i •— the Monitor
A NATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS A C1..1 i. . fa -
THE ItEV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor _
> tMta Yw K a Copy OMAHA, NEBRASKA* MARCH 3, 1921 Vol. VI No. 36 (Whole No. 296)
ENGLAND WATCHING
AMERICAN LYNCHINGS
Newspaper Correspondents Take Accurate Note of Acts of Vio
lence Committed Against Black Citizens of the United States
—Every Lynching Is Reported in the English Press—Race
Clashes Featured in Newspapers of Great Britain.
HAROLD SPENDER ANALYSES % IE PROBLEM
-\
Charges Britain With Responsibility Thr> V Slave Trade for
Black Problem—Race in Southern Stat* »idly Increasing
—I-egit imale Ambitions for Self-Determ. <g ' Developing in
Like Ratio—Dissatistied With Wholesal. ’ranchisement
and Social Ostracism.
IONDON, March 2.—Recently at a
-J tea the curious English institu
tion where a cup of tea and a cress
sandwich furnish an excuse for a
gathering of persons of various view'
( —Stephen Graham declared In all sln
serity that in the event of war be
tween the 1'nlted States and Japan
the latter country would find a valu
able ally In the American Negroes.
He had just published his book, '“The
Soul of John Brown,” written after a
three months' tour of the South, most
of It spent in walking along Sher
man's path to the sea, and natuially
y everything he said was accepted with
out question by his English auditors.
Whenever an Englishman and an
American discuss Ireland the former
invariably counters with “How about
your Negro problem?” Every lynch
ing Is reported In the English press
Every disturbance in the South is fea
tured In the newspapers of Great
Britain.
Sympathy for the Negro
Are we blind, indifferent, as the
English were In the years preceding
the passage of the home rule bill of
19H and the Dublin Easter rebellion
of 1916? The English believe so. lib
erals on this side have a sympathy
for the American Negro not iinlik1'
that of certain Americans for thi
Irish. Graham's trip through the
South was not prompted by a deslri
to muckrake; he went there because
he had a sympathy for the Negro.
Harold Spender, another English
liberal, tbe author of a biography of
Eloyd George, has written a series of
articles on America, one of which dis
cusses “The Black Problem.” To
most Americans, Spender’s treatment
of the question would be considered
eminently fair and devoid of sensa
tion. but the English are greatly Im
pressed and undoubtedly more thin
ever sympathetic with the Negro.
# Spender points out that the British
did a thriving business In slaves and
that they arc more or less responsible
for the "black problem."
“Tlie black specter dogs America
still,” he says. “Behind all her poll
cies there Is a deep rooted fear —a fear
of the black man In the present and
a still greater dread of him in the fu
ture.
"America fears for her civilization
* and for her race She dreads lest
North America should become a black
man's continent. Those who travel in
the North may think this absurd. But
in the South the peril is nearer. There
are Southern states where the white
man Is only In a bare majority; there
are states where he Is now actually
outnumbered.
“AH the time the black population
is increasing at a great pa< e More
important still, their ambitions are In
creasing also. They are no longer
content with the policy of wholesale
disfranchisement and social ostracism
which has been so long pursued In the
Southern states. There are hundreds
of black lawyers and black parsons;
thousands of black teachers. Many of
these black men have proved them
selves the equal of the whites.
"Often they work harder So the
claim to white privileges Ik threat
ened, und a very serious problem
looms ahead. It Is not a question of
actual slavery; It Is a question of po
lltical freedom. The broad fact is that
In spite of tbe civil war and Hie fa
mous fifteenth amendment to the con
stitution the Negro has been by one
means or another deprived of his po
4 lltical rights and often of his civil
rights also—throughout the South."
Farther on Spender says: “There
Is grave danger for America in allow
ing the black problem to drift. In
Great Britain such a trouble would
find Instant voice In parliament. There
would he frequent, questions about
lynching episodes. There would be
legislative proposals of various kinds,
and probably the government would
send the whole question to a royal
commission which would Inquire and
report. But In America, despite their
courage and vigor, there seems a curi
ous reluctance to face the great prob
lems of the future.
"Neither great party seems to hew
out a policy and stand by It, after the
fashion of our parties In England. The
result Is that public opinion is left
without guidance. It is not faced with
a choice of policies. Now, we have
various policies in regard to the black
problem in our empire. South Africa
has one and India another. 1 do not
say that they are perfect policies, but
they are policies.
No Policy on lllack Han
“America' has ffo policy in regard to
the black man. It might decide to dis
franchise him. On the ,-ontiary, it an
nounces in the federal constitution on
no aceonnt is he to be disfranchised
Then in the state constitutnons i( pro
ceeds to do so. It might put the Ne
gro under a special law and confine
him 1o special regions, as Hotlia p:o
posed In South Africa.
"Hut it does nothing of the sort It
claims for him the full liberty and
protection of an American citi en.
Then it proceeds to stand aside whll
lie is hanged and burned without trial
I call that a dangerous policy, te anse
It provokes the greatest possible
amount of unger and resentment while
il places no real restraint on a devel
opment which Is growing note and
more formidable every day.”
The English are never likely to be
come the champions of the Negro to
the extent a large section of the
American public supports Sinn Fein
it Is equally true that the British »r:
unlikely to Interfere In what Ameri
cans consider their domestic affait
But there Is unmistakable evidence
that the British are becoming Increas
ingly interested in the future of the
Negro. New York Tribune.
MII.EKK PREDICT* RACE COBf
tJHESH.HEN FROM THREE CITUN
(By the Associated Negro Press)
NEW YORK CITY, March 3. in a
recent address here Dean Kelly Miller
of the Junior College of Howard Uni
veraUy, Washington, I) (’., predicts!
that within six years there will be Ne
cro representatives from New York
City. Philadelphia and Chicago In con
gress. This will he one of the political
results of the migration of some 600,
ooo%.Negroes from the South during
the last decade. Ho read census sta
tistics showing the Negro imputation
t. New York to be 176,000, in Phila
dolphin 134,000, in Washington an
Chicago 109,000 each.
“From these concentrations there
will develop a political self-conscious
ness,” he added. “You will find that
these communities will he sending
representatives to city councils and
state legislatures, After a while they
will send representatives to the eon
gress of the United Stales. It is safe
to predict that within fouV or s:x years
there will be a Negro congressman
from New York City, one from Phila
delphla and one from Chicago. The
population is sufficiently large to come
within requirements of congressional
districts."
XI PERVININ<« ERECTION OP
V $100,(Mill RESIDENCE
Eor a l eading While Capitalist of
Tulsa—Dn| of Fifty Hen Employed
One Half of Them Ire Colored.
TUIjSA. Ok la., March 3. There is in
course of construction here in TiiIhu
a residence for Hon. Tate Brady
which, when completed, will cost
$400,1)00. The supervising contractor
I* Mr C. 11. Murphy, a member of our
group, and who Is recognized ns one
of the leading mechanics In the conn
try. For ten .veals this young man
was In the employ of Westernhouse,
Church, Kerr & Co., New York, the
largest const ruction house In the
United Slates, where he made a great
leputation. During the Kwar Mr.
Murphy was building inspector unit
superintendent for the United States
and at times had as many as 2,000
men working under him. This gentle
man has been a mechanic all his life
and has in his possession some very
strong recommendations from persons
for whom be has worked. The Brady
residence, which is in course of con
struction at 620 North Denver street,
will, when completed, be one of the
prettiest homes In the city. Putting
Mr. Murphy in charge of the erection
of such a building is proof of bis abil
ity and shows that If you have the
goods and can deliver them, your
services will always be In demand.—
Tulsa Star.
ACTORS RESENT “COLOR
LINE” DISCRIMINATION
Charles Gilpin, Famous Actor, Among Ten Distinguished Guests
to lie Invited to Annual Drama League Dinner—Proposal to
Exclude Him Brings Storm of Protest From Influential Mem
bers of Theatrical Profession.
DISTINGUISHED ARTISTS TAKE FIRM STAND
Emphatically Declared That They Would Not Accept Invitations
to Dinner If Gilpin, Whose Art Entitled Him to Recognition.
Were Excluded as Was Proposed on the Ground of Race or
Color—Art Should Make No Such Distinctions.
KW YbRK, March 3.—That ait
knows no color line, and that
artists are above petty limitation and
restrictions which would follow as a
result of the action of color prejudice,
has been clearly and unmlsakably
shown within the past ten days by de
velopments following upon what was
reported as the intended action of the
Drama League of New York In the
matter of its dinner In honor of the
ten persons who have contributed
most to the art of the theatre during
the last year, and Charles Gilpin, the
Negro actor who has made a distin
guished success in the play, “The Em
peror Jones,’’ now elljotlng a run at
the Princess theatre.
Norman Trevor, Philip Moeller and
George Cram Cook*.
Several of these men and women
signed and issued to the press the fol
lowing statement:
"The undersigned men and women
of the theatre, appreciating creative
and interpretative ability wherever It
springs, feel It our duty to publicly
express our Indignation at the alleged
lis'-i lmination by the Drama League
against the distinguished Negro actor,
Charles S. Gilpin, now appearing in
New Yoik In Ihe title role of ‘The Em
peror Jones.' II has come to our no
tice that Mr. Gilpin, for no other rea
son than that he is a colored man, has
been eliminated as otn of the guests
at Hie Drama league dinner to ten
full returns might not place him
nmong the first ten.
Gilpin Is One of Ten
The balloting was concluded on Sat
urday, February 19, and announce
ment was made in the morning papers
of Monday, February 21, that Gilpin
stood sixth among those balloted for
and would consequently be invited to
I lie dinner guest of the Drama
League at the annual dinner on March
i; at Hotel McAlpin. Walter Hartwlg,
in charge of the dinner arrangements,
made the formal statement as to the
result on Sunday evening at Plymouth
theatre, prior to a lecture. The audi
ence" applauded the reading of the
names- the ten persons being:
Dudley Digges of “Heartbreak
House.”
Gilda Varesi of “Enter Madame.”
David Belasco, putting on “Debu
rau.”
Eugene O’Neil, author of "The Em
peror Jones.”
Ben-Ami of "Samson and Delilah.”
Charles Gilpin of “The Emperor
Jones.”
Lionel Atwlll of “Deburau."
Lee Simonson, scenic artist. “Heart
break House.”
Margaret Severn, use of masks in
dances in “The Greenwich Village
FollieB.”
Fred Stone, comic artist.
Mr. Hartwlg afterwards stated most
emphatically that Mr. Gilpin would be
invited, the invitations being sent out
on Monday of this week. It is the hope
■if certain elements, judging from the
-vs items concerning the matter,
. ^ a u
Warrerv G. Hardirvg \K^
Who takes oath of office Friday, March t, as I’res dent of (he United Stales
The three thousand members of the
Drama league were asked to vote for
the ten persons to be chosen as guests
at the dinner, and it was announced
early last week that although Charles
Gilpin had received votes sufficient to
place him among the ten to bo Invited,
the league board decided to eliminate
him as a dinner guest and simply send
him a nice letter assuring him of the
high esfiein In which he was held.
This announcement aroused a storm
of protest on all sides. The Metro
politan dallies carried the story aB
"first page news” and at the same
time gave a strong editorial expre?
sion condemnatory of Ihe proposed ac
tion. 11 was declared that color and
race should not be considered in a
matter of so vital artistic Importance
and many of the most prominent of
the prospective guests declared that
they would not countenance such ac
tion by attending the dinner.
Distinguished Artists Protest
Among those who declared most em
phatically that they would decline in
vitations to the dinner if Gilpin was
dis criminated against were Mary Gar
den, director of the Chicago Opera
company; Gllda Varesi, Jacob lienja
min, Hubert Edmund Jones, Eugene G.
O’Neil, who wrote "The Emperor
Jones;" Dudley Digges, Dee Simonson,
I
actor* and actresses of distinction on
.March 0 and this In spite of the fact
that Mr. Gilpin's work in ‘The Km
peror Jones' has won him a place In
the Drama League balloting to estah
II ,h the year’s ten biggest contribu
tors to dramatic art.
‘‘Confirmation or denial of this act
of prejudice has been refused by the
responsible officers of the Drama
league In the circumstances, re
specting nH we do the masterful abil
ity of Mr. Gilpin, we wish to announce
our decision to stay away from the
Drama League dinner unless the
Drama League sees lit to deny intern
lo discriminate against Mr. Gilpin."
Officials of the Drama League has
tened to Issue a statement which de
clared that the circulation reports
were based on a misunderstanding
That while the voting was In progress,
and before It had been concluded,
someone telephoned in and asked as to
Mr. Gilpin’s standing in the balloting.
At thal time he stood third among the
actors, blit no Idea could be given of
the final standing us the full liHt.
which included producers, stage di
rectors, playwrights and designers,
also would have to he tabulated. The
inquirer wanted to know if Mr. Gilpin
was likely to he Invited, and was told
that it was probably doubtful, as the
that Mr. Gilpin will not accept. It In
idetit, however, that there is a
strong feeling that Mr. Gilpin should
attend, not as a colored man, simply,
but because he stands as the repre
i ntative of a particular racial art de
' \ elopment.
GILPIN WILL ATTEND
DRAMA DINNER
Charles Gilpin, the star of “The
Emperor Jones,’’ told a reporter for
the World last night (Tuesday) that
■ he had decided definitely to accept the
invitation of the New York Drama
League to be one of its ten honored
guests at its annual banquet in the
M< Alpin hotel, March 6, but only to
' the extent of “dropping in” on the af
i lair and paying his respects.
So far as having dinner is con
; cerned," he said, “that is out of the
! question. But If the other nine per
sons invited as honored guests indi
cate they would like to have me, I
shall certainly attend long enough to
show them my appreciation. As for
the Drama League— well, 1 know its
members very well, and I do not wish
by any means to force an association.
"1 am going to attend the dinner
given by the Civic Club, of course."
i Gilpin said he had written to Laura
V. Day, secretary of the Drama
CONSTRUCTIVE ENTERPRISES
Following the Line of Cuming Street West to Twenty-fourth and
North on “Little State Street,” as a Visitor Facetiously Named
the L itter Thoroughfare, We Find Various Lines of Business
Representing in the Aggregate Several Thousands in Capital.
CO-OPERATIVE WORKERS OF AMERICA
(Jo-operative Workers of America Conduct Well-Equipped and Up
to-Date Grocery and Meat Market, Which Is a Credit to the
City and Merits Enthusiastic Support and Patronage.
IN accordance with our promise and
in keeping with our policy, we are
continuing the article of last week on
‘‘Constructive Enterprises." As was
told In our last week’s issue, the pur
pose of this publication Is to call the
attention of the people to the progress
made by us In the commercial world.
Our activities in business have been
increased innumerably in proportion
to our growth of population. There
has also been a broadening of our In
fluence by entrance into more regu
lated and beneficial lines.
We have spoken of the pathway
leading from the downtown district to
the precincts of the north, and along
the route in passing, we pointed out
the fast-growing, big, live business of
the Kaffir Chemical laboratories.
Turning from there along Cuming
street, we find the Cuming hotel, a
well-regulated hosterly, the Russell
brothers' enterprise, which means an
investment of several thousands of
dollars, and several more barber
shops and two tailor shops, under the
direction of members of our group.
Turning north at Twenty-fourth
street and along that well-traversed
commercial avenue, we find numerous
barber shops, pool halls, shoe shining
parlors, beauty parlors, hair dressers,
furniture stores, tailoring establish
ments, shoe repairing shops, physi
cians, dentists, druggists, cafes, res
taurants, grocers and butchers as far
north as Lake street. The most pro
gressive and distinctive of these is the
store conducted and operated by that
organization known as the Co-opera
tive Workers of America. Mr. G. D.
Gordon, president; Mr. Snowden, sec
I.eague, indicating his qualified ac
ceptance of the invitation.—New York
World, February 23.
HAITIAN MISSION ARKIVEN TO
PRESENT FACTS ON CRUELTY
Mill Demand Full Congressional In
restIgnt,ion Into Military Occupation
of Black Republic—Commission Has
Definite Requests to Lay Before the
American People.
(By the Associated Negro press)
NEW YORK CITY, March 3.—A
Haitian mission, consisting of Stenlo
Vincent, ex minister of the Interior of
Haiti, and Pauleus Sannon, ex-Haitian
minister to the United States, has ar
rived in New York for the purpose of
presenting the truth of the Haitian
situation to the American people and
asking for a congressional investiga
tion of the military occupation of the
S’egro republic.
Messrs. Vincent and Sannon issued
the following statement at the offices
nf the Natlonl Association for the Ad
vancement of Colored People:
“We are sent here by the Patriotic
Union, a national Haitian organiza
tion with branches in every town or
the Haitian republic, to acquaint the
American people with the truth about
conditions in Haiti, to make known
Haitian aspirations for independence,
and to enlist American co-operation In
realizing those aspirations.
“The Haitian people want:
"1. immediate suppression of mar
tial law and military courts.
“2. Immediate reorganization ot
Haitian armed forces, military and po
lice, and withdrawal in a short time or
the military occupation by the United
States.
“3. Abrogation of the 1915 treaty be
tween Haiti and the United States.
“4. Convicatlon of a constitutional
assembly In Haiti.
“The various courts of Inquiry and
investigation sent to Haiti having sup
pressed rather than revealed the truth
to the American people, the Haitian
mission is charged with demanding a
full and searching investigation by the
congress of tho United Stales."
DANGER SIGNAL
A blue pencil mark on your
paper means your subscription
is due and must be paid at once
or your paper will be stopped.
NEGRO STANDS HIGHEST
Doctor Green, expert mechano
theraupist of this city, on December
4, 1920, took a civil service examina
tion for clerk in the field service.
Among more than one hundred appli
cants, of which he was the only col
ored applicant, his rating is number
one on the eligible list. Doctor Green
came here two years ago from Missis
sippl.
retary, and Mr. J. H. Russell, general
manager, which is the handiwork of
this group of gentlemen who, along
with some twenty others, developed
this institution under the leadership
and direction of Attorney H. J. Pin
kett, assisted by Dr. J. R. Lemma.
It is well to pause here and point
out to every race man that they have
a duty to perform and the responsi
bility for the succese of an Institution
of this kind depends entirely upon
them. So it comes without question to
this point, that it is their duty to sup
port both financially and morally this
institution, regardless of what their
opposition may be to the individuals
who are attempting to promote it, for
it must be remembered that the insti
tution will stand as an affair for the
benefit of the future generations.
Other institution that have features
that are worth mentioning and pro
moted by members of our group are
those in the furniture business. We
failed to mention them along with the
others in the early part of our article,
but they were overlooked uninten
tionally. This is a new feature among
business men of our race, but points
fair to be one of the most successful
and remunerative. There are also In
numerable transfer wagons, automo
bile transfers and taxi lines that seem
to flourish because of liberal patron
age. Some of the best tonsorial par
lors in the city are located in this
thoroughfare, and prove more than
anything else the fact that we must
develop our thought, and put into ac
tion our much boasted and oft-spoken
expression of race pride and race
patronage.
MAN SHOT TO DEATH
Clarence M. Ross Killed by John Wil
liams of Grand Island, Who Finds
Wife at Ross’ Rooming House
Coroner’s Jury Exonerates Williams
I AST Saturday morning Clarence
J M. Ross, proprietor of a soft drink
parlor and rooming house at 1014
South Tenth street, w’as shot and in
stantly killed by John Williams of
Grand Island in Ross’ room upstairs
over the soft drink stand.
At thp inuuest which was held at
the undertaking rooms of Jones &
Reed Monday afternoon Williams was
exonerated and dismissed from cus
tody. The evidence brought out at the
inquest was to the effect that Wil
liams’ wife had left him and come to
Omaha. The man responsible for en
ticing her away, it was alleged, was
Otis Green. Learning that she was
stopping at the Ross rooming house,
Williams went there to induce her to
return home. She saw him coming
and ran into Ross’ lied room, where
he war ill, Dr. A. B. Madison being
present and prescribing for him, ex
claiming, “My God, here is George.”
At tLis .juncture Williams apneared
at the bedroom door where he stood
with his hands in his pockets. Ross
said: “Take your hands out of your
pockets; we don’t want any trouble
here.”
Williams replied, “They’re my own
pockets, and I’ll do what I please.”
Ross replied, “Yes, you wdl take
them out,” and whipping out a gun
from under Ins pillow’, pointed it at
Williams, who grabbed Ross’ arm, and
drawing his owm gun fired, killing
Ross.
It was upon this evidence that Wfl
liams was discharged.
Ross’ body was taken in charge by
Jones & Reed. The funeral will be
held Sunday afternoon.
- - . Z'ZZ
SLOGAN: “The Monitor In Every Home And I’ll Help Put It There”