The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928, March 30, 1923, Image 1
The Monitor • — A NATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS %!f THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor 12.00 a Year. ScaCopy OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 1923 Whole Number 403 VOL. VIII—No. 39 --_ ■ L—■ — -' — I’- - - -- Call Is Issued for United Action NEGRO AMERICANS TAKE STEPS FOR URITED MOVEMENT Mix Lead ng Civil Rights Bodies, Real izing Need of I'nitcd Front, Issue an I li tit lit ion to All Race Organizations. KEELY MILLER CO-OPERATES Bean Among Signers of tile Call and on Committee Charged With Work of Britigfng Race Together. New York, March 30.— (Crusader Service.)—In eompelte unanimity in the opinion, based upon actual experi ence in the field, that enmity toward Americans of African descent is on the increase rather than otherwise, the Conference of Civil Rights organ izations held in this city on March 23 and 24 has issued a call for an all-Race conference to be held some time before April 1, 11)24. A detailed call specifying time and place, agenda and representation will be issued later by the Committee of Arrangements which is for the pres ent composed of Dean Miller, Win. Monroe Trotter, James L. Neil, Jas. Weldon Johnson, Roebrt W. Ilagnall, [>r. Li. N. K. Campbell, Rev. J. Jer nigan, Richard B. Moore, Otto K. Hus iwoud, with I»r. Shaw and Mr. Briggs as ex-officio members in their capaci ty of president and secretary, respec tively, of the conference which, be fore its adjournment, voted to go into permanent being and elected another permanent officer, Mr. J;itti<« Weldon Johnson, ns treasurer. It Is proposed to have representa tion at the all-Race conference from the following phases of Negro life, and will be apportioned by the cotn mitee of arrangements on the basis of an ispial number of delegates from | each section: Religious organizations, j fraternal organizations, civil rights! organizations, social organizations, educational organizations, organized press, labor organizations, business organizations and professional organ izations. The task or working out an agwuua, basis of representation anti preparing a detailed call will naturally take some time, and before the Job is com pleted many expert* on the various subjects to be dealt with will have to be co-optated to the present com mittee on arrangements. In the meantime, however, the six bodies composing the conference and issu ing the call, express the hope that the Negro press will give this rail the widest circulation and that all Negro organizations and bodies will begin J at. onee to move In the direction of the all-Race conference. It is the hope of the conference that parlia mentary rules and the regular red tape will be susi>endod in this case and that immediate action will be taken on a question so vital and im poriant to the well-being of the Ne gro masses as the calling of this all Itace conference with the view of realizing a solid front against the ever Increasing onslaughts of the enemy. The call follows: The Call. “The world today has come to a critical period of its existence, our Race likewise has reached a crucial situation. The promises of ameliora tion and of full citizenship so easily made during the critical period of the flrrat World War have failed of ful fillment. In this time of readjust ment there Is growing a very menac ing spirit or animosity against the Race ami a determination to thrust the Negro down into the most servile and degrading status and to main tain him there forever. “Now while world readjustment Is in progress and when every other op pressed group is exerting itself to the utmost to gain its rights and liberties, the Negro Race must bestir itself, must concentrate Its best thought and energy to withstand the terrible on BlaughtsmadeagaliiHt it and scrcure Its due and rightful status: Kqual man hood rights and opportunities in ev ery department of life. The Race must he stimulated to utilize all avail able opportunities for constrcetive en deavor ami must be brought into har monious working relationships with the white race. “The need is urgent, nay. Impera tive, then, for the assembling of a national all-Race conference to con sider the present position of the Race, to ferret out and unmask the hostile forces arrayed against it, to formulate MERCHANTS’ DRUG STORE Harvey J. Wolf and H. K. Hult tnan have opened the Merchants Drug Store at the northeast corner of 24th arid Cuming. The gentlemen are ex perienced in the drug business and will make prescription work their specialty. See their ad in this issue and drop in and get acquainted. SHOW UNIQUE REEL Friedman Bros., 1510 No. 24th, are showing a twelve hundred foot reel at the Franklin theatre this week de picting the various stages in the man ufacture of Hhoes, showing each step from the time a “critter” is born to the turning out of the finest shoes. It is a dandy educational feature and will no doubt Ire witnessed by many of our readers. MEXICAN POLICE STOPPED WOULD-BE LYNCHERS Americans In Lower California Are Baffled In An Attempt To Play The Game of SavSge Torture PROTECT THEIR PRISONER Pacific News Bureau. Tia Juana, Lower California, Mex., March 30.—Chester Carlton, colored, confined in the local jail charged with murder, the outcome of a pistol duel a few weeks ago in which Carlton shot and fatally wounded a Mexican by the name of Gonzales, owes his life to the nerve of the local police commander. A few hours after the murder the police commander was waited upon gy a determined body of would-be lynch ers from the American side, demand ing that the Negro he turned over to them. "What do you wish with him?” de manded the Mexican authority. “Oh! we merely want to give a lit tle demonstration as to how we deal with his kind down South,” replied the mob leader. The Mexican commander, heavily armed, glanced around to see if his police were properly stationed, and then replied. “There he is, take him if you wish.” Gloating over tneir anucipuieu pleasure of mob torture, they made a rush for the Negro, hut were halted by a command of "Stop” from the Mexican commander. In a quiet voice he merely said, “Take him if you wish, hut before you get him you will have to get me j and every one of my heavily armed police. The Mexican government holds me and my men responsible for the safe keeping of all criminal* regard-j less of race or color, and we are re- j sponsible to the government with our j live if anything happens to this pris- i oner. Now take him if you wish.” The latest reports state that Carlton is still safe in the local jail, heavily guarded, waiting for a fair trial be fore the Mexican courts. a plan of defense and protection, to discover the forces, agencies ami or-; ganiBallons which may he utilised in that defense, to effect a united front of the Race, and to devise ways and means for full and complete eman cipation. "The attention of the conference must tie focussed upon the following: Race prejudice, legal discriminations, economic exploitation, racial self respect, religious awakcgiing, moral and social betterment, co-operation within the Race and between the races, political action, industrial bet terment, such evils as lyncihngx, Kn Kluxisrn, segregation, disfranchise ment, unequal enforcement of law, peonage. “A detailed call specifying time and place will be Issued later by the com mittee of arrangements. Every Ne gro organization should begin now to move in this direction, and the at tention and energy of the Race cen tred upon the successful conduct, of this conference to the end that our Race should at last achieve that im provement of its status for Which we all hole and strive." Signed by—Aifriean Blood Brother hood, Richard B. Moore, W. A. Dom ingo, Otto E. Huslwoud. Friends of Negro Freedom, George S. Schuyler. International Uplift Isutgue, D. N. E. Campbell. National Association fur the Advancement of Colored People, James Weldon Johnson, Robert W. Iiagnail, Rlchetta 0. Randolph. Na tional Equal Rights lauigue, James U Neill, Matthlew A. N. Shaw, Win. Monroe Trotter. National Rare Con gress, Kelly Miller. COLORED EMPLOYEE OF L. & N. RAILROAD GIVEN GOLD AND DIAMOND MEDAL Nashville, Tenn., March 30.—Lank Turner, an aged colored employee of the L. & N. Railroad, was given a gold and diamond medal recently for his fine record of fifty years of serv ice with the company. The action of the company follows in the line of an established custom that does not draw the “color line” in regard to the em ployees of the L. & N. WIDE AWAKE TWENTY-FOUR The Wide Awake Twenty-four met with Mrs. Grace Flannigan Friday af ternoon, March 16th. Memorial ser vices were held for our late president, Willa Mae Stewart and Julia Fletch er. Mrs. A. L. Hawkins, chairman of the program committee, had ar ranged a very appropriate program for the occasion. The next place of meeting will be with Mrs. Lenora; Gray, 1211 Missouri Ave., Friday af ternoon, April 6th. WOMAN LEAVES $1,000,000 FOR AN OLD FOLKS HOME WITH NO RACE OR CREEO BA l(RED Chicago, March 30—Associated Ne gro Press.—Miss Emilie Jane Smith, 84, daughter of a former rich mer chant of Chicago, died Heaving an estate of $1,000,000 to provide an other home for the aged both men and women, in Chicago. One of the distinct provisions of the will is that there shall be no distinction on ac count of race, color or creed. From Nebraska to Arkansas and Back Experiences and Observations of the Editor on Trip to Southland Where He Saw Many Things of Interest (Continued from last week.) The speaker who accosted me said: “My name is Stewart. I am sorry I am late. I promised Bishop Demby last night that I’d be sure to meet you and take you to his house.” “Well, you’ve met me all right, haven’t you? I wasn’t worried. I knew that the Bishop was either out of town, or perhaps detained by a service, this being the Feast of the Purification, and that either he or some one else would show up soon, and if they didn’t I’d call a taxi or inquire about a street car and find my way there. We westerners, you know, are not very easily lost.” He took my bags, and soon I was in his car speeding rapidly towards the home of my host. Mr. Stewart is an enterprising man who operates a line of taxis. He bears the reputation of being reliable and dependable and so is always kept busy. In the course of our pleasant con versation as we rode on he said, "I call myself ‘Bishop Demby’s chauf feur’ because whenever he needs a car he calls me, and that is quite frequently.” Speaking of Stewart reminds me that I noticed quite a number of col ored men operating taxis. I asked him. “Do the taxi lines operated here by the white people accommodate our people ?” “Not much,” he replied, “Some of them will, but not as a rule. They’ll l.aul your baggage, but not you.” “That’s mighty consistent,” I laugh ed. “And are our people chumps enough to pay them for hauling their baggage and not them?” I asked. “A few of them are, hut not many. And they soon learn. And besides, since we have our own taxi lines, which can give good service, they do not have to put up with it. Some of our cars may not be as fancy or as stylish as the other fellow’s but they will get you where you want to go.” I learned much more of interest from my conversation with “Bishop Demby’s chauffeur. And speaking of chauffeurs and cars, I would like to make a sugges tion to the good people of Little Rock and other points in Arkansas, to see to it that Bishop Demby has a car of his own. I am very sure that he could learn to be his own chauffeur. Stew art would lose his job under these circumstances, but I am sure he would not mind this a bit. A car would be of real sendee to the Bish op Suffragan of Arkansas, not for "joy riding,” he’s too busy for that, hut in making visitations from place to place throughout the jurisdiction, i am quite interested to learn if any Arkansite, Texan or Oklahoman, for all of these states are included in his jurisdiction, wall take the hint. We rode through attractive and W'ell paved streets past the Capitol, for as you know, Little Rock is the capital of Arkansas,—and well kept residence districts on our way to “Bishopstead,” or “Bishoptowe,” or "Bishopthorpe,” or “Bishopcroft,” or merely the Bishops House. Most bishops call their houses (not) after their own names, but by some such name as I have here quoted. I am not sure, but I think Bishop Demby simply calls his the “Bishop’s House,” but any of these other names would be highly appropriate. No name, however high sounding it might be, could by so much as one jot or tittle adil to the genuine hospitality and gracious welcome which awaits one fortunate enough to be a guest in this cultured Christian home. But I anticipate. The driver turned off a paved street into an unpaved street. Know ing the “ancient custom” to neglect paving and lighting facilities in dis tricts inhabited by colored folk, even though they pay their portion of the taxes, I judged that we were now in a “Negro Colony” or district. My conjecture was right. A ride of a couple of blocks brought us to a large and attractive frame dwelling, on the corner of Cross and Nineteenth street. The grounds indicated care. The res- | idence showed that its occupants or owners believed in the decorative and preservative value of paint and in keeping the property in good repair. This was the home of my friend of j many years’ standing. Bishop and i Mrs. Demby were standing on the ver andah or porch, we call them up here, but “gallery” they call them “down; yander,”—smiling a gracious welcome, I as preceding the “chauffeur” I as cended the steps. (Continued next week.) KAKE CHARGES ALLEGED USED TO HOLD MEN Klbertnn, Ga., March 30.—Informa tion to tho effect that colored men in northern cities were receiving letters telling them that they were wanted in southern cities, is being invosttigat ed by Sheriff Jack Heley, who says that the men, lured away, were vic tims of a “blackmailing system”, I \ DI STRI \l, SCHOOL DESTROYED BY BLAZE Montgomery, Ala., March 30—Fire in the populous colored district Wed nesday night destroyed the Mont gomery Industrial School, causing a loss of more than $300,000. More than 300 students were in the school at the time, but all escaped unhurt. SACRED DRAMA AT ST. JOHN’S A. M. E. CHURCH A sacred drama, “The First Easter” will be given at St. John’s A. M. E. Church, Easter Sunday, at 7:30 p. m. The following persons comprise the cast of characters: Messrs. Jno. Wood, Ira Wood, H. L. Preston, Mrs. I. L. McPherson and Misses Mollie Moore, Bobbie Turner and Mildred Turner. The drama will be heightened in its various phases by appropriate music from the sacred oratorios rendered by St. John’s choir largely augmented by additional voices. Everybody is cor dially invited to attend. WOMAN HELD FOR FORGING VETERAN’S GOVERNMENT CHECKS Washington, D. f'., March 30—Pres ton News Service.—Mrs. Margaret It. Buchanan, former private secretary to Representative Kendall of Penn sylvania, was held for grand Jury on charges of having forged endorse ments on three veterans bureau checks payable to Mrs. Martha War fie.ld, whose son died oversea* dur ing tho World War. These checks aggregated $1,000, and wore drawn to the order of Mrs. Warfield who was a servant in Mrs. Buchanan’s home. Ulysses Jackson, of Boston, Mass., has arrived in the city to visit his sis ter, Mrs. C. C. Trent. His stay is in definite. REDDING WINS ORATOR S PRIZE AT BROWNS UNIVERSITY Young Colored Lad From Wilmington Defeats Several Worthy Op|M»n ents Before Huge Crowd Of Auditors PRIZE OF $100 AND MEDAL Winner Will Also he Commencement Day Orator in June, Which is A Highly Coveted Honor Providence, R. L, Mar. 30.—I>ouis Lorenzo Redding, a senior at Brown university, won th>- Gaston prize med al contest in oratory in Manning Hall recently before tin- largest crowd that has ever gathered to listen to the an nual event. Mr. Redding’s ibject was “Booker T. Washington” and the judges, Pro fessors Benjamin C. Clough and Rob ert McB. Mitchell ml Boland M.(looti n'ch were unanimous. The other con testants were John Andrew Wilson, who spoke on “Theodore Roosevelt,” and David Alan Midgley, who gave his views on the Kansas Court of In dustrial Relations.” The Gaston me lal and a purse of $100 went to Mr. Redding, but there is still a greater honor that goes to the winner. On Wednesday, June 20, Redding will be one of the speakers at the 155th annual commencement in the First Baptist Meeting House. Speaking with a mellowness of tone and enunciating perfectly, Redding told of conditions pertaining to the Negro with the final abolition o1 American slavery in 1865, and of the splendid and beneficial work thal Booker Washington attempted. "It Is a remarkable demonstratior of persona.) greamees that the man born without patrimony or name should leave a vast heritage, the con tents of which is not diminished, bul magnified by being shared amonf thousands." Young Redding was personally con gratulated by President W. H. Fauna and invited to meet in a conferenci with him in the near future. Last year Brown university got sonn unpleasant publicity when it barm i the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity from ! setting up a chapter there. The chap ter was set up, however, in the city ■ of Providence and young Redding if I one of the members. SOCIALIST TO CAMPAIGN AMONG NEGRO YOUTH New York City, March 30.—The convention of the Young People’s So cialist League at their closing session at 227 East 84th Street, voted to be gin a Socialist campaign among Ne gro boys and girls in the schools and factories of New York. They intend to include them either in circles of white members on a basis of strict equality, or to allow them to form sep arate groups, if it is thought advis able. A Harlem circle is expected to be formed within the next two weeks. Instructions have been given to pro ceed at once with the organization in all the public high schools and to distribute literature explaining the principles and purposes of Socialism. Efforts are to be made first in the schools which have a large number of children of the working classes, such as the DeWitt Clinton and Stuyvesant high schools. A fight was anticipated as a result of this move, for there were present as visitors in some of the later ses sions of the cinventiin, the president and executive secretary if the Nation al Security League. They told re porters that they had come to see how the organization was run and to get information to combat the member ship drive in the schools. , RACE PREJUDICE IS SCORED IIY BISHOP Columbus, O., March 30.—Race prej udice and race hatred were scored by Bishop William P. Anderson, Cin cinnati, in the opening address of the annual meeting of the Methodist Epis copal church. “No Christian can nurture the sin of race prejudice and race hatred,” said the bishop. The Rev. D. M. McQueen, State Grandmaster of the Mosaic Templars of America, returned Sunday morning from Little Rock, Ark., where he had been on business for the order. He ' reports a pleasant trip and is enthu siastic over the work and prospects of this great fraternal organization. N. A. A. C. P. NOTES A large audience greeted Cong. Willis G. Sears last Sunday at Grove M. E. church, where he spoke on the subject, “Citizens’ Duty.” The address was timely and full of good whole some advice. All who were fortunate in hearing the Congressman declared it a rare intellectual treat. Mr. Walter F. White, our assistant Field Secretary, will be here on the 15th of April. Later we are expect ing a visit from Congressman Dyer, father of the Dyer Anti Lynch bill. Omaha is expected to give our branch a membership of at least 1,000 before June 1st. Are you one of the sup porters or slackers? $1.00 a year membership, and large returns guar anteed. URBAN LEAGUE OFFICERS TOURING THE NORTH President W'ood and Secretary Jones Visiting Several Industrial Cen ters on Good Will Trip INVESIGATE CONDITIONS New York, March 30.—L. Hollings worth Wood, president of the Nation al Urban League, and Eugene Kinckle Jones, its executive secretary, are vis iting cities of the north and west in the interest of better relations be tween the races and larger industrial opportunities for Negro working men. They left New York City on March 15 and made their first stop in Pitts burgh where they visited industrial plants and held conferences with lead ing white and colored citizens in the interest of the social welfare of Ne groes along the lines of the League’s improvement program. From Pitts burgh their itinerary comprirsed Col umbus, O.; Louisville, St. Louis, Kan sas City, Missouri; and Kansas City, Kansas; Chicago, Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland, and Buffalo. The increasing migration to the North of Negroes from the South and the attendant problem of health, hous ing, recreation and industry which the new adjustment needs entail render this a most opportune time for such a trip. It is generally conceded that Mr. Wood, though a white man, is most sympathetic with the Negro’s claim for equal opportunity and has an unusual understanding of the Ne gro’s point of view in his efforts to attain the higher things of life. Mr. Wood is of Quaker parentage, a lawyer by profession, and is serving on the Board of Directors of many educational institutions and liberal movements. Mr. Jones has been executive secre tary of the Urban League for twelve years. The League is now located in forty cities and spent $250,000 last year in promoting its activities. DUNBAR SOCIETY WINS AT HAMPTON Administration Ship Subsidy Bill Wins One Victory in School If Not in Senate AWARDS FOR PRIZE ESSAYS Hampton, Va., Mar. 30.—The an nual Adams Prize Debate on “Re solved: That the Administration Ship Subsidy Bill Should be Passed by the Congress, recently held in Ogden Hall, Hampton Institute, was won by the affirmative team of the Dunbar Lit erary Society, consisting of Thomas W. Young, Norfolk, Va., Thomas H. Shields, Jr., Charles City, Va., and Edwin S. Tate, Charlotte, N. C. These men received gold medals at the hands of the presiding officer, Elbridge L Adams of New York, a well-known lawyer, who for thirteen years has given medals to the Hamp ton winners in the annual debate and in the annual essay contest. The negative side of the debate was nah, Ga., Clarence H. Richmond, Sa presented by D. Coaken Jones, Savan lem, Va., and Paul W. O. Cardoso, Lagos, Nigeria, West Africa. The judges were John Weymouth, Hampton, Va., W. R. Walker, New port News, Va., and Rev. Dr. R. H. Bowling, Norfolk. Mr. Adams announced the following winners in the essay contest: Gold, John T. Jones, Montgomery, Ala. “Military Training in Secondary Schools;” silver, Wesley D. Elam, Wa verly, Va., “Needs of My Communi ty;” bronze, Charles L. Cooper, Har risburg, Pa., “Electricity Our Great Servant.” BISHOP SHAYLER CONFIRMS LARGE CLASSOF ADULTS Palm Sunday Observed With Impres sive Services And Large Congre gations at the Church of St. Philip the Deacon DAILY PROGRESS IS URGED Christian Life is One of Daily Growth Not Spontaneous Righteousness Bishop Tells Members of Class Palm Sunday, which ushers in Holy Week, was observed with impressive services and large congregations at the Episcopal Church of St. Philip the Deacon. The chancel was simply, but artistically decorated with palms. The Altar vases contained tulips and rosea provided by the altar guild and by Mrs. M. L. Wilson. The choir, ac cording to custom, carried palm branches in procession. The first service of the day was the usual Mass or celebration of the Holy Eucharist with the blessing of the palms at half past seven o’clock. This was followed at ten o’clock by the regular session of the Church school, which was largely attended. The chil dren were catechised on the meaning of the day and palm crosses were dis tributed. At ] 1 o’loek the church was com fortably filled by the congregation. The pastor preached from the Epistle for the day upon "Christ-mindedness”, stressing as its essential factors, hu mility, unselfishness and self-sacri fice. For the offertory the choir and congregation joined in singing most heartily the beautiful Story of the CroBs, the solo, "The Appeal Prom the Cross,” being sung most effect ively and touchingly by Mr. Bimey B. Cowin. Palms were also distributed at the close of this service. At two o clock in the afternoon the Sacrament of Holy Baptism was ad ministered to Josiah Brown, one of the candidates for confirmation. At five o’clock the church was filled to overflowing, many persons being compelled to stand when Bish op Shayler made his annual visitation for Confirmation. The long proces sion consisting of the vested choir, and the members of the confirmation class, the women in white and wear ing long white veils and all carrying palm branches, made a beautiful and impressive sight as they marched up the aisle singing the ancient hymn of St. Theodulph, written in the year 800, “All Glory, Laud and Honor to Thee, Redeemer, King.” During the singing of the hymn, “Thine, Forever, God of Love,” the class came to the chancel rail where they were present ed to Bishop Shayler by the Rev. John Albert Williams, priest of the parish. The “Veni Creator, Spiritus” was sung, followed by the solemn act of The Laying of Hands with the ru brical words, prayer and benediction. Bishop Shayler’s personal charge to the candidates made a deep impres sion not only upon the members of the class, but upon the whole congre gation, as did also his eloquent and instructive sermon on The Message of Palm Sunday. He based his charge to the confirmees upon two words taken from the prayer said as the Bishop lays his hands upon the head of each kneeling candidate: “Defend, O Lord, this Thy child with Thy Heavenly grace that he may continue Thine forever and daily increase in Thy Holy Spirit more and more until he come unto Thine everlasting King dom.” The words were “Daily In crease.” He stressed the fact that the Christian life must be one of daily growth, not one of magical or spon taneous righteousness. This growth comes by diligent and faithful use of the means of grace. “Strive to grow daily in righteousness," the Bishop urged the newly confirmed. Those confirmed were: Augustus (Bendy) Bacom, Hula Amelia (Gay) Broomfield, Josiah Brown, Nathalie May Brown, Bimey B. Cowin, Vera (Kimberly) Cowin, John Crawford, Mary (Penn) Jackson, Ray Lee (Mid dleton) Jones, Alfretta E. Merriwea ther, William Henry Newsome, Hen ry K. Perry, Severn T. Philips, Thom as Scott Phillips, Mollie (Still) Ship man, Ada Christine (Hill) Smith, Charles Turner Smith, John Albert Smith, Loretta Elaine Smith. Two or three other members of the class who were unable to be present will be confirmed later. The class will make its first communion Easter morning at six-thirty.