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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (March 11, 1920)
u=d The Monitor i ■=■ i A NATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS. ____TO REV. JOHN ALBKKT WILLIAMS. _ <2-00 » Yw 5c a Copy__OMAHA. NEBRASKA. MARCH 11, 1920_Vol. V. No. 36 (Whole No. 245) Gen. Wood’s Position on Law and Order “Law and order come first in my mind as essentials for the stability of the government and the happi ness and contentedness of every citizen—white, red, black or yellow.” From Chicago Speech, Feb. 12, ’20 * . ' '■ . *■' . ' - I .11 . ... ■ — ■■ ■ - I — I.l ■—! I ■ ■ ■ _ I —' ' —■■■ ■IMII'II ■' I I II K V'OENT WILSON "ANS RAIL BILL */ _ •5) Larries Sere. mend ments W hich Colored Aniei i Council Believes Mill Prove lit medial Legislation Against Jim Crow Car System Monitor Does Not Concur in Tills Opinion. MEASURE ONLY THINLY VEILED COMPROMISE /one Provision Loealizlng Cost of Objectionable Discriminatory Sys. tem in South Satisfactory to That Section—Weakens Opposition of Other Sections Believed Prom ' Sharing Expense. I - (Special to The Monitor by Walter J. Singleton, Staff Correspondent.) WASHINGTON, I> ,C„ March 8.— W The signing of the rail bill by President Wilson brings to a suc cessful close a year of vigorous campaigning against discriminatory accommodations for colored people on common carriers. The Colored \ American Council, formed last year at the suggestion of friendly con gressmen who desired to have a local organization in touch with the col o. ed thought with which they could confer on matters affecting the col ored race, has been largely instru mental In accomplishing important legal reforms which will, if properly taken advantage of. be far reaching in their effect on the Jim Crow car system of the southern states. "While not accomplishing the coun cil's maximum prograamme of elim inating all possibility of discrimina tion by providing for identical ac commodations. I do not see at this time how the Jim Crow car system can long withstand the attacks which the council will make upon it.,, said Mr. George H. Murray, general coun sel for the organization to a repre , sentative of The Monitor yesterday. "The chief danger now will lie in the attempts of persons not familiar with j the detailed changes in the law to ■ bring ill timed and ill considered ac- j tions against the carriers before an improper tribunal.” The council, whoso affairs are di rected by Henry Lassiter, L. M. Her «. shaw, Daniel Murray, Virgil P. Franklin, Justice E. M. Hewlett, i Walter J. Singleton, Morrisey Koontz, | J, E. Johnson and George H. Murray ^ began its work with the preparation of House Roll No. 370 (known as the Madden hill) by its general counsel. This bill after being approved by the council and Congressman Madden was introduced in the house by the latter and referred to the committee on interstate and foreign commerce. Copies of the hill were sent broad- i cast through the country seeking the critical opinion of the persons af ^ fected thereby. Encouraged by the unanimous wave of approval which the hill met the ; council, through Congressman Mad den and Chairman Esch of the house j interstate commerce committee, ar- j ranged a hearing before the com mittee upon the proposition to make the bill and amendment to Title Four of the pending rail bill, then in pro cess of making. The hearing took place on September 5, 1919. Appear ing at that time for the council were Hon. Martin B. Madden, Mr. George H. Murray, Arthur W. Mitchell. I,leu tenant Thomas M. Gregory, Captain Ixniis B. Mehlinger and Edwin B. Henderson. The powerful case put in at that time against the Jim Crow car reacted very strongly upon the white south whose lobbyists immedi ately set to work to counteract Its ef fect. It is said, in this connection, that a plan of the southern lobbyists to bring five prominent Negroes be fore the committee to oppose the amendment was frustrated by the simple device of advancing the date of the hearing from September 9 to September 5. In order to relieve southern ten sion Chairman Esch gave out on f September 9 to the Washington correspondent of the Atlanta Consti tution his now famous interview In dicating the extent to which the com mittee was willing to go in remedial legislation. But this newspaper in terview did not preclude his bring ing the whole matter before the sub committee charged with preparing (Continued on Page Two) LEFT HALF MILLION TO HIS SECRETARY Noted Herb Doctor Be<|iieaths Bulk of Estate to Former Patient, Who Be came Ills Secretary. Harrodsburg. Ky., March 10.—Miss Bessie Garland, white, private secre tary to the late "Dr.” J. S. Anderson, noted herb doctor, who died here re cently will get the bulk of the dead man's estate unless two sisters who were left a house and lot, put up a fight. Bessie came to the doctor as a patient, was cured, and became his private secretary. The "doctor” was a pure-blooded Negro and worked by means of herbs. His estate consisted of four lots, six buildings in Kingston, Tonn.. J37.400 worth of farm lands in Pulaski county and an auto. Kentucky Republicans Elect Colored Delegate Pa ilit call Physician Defeats Rescue Conklin Simmons and Other As pirants for Coveted Honor of Rep resenting State at National Con ventlon-. Alternate Also Chosen. HECK GRASS STATE SETS AN EXAMPLE (Special to The Monito.r) Louisville. Ky.. March 10.—That the Blue Grass state intends to give due and merited recognition to that large element which constitutes the most loyal and dependable section of the republican party has just been demonstrated by the active participa tion of colored men and women in the republican state convention held here last week, in this respect Kentucky has set a good example for other states to follow. The convention at Its session Wednesday, March 4, en dorsed A. T. Hart, Governor E. P. Morrow, Mrs. John Glover South, Frankfort, and Dr. S. H. George of Paducah, as the four delegates from the state at. large to the republican national convention in Chicago. The convention voted that they shall he uninstructed. Alternate delegates from the state at large were elected as follows: S. Green Garrett, Winchester; Dr. Ben L. Bruner, Louisville; Mrs. John W. j Langley, Pikesville, and Dr. George F. David, Lexington. Governor Morrow and Hart, na tional committeeman from Kentucky, and Mrs. South, daughter of the late Senator W. O. Bradley, were indorsed unanimously. A contest, however, raged for more than four hours as to who should be selected from the col ored contingent for fourth delegate from the state at large. Four nominations were made and after much excitement a vote by counties was taken. Dr. George won over the veteran Louisville politician, Roscoe Conklin Simmons; Dr. George David of Lexington and Prof. George W. Saffel, Shelbyvllle. VVIEHERFOHCE RAISES *80,000 IN ONE DAY Wllberlorce, Ohio, March 10.-—Wil bcrforce University went “over the top" with its “Victory Rally” last week on Founders’ Day by raising $80,000 in one day. This is the largest sum that has ever been raised for education among our people in the history of the race. By the first Sun day in April the sum is expected to be <100,000. Money raised by districts: Fifth Episcopal, Bishop C. S. Smith, $3,500; Fourth Episcopal, Bishop L. J. Coppin. $8,000, First Episcopal, Bishop Evans Tyree, nothing; Third Episco pal, Bishop Joshua Jones, $33,500 and pledges, $35,000. Bishop Jones, pres ident of the trustees' board and pre sides over the Third district, is re sponsible for this great awakening among the Methodists. URGE HINDENBURG FOR GERMAN PRESIDENCY Berlin, March 7.—Field Marshal von Ulndenburg’s candidacy for the president of Germany Is strongly urged In an appeal that has just been Issued here. The appeal, according to the Morgan Post, Is the outcome of an agreement between the German nationalist party and the people's party. I__J GROUP OF COLORED BUSINESS MEN LAUNCH MERCANTILE ENTERPRISE __ I Incorporate Under Name of the Cooperative Workers of America,! With Capital of $100,000.00 TO HAVE SIX HUNDRED AND TWENTY STOCKHOLDERS! I’urchase Business Block at 1516-1518 North Twenty-fourth Street for Department Store T1TK. John W. (iordon, president of the Co-oijerative Workers of America, made the following state ment respecting the mercantile enter prise which tiie company is now launching: The organization of the Co-opera tive Workers of America, a $100,000 buying and selling corporation, marks the beginning of a new era in busi ness for colored people in (he central west. , This company is incorporated un der the laws of the state of Nebras ka, and has received permission from the bureau of securities to sell $100. 000 worth of its capital stock. The company has just signed an option contract to purchase the busi ness block at 1516-1518 North Twen ty-fourth street, In which to open a department store. The present pUin contemplates that the store will be opened just as soon as possession can be obtained, and the necessary remodeling Is finished, which we expect to be by June 1, 1920, If not earlier. Only six hundred and twenty per sons can purchase stock In the com pany. Stock has already been re served for 170 persons, leaving the number of 450. No person can pur chase more than five shares of stock nor less than one share. The stock is $100 per share, and may be pur chased by a payment of 10 per cent, when the subscription contract Is signed, and $10 or more per month until the stock Is paid for. The money paid for the stock shall he applied on the purchase price of the building and paid for stock which shall be sold in the store, making due allowance for expenses allowed by law In companies of this character. In this way, the company will have real value back of every certificate of stock it issues. One of the reasons for forming a company of this character was not rmly to get Into the commercial world, liut to get in there to stay. There will be 620 persons financially inter ested In the enterprise, which will mean, including their families, that there will he 1,800 persons who will buy from the store. The average laily expenditure for each person will he, for food and clothing, about ft, or a gross Income from the own ers of the store of $1,800 per day. rhis alone assures the success of the enterprise, but we will also sell to the whole public, which, added to the cer tain Income, will make big business, soar or not quite $1,000,000 per year <ros8. This, of course, depends upon efficient management. The company is engaging a general manager for this enterprise who has bad fifteen years of successful experi ence In the mercantile business. It Is also Joining a central buying agency in order that Its Btock may be purchased at the lowest figure ob 1 tainable, which will enable it to sell at a correspondingly reasonable one. Another feature about this company j Is that all employees In permanent | grades shall be stocktiolders; they will not he working for the company alone, but for themselves as well. In so far us It has been possible to provide against untoward contingen cies, provision has been made, and the ' officers and members of this company | confidently assert that the success of I the enterprise is not only assured, but j that it will surpass the expectations j of the most sanguine persons. From the very start, the store will j give employment to from thirty to) forty young women and young men. j Applications for positions will be re ceived just as soon as it is announced that the general manager has arrived i nnd assumed his duties. The reason for organizing this com-1 pany is obvious. Colored people must j enter the higher forms of modern bus- j iness, just as other races have been doing for hundreds and thousands of years, and they must take the best features of business organization, as this company has done In this case, and make it successful from the be ginning.^ Through a company of this cliarac- ] ter we can combine our small capital j and create something. For, as has | been truthfully said many times, the way to get clerks In stores is to com bine your small funds and open stores; the way to give employment to colored young men nnd women is to create something where they may be employed; It Is not enough to sit down and lament the failure of boys and girls to get employment in the large stores that are already in successful operation. 'The Co-operative Workers of Ameri ca Is giving a practical answer to the problem of life and work; It Is bold enough to start a big enterprise on the faith It has In the colored people to join It and make It theirs. In a short time branch stores will be es tablished in other parts of the city, and In other states, and then will come a hank of our own and other enterprises which follow' success in the business world. The picture of our first home which is shown In the column above will mark the beginning. It will bo inter esting to watch the Btore grow. Everything that is up to date will be a part of the store, and you will be as close to it as your telephone. The temporary office of the com pany Is at No. 19 Patterson Block, Douglas 3SR4, where the secretary will be glad to see any one who wishes further Information about this undertaking. The officers of this company are: John W. Gordon, president; Samuel W. Mills, treasurer. Jackson Davis, vice president; Z. C. Snowden, secre tary; Walter Webber Is chairman of the board of directors. OKLAHOMA COLORED GIRL GETS $1,000,000 ESTATE Slic Executes Deed of Tmst to Prop erty to Prevent Being Dispossessed. Muskogee, Okla.. March 10,—Sarah Rector, 18 years old, is Oklahoma’s first Negro millionaire heiress. Fear ing an attempt to get possession of the wealth she inherited, the girl vol untarily executed a deed of trust cov ering all. Two men who have been guardians will administer her affairs. Execution of the deed of trust prob ably will quash a petition filed by the girl’s mother to have her declared In competent and for the appointment of a guardian. — Enjoins Sale of the Chicago Defender I’ine Bin if Judge Has Presumption to Place Bun Upon Male of Chicago Newspaper in Jefferson County, j Arkansas, and Authorizes Arrest of i Any Person in Whose Possession a Copy Is Found. HIGH-HANDED PROCEEDINGS; WITHOUT PRECEDENT (Special to The Monitor.) PINE Bluff Ark., March 10.—High handed proceedings which strike at the very foundation of the freedom of the press have been Inaugurated here by the issuance a short time ago of an injunction by Chancellor John | M. Elliott, restraining John Young. ! jr.. or any other person from circu- 1 lating The Chicago Defender here or j In Jefferson county. The injunction | Is so drastic and sweeping in Its pro- I visions that it can not possibly stand 1 any fair legal test, If carried before a higher tribunal. The injunction was granted on the request of Mayor Mack C. Hollis and city attorney following the receipt of copies of the newspaper which gave a scandalous and false report of the murder of Officer C. C. Lynn, who was shot by George Vicks Thursday, February 5. Under the injunction the police, sheriff and constable are authorized to seize every copy of the paper found and to jjrrest anyone in whose posses sion a copy is found. Vicks, the crazed man, was raising a "rough house” with his landlady and had ran out all of the occupants of the house by shooting at them and officers were called to protect the victims of his wrath and before City Detective Lynn could reach the house he was shot down in cold blood about fifty yards from the house. There was not the least semblance of race trouble. WOMEN DELEGATES TO SUFFRAGE LEAGUE Chicago, March 10.—Airs. Beatrice Grady of St. Louis, was one of the delegates from her state to the Amer ican Suffrage League, composed of women that met here last week. Mrs. Eliza McCoy of Detroit, and Mrs. Thomas Fleming of Cleveland, were also present as alternates. Feeling secure that the amendment is as good as adopted, these women will w’ork to educate their sex how to use the ballot. RALPH W. TYLER ACCEPTS NEW POSITION Cleveland. O., March 10.—Ralph W. Tyler, assumed the managership of the American office of the Economic News Exchange, with offices in the Superior building this city. This news bureau serves daily newspapers throughout the country with foreign and homo news. Mr. Tyler, however, will continue to hold down the po sition of managing editor of The Cleveland Advocate, in which he is in terested. JAPANESE TROOPS WILL QUIT SIBERIA IN APRIL Tokio, March 10.—The cabinet has approved the withdrawal of the Jap anese troops from Siberia in April, after the repatriation of the Czecho slovak contingents has been com pleted. It is expected that the Czechs will all be on their way home by March 20. m WOMAN DISMISSED DV SUPERINTENDENT Miss Hull, Teacher In the Girls’ In dustrial School at Genera, Loses Position Because She Declines to Eat at Same Table With Miss Lucas. Who Has Been Employed as In structor of Colored Pupils. THREATENS TO INSTITUTE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS Dismissed Teacher Brings Her Case Before Member of Board of Control Who Declines to Act—Monitor Comments on Incident and Shows Inconsistency of Inviting Segrega tion on One Hand and Fighting It on the Other. y INCOLN, March 10.—Miss Marga ret Hall, teacher at the Indus trial School for Girls at Geneva. Neb., has lost her job. She was incon tinently "fired” by Mrs. Clara Treat, superintendent, when she refused to resign on request, following an argu ment over dining at the same table at which a colored instructess was seated. The colored teacher, Miss Lucas, had been brought to the school to In struct the seven colored girls there and although her pupils were segre gated she was permitted to eat with the white teachers. Miss Hall, who is ot southern extraction, refused to sit at the same table. Mrs. Treat gave Miss Hall the op tion of eating with Miss Lucas or re sign! ,nd the white teacher would do neuner. Then the superintendent dismissed her. Miss Hall compelled Mrs. Treat to write out the dismissal in pen and ink and state the reasons therefor. Miss Hall arrived in Lincoln Satur day evening and called on one of the members of the state board of control, Clark Oberlies. Mr. Oberlies refused to take any action. Miss Hall asserts she will either be reinstated or will institute legal pro ceedings against Mrs. Treat and the county. THE GENEVA AFFAIR. THE superintendent of the State In dustrial School for Girls at Gene va was perfectly right in insisting that Miss Hall, who refused to sit at the teacher's table with Miss Lucas, should either conform to the regula tions of the school or resign. The spirit which Miss Hall manifested needs to be rebuked. It is wholly un worthy refined and cultivated people, and is given entirely too much defer ence and consideration even from those who disapprove of it. Miss Lucas who is a young woman of pleasing personality, charming manners and liberal education, being a native of Iowa and a graduate of the university of that state, and an experienced teacher is a valuable ac quisition to the teaching corps of any institution. Born and reared in an Iowa town in which hers was the only family of color, and highly respected, her associating with members of the other race is not a new or strange experience to her. • The Monitor, however, would not be true to its convictions were we to fail to point out that Miss Lucas by her acceptance of the position tendered her, with its limitations, has lent en couragement to the very thing to which she is opposed. She, as we un derstand it, has been employed to teach only the seven colored girls who are at present inmates of this state in stitutions. These seven constitute but a small percentage of the total mem bership of the school. The school au thorities have deemed it wise, con trary to the law of the state, of Ne braska which neither contemplates nor makes any provision for such sep aration, to segregate these seven girls and employ a special teacher for them. Why? Miss Lucas, who is eminently quali fied for teaching should have been employed simply as a teacher in the State Industrial School for Girls, upon the same terms and conditions as any other teacher and had assigned to her any and all pupils belonging to the grade to which she was assigned. We regret that Miss Lucas yielded to doubtless well-meaning but ill-advised (Continued on Page Four.) . ; il i