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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 1922)
V •^--v The Monitor A NATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OP COLORED AMERICANS THE REV. JOHN ALBERT VS L.UAMS, Editor $2.00 a Year 5c a Copy OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1922 Whole Number 388 Yol. VIII—No. 24 EDITORIAL COMMENT ON DEFEAT OF DYER ANTI-LYNCHING BILL — — ■ — i OMAHAN’S FATHER LOSES PROPERTY IR DISASTROUS FIRE Large Section of Worth Carolina City Occupied by the Negro Residents Devastated by Fearlnl Flames. NDRDREDS MADE HOMELESD I hnxrfees. Schools, Business Flares, Mills and Factories Destroyed, Throwing Many Out of Employment H’reston News Service) Newbern, N. C., Dec. 14—Sweeping before it more than 300 rereldences and many factories and warehouses, stores, churches and other structures, the fire which last Friday destroyed more than a million dollars worth of property here was finally gotten under control late Saturday afternoon. Fire companies from nearby towns had to be called in to help subdue the devas tating flames. The area razed bv the fire stretched for half a mile from the western boun dary of the city to the Neuse river. The churches destroyed asd most of the homes were those of Negroes. The fire started at the Roper l.nmber Fompan.v asd the loss is variously es timated at $230,000. More than 300 Negroes were thrown out of employ ment at this plant alone. While the flames were raging at the lumber plant a disastrous fire started in the Negro residential district. Fire men being occupied at the lumber com pany sere unable to respond to the cmil immediately and it was not until a half houi after the alarm had been turned in that the first hose was stretched in the Negro section. Rv that time five houses had been completely destroyed, and the flames fanned by n high wind, had gained great headway and scores of other houses were in flames. Negro fam ilies were hastily removing whatever belongings thev rould from their homes, hut the onward sweep of the Names forced most of them to aban don their efforts to save any of their household goods. On account of the high wind sparks were carried several blocks and fires v . re breaking out in vnrious parts of the pity. Several persons were treat ed at various hospitals for minor In juries. It is said that the disaster origin ated in the home of W. D. Bryan, and started in his kitchen. Dynamite was used repeatedly in an effort to hold back the onward rush of the fire, but this proved to be of little worth. Church rooms, Y. M. C. A. and Y. I W. C. A., with scores of private homes were thrown open to the victims of the fire. In spite of this aid hundreds were forced to spend Friday night in the open, covering themselves with, mattresses and blankets or whatever they could. Mayor Clark lias requested the State High way Commissioner to give assis tance in sanctioning a road building project that would furnish work to the several hundred unemployed Negroes, fie said Governor Morris, Senator Simmons and others of influence would be asked to bring their influ ence to bear on the commission to grant this plea. The railroad com pany officials will be asked to start rebuilding immediately to aid the un fortunate victims of the fire. Most of the bu. ness establishments de stroyed employed Negroes mamry. Farter Taylor, chief of the Southern Division of the Red Cross, who is in charge of the relief work here, Issued a statement last Monday in which he said the situation is well in hand, and that every effort was being put forth and precaution taken to prevent any possible epidemics. Mr. Joseph Heady, eighty years of N,age, the father of Mrs. Herbert Wig ginB, wife of one of Omaha’s busy physicians, lost his home and the ac cumulation of a lifetime In this de structive fire. His beautiful home was one of the first to be burned to the ground. VIRGINIAN HEAD OF CO OP. SOUTHERN LEAGUE (Preston News Service) Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 15—Dr. J. P. McConnell of East Radford, Va., was elected head of the Southern Co-Oper ative league for educational and so cial work, formerly the Southern So ciological Congress. He succeeds Dr. P. P. Claxton, who with Bishop T. D. Bratton, C. H. Brough, former Arkan sas governor, was named as vice presidents. J. E. McCullough and George H. Umar, of Washington, D. C., were chosen secretary and treasur er, respectively. I I OHIO RACE RELATIONS COMMITTEE MEETS DEC. 17 (Preston News Service) Columbus, Ohio, Dec. 14—The Race Relations Committee of the Columbus Urban League will hold its first of a series of meetings at the Chamber ot Commerce on December 17th at 3 p. m. This meeting wa« postponed from Nov. 26th, because of the inability of out-of-town speakers to be present on that date. The speakers will be President W. O. Thompson of Ohio State University, Dr. Georrge K. Haynes, of the Federal Council of the Church of Christ In America; and Prof. Hubert A. Miller, instructor of Sociology at Oberlin Col lege. Rev. Irving Maurer of the First Congregational Church and Mayor , James A. Thomas of Columbus will also deliver addresses. WOODMEN FOSTER BUILDING AND LOAN ASSOCIATION Denver, Colo., Dec. 16—The supreme officers of the American Woodmen are endeavoring to encourage Negroes throughout the country to become home owners in larger numbers. In accordance with this plan they have devised means for encouraging and as s.sting Negroes In larger cities thru out the United Stales to establish ' Building and Loan Associations. The loan department maintains a trained corp of legal advisers whose services ate donated to any group anywhere in the country desiring to establish a building and loan association in ac ( ordance with their various state laws. L. H. Lightner, supreme clerrk, has just returned from an extended trip taking him to Memphis, Tenn., Louis ville, Ky., Indianapolis, Ind., Chicago and St. Iritis, where plans were set on foot for the establishment of Building und Loan Associations under the di rection and supervision of the Aineri- j can Woodmen loan department. SPECIAL KATES GRANTED TO ALPHA Pill ALPHA DELEGATES (Preston News Service) Washington, D. C., Dec. 13— The railroads of the country have again granted a reduced fare to the members of the Alpha Phi Alpha who are to attend the 15th annual convention In St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 27 to 31 Inclus ive. The rate reduction is based up on the certificate plan of one and one half fare for the trip and will apply | for members and dependent members of their families. It provides that tickets at tbe regular adult one-way fare be obtained for the going journey on any date from December 23rd to 29th inclusive. When ticket is pur ! chased request is made for a certificate which upon being validated at the meeting by Norman L. McGhee, na tional secretary of the fraternity, will be accepted with payment of one-half fate for the return ticket. From all indications the coming convention Is going to be the most (largely attended in the history of the fraternity. Last year 32 chapters (were represented, The fraternity I now has 44 chapters on its roll and ! 2,600 members. Many chapters have ! already signified intention of being represented. t The St. Louis convention has been ( denominated the "Pioneers” conveu ! lion and a special invitation has been sent to every charter member to be present. Nearly all have signified their intention to be present. New York City, Dec. 8.—The N. A. A. C. P. has received a check for $1,000 toward its anti-lynching fund from the, .Manurn Walker company. Before she died, the late Madam C. J. Walker pledged $6,000 to fight lynching. Nebraska All-High Selections of 300 Coaches and Grid Critics 1 P-GAtC'E'/a *r£iwtry*&£'*-* j?x<2*JAr~- J&4XZ,2?oAKtr£-- '£&£,£&jjzqy~ &cxx£j?~> x>&jrj}j?y~- jajS'js'j&Tr js'AS2Z£je£iN&~ Again through the appreciated cour tesy of the World-Herald we are able to present to our readers the above cut of the eleven high school athletes who have been chosen by 300 coaches and grid critics throughout the state for the first all-state highschool foot ball team. One hundred and seventy high schools competed for the foot ball title this fall. This means that nearly 4,000 athletic youth were on the gridiron. Of these there were more than. 300 possible eligihles for the coveted honor of a place on the mythical all-state team. To select eleven men from such a list was no easy task. The choice was left to 300 coaches and critics and their verdict IhaB been taken In the above choice. Here then is the list: Left end, McIn tyre, Lincoln; Left tackle, Goold, Ge neva; left guard, Hall, Omaha Central; Center, Miller, Columbus; Right guard, Doarn, Omaha Technical; Right tack le, Beery, Curtiss Aggies; Right end, Peaker, Kearney; Quarterback, Brown, Lincoln; Left half back, Galloway, Omaha Central; Right half back, Dai ley, Alliance; Fullback, Raster! ing. Kearney. This comment from the sporting editor of the World-Herald will be of especial Interest to many of our readers: “Galloway of Omaha Central and Dailey of Alliance are a pair of fleet halfbacks hard to beat. Galloway, the Omaha Central colored star, was an all-state tackle selection last year and has been playing & full back berth for the purple eleven thin season. Galloway’s speed would bet ter seem to fit him for a half back position. The Central star won the respect of opposing elevens in every game he played. He hits hard, trav els fast and plays clean. Thera wan scarcely an account of a purple vic tory in which Galloway did not cut a prominent figure. Sweeping runs of forty and fifty yards which start as a line buck mean nothing to the purple flash—he simply darts Chrougb the line and then watch him go.” Those who made this selection placed Lewis of Lincoln on the third team. REPUBLICANS IN SHAMELESS SURRENBER TO SOUTHERN SENTIMENT That Republican Senators Showed Themselves Weaklings, Opportunists and Designing Politicians and Generally Insincere and Half-Hearted in Support of the Dyer Anti Lynching Bill Is Virtually the Unanimous Opinion of the Race Press. EDITORIAL OPINION OF REPRESENTATIVE RACE JOURNALS OF COUNTRY Feeling that Monitor readers would be deeply interested in learning the general attitude of the race press on the defeat of the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill we have gathered here editorial utterances from several representative newspapers from widely separated sections of the country. The practical unanimity with which the press blames the republican party for its breach of faith and charges it with insincerity is unparalleled in the history of our group. It presents a phenomenon of more than passing moment. We submit without comment the following extracts: WILLINGLY ACQUIESED As was to have been expected and as predicted by this paper, the United .States senate has compromised with and doffed its legislative headgear to lynch-law, and, in deciding to shelve the Dyer anti-lynching bill, their act can be fittingly and appropriately styled “Lynching the anti-lynching bill.” To avoid a threatened democratic filibuster, the republican senators agreed to permit the Dyer anti-mob measure to go by the boards and thus the republican solons, instead of forc ing the issue and calling the bluff of the southern democrats, autocrats ami lynchocrats, played into their hands and meekly submitted and willingly acquised to a policy of abandoning the proposed bill. It is a lamentable fact that stands out as clearly as the nose on one’s face that this country is strong on politicians but rather short on states | men.—Houston (Tex.) Informer. — IT I)ID NOT PASS Bring on the “I told you so" crowd, | the Dyer bill did not pass the senate, j It is useless to hold any inquest over i such a corpse. Every one knows how the bill met its death. It may be I reported that the democrats filibus ! tcred the bill out of the senate cham ! her. Others may tell you that the j filibuster was so scientifically plan ned that the republicans admitted its effectiveness from the very begin ning. But whatever is said by the re porters, the wise ones, and others, the fact remains that the republican party has not kept faith. The Courier holds that the republican party should have passed the bill when it was pass ing other bills, at a time when repub lican power was enjoying undisputed control. But it was the scheme of the republicans to wait until the demo crats increased their strength and then let a filibuster take the senate by storm as a perfect alibi for the Negroes who are dumb enough to think democrats killed the bill. The Courier holds the republican party responsible for its own failure to keep its platform pre-election promises.— The Pittsburg (Pa.) Courier. The Tactics to iteteal the Anti Lynching Bill Indicate Its Ultimate Passage. Democrats in the United States senate filibustered and republicans acknowledged they could not bring the Dyer anti-lynching bill to a vote and so withdrew the measure so that other business of the nation could go on. Stated in other terms, the deteat of the Dyer bill is due to the fact that one party talked and talked, exhaust ing in argument against one measure the time which belonged to all legisla tion. To save what they could, repub licans acknowledged their inability to make headway against democrats and gave up trying to pass the bill. Other legislation will now be considered, and lynching will not be stopped by any act of congress in this terms. Whoever is in fault, however, the anti-lynching legislation fails of pass age, the result is the same—we must push on until human life in the Unit ed States is not subject to the whim of mobs. We have failed, but we know our strength. It has been only a few years since the first favorable decision of the United States supreme court. It is just a year since the house of representatives gave us a partial victory in the Dyer bill. All signs point to ultimate victory. We must push on and try again. The leal test of our worth as Amer ican citizens is our never-say-die spirit. Democracy is not a perfect system of social relations. It has to be guided, and corrected. We who see its shortcomings in our direction are best fitted to suggest the remedy and it is our bounden duty to do that. Whining gets us nowhere, and de serves only contempt. Our limited success in this first drive against lynching is a fine beginning and de serves a vigorous second effort.—The ! Kansas City (Mo.) Call. NO CHANCE TO PASS The Dyer bill is dead and will re main so just as long as the present cloiture (rule) of Uie'U. S. senate is retained, and the senate has worked under it from the very beginning. It is clear now that the bill never had a chance to pass.—Cleveland Gazette. WHO KILLED THE DYER BILL? The failure of the anti-lynching bill in the United States senate a few days ago can’t but make us seriously doubt the sincerity of those who have said they were friendly towards the bill. \Ve have no quarrel with the demo crats for the part they played in the defeat of the bill, especially those from the southern states, because it was to be expected that strong op position would naturally come from that section of the country. Our com plaint must be directed against the republicans. It was they who had made the promise. It was they who had the power to pass the bill with out the aid of the democrats; it was they in whom we trusted. The defeat of the anti-lynching bill looks very strongly like a ‘‘frame up”. It was either a frame up or down right cowardice on the part of the republicans. The plea that it was decided to abandon the measure be cause of filibuster on the part of the democrats, is all buncome. It’s mere ly an excuse (and a poor one) for failure to do one’s duty. When you stop to think about it, there was something strange about the proceedings which meant the death of the bill. In order to accom plish this “feat” it was necessary to reverse the majority rule and allow the minority the right-of-way. Or in other words, allow a hand full of democrats to bluff a cow pen full of the "good republicans”. After all, who can tell but that this is a bless ing in disguise. If it does no more more than setting the Negroes to thinking, who can tell what will hap pen when twelve millions people be gin to THINK. It is beyond our fond est imagination to ever predict what a people can do who think.—St. Louis Argus. SOLD AGAIN “The die is cast,” the Anti-Lynching Bill has been relegated to the charnel house of detunct and immature legist I latioh, there, mayhap, to remain until I the “Trump of Doom.” So be it. The : result is a rebuke to the righteous pro test against mob-rule, against organ ized murder, against progressive law lessness, against the development of hate and against the destruction of the boasted ideals of Christian civil ization. The direct, cause is well known, the contributory, easily sur-j mized. Both may be summed up in; what John Quincy Adams said in 1842,: "When the South cannot effect her j object by browbeating, she wheedles,” and at another time, ‘Insult, bullying and threat characterize the slave-hold-1 ers in Congress; talk, timidity and: submission, the representatives from| the free states.” But moral suasion: will yet prevail; and the oppressive1 conditions which constrained Paul to j1 exclaim "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Homan, and uncon-! denined?” must sooner or later give: way to an arousal of the popular j heart and conscience upon the broad question of the rights of man. Let us be patient; for we have learned that: denunciation and vituperation can take j us nowhere, worthwhile; but patient I persistence and intelligent and united i leadership may do wonders.—Wash ington (D. C.) Sentinel. THE SENATE FAILS The extra session of the United States senate, in so far as the Negro is concerned, was an unqualified fail ure. It failed to grant the $5,000,000 Liberian loan, to pass the Dyer anti lynching bill, or to confirm the ap pointment of Walter L. Cohen, as comptroller of customs at New Or leans. Of course, there were other bills that failed to pass and other ap pointees, who were not confirmed but none of these affected a whole na tion, as did the Liberian loan, or a whole race of 12,000,000 citizens, as did the failure of the Dyer bill; yet, there is room for hope and encourage ment. There has been more time devoted to, and more discussion of, the injus tices practised upon the colored citi zens of this country in this congress, anil under the present administration, than has happened in twenty-five years. The Dyer bill may come up again after March 4th. But even if it doesn’t, a great stride has been made towards its passage, when it, or some similiar bill, will be introduced in tbe near future. For this country must stop lynching and mob law by enforcing the constituted laws of the (Continued on Page Four) WHITE WOMAN ATTEMPTS TO CONCEAL THEFT BY BLAMING NEGRO t (Preston News 8ervice) Pittsburgh, Pa., Dec. 16—An at tempt to account for a shortage of $900 which had been left In her cus tody led Mrs. Minnie Mitchell (white) aged 36 years, to report details of a robbery in which she is said to have claimed her life was threatened by a "Big Burly Negro” who entered her home and robbed her. Faced with the possibility of arrest, Mrs. Mitchell is said to have finally broken down in her home before the severe questioning of city detectives and confessed that the robbery story was a fabrication of her own imagin ation and ficticious. Officials were led to make a thor ough investigation of her story when the details which she is said to have told the police and detectives were found to differ. In the confession she is alleged to have told the police com missioner’ that her husband and bro ther-in-law weekly gave her money to deposit in a bank. This, she said, she spent. When the police first went to her house she stuck to her robbery story until one of the officers told her that she was then under arrest. Then she begged them not to arrest her and then told them the truth about the matter. Commenting on the case the officers said they often find persons trying to cover up misdeeds of this kind by a I fake robbery story like this one. TEXAS MAN CONFESSES DERAILING FAST TRAIN (Preston News Service) v Mineola, Texas, Dec. 14—In a con fession before Prosecutor Harris and. witnesses John Johnson declared that he had tampered with a railroad swlLch with the hope of derailing a freight train due to pass about that ,time with the hope of obtaining some food stuffs from the freight cars he expected to wreck for his farnhy. But the expected freight was side tracked at the station below to allow the Sunshine Express to pass and it ran into the open switch resulting in one death and numerous minor injur ies to passengers aboard. This oc curred November 24th. QUOTA EXCEEDED- AN AFRICAN PRINCE IS HELD Boston, Dec. 8.—(Crusader Service.) —Because the African immigration quota for November had been exceed ed, Henry Kisingiri, age 15, was held by immigration authorities on his ar rival from Calcutta on the "City of Benares”. Kisingiri claims to be a prince, and says that he would be King of Uganda had not the British deposed his late father. He was on iiis way to Tuskegee institute. Immigration officials eaid he was held because he was without a legal guardian and also because the African quota of immigrants for the month had been exceeded. ONTARIO HIGH COURT PRAISES NEGRO PIONEERS Toronto, Can., Dec. 8—(Associated Negro Press.)—Justice Rideil of the High Court of Ontario in an recent address gave an interesting revie'w of Canadian history. In dwelling upon the many parts played therein by members of our group, the justice de clared that Canada could not forget how the colored pioheers hastened to her call during the anxious days of the Fenian Raid in 1866. The occasion was the second annual meeting of the Home Service Associa tion which is a charitable organiza AFRICAN PRINCE IS PAYING OMAHA A TEA-DAY VISIT Prince < hallooghlciileiise tin Royal Ilonse of Ethiopia m4 a Prelate of the Coptic Chnrch Here WELL INFORMER TRAVELER Claims to Be Son and Legal Hetr ef King Johannes, Famous In Abye slnnlan History—Will Deliver Several Lectures. Omaha has a distinguished visitor. He arrived from St. Paul, Minn., on Monday and is a guest at the Patton Hotel. He is a stocky, well built man, of good figure, and a pleasant in telligent face. His features are fine and regular and hls complexion black, that of "the burnished livery of the sun.” And what else would one ex pect if he were looking for an Ethiop ian prince. For this visitor lays claim to kingly descent Hls intimate know ledge of the history and resourrces of Abyssinia, of which Americans know so little, would seem to verify his claim, even were other credentials wanting. He bears the name of Prince W. S. J. ChaHoughlczilczlse. Can, you pro nounce it? It isn't as hard as it looks —after you learn how. It is pronounc ed kol-lol-o-zez, with the accent on the second syllable. His native land is Abyssinia. His city Adis Abeba. Get out your latest atlas and look up this interesting country. His father was KaBa, king of Tigre, who put down the revolution of Theodore in the late sixties and took the title of King Jo hannes II and reigned as King of Ethiopia until the year 1890, when he was succeeded by Menelik U Such was the information given The Mon itor by this interesting visitor, in a pleasant interview Wednesday after noon. This is the reason then that he calls himself prince of the royal house of Eetkiopia. But while proud of his princely title, it was easy to glean from the conversation that he has an other title of which he is equally proud and that is Bishop of the Reforrmed Coptic Church of East Africa, his dis trict being known as the thirty-sev enth ecclesiastial diocese. Prince Challoughlczilczise has spent several months in Canada and has vte ited the United States two or three times before this but this is his first visit to Nebraska where he expects to remain about ten days or two weeks delivering lectures. He speaks excel lent English with the broad English accent acquired by all students of Ox ford and Cambridge University, at the former of which he took his degrees, being a student at Merton and Oriole colleges. He is a pleasing conversa tionalist and a well informed traveler. As his face lights up in oonverrsa tion one would never suspect that the horn-rim glasses which he becomingly wears conceal sightless eyes, nor does his blindness rob him of his geniality and good nature. tion of our group, and a member of the Federated Charities of Canada. The meeting was held in the Gage institute and was largely attended. JAMAICA HONORS HER NEGRO DEAD Kingston, Jamaica, Dec. 8.—A cross commemorating Iamaica’s Negro dead in the world war was unveiled on Armistice day by the acting governor in the presence of a large assemblage of people, with military forces taking part in the ceremony.