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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 1919)
f THE MONITOR A National Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of Colored Americans. Published Every Saturday at Omaha, Nebraska, by The Monitor Pub lishing Company. Entered as Second-Class Mail Matter July 2, 1915, at the Postoffice 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 Parker, Contributing Editor and Business Manager. Fred C. Williams, Traveling Representative. SUBSCRIPTION RATES, $2.00 A YEAR; *1.00 8 MONTHS: 60c 3 MONTHS Advertising Rates. 80 cents an Inch per Issue. Address, The Monitor, 304 Crounse Block, Omaha,„_Neb._ Telephone Webster 4243. .._4 FREDERICK DOUGLASS S the years recede the magnifi cent figure of Frederick Doug lass looms larger upon the vision of the race of which he was such an able champion and conspicuous rep resentative. His labors and sacrifices for the cause of freedom and the enfranchisement of our people is be coming more and more fully appre ciated. We shall best honor his venerated memory by striving to attain those heights as a people where the banner of his hopes were set. Let our children memorize and fre quently recite the poem of Paul Laur ence Dunbar entitled “Frederick Douglass.” MAKE THE RAILROADS DO IT THE MONITOR stands uncom promisingly for fighting to a fin ish the Jim Crow car system, in vogue, in direct violation of the fun damental law of this land, in certain sections of this country'. It must be fought because it is unlawful and shamefully, outrageously indecent, unsanitary and dishonest. We speak of the system as a whole and that from first hand knowledge, furnished us by reputable men and women of character, culture and refinement who have had to endure its humilia tions, discomforts and injustices. The Jim Crow car system is unlaw ful and in direct violation of the con stitution of the United States, which expressly declares that “NO STATE SHALL MAKE OR ENFORCE ANY LAW WHICH SHALL ABRIDGE THE PRIVILEGES OR IMMUNI TIES OF CITIZENS OF THE UNIT ED STATES.” No sane or truthful man will for a single moment contend that the Jim Crow laws do not abridge the priv ileges of citizens of the United States. The system is indecent because it makes no provision for that privacy which good taste and breeding dic tate, men and women being com pelled to use the same common con veniences and women being forced to hear ribald jests and indecent lan guage. The system is unsanitary' for the reason mentioned in the above para graph and because the coaches are dirty—and dirt is a breeder of dis ease—and because of the promiscuous crowding of all sorts and conditions of people in the limited quarters of the car or section of the car set apart “For Negroes” or “For Colored.” The system is unqualifiedly dis honest for the reason that Negro passengers are COMPELLED TO PAY FIRST CLASS FARE FOR ANYTHING BUT FIRST CLASS ACCOMMODATIONS. Will anyone with even a passing respect for that which is just contend that there Is anything honest about this? And yet the government of the United States is permitting this spe cies of robbery—for it is nothing else —to continue. The government is in charge of the railroads and could change this condition at once if it would. Mr. McAdoo wiped out the “color line” in the wage system, when he declared that “there shall be equal pay for equal work on all railroads.” The same thing can be done, should be done and must be done with ref erence to passenger rates. Eventual ly the government must decree that there shall be equal accommodations for equal fares. The law now says this, but in no case on no railroad where the Jim Crow system obtains i« this done. How shall it be remedied? Congressman Madden has intro duced a bill in congress which it is hoped will meet the issue. The bill is carefully and well drawn and will be effective—IF PASSED AND EN FORCED. We shall discuss it in a subsequent issue. The most effective way, however, in our opinion, in eliminating the un lawful Jim Crow system, would be to make the railroads do it. The rail roads should be compelled to do what the law says they must do, to provide equal accommodations for all passen gers. This would mean modern coaches, dining cars, Pullmans, etc., for both races. Were the railroads compelled to go to this expense, their splendid legal talent would fight for the repeal of the Jim Crow car laws and those laws would be repealed. It is along this line that the fight must be waged. Let the railroads do It. Pressure should be brought to bear upon our senators and congressmen from the north to see that the Mad den bili is passed and then see to it that the railroads “PROVIDE EQUAL AND IDENTICAL RIGHTS, AC COMMODATIONS AND PRIVIL EGES TO ANY PERSON WHO SHALL PAY, OR OFFER TO PAY, THE UNIFORM CHARGE MADE FOR SUCH EQUAL AND IDENTI CAL RIGHTS, ACCOMMODATIONS AND PRIVILEGES.” This is the "fight that must be waged and there must be no com promise, no surrender. PROPOSED MANDATORY GOVERNMENT FOR AFRICA IT is reported by the Associated Press that the peace conference is in accord respecting the disposition of the German colonies and the follow ing has been given out as the prob able solution of the whole African problem: “On the other hand, colo nies like those in Central Africa would require a mandatory with large powers of administration, responsible for the suppression of slave trade, liquor, ammunition and arms traffic, and the prevention of exercise of mili tary authority on the part of the na tives except for native police pur poses.” This plan is rather significant of the fact that Europe doesn’t intend Africa to have any "self-determina tion” and further that she will be careful to keep liquor and ammuni tion out of the hands of the natives, as well as to prevent any military organization. Is it possible that Eu rope is afraid of the natives? We imagine so and especially since she has had the glorious opportunity of seeing them fight. We venture the opinion that the white man in Af rica would be far safer if the colonies did have a form of self-government, because the continuation of present conditions merely piles up the inter est upon the debt that must be paid someday and paid with blood. Anyway, Africa can afford to wait. She and her children were there thousands of years before Europe, as it is today, was dreamed of, and she will still be there and flourish ing wrhen the peace conference is memory, The Hague dust and the great nations of Europe a wilder ness of ruins. THE PITTSBURG COURIER ON MOTON THE Pittsburg Courier, one of the greatest race papers of the coun try, comes out in its issue of last week with a long editorial condemn ing certain of the Negro press for its attacks upon Dr. Moton and his mis sion to France. With much that the Courier says we are in accord, but inasmuch as The Monitor was one of the papers which regarded, rather sarcastically, the doctor’s mission, we do not believe it out of order to de fend our past position and to show w’hy there is some excuse for those other of our large press family not to wholly approve the alleged words or policy of the eminent head of Tus kegee. To begin with, the race throughout America knows Dr. Moton to be an apologist. We further know that Dr. Moton could not well be anything else and retain his position at the head of the greatest Negro industrial school in America. Emmett Scott might have become the head of Tub kegee had he been able to squelch his manhood and become an apolog ist, but he was unable to do so. Book er T. Washington Jr. was recently driven out of Alabama because he was not an apologist and because he dared to speak out against the wilful murder of race members of the south. Therefore, we all understand why Dr. Moton became head of Tuskegee, why he apologized because his high spirited wife resented being Jim Crowed and expelled from a Pullman and why the administration consid ered him the best man to send to France to talk to the Colored sol diers who are about to return to America. It matters little to us Just what Dr. Moton said or may not have said, because we all know from his rec ord that all which he might have said, when summed up, was a verbal effort to prepare the Negro soldier to come back and find and accept the conditions the same aa when he left. The doctor is reported to have said that the relations between the races “are better,” but when saying this did the doctor mention in the speech that more than 100 lynching* have oc curred since the declaration of war, this report having been issued from the school of which he is head? Did Dr. Moton tell the boys over there that the son of the founder of Tuske gee had been forced to leave Alabama because he spoke against lynching? Did the doctor inform the men that the Ku Klux Klan spirit was being revived in the south and that it was : directed especially against the retura : ing Negro soldier? We say that to tell the Negro sol ■ dier that conditions have changed when, in fact, they are in a way more serious, is not only untruthful but absolutely harmful inasmuch as they may have the tendency to bring bit ter results which might be avoided by telling the sane and simple truth. Couple with the fact of Dr. Moton’s mission the fact that certain rare ment and women who wished to at tend the congress of the darker races j in Paris were denied passports by this government and it is a natural conclusion that the doctor’s mission | was to be favorable to the government and that what the delegates might ! say at the congress would be consid ered inimical. Yet the delegates would have spoken only the truth. Is it logical then, to conclude, that if the latter would speak only the truth, the former must have been, as he has always been, an apologist and sent to prepare the Negro soldier to return to a land that would treat him the same, in spite of the fact that he had fought for those ideals of liberty and justice which carried this nation into war. THE KANSAS CITY POST AND THE NEGRO IT will be a source of pleasure for many of the race to loam that the Kansas City Post, one of the greatest dailies of the west, has thrown aside the dictum of American usage and capitalized “N” in the word Negro. This may not appeal to many as any : thing strikingly new or especially de serving of praise, inasmuch as the common sense usage of English should dictate a capital for any prop er noun, yet on the other hand Ameri can opinion has purposely held the race in more or less contempt and this contempt has even gone so far as to attempt to belittle twelve mil lions of Americans by using a small letter in classifying them as to their ethnic relations. Thus it is that Dr. Burris A. Jenkins has had the man hood and temerity to ignore what the national white press considers cor rect and to substitute what is cor rect, thereby earning for himself the respect and praise of the American Negro. We thank the editor of the Post for this departure from the accus tomed path of American prejudice and hope that other editors will realize the justness and fairness of his posr tion and follow his lead. LAX LIVING FT is the solemn teaching of history that no race or people with a low standard of morals long survive. Lax living, loose morals carry with them the seeds of decay. Would w-e be a truly great people, we must always stand for and cultivate the highest moral ideals. We need never fear coming into our own place in this or any other country so long as w-e are true to God and His righteousness and set our face as a flint against all that is sensual, low and degrading. We owe it to ourselves, to our race and to the community in which we live, wherever that may be, to stead fastly stand for the right and to sec that no one can truthfully charge us with lax living or loose morals. A moral people is an invincible peo ple. Let us as individuals realize our personal responsibility for achieving and mantaining the highest moral standards. This is the royal highway to individual, racial and national greatness. It is also the pathway of safetey. WHAT ABOUT IT, SENATOR? IN his recent speech on woman suf frage, Senator Hitchcock said he fa vored universal suffrage, but he be lieved it was a state right and that the matter should not be regarded as proper for a constitutional amend ment. A while before that the emi nent senator voted to make the na tion diy, failing to consider the ques tion as to whether the same should be a state matter or national matter. What about it, senator? SKITS OF SOLOMON Passports A passport is a handsome piece of stationery all decorated with ink, whereby a guy can leave the U. S. A. and travel about foreign countries without getting pinched as a spy or a Bolsheviki. Some days ago a com pany of Colored friends went to the state department at Wash on the D. C., and asked for a bit of said station ery so that they could go to gay Paree and meet a few other friends and talk over much jargon concerning the future of the cullud races. When they hit the front door and reached the mahogany, the chief of staff al most threw a fit. He wanted to know the whyfor of the whereas and what they were going to jangle over, but the brothers and sisters were as mum as a bunch'"fif oysters buried in ten feet of ice. Sir staff specialist hot footed it to the big boss and buzz buzzed in his ear, and pronto the big boss got the cold shivers and told the staff specialist if the cullud folks were given passports to go across the pond, they sure would speak right out in church and by the time the French dailies got hold of the red pepper palaver, the delegates would have President Wilson writing out explanations by the car load. “Nevaire, Nevaire!” screamed the big boss, and so the staff specialist tod ; died back and after ensconcing him self safely behind the broad topped mahogany, bowed politely and said: “Sorry, indeed, ladies and gentlemen, but there is nothing doing in the line of passports today. The guy what issues ’em has gone fishing for deep sea food and ain’t likely to be home before a month or so. Come back then and we’ll fix you out all humti diddy.” What did you say? A free coun try? Urah! [ Obvious Observations Never again! Two weeks ago we said we wanted cold weather and we got it with a vengeance. We thought the European nations were going to have a peace confer ence? They are having a conference all right all right, but there doesn’t seem to be much peace about it. If labor and capital would stop, look and listen, to what John D. Rockefeller Jr., has to say about things they might learn something. Please don’t forget to dig up that subscription coin. “Nations shall maintain navies commensurate with their colonial boundaries,” says the press. Gee, but ; isn’t the League of Nations a good I joke ? Somebody took a punch at old H. C. j L. recently and a few things made a tumble in price. We wish that some body would go about ten rounds with him and knock him cold in the tenth. Was the U. S. A. scared that the Colored brothers and sisters would let the cat out of the bag if they got to Paris and began to tell how Presi dent Wilson carries out his ideals of liberty and equality at home? We rec’ and spec' it was. Thirty thousand laborers in Penn sylvania are going to strike July first on the platform, “No beer no work!” Wow! Some platform, believe muh, Mable. Where in the heck did that robin go which you said you saw last Uns day week, Clarice ? Thanking you kindly for this won derful exhibition of patience, we will now treat the typewriter for rheu matism and give it an oiling up. St. Benedict’s Catholic League dance at U. B. F. hall, 24th and Par ker streets, Friday, February 28. Per kins orchestra. Admission 26c. ^-•X~XX-X^X.<-X-X*«X~X~X>«X~X; | The Kiddies’ f | Korner I ^ MADRE PENN i 'X"X"X"X--:--x--X"X-x—x-x-X"X" PRICELESS Da’ she sits, da sweetest chile, Dat eber blessed a mammy’s life; Jus’ look at how she counts dem toes, An’ looks around as if she knows. Hush! Listen to dat baby croon, I bet de angels taught dem chunes, A whispering 'round ma baby’s head When I done laid her in ha’ bed. Come heah to you mudder, chile, Look up at me, let’s see you smile; Dere ain’t no money in dis world Could buy you from yo mudder, girl! TO MY VALENTINE 'F u luves ME Like I Luves U, No knife can cut R luve in 2. Boys and girls, where did Valen tine day gets its name? The best letter of the origin of Val entine day will be published in the next issue of The Monitor. Get busy and write us a letter, telling us what you know about this day. Put this on your envelope; The Monitor, Room 304 Crounse Block, Omaha, Neb. Mail your letter so it will reach us [ by Monday, February 16. F“” " ' ’ “ I H Classified Directory of Omaha’s Colored professional and Business firms I Mmes. South & Johnson » Scientific Scalp Specialists Sole Manufacturers of ft MAGIC HAIR GROWER AND :: MAGIC STRAIGHTENING OIL ft s rj Vve teach the Art of Hair Dress- ft; ft ing, Shampooing. Facial Massage, ft Manicuring. Scalp Treatment and ft ft the Making of Hair goods. Vt Hair Grower, per box 50c. a Straightening Oil, per box 35c ^ J For Appointment Call Web. 880. !jj ft 2416 Blondo St., Omaha, Neb. x E_ H ! J. H. HOLMES j TAILOR a a w All work Guaranteed. La- ” dies’ and Gents’ Suits Re- g a modeled, Cleaned, Pressed » £ and Repaired. New Hoff- ” I man Press. i I I 2022 N. 21th St. Web. 3320 J « K !! wm a ;f «>K,^»W-ai»(W»flWWrw»«»!)Ca a ; E. A. Williamson I DRUGGIST i I g ft § Competent and Reliable | 2306 North 21th St. 1 I Webster 4443. a a : a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a :: a a a a a a a ;; ! Mrs. A. HICKS; g X K w Scalp Specialist SLAUGHTER SYSTEM !§ Guaranteed to Grow Hair in a 'a Six Treatments or Money Re- g £ funded. Diplomas Granted. 2716 Miami Street. Webster 6426. « a a a a a a a a a n a a a a £ a Telephone Webeter 248 I I Silas Johnson | Western Funeral Home I 2518 Lake St. « The Place for Quality and Service ” PRICES REASONABLE. S Licensed Embalmer In Attendance It i Lady Attendant If Desired. MUSIC FURNISHED FREE. mwx mm xmmmimx x| 5 R. H. Robbins t I & Co. | £ GROCERIES AND MEATS £ £ An Up-to-Date Store. £ 1111 North 24th Street. £ £ Prompt Delivery. YV. 241. § h k mm ifHiQWwmKtnwmfci* | TOP NOTCH 1 CAFE 24th and Hamilton Sts. k Under new management. Week if j day*. 8 a. m. to 11 p. rn. Sunday, g K breakfast 9 a. m. to 11:30 a. m. g « Dinner, 1 p. m. to 8 r. m. jgj Short orders, 9 a. m. to 11 p. m. l| £ Mrs. loma Banks and Miss Mary « Anne Logan, Props. f HKfflglffiaMBfflSSSt it Wit.sfMHIWISflMMUflaK| I A. F. PEOPLES f | Painting « Paperhantfintf and Decorating i !& &S k Estimates Furnished Free, f fr All Work Guaranteed. | 1827 Erskine Street. Phone Walnut 2111. * 1J.H. Russell I & Co. I UNDERTAKERS | V. Successors to Banks & Wilks ,j| ' 0 % 1914 Cuming Street K H « GEORGE MILLER, Emhalmer 5 Day Phone, Red 3203 Night, Call Douglas 3718 a it ;r k h u :: :: « k m k h k k » « ! Ware’s Candy Kitchen | ; and Ice Cream Parlor i 1 # Fresh home madfe Candies of l:, all kinds made daily, jj ;; Ice Cream, per quart, 50c; per » * gallon, $2.00. >; Orders delivered promptly. <ij 1508 North 24th. 1 SJXMBBtSdh Klw « Khfi»,ie»H;a:>«XH0<WIW5! , ;; n \ ;; Funeral and Wedding Taxi by « ’ Hour or Trip Service Day and Night ii North Side Taxi t J. I>. LEWIS, Prop. Stand Phone Wreb. 1490. ” When not at stand please call !t Res. Web. 949. NEW CLOSED CAR. 1 h Stand 2414 N. 24th St., Omaha, {j :: South & Thompson’s Cafe l § 2418 North 24th St. Webster 4566 sj| j£; SPECIAL SUNDAY DINNER § y, Stewed cnlcken with dumplings..40c B « Roast Prime Beef au Jus _40c gj g Roast Pork. Apple Sauce_40c V. jft Roast Domestic Goose, dressing 60c w K Early June Peas Mashed Potatoes «, Hal ad g * Coffee Dessert We Serve Mexican Chile | Why Not Learn Here? f y y y y y y A A :|: Woman’s Improve $ | Duty Yourself f | to be in :j: Beautiful Poro Way t § | w I ? £ This branch of our business has £ been given so much care and atten •j. tion, and our opportunity for study y ing special cases and the results £ following our treatments of them A have been so numerous, that I feel y I may be justly considered an au £ thority on the subject, y Every woman will concede that y to be attractive in manner and as f. beautiful in face as possible, is a y duty she owes to her sex, and to y possess this attractiveness and ii beauty, even to old age, is her y greatest desire. This is not van * ity. It is simply a love for the beautiful. Every woman knows if she al lows her complexion to become sal low and wrinkled, her hair to be come lusterless and hard her nails to become long and shapeless, she is placed at a disadvantage beside the woman who is outwardly at tractive. A visit once a week to the Poro X Culture College is now a necessity v which even the woman with small y means cannot omit. X The feeling of comfort and hap- 4 pi ness as she places herself under y the skilled hands of an experienced X specialist; as the delightful, sooth ing, cleansing creams are applied hv gentle manipulation and the ox hilirating electric currents, fol lowed hv correct vibrations, caus ing the blood to circulate freely, bringing a glow to the cheeks, is well worth the time and money ] I spent. Therefore consider your conditions and "o to ' > JONES PORO CULTURE V. COLLEGE 3; S 4 » Whore Quality is supreme, Work manship the best. Service excel- T lent. System taught. Terms rea- TL sonahle. < > Jones’ Poro Culture College ; i Phones—Web. 5450, College. 1516 N. 24th St., t | Web. 3290, Res. OMAHA, NEB. 2 vx^x^XK“X~X">x-<~w-rX~x-*<K">XK«x-^x~X"XK~x~x~X"X*««<">.i