phase, the question is brought up to the employer, he is apt to consider the economic side. Fortunately for us the question is not a critical one. Trade and indus try have denied to our boys the op portunities it has offered to white boys, and in this very denial lies our present salvation. Our boys are not afraid to work with their hands and it seems that manual labor is never hard to find. It is to be hoped that the future will open up better and more agreeable avenues for them, but at the present time they maye be considered more fortunate than the hundreds of white soldierB who are walking the streets hungry and job less. A COMMENDABLE PICTURE In the issue of Life for January 23 is a picture of a Colored soldier that should bring forth much comment from the race. Seldom are our boys shown in pictures and often when shown are made to appear more or less in an uncomplimentary light. In this picture is shown a Colored sol dier passing along a French road and beside him a little old bent peas ant woman. She had been carrying a made any charge for church news and notices, except in the case of adver tisements, which some try to run in on us as news, linotype composition, pa per, ink and press work do mount up into money. We are glad that this fact is occasionally recognized. This local pastor has one of the smaller congregations of the city and is al ways boosting for The Monitor. We thank him and hope his tribe will in crease. | Obvious Observations I Oh! for a glimpse of the beautiful sun and a hint from the weather that’s cold We know this isn’t economical, but it’s poetic. We are sorry that the ax swung so hard on the subscription list, but it just had to be did, Mable. Old Europe has got everything she wants—but peace. After next month—watch Congress. Spend a dime and get a Crusader. It’s worth a dollar, but it doesn’t cost that much. General Pershing bought 10,000 Spanish mules just before the war ended and now he is wondering what to do with them. They are so small that they haven’t a chance with the Missouri mule if brought here. We haven’t said anything about old H. C. L. lately, and it is because we don’t thing it is of any use. Labor is getting so het up over things that it looks like somebody will have to brush back its fur. How much is ice going to be next July? Sh! Now the sure enough soldier boys are coming home and they say they sure are glad. What Colonel Young said about The Monitor last week has added four inches to our bust development. W'ho’s next? How' many shares of Monitor stock have you planned to take? Get in on the ground floor, because things are going to hum real directly and soonlv soon. Thank you for your dull and dank disinterest, we will now bunny hug down to the beanery and see how much provender a dime will develop. SKITS OF SOLOMON The Hog. THERE are two kinds of hogs in this world, the porcine specimen that fattens on most anything it can find and eventually finds itself decor ating the table in the form of pic-tails, roast pork and pork chops, and the human species that tries to bull their own business and everybody elSe’s business. Omaha has a few of the latter variety and it is getting onto the nerves of the folks hereabouts. Business is business, as Thales said to Socrates, when the latter tried to push him off a soap box, but there isn’t anything right in a business that tries to squelch the other fellow and bank rupt his exchequer. Out in the north erly end of Omaha a preachah has gone into the eat business, the gentle art of filling up a hungry guy’s stom ach for so much per. There are other men out that way in the same line of stomach filling, and they are running eat emporiums as they should be run and paying their way with the excep tion of folks allowing them a little profit. But friend preachah wants to bull that market and he has estab lished an eatery in the place which was supposed to be built for worship. He has no rent to pay, thanks to his generous flock, and little help to pay, thanks to his hustling brothers and sisters, and thusly he ducks the over head cost and tries to give a little more ham and cabbage for a little less coin than the guy who is bucking old H. C. L. and rent and help. Maybe brothah preachah thinks he is a wang on engine-ooity, but old Sol thinks that he is a human hog and should confine himself to soul saving and not money-grabbing. This is a little out of line for Sol, but there are some things once in a while that sort of heats up his collar and he needs to cool off. THE N. A. A. C. P. HOLD ROOSEVELT MEMORIAL — The N. A. A. C. P. forum held an ; interesting session Sunday afternoon ; which took the form of a Roosevelt I memorial meeting. A recitation, mu sic and speeches made up an interest ing program. Dr. P. W. Sawyer spoke on “Roosevelt, the Friend the Negro.” Among the other speakers were Ser geant Bailey, S. L. Bush, Amos L. Scruggs, F. J. Smith, Mr. Shackle ford and Mrs. Chas. McClure. The forum will meet next Sunday afternoon at 4 o’clock at the usual place, St. John’s A. M. E. church, 24th and Grant streets. GIVE JOBS AT MISSOURI LEGISLATURE Jefferson City, Mo., Jan. 26.—Prof. R. L. Logan, Prof. J. Silas Harris and Hon. C. W. Stokes, prominent Missouri Negroes, were elected to important positions in the Fiftieth General As sembly. j The Kiddies’ j Korner MADItE PENN i The Story of the Fisherman (In Two Parts.) PART I. Sire, there was once upon a time a fisherman so old and so poor that he could scarcely manage to support his wife and three children. He went every day to fish very early and each day he made a rule not to throw; his nets more than four times. He start ed out one morning by moonlight and came to the seashore. He undressed j and threw his nets,a nd as he was drawing them towards the bank he felt a great weight. He thought he had caught a large fish, and he felt very much pleased. But a moment aftenvards. seeing that instead of a fish he only had in his nets the car cass of an ass, be was much disap pointed. Vexed with having such a bad hat^l, when he had mended his nets, which the carcass of the ass had broken in several places, he threw them a sec ond time. In drawing them in, he again felt a great weight, so that he thought they were full of fish. But he only found a large basket full of rubbish. He was much annoyed. “O Fortune,” he cried, “do not trifle ! thus with me. a poor fisherman, who can hardly support his family!” So saying, he threw away the nib- j bish, and after having washed his nets clean of the dirt, he threw them for the third time. But he only drew in , stones, shells and mud. He was al most in despair. Then he threw’ his nets for the fourth time. When he thought he had a fish he drew them in with a great deal of trouble. There was no fish, however, but he found a yellow pot, which by its weight seemed full of something, and he noticed that it was fastened and sealed with lead, with the impression of a seal. He was de lighted. "I will sell it to the found er.” he said; “with the money I shall j get for it I shall buy a measure of wheat.” He examined the pot on all sides; he shook it o see if it would rattle. But he heard nothing. Judging from the impression of the seal and the lid, he thought there must be something precious inside. To find out, he took his knife, and with a little trouble he opened it. He turned it upside down, but nothing came out, which surprised him very much. He set it in front of ! him, and whilst he was looking at it attentively, such a thick smoke came i out that he had to step back a pace ! or two. This smoke rose up to the i clouds, and stretching over the sea and the shore, formed a thick mist, which caused the fisherman much j astonishment. When all the smoke was out of the jar it gathered itself together and became a thick mass in w’hich appeared a genius twice as large as the largest giant. When he saw such a terrible-looking monster, j the fisherman would like to have run away, but he trembled so with fright that he could not move a step. "Great King of the genii,” cried the monster, "I will never disobey you again!” At these words the fisherman took courage. “What is this you are paying, great genius? Tell me your history and how you came to be shut up in that vase?” At this the genius looked at the fisherman haughtily. “Speak to me more civilly,” he said, “before I kill you.” “Alas! why should you kill me?” cried the fisherman. “1 have just freed you; have you already forgotten that?” “No,” answered the genius, “but that will not prevent me from killing you; and I am only going to grant ••••••••• _ you one favor, and that is to choose the manner of your death.” “But what have I done to you?” asked the fisherman. “But I cannot treat you in any other way,” said the genius, “and if you would know why, listen to my story.” (To Be Continued in Next Issue.) COLORED SERVANTS WITH PRESIDENT WILSON Washington, D. C., Jan. .30.—Lieut. Col. Arthur Brooks, custodian of prop erty at the White House, and Miss Susie Booth, maid to Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, are in France with the pres idential party. jr* Smoke John Ruskin cigar. • • . ............. V- - « I $100.00 j: for the Right Guess! What is the meaning of this beautiful insignia and why has it been adopted by the Hamitic League of the World ? ;; June 1, 1919, we will pay $100.00 to man, woman or child, who sends in the correct story. You will find a !! hint in the league’s GREAT WORK: | The Children j ! of the Sun _ l •£ / a The book that is waking up America and establish- X V ing the Negro as the greatest race of all human history. y Send 25 cents (no stamps) for a copy of this won- a ! | derful study in historical research and become a mem- | ;; ber of the greatest educational organization ever found '! ed for the uplift of the African races throughout the X ! I world. Then study the insignia and send in your story. Y i * THE HAMITIC LEAGUE OF THE WORLD | 933 North 27th Street. Omaha, Neb. Y I The Monitor l! i Office I 1 1 I 304 Crounse Block | 1 Sixteenth Street | |;| OPPOSITE POSTOFFICE | I: I || ♦♦♦ v v v ♦> v ♦> v <• ♦> ♦> ♦> ♦> xX : 1 ill # n \ We have moved our office Down Town Right Into Heart of Business District || i| I
