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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (July 4, 1924)
• T H E M O N ITOR ^-•f.‘nrrTr. A NATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor $2.00 a Year. 5c a C % OMAHA, NEBRASKA, JULY 4, 1924 Whole Number 469 Vol. X—No. 1 _ ® ___ ___ ■ DEMOCRATS SEEM TO BE TROUBLING POLITICAL POOL Strategy of Tammany and Chicago Bosses Who Are Recognizing the Potential Value of Race Vote. EFFECT THE REPUBLICANS Believed That Bid for Race Vote hy Astute Politicians of Major Par lies Will Have Important Result. Chicago, July 3.—(By the Associat ed Negro Press.)—Did you ever run into a hornet’s nest? The experience, to say the least, is invigorating, and not soon to be forgotten. One may be basking in the sunshine of sweet memories and delightful anticipations, only to be rudely awakened by the mail dart of the fiery hornet, by in stinct with a vengeance, set to pro tect his baliwick. Democratic strategy has awakened republican indifference, and the col oied voters are in the position of the proverbial hornet’s nest—lieing the „aid nest—with the republicans the hornet, and the democrats, the bare footed boy who is scampering over the farm, and with the poke of a long stock, seeks to discover “What’s on the inside?” Republicans regard colored Amer ica as their rightful heritage. It is like a man having so much of every thing that he feels it unnecessary to bother, and then some day he awak ens to the fact thut what he is sup posed to have has slipped away. Thanks to eight years of Woodrow Wilson and an attempted lily white policy of the early Harding regime, the “always certain and dependable” colored vote was well on the road to “Nevermore” in the republican party. Unselfish leaders—not always politic al—came out boldly denouncing the trend of events. Newspapers from one end of the country to the other, called the G. O. P., as conducted, bit ter names, and on and on rose the title of opposition. Democrats in big centers took ad vantage of this disaffection. Tam many, under Ferdinand Q. Morton anil his associates in New York, made a practical appeal to the racial voters, and got away with it. They nom inated a man for the legislature, and elected him. The late Tammany lead er, Murphy, talked with the present Chicago leader, Brennon, and told him the fun he was having appealing to the colored vote. Brennon sat up and “took notice”, with the results that the democratic party went after the colored vote in the mayoralty cam paign, as it had never done before in Chicago, and got away with it. I at terson, Grey, Dickerson and others were given outstanding positions in the city government. Xhow come« oieimui*, *>«***...* —— the psychological moment in New York during the democratic national convention, and announces that the regular white democratic nominee for Congre.' from the First District— which is four to one colored—has withdrawn on account of his health, and that Attorney Earl Dickerson will be named to take his place. That announcement means that Congre > man Martin li. Madden will have the bitterest fight of his entire career in order to hold his seat as a member of the United States Congress. All political observers declare that Bren non is playing the “cleverest game of his life”. Dickerson is an unusual ly high class, intelligent, popular and successful man. He has that which promises to elect Calvin Goolidge, pet sonal appeal. Party appeal will mean nothing to the jnajority voters in Chi cago, when it comes to voting for a man like Dickerson. Congressman Madden and his co-workers will have to dig down in the library of politics and bring out some new leads. This will be done, but the hornet’s nest has been stirred up. It would, indeed, |>e the darnedest irony of fate if the next colored Congressman, since the passing of the late George H. White, of North Carolina, in l'JOl, should be a colored democrat from Chicago. Taggart, of Indiana, while the Ku Klux republicans failed to nominate a colored man for the legislature in Indianapolis, has placed one on the democratic ticket in Indianu. The question is on which is the more pre ferable, a Negro democrat or a Ku Klux republican? Indiana will give the answer to that little question. In the mean time, the republicans, nationally, under Chairman William M. Butler and Secretary Roy 0. West, with their grand galaxy of associates, are facing the issue seriously. They are not scoffing at either advice or suggestions. They are listening to the words of the most humble citizens on the way to bring back the straying sheep to the fold. They are not start ing with the hand wave of indiffer ence, no, no. They are accepting the situation just as it la—the hardest fight in the history of American politics. That’s the fact. The na tional democrats during the Cleveland campaign in 1884, and again during the Wilson first campaign of 1912, made a strong bid for colored votes, and got them, to a considerable ex tent. Those, too, were the days of party fealty. It took nerve, then, to be a democrat, even white in the North, but conditions have changed materially. Republicans have learned wisely and well that “Sure, I must fight if I would reign; increase my courage, Lord ’’ STRIKERS ARE BACKING NEGRO VALEDICTORIAN Darby, I’a’, July 4.—(By the Asso ciated Negro Press.)—The Darby school board, and not Hilda Bolden, manager of the famous Hilldale ball team, appointed as t valedictorian, is the object of the threatened “strike” by more than half the members of the Darby high school graduating class. Seniors admit that Hilda Bolden at tained the highest scholastic standing but charged the board failed to take the students into their confidence in changing the standard on which ap pointment of a valedictorian is based. Heretofore, according to the insur gent group, the board took into con sideration the activity of the eligible students along extra-curriculum lines, in addition to scholastic attainment. Early during the school year now ended, it is said, the board voted to name as valedictorian of the class, the student who had attained the highest grades. This action was not made known to the students until a month ago, and was followed shortly by announcement that Hilda Bolden would be valedictorian of the class. The dissatisfied 'element of the senior class and student body claims the honor should have gone to Polly llacrini, a white girl, who, in addition to earning high marks in her studies, was for three years a member, and this year, captain of the hockey team, secretary of student government, sec retary of the athletic association, edi tor of the White Bulletin, the stu- i den publication, and president of the i art club. Polly, who was named salutarian, j said she herself expects to attend the | commencement exercises, and claims the attitude of many of her support ers is indicative of “poor sportman ship.” “I do not,” she says, “and am sure most of the others who are pro testing do not, Iregrude Hilda Bolden the honor, because her grades were really highest. “This is a school which all raci-a are free to attend and where they should receive equal treatment. To embarass Hilda Bolden is poor sports manship.” Hilda doesn’t blame Polly for the split in the ranks of the graduating class. "It Is a most unfortunate oc currence,” she said, “but I hope that by the time commencement is held the class will be reunited in spirit. The board found, after figuring it out, that I had the highest number of cred its anil received ‘E’s’ all through the four years in all except three subjects. Eighty credits nre needed for gradu ation, and I received 117.” Walter It. Douthett, superintendent of the Darby schools, said so far as he knows, the hoard will stand by its ruling and the matter is a “closed in cident”. “I announced the change in the board’s rule for choice of a vale dictorian,” said Conrad T. Wadlio, principal of the high school, “and that j rule apparently stands.” ’ — DAVAGE ELECTED PRESI DENT CLARK UNIVERSITY Cincinnati, Ohio, July 3.—(By the Associated Negro Press.)—As an evidence of the Methodist Episcopal Church to not only educate the Negro, but to also use him, Dr. I. Garland Penn, one of the secretaries of the board of education, announces the unanimous election of President Mat thew S. Davage to the presidency of Clark University, Atlanta, Ga., at a recent meeting of the executive com mittee on Negro schools and colleges. Dr. Davage is a Negro and succeeds Dr. J. VV. Simmons, white, who re signed. The committee selected Dr. Davage not because he is a Negro, but on his record as an educator in the system and in conformity with the policy of the board in advancing those who have proven their worth by actual results as presidents, prin cipals and professors in the system. President-elect Davage has been president at various times of fair in stitutions of the system being promot ed now to Clark from Rust College, Holly Springs. As an administrator, Dr. Davage is held in high esteem. The board has authorized the in auguration of a law’ school at Clark so that this experienced educator of the race enters upon the presidency of Clark at the period of largest re sponsibility as W'ell as largest oppor tunity. There are other great ad vances being made in the system fol lowing the last General Conference which will be announced through the Associated Negro Press service from time to time. Children of Washington Salute the National Colors m mm.... .......■him.mmmtmm.. m 1 J .1_I A Picturesque Sight is the Salute to the Flag—the Dally Custom of the Children Who Live at the Marine Bar racks in Washington—and as the Flag is Lowered Each Evening and the Bugle la Blown, These Tiny Chil dren Have Learned to Salute the Stars and Stripes With the Spirit of 8oldlera. De Voe House Has Sheltered Famous Figures of the Early Days. Now Occupied by Granddaugh ter of Patriot Who Rendered Valuable Services to the Country. Long before the days when Times •squure hud acquired the dignity of u | pasture a sturdy white house was [ erected on the slope of a hill near the Harlem river at n point now known as j Hlghbrldge district, the New. York Herald-Tribune says. It was a simple ] structure, with patriarchal porch and J massive paneled doors fashioned to re* i slst sudden attack. Loopholed shutters ; were hung ready for emergency, the1 chimney was constructed of brick | brought from Knglund and to the, handful of neighbors It was regarded as the last word in modern dwellings, i They referred to It with civic pride | when entertaining visitors from the seaport metropolis of New York. Today the same house rests amid blocks of towering apartments. Few passershy arc aware that It Is the home of a granddaughter of the Revo lution or realize the important purt It hud In the muklng of this nation. The floors creaked often under the stately tread of Washington, the courtly La fayette danced the minuet there, while the bluff Rochambeau, soldier fashion, toasted success to war from many a flagon while seated In Its dining room. Memories of Lafayette. "I can well remember the storlps my grandfather told of Lafayette. So gentle, so merry, yet so brave, the rnarquls was the favored one of all," snld Mrs. Knima C. De Voe, grand daughter of the Revolution, who dwells in this house of glorious memories. Mrs. De Voe Is eighty-four years old. Her grandfather was Andrew Corsa, who died about the middle of the lust century. He was the last of the West chester guides, that troop of hardy men who braved death by the noose to circumvent the enemy and swore by the steel to ask no qunrter In battle, They were the eyes and eurs of the Continental army In this section. The story of Andrew Corsa, whose picture hangs In the front room, with an Ivory card of Invitation to Wash ington’s Inauguration thrust In a cor ner of the frame, reads like a chapter from one of Cooper's novels. At the ago of sixteen he was rendering Im portant services to scouting partiei that approached the Hrltlsh lines. A few years Inter he was riding at the right hand of the leader of the Coloi nlal forces, a trusted adviser during the campaign before New York In T781, toward the close of the Revolution, 8on of 8tanch Tory. Aa the records which Mrs. De Vo« exact knowledge of the country his services were of prltne Importance. For hours he was constantly on horse back, giving counsel to Washington, Rochainheau, Lnnsun and other gen erals while they passed through the fields of Morrlsania, Fordham and Yonkers. “Now we come to an Incident which I always liked to hear grandfather de scribe, for, young as T was, It appeared highly humorous and he had such a droll way of telling It. (Jrnndfather was mounted on a spirited horse, noted for speed, hut wjhlch never before had been under fire. When the nllles, marching east near the Bronx river, came In sight of the enemy the fire which the British artillery opened upon them was so terrible that the horse turned tail and galloped for safety behind the old Morrlsania mill. With great difficulty grandfather managed to rein him In. Looking back, he saw Washington, Rochambeau and the other officers riding calmly along, as though nothing unusual was occurring. He forced his mount to return and re sumed Ids place In the order of march. The officers, with good-natured laugh ter, welcomed him hack. "At the termination of the engage ment Washington was loud In his pruise of this hoy, whose knowledge of the country had been of so great ns slstnnce. 'rids Is shown by the offi cial letters that grandfather received. “Every member of the Westchester guides was a personal friend of his. lie himself was the youngest member of the company.” Washington Frequent Visitor. Even In the busy years which marked the real formation of the re public Washington did not forget the hospitality of the De Voe house, ;ind several times he was a guest there while making tours of the old cam paign ground, one of the chairs, now standing ut rigid attention against the wall, was a prime favorite with the general, and a scar on one of the arms Is said to have been made by his sword hilt. The old clock by which he measured the length of his visits stands In the hall with folded hands. A wooden phi In Its once busy mechan ism has gone awry, so the ancient timepiece silently ■faces the door which has opened to the touch of so many notables. To the Marquis de Lafayette the house had a fascination which extend ed Into the days of his old age. He had learned to look upon It as a haven wherein to east aside the cares in war. So many thrilling facts associated with the birth of the nation are clus tered about the little white house and the family which has occupied It from one generation to another until the present It would need a volume to chronicle all of them. The D<# Voes, who helped to carve history with their swords, have been In this country since 1077. The first to make Ills home In the New world wns Frederick De Voe, or, as the name then was spelled, De Veaux. His lands extended over many acres. Now the homestead, with Its bit of land, shelters only the granddaughter of the Revolution and her son, Chaun cey De Voe. To her son Mrs. De Voe la the "most remarkable mother In the universe.” As he bends to say good night, while she places her hand upon his slivering hair, It seems as If the days of Lafayette himself had returned to the house on the Harlem. possesses show, when the Revolution ary troubles began Capt. Isaac Corsa, father of Andrew, held a commission under the crown and remained a stanch Tory to the end of the conflict. His estate comprised the land now oc cupied by St. John’s college, a short distance from the scenes of his son's romance. He was unbending In his belief that the king could do no wrong. From the early days of the struggle for Independence young Andrew looked askance at his father’s scarlet coat, and his zeal for American liberty over came all family considerations. “Acquainted with all the passages about Klngsbrldge, Fordham and Mor rlsnnla, my grandfather’s services were anxiously sought," continued Mrs. De Voe, referring to a memorandum which she had at hand “In the sum mer of 1781, after the allied forces had been encamped upon the bplghts of Greenburg for several weeks, Wash ington and Rochambeau made ready for a formidable movement toward rfie lines of the enemy. Those were try ing days indeed, I can well remember bearing grandfather say when talking about the war. It seems like yester day that he sat In Ills great chair sketching old battle plans on the ground with his cane. 1 was a very small girl at the time. “Count Mathew Dumas and several other young officers belonging to the French staff who had been mapping the country hereabouts were ordered to set out at daylight and to push for ward until they came within sight of the enemy’s most advanced redoubts at the northern end of Manhattan island. The command was given to Count Dumas, while Cornelius Oakley of White Plains was selected to act as principal guide, accompanied by his cousin, James Oakley, and by grand father. Drove in British Outposts. “Below Mtlesquare the reconnolter Ing purty found n Junction with a body of American light Infantry. The allied detachments then attacked and dis persed a strong patrol of British regu lars and soon afterward drove across Klngsbrldge the chasseurs that occu pied the Hessian outposts. “Because of Grandfather Corsa’s July 4,1776 and 1924 T^T Strong faith had answered doubt f | and silenced fear, And love of freedom, mother ing resolve, Faced down the dangers which ) bold deeds involve When Right and W lenged front c And one road only s clear! Tho’ fingers trem gripped the p And names wet names of sitr Thus made immoi ever dear. Undying words al names, From thee anew tl flames In every soul that stil O, flames, consu gods of our d Dispel the fog o the way Where travels Trutl , and keeps us 'ft it A POLICE PROTECTION FOR NEGRO PRIZE SPEAKER Alton, 111., July 3.—(By the Asso ciated Negro Press)—Propaganda to the effect that you only need to be recognized just like any other Amer ican was given a setback here last week when at graduating exercises featuring a Negro as the principal speaker, police were called to guard the school because of threatening anonymous letters the school officials had received because of the colored boy’s presence on the program. The youth, Alexander Whitfield, 17, was awarded the honor on the basis of highest scholastic record for the four years he attended the high school. Announcement of the award was duly made. Since that time a great deal of dis cussion has been occasioned by the award, and the principal of the school, William H. Wheeler, has received a number of anonymous letters threat ening to break up the graduating ex ercises should Whitfield be allowed to hold the honor. The letters were disregarded, but a request was made graduation night for police protection, and nine police officers, some in civilian clothes, were scattered about the auditorium and outside the building. The expected trouble failed to materialize, however, and Whitfield was allowed to deliver his address undisturbed. The annual school outing, a boat ride on the Mississippi, was held re cently and Whitfield was barred from the celebration. The reason given by school authorities was that the boat company had a rule against Negroes being allowed on the boats. The anonymous letters and adverse comment were said to have come from sources outside the school, and a last minute attempt to have the male members of the class refuse to ap pear on the platform during the exer cises also failed. Ninety boys and girls, seven of whom were Negroes, were graduated from the school, and the exercises were witnessed by approximately 300 persons, of which number about five per cent were Negroes. WARNS TEACHERS ABOUT DISTINCTION OF CLASS AND RACE Youths Must Be Trained to Avoid Prejudice, Racial or Religious, Says Famous Orator1 to Educators. Washington, D. C., July 3.—Thou sands of delegates from every state in the union arrived here for opening sessions of the National Education association’s annual convention. Payson Smith, state commissioner of education of Massachusetts, ad dressed the delegates from the capitol steps. He warned against discrim inating distinctions, asserting that the public schools “must train the youth to understand that democracy cannot he served through any instrumental ity or agency that seeks to array class against class, group against group, the people of one creed against the people of another, or citizens of one racial derivation against citizens of another.” In a speech Leon W. Goldrich of New York declared the public schools cannot teach different denominational rituals or creeds, and never should emphasize differences of race, color or religion. Teaching of “business morals” in schools was advocated by William B. Forbush, also of New York, who asserted that while the average school boy is not deliberately dishonest, “his niotto is ‘anything to get by’. He has adopted the political rather than the business standard as his code.” Public schools should be transform ed into character developing institu tions, said Professor Edwin D. Star buck of the University of Iowa. $25.00(1 FOR COSTUMES IN FLORENCE MILLS’ SHOW New York, July 3.—(By the Asso ciated Negro Press.)—A. H. Woods has contracted with the Brooks Ma hieu company to tostume the new “Plantation Revue” in which Florence Mills will be featured. The cost will be $25,000. This company has dressed “Shuffle Along”, “Runnin’ Wild” and “In Bamville”. _ GOOD HOUSING AIM Birmingham, Ala., July 3.—(Special to the Associated Negro Press.)—One thousand dollars in prizes will be awarded by the Interracial commis sion of this city for construction of Negro homes and the improvement of Negro communities, the contest to run from June 1, 1924, to June 1, 1925. The prizes are announced as follows: A—For best group of Negro houses constructed by owners, contractors or real estate operators, but not indus trial corporations. B—For best home built by a Negro himself. C—For greatest improvement in a Negro community made by the residents thereof. D—For best home in the winning community from the stand point of health and sanitation. MOOREFIELD STOREY CONGRESSMAN DYES ADDRESS MEETING National Advancement Association’s Fifteenth Annual Conference Proves Most Notable Gathering. HAYES SPINGARN MEDALIST Singer Who Has Achieved Distinction in United States and Europe Selected for Special Honor. Philadelphia, July 3.—With dele gates in attendance from more than thirty states, including Georgia, Okla homa, Colorado, Tennessee, South Carolina, and most of the eastern states, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People opened its fifteenth annual conference in Philadelphia with a mass meeting in the First African Methodist church at which the outstanding features were addresses by Moorfield Storey, national president of the association, and Congressman L. C. Dyer. At this meeting, too, a greeting was read from President Coolidge expressing “my good wishes to your splendid or ganization and my hopes for the full est realization of its high purposes.” Welcome to the conference in be half ofl the city of Philadelphia was extended by Charles Hall, president of the city council, and by Isadore Martin, president of the Philadelphia branch of N. A. A. C. P. Mr. Hall took occasion during his address of welcome to deliver a vigorous denun ciation of the Ku Klux Klan for which he said there was no place in America. Bishop John Hurst, presiding officer at the opening map meeting, charged that Southern sentiment was dominat ing the nation despite Northern vic tory in the Civil War, and asserted that the time had come for Negroes to stand together and make common cause for their rights. Mr. Storey in his address, reviewed the growth of the N. A. A. C. P. from a small committee to a mem bership of 100,000, and asserted that it rested with colored people whether the campaign for their full citizen ship rights was to be carried victori usly onward by the N. A. A. C. P. Commenting upon President Cool idge’s message of greeting to the N. A. A. C. P., Mr. Storey said: “There is a very simple way of testing President Coolidge’s washes for the realization of our high aims. Let us test the President in the mat ter of segregation in the government departments in Washington. It be gan under President Wilson. It can end under Coolidge.” Representative Dyer in a fiery at tack upon “the most cowardly repub lican senators who have ever been in office” urged colored voters to vote upon the basis of present issues, not the Civil War. He asserted that not by the action of a republican but through the efforts of a member of the Farmer-Labor party the case of Walter Cohen had been reconsidered and Mr. Cohen confirmed as customs collector at the port of New Orleans. He charged Senator Pepper of Penn sylvania with giving more attention to the world court than to his col ored constituents and denounced the Ku Klux Klan. “I will not vote for or support,” said Mr. Dyer, “for any office, anyone who is a member of or countenances the Ku Klux Klan. If I lived in Indiana, I would not vote for the republican candidate for gov ernor because he owes his nomination to the Klan.” Spin gam Medal to Roland Hayes. The Spingam medal, it was an nounced at the N. A. A. C. P. confer ence, goes this year to the greatest singer of his race, Roland Hayes, now triumphantly touring European ci ties. In Mr. Hayes’ absence, it was arranged to have the medal presented by Provost Josiah H. Penniman of the University of Pennsylvania, to a representative of Mr. Hayes. The committee making the award consists of Bishop John Hurst, chainnan; Dor othy Canfield Fisher, authof of “The Bent Twig”, etc.; James H. Dillard, director of the Jeanes and Slater funds; John Hope, president of More house College; Theodore Roosevelt, assistant secretary of the navy, and Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois, editor of The Crisis. Roland Hayes, to whom the Spin gam medal goes, has achieved unique distinction, having been hailed by leading critics in Europe and Amer ica as one of the greatest of living artists of any race. Bom June 3, 1887, at Curryville, Georgia, Hayes was working as a stove molder when his voice was discovered by Mr. Cal houn, a colored singer, who urged him to study and gave him his first instruction. Roland Hayes worked his way through Fiske University, com ing North with the Fiske Jubilee Sing ers and remained to study in Boston, (Continued on Page Three.)