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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (June 8, 1923)
' . * * . i < I*. • -»• , , l „ , rn l mmmm • •«** * * The Monitor A NATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor $2.00 a Year. 5c a Copy OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 192.3 Whole Number 413 * VOL. VIII—No. 48 1 White Staff of Doctors and Colored Nurses Open Hospital for Negro Veterans: UNITES STATES HOSPITAL OPENS WITH WHITE STAFF Colonel R. H. Stanley, Army Physi cian of Alabama, Placed in Hiurge With White Doctors and Colored Nursqs SOUTH IU STILL II SMILE President Harding Puhlicly Stated That Entire Personnel of The Hospital Would Be Colored Tuskegee, Ala., June 8.—Despite the widely published statement alleg ed1 to have been authorized by Pres ident Harding that the United States hospital erected here for the exclus ive treatment of Negro world war veterans would be officered through out with a colored personnel, the hospital opened May 20th, with Col. . R. M. Stanley, a white army physi cian of Greenville, Alabama, in charge. He has a staff of white phy sicians and forty colored nurses have been certified, but no colored phy sicians. It is reported that later some colored physicians will he given minor places. Dr. Stanley’s position pays $10,000 a ear, and he will supervise the ex pendlture of $!which it is estimated will be the amount of the annual budget. Strong opposition to placing col ored men in charge of the hospital has come from the South which in this case as in so many other mat ters affect\n g » government i affarrB, corns generully to have its own way. Information generully circulated is to the effect that the influence in the Veterans’ Bureau who have staged the entire official opposition, and who had control before the present director, General Hines, assumed charge, have set forth the claim that the position open in the Tuskegee Hospital, said to be the finest the government has yet built, called for doctors especially qualified in certain technical practice which few colored physicians have ha 1 any reason to qualify themselves for. Medical men of nationul reputation have been con ervative in discussing the situation. One of the best known physicians in the country who practices in Chicago said here recently: “I have not heard of l)r. George E. Cannon or Dr. J. E. Perry of the National Negro Medical Association being asked to confer on this matter. They would know bet tor how to put their hands on the right men than anyone else in Amer ica.” Dr. ePrry> of Knsas City, Mo., is president, and Dr. Cannon of Jer sey City, is chairman of the execu • tive association. In the meantime Dr. Moton, who ex tended the government the invitation to come to Tuskegee, and whose friends assert he was genuinely in terested in having the hospital manned by Negroes, has l>een subject ed to attack because the white people of Alabama demanded the plum, and it is claimed compromised him into seeing their view. Dr. Moton’s friends deny these charges as absurd and say that he practically broke with the white people of the town and Mont gomery on the subject. WOl'LD NOT BE SEGREGATED St. I^ouis, Mo., June 8.—The pat riotic spirit of the colored boys of the local American legion was somewhat marred Decoration Day by an at tempt to segregate them on the boat which was to carry all ex-service men to Jefferson Barracks. According to a statement from Mc Rae Joneh, Adjutant, Calvin Hyde Post American legion, the men of his Post bought tickets and had em barked ready for sailing when mem * bers of the boat crew attempted to stretch ropes segregating the colored soldiers from the whites. Seeing this spirit the colored boys withdrew from the boat and demanded their money back. They returned to town some what disappointed but singing "Before I’ll be a Slave, 111 be Buried in My Grave.” It is understood that the segregar tion plan was done with the know ledge and consent of white legion naires who, it is said, are quite hostile toward the black soldiers who went over seas—and for what? RECEPTION FOR ACTING PASTOR — The members and friends of the Grove M. E. church gave a reception i in honor of Rev. C. Simms and his1 good wife who has so eraestly and prayerfully taken care of their church till the Rev. E. C. W. Cox, their pas tor, arrived from Manhattan, Kansas. Mrs. It. M. Hardidon who has just re turned from Clark university where she attended school last term was also a guest. Mr. Y. W. Logan was master of ceremonieB. Mrs. Bostic led on the program by singing “A Perfect Day”. Beatrice and Catherine Brown played a duet on violin and piano. Mrs. Iola Allen gave a reading from Dunbar, Mrs. Mayo sang a solo, and Mrs. Wilks and Allen a duet. Each member on the program re flected credit on herself and sang to the delight of the hearers. Rev. and Mrs. Simms made many friends while here and will be missed for the good they did while here. K. K. K. PARADE BARRED Macon, Georgia, June 8.—(Preston News Service)—The city council tab led a petition from the Ku Klux Klan for permission to parade in full re galia, June J.9th. i -- STEADY STREAM OF BLACK LABORERS M0VIN6 NORTH National Industrial Conference Bu reau Issues Suggestive State ment Relating to Exodus PITTSBURG WANTS WORKMEN Large Northern Kirin Praises The Dependability and Skill of Colored Labor in its Employ | New York City, June 8.—Prom all sections of the South a steady stream 1 of black men is moving northward. This is the statement issued by the Nat.onal Industrial Conference Board, i 10 E. 89th Street, which estimates i that Negroes are leaving the South at I the rate of 17,000 per month. “Negroes from Georgia and the i Carolinas are coming to the Atlantic i Seaboard states and New England. Negroes of Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee to the middle western states, and Negroes from Arkansas and Louisiana are moving into the states further west.” Whites Praise Negro I-ahor One large Northern firm says of its colored labor: “We have employed Negroes in our shops for a great many years. In looking back over their service record we find contin uous service records of five years, ten years, fifteen years, twenty years and even twenty-five and thirty years. These Negroes have faithful ly, loyally and honestly performed the service that was required of them. I have found that with proper super vision the colored man could not only do skilled work, hut would also main tain a standard of quality and pro duction as established in the shop.” Pittsburg Needs 8,000 The labor shortage in Pittsburg is reported as so acute that it is esti mated that 8,000 laborers and several hundred semi-skilled workers are needed at once. In New Jersrey one construction company, unable to get colored work ers, is hiring fifty-five Chinese. Colored ministers in Missisippi, in a lengthy statement declared that Negroes are leaving the State because for every dollar spent on Negro chil dren for education, twenty dollars is spent on the white child. High schools, reformatories, hospitals, col leges, blind asylums and smooth streets are built out of state funds, ministers say, for whites only altho Negroes are also taxed. Inability to vote and injustice in the courts were also cited. INDEPENDENT VOTERS’ LEAGUE A meeting of the Colored Municipal Independent Voters’ League will be held at 2418 North Twenty-fourth street Thursday evening, June 14th, 8:45 p. m. Wages and local conditions in general will be discussed. This is a nonpartisan organization and in vites members from every society and organization to join us in trying to make Omaha a bigger and better city In which to live. H. LELAND, Pres. OKA 1)1'ATE FROM WESTERN UNI.] Philip and Roscoe, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Howard of Twenty-sev enth and Corby streets, have Just been graduated front Western Uni versity, Kansas City, Kansas, which r--—:— ---:—l I_ ■ Roscoe C. Howard Philip Howard they have attended for the past four years. Kosooe has specialized hi ag riculture in which he is deeply inter ested. He expects to teach. Phil ip’s plans for the future have not been definitely settled. NOTED SURGEONS OF PHILADELPHIA HERE NEW HISTORY e». 31F- ' First of Their Race to Conduct Clinic In Great Medical Hospital at The Pennsylvania Capitol ATTEBB STATE CONVENTION Newspapers Speak in Laudatory Terms of “The Amazing Skill of Colored Physicians And Specialists" Harrisburg, June 8.—The proceed ings of the State Convention of Col ored Physicians, which closed its final session here last Saturday, will be come a part of the extraordinary his tory of the colored people of the state as well as becoming an inter esting page in the general medical history of Pennsylvania. While the proceedings of the con vention were of great concern to the medical world because of the techni cal matters discussed, and the plans adopted for the advancement of medi cal science, the most important of all things accomplished, however, by Ahe colored physicians during their stay here were the operations performed at a clinic held by eminent colored physicians at the Harrisburg hospit al. The clinic, which was held Fri day morning from 8:I!0 to 12:00 noon, marks an epoch in the medical circles of Harrisburg. The entire surgical staff (all white) of the Harrisburg hospital and many other distinguished white physicians were present. The white nurses were particularly courteous in rendering service. * The local newspapers gave much space to what they chose to term “the amazing skill of colored physi cians.” The Harrisburg Telegraph said: “Seven noted colored specialists from Philadelphia, who are attending the convention of Negro physicians in this city, conducted a clinic today at the Harrisburg hospital. “The most interesting of the oper ations performed this morning was the introduction of the new LaForce method of removing tonsils. Dr. J. F. T. Oxley, noted colored physician of Harrisburg, supervisor of the clinic, stated that this new method is a marvelous step forward in medical science. The operation is made ex tremely simple. Little or no pain is experienced by the patient and dan gerous after effects are practically eliminated. The operation can also be made in much shorter time. “The Philadelphia physicians who operated this morning are: Dr. W H. Barnes and Dr. O. G. Strickland, who performed four nose and throat operations together; Dr. G. E. Robin son and Dr. J. P. Turner, who made two successful general surgical op erations, and Dr. C. F. Anderson, as sisted by Dr. M. N. Panned and Dr. DeHaven Hinkson, who performed a major abdominal operation.” From Nebraska to Arkansas and Back Experiences and Observations of the Editor on Trip to Southland Where He Saw Many Things of Interest SOME THINGS I LEARNED FROM MY FELLOW PASSENGERS “You haven’t finished telling us about your tript to Arkansas, have you ? I hope not, because I enjoy it so much,” said an interested reader. “No,” I replied, “I haven’t even got to Hot Springs, yet, of which there is much to tell, and then there is Pine Bluff,'where I spent a busy but happy week, met many delightful people and learned much of interest. So you see I have a great deal yet to tell. I may, however, now and then skip a week or two, but 1 shall continue the series until it is completed. In my last jirticle which was cap tioned, "Off for Hot Springs”, I told you of the to me somewhat puzzling way of trying to board “the special coach” reserved for “The Children of the Sun”, as George Wells Parker has most happily named our people, be cause of the varying custom of some time entering at one end of the coach and at another time another end and sometimes at either end. I can see how very easy it would be for trouble to arise over misunder standing, on the part of even an intel ligent member of our race and an in solent and bulldozing railroad em ployee, feeling his “superiority”, be cause of his whiter cuticle, over this dual system on the part of a stranger from the North. For example, sup pose while I was standing there await ing my turn to board the train, think ing, as 1 did, that entrance was made by the same door as is the custom on the street cars, the brakeman who was “loading the passengers”, noticing me, had said roughly or gruffly, “Here, ‘nigger’, you go to the other end," I admit, that priest us I am and having schooled myself to control my temper —and I have plenty of it—I MIGHT NOT have done so. It is highly prob able that I would have resented it and that would have meant trouble for it is an unpardonable sin for a colored man to “talk back" to a white man in the South. I can see how easy it is for a stranger to get into trouble in the South. Fortunately, nothing of this kind happened in my case. I was spared embarrassment by the cheery call of one of my fellow travelers, “Come this way, reverend.” I followed him and entered our pri vate car. This private car “For Col ored” consisted of one-half of a reg ular coach. I think it was the “smok er”. This forward half was subdivided into two sections, one section being used as a smoker for the colored pas sengers and the other section for wom en and men who did not care to ride in the smoking compartment. There was a toilet for men in the smoking compartment and one for women in the other section. This is the rule on the main lines of these roads, but on the branch lines, there is violation of this rule for modesty and decency by having a common toilet for both sexes. I noticed this on two branch lines from Hot Springs to Benton and from Benton to Pine Bluff. There were ten of us passengers, all told, on “our private car”, two women and eight men. The colored brakeman —not PORTER—but brakeman, the Rock Island has several colored brake men on passenger trains on this line— rode in this car, and I found him an intelligent and well-informed man and also a manly fellow. He gave me a good deal of valuable information. This man’s name is Henry Hite. His standing in seniority was number 29 on the Old Arkansas Division of the Rock Island. I learned from him that the rule of seniority obtains on this road and that on the Arkansas-Louisi ana Division among The large number of brakemen employed, several of them—I have forgotten the number— are colored men, two of whom rank first and second in seniority and two others are well up on the list. The men standing first and second are A. O. Alexander who entered the serv ice in 1900; and Richard Williams, 1909. The other two are Herman Cato, 1911, and Henry Hite, 1912. The wages and hours of black and white are equal. All are standardized. One of my fellow passengers, whose name I recall, was Lemuel Simpson. He is a mechanic and was returning to spend the week end with his fam ily. He was engaged on a building contract in some town north of Little Rock, I have forgotten the name. I found him a fine upstanding man of about thirty-five years of age, a mem ber of a labor union. He told me that unionism in the South had learned the necessity and wisdom of recognizing the brother in black. His own ex perience was that the labor unions were disposed to be fair and he be lieved that it was to the advantage of the colored American to belong. The principles are right even though their application may not always be wise. Two or three of the men were go ing to Hot Springs for the baths; an other for a brief visit. They were all intelligent and well-behaved men. The two rough-looking fellows who put me on the right track seemed to be the least intelligent of the number; but they w'ere not fools, by any manner ot means, although their language was ungrammatical and their manners somewhat uncouth. One of them seemed to be consider ably concerned about the Kluxies. Some remark of mine elicited from him the troubled statement: “Look out, reverend, what you says ’bout the Klu-Klux. They’s a heap of ’em ’round these parts and they is mighty mean. You nevah knows when they’s ’roun' and who they is, an’ the's alway tryin’ to git somethin’ on our folks. Be care ful. what you says and where you says it. You ain’t up in Nebraska.” “We have them up there, too, my friend, but nobody’s afraid of them,’’i 1 replied. “Well, they’s mighty mean downi here, an’ I wants to give ’em plenty room so they won’t tech me, I’m tell in’ it.” This was said by an unlettered man, representing a type of our people of which type there is a large number. I wondered how general was the con cern about the Kluxies expressed by this man. I learned subsequently that among the intelligent class of our peo ple they have as little fear of the Kluxies and as much contempt for their cowardly principles as our peo ple have up here. The train was bearing us through a beautiful country becoming more heavily wooded with graceful pines ermine-robed as we ascended towards Hot Springs. I had learned much of interest from my fellow-passengers representing different types ot our people both by conversation and ob servation. The total sum gives a good balance on the credit side. This is clear from some things I learned from my fellow-passengers on my way from Little Rock to Hot Springs. (Next article: Hot Springs.) STATE LOSES MILLIONS Athens, Georgia (Associated Negro Press) June 8.—An estimated total of 100,000 persons have left this state since January 1st deserting over 11, 000 farms and costing the state in loss of farm productions, $0,000,000. SAVE BOYS’ LIVES Minton, N. C., June 8.—Stripped to their waists and with a rope around their bodies, two white men waded out into the Dan River to save two colored boys who were trying to cross the river when the flood swept their mule and buggy away. TUSKEGEE GRADUATES 218 Tuskegee, Ala., June 8.—Dr. R. H. Moton awarded diplomas to 218 grad uates at Tuskegee, last Thursday. Dr. L. K. Williams delivered the ad dress. , SAVES WHITE BOY New Orleans, La., June 8.—Namun Blackwell, aged 12 jumped into the Bayou river in order to save Jamas Quarles, white, aged 7, from drown ing. ALLEN CHAPEL A. M. E. CHURCH 26th and R Streets—Market 3476. O. J. Burckhardt, Pastor. Sunday will be the third quarterly meeting this conference year, giving you another opportunity to come over into Macedonia and help us. You have been promising to pay us a visit. Nov is your opportunity, don’t fail to take advantage of it. We are praying and expecting a high day. All ministers of the city are invited to come and bring their flocks and worship with us upon this occasion. Rev. John Adam’s will preach the sacramental sermon. You need not stop to pre pare dinner. Mrs. Laura Jefferson and her stewardess will see that you have your lunch. Bring the children with you, they won’t be in the way. If you can’t come at 11 a. m. be sure and make the 3 p. m. service iu»d if you just can’t get out at 3 * m. don’t fail to make the 7:30 service. We will give you a hearty welcome. We wan’t you to feel yourself at home when you get here. Rev. S. E. Gross preached Sunday evening. District conference wdll convene June 20th. We will have general of ficers from all parts of the country with us and you are also welcome to attend. ALLE6ED KLANSMEN MALTREAT BELL BOT ACTING RIBHT CLERK Indiana Youth Showing Ability Had Been Employed to do Night Clerical Work in Hotel in Georgia IS KIDNAPPED AND BEATEN Cowardly Captor* Threaten to Burn Him And Warn Him Never to Take Another White Man's Job Waycross, Georgia, June 8.—John Carter, 22, a bellman, was taken from his home by three men who claimed they were members of the KuKlux Klan and they beat him almost into insensibility. Because they claimed he was serv ing in the capacity of a clerk at the Phoenix Hotel, Waycross, Ga., Carter, who is from Fort Wayne, Ind., and a very intelligent young man, had been, working at the hotel for about five months as bellman. The hotel management, obseiving his unusual intelligence in matters pertaining to office work, allowed Carter to serve both as bellman and clerk after the white clerk left ev ery night. This, aparently, was dis pleasing to some of the patrons of the hotel and they decided to get rid of Carter and he was thus abducted by the three white-robed men. Before the party reached the scene on the road where they were to show Carter how ‘white men treat a Negro who served in the capacity of a white man.’’ they heat him with their fists and blackjacks. Upon arriving at the fifteen mile post, they took the young man out of the car, beat him, tied his hands and feet together and then gathered some branches and prepared to make a fire in which they threatened to bum him. He begged not to be burned and upon his promise to leave Waycross they decided not to apply the match to him but warned him never again to take a “white man’s job.” They jumped into their machines and left the young man in the woods. He managed to get back to Waycross and left on the first train. His head bears several scars from the Slack jacks which the three men used on him and his body covered with welts from the sticks. Another indisputable reason why so many Negroes are leaving the South. COLORED HOY CHOSEN TO BEAD DECLARATION jOn July 4, in Balcony of Old Slate House at Boston; First Time Race Thus Honored. Bonsfon, June 8.—A colored youth will read the Declaration of Independ ence from the balcony of the old state house as part of the municipal In dependence day celebration. It will be the first time in the many years that the custom has been followed, that the honor has fallen to a Negro. ARKANSAS MOB THREATENS LIFE OF NEGRO BISHOP Prelate of African Methodist Epis copal Zion Church Subjected To Indignities And Assault LOCKED IK MAYOR'S OFFICE The Bishop Who Was Visiting South To Preach Baccalaureate Sermon “Insults” White Boy Station Porter at Warren> Ark. Warren, Ark., June 8. (K. C. Call News Service)—Is it possible for a venerable bishop to “sass” a 20-year old youth ? This was the claim of a white mob which took Bishop P. A. Wallace from his stopping place, locked him up in the office of the Mayor, threat ened him with gun and rope and struck him with a chair until town officials rescued him. Bishop Wallace, whose home is in Brooklyn, New York, was on his way to Walters University here to deliver the baccalaureate sermon. Arriving in the station during the rain he took shelter inside awaiting the auto to take him to the school grounds. At this point the 20-year old white station porter announced that it was time to close the station and “you dam niggers better take you baggage and get out.” Bishop Wallace re monstrated with the youth and in re ply received two blows from a stove poker and threats to “get you to night." Later in the evening the bishop was called from the house by an auto load of men looking for the “nigger who had an argument with a white man at the station.’’ Bishop Wallace was locked up in the Mayor’s office, and a man armed with a revolver was placed over him. Abused, threatened cursed and hit by a chair in the hands of this guard, the prelate was finally rescued by school authorities who had gotten the mayor out of bed. Authorities refused to prosecute the porter or the members of the mob, on the ground that no Arkansas jury would believe the word of a black man against a white and if Bishop Wallace came to court with any charges he would probably be lynched. STAY IN VIRGINIA SAYS ITS GOVERNOR Lawrenceville, Va., June 8.—“It al most breaks my heart when I read in the papers how labor agents are in ducing you to go North,” declared Governor E. Lee Trinkle before an audience of 2,000 at the thirty-fifth annual closing exercises of St. Paul N. and I. Institute. There were for ty-six graduates. Governor Trinkle added: “Here is the place for you. I want to see you all happy and I want to see to it that the white people of Virginia give you a square deal and an oppor tunity, every man and woman of you. I hope I am a governor of all the people.” BAIL tells south to build ITS OWN UNIVERSITIES Birmingham, Ala., June 8—-Because Yale and Harvard recognize the “nigger” student the News, the big daily of this city is advocating that the South build its own Yale and Har vard.” Its editorial comment on the question claims that the only way to accomplish that result is to have its own institutions of advanced learn ing. $50,000 OFFERED FOR WILLS-DEMPSEY BOUT New York City, June 8.—The Rock a-Way Board of Trade met this week and offered a certified check of $50, 000 for the proposed Dempsey-Wills bout on Labor Day. Dempsey is offered a guarantee of $350,000 and a percentage of the re ceipts. The promoters guarantee to erect a stadium seating 75,000. A similar certified check for $50,000 has been offered by the Queensboro Club of Long Island City. SOL LEWIS ADDS \ COLUMBIA RECORDS Sol Lewis, the popular and genial North Twenty-fourth street Jeweler and music dealer, has Just added the Columbia Clraphonolas and records to his already large stock. Mr. Lewis’ phonograph business is steadily grow ing. He is one of The Monitor's reg ular advertisers.