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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 22, 1924)
The Monitor T-r^ * A NATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor fljOO a Year. 5c a C | OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 1924 Whole Number 476 * Vol. X—No. 8 BISHOP McGUIRE ADVANCES NOVEL THEORY Organizer of African Orthodox Church Startles New York Newspapers With Peculiar Views RETIRED PRIEST ANSWERS SIMMONS IN NINETIETH TEAR The Rev. John Willinms, Former Rec tor of St. Barnabas Church, Passes Away at) an Advanced Age AN OUTSTANDING FIGURE HERE In The Early Days of Omaha He Did Faithful and Appreciated Pas toral Work Among 0>lcr®d People Itev. John Williams, for thirty-seven years rector of St. Barnabas’ church, this city, and who for a number of years prior to the ordination of the Rev. John Albert Williams, also served as priest-in-charge at St. Philip's Mis sion, passed peacefully away at his home, 4804 Dodge street, at 7:30 last Friday night, in the ninetieth year of his age. Father Williams was bom in Ire land, but came as a lad to the United States, and was reared in Lynn, Mass., where the family settled. He learned the machinist's trade, at which he was employed for a number of years. Obey ing the call to the priesthood, he en tered the Seabury Divinity School at Fairbault, Minn., where he supported himself during his studentship by working at his trade during vacation. In due course of time he was gradu ated and ordained to the diaconate and priesthood by Bishop Whipple of Minnesota in 1808. The same year he became rector of St. Luke’s, Hastings, Minn., coming thence in June, 1877, to St. Barnabas’, Omaha, which then numbered thirty communicants. These were the only two parishes' he held, St. Luke’s, Hastings, for eleven years, and St. Barnabas’ for thirty-seven years, resigning the latter in 1914 at the age of 80 years and being worthily succeeded by the Rev. Lloyd B. Hols apple, the present rector. While rec tor of St. Barnabas’, Father Williams, for seven years, took the spiritual ov ersight of St. Philip’s Mission, where he showed himself a true pastor to this little flock; but he warmly wel comed all classes to St. Barnabas’. He was known as a “High Churchman”, or Catholic, and as such he believed that his priesthood called him to the service of all men, and he would not tolerate foolish distinctions in the Church of God. The, following incident illustrates how he really believed in the catholic ity of the Church: A young colored woman, who was a communicant of the Episcopal church came to Omaha from tihe South as maid in a prominent fam ily. Her first Sunday here she at tended an early celebration of the Holy Communion in St. Barnabas’ church. After everybody else had re ceived the Holy Communion Miss came forward and received alone, al tho there was plenty of room prior to this at the chancel rail. Father Williams, as was his cus tom, greeted her as she was leaving the church, and asked her why she had waited to come up last and alone when there was plenty of room for her to kneel at the chancel rail before this. Her reply was: "Where I come from the colored ppople always have to wait for ‘the second table’ and receive the communion last, and that is why I waited." Father Williams replied, ‘‘My dear Alins -, we have no such custom here. In God’s House there is no ‘sec ond table’. All His children are equal at His Altar. Whenever you come to the services at St. Barnabas’, and I hope you will come as regularly as you can while you remain in Omaha, and desire to receive the Holy Com munion come forward in your regular turn with the rest of the communicants and receive the Bread of Rife. Re member that at St. Barnabas you, as God’s child and a communicant of the Church, are always welcome. We have no second table but the one Table und Altar of ouf Lord for all children of the Church.” This incident is typical of the man and speaks volumes, and illustrates why Father Williams won and held such a warm place in the hearts of all sorts and conditions of men and be came easily the first citizen of Omaha. He was a man of ripe scholarfAvip and recongized as one of the outstand ing priests of the American Episcopal Church. As a delegate to the General Convention he commanded a wide in fluence. His funeral was held from St. Bar nabas’ Church, Monday morning at fl o’clock, Father HolHapple officiating. Bishop Shayler being present in the chancel and 'giving the blessing, the i T T | A Story Without Words | A . A X Don’t it make you feel rather comfortable? % A v t V V A A A A A A A A A A V V ❖ ♦♦♦ ♦> bishop having celebrated a requiem at 8 o’clock; the Rev. John Albert Wil liams at 7:30 and the Rev. James Noble at 7. The funeral service was the regular burial office from the Prayer Rook with Requiem Euchar ist. There waB no eulogy and no flowers, but such a simple, sweet, com forting service as befitted the life of this Godly and modest priest. Inter ment was at Prospect Hill. The fol lowing clergy acted as pallbearers, •Rev. S. Mills Hayes of Lincoln; Rev. William A. Mulligan of Beatrice; Rev. James Noble of Neligh; Rev. John L. Freeborn of Albion; Rev. Wilbur S. Leete of Plattsmouth; Rev. Bernard Shulte, retired, former chaplain of St. Luke’s, New York; Rev. D. J. Gallag her and Rev. John Albert Williams of Omaha. Father Williams is survived by his widow and four sons, William and Ed ward D., of New York; and Lyman and Leslie of Omaha. AGREE TO RUN NEGRO FOR CONGRESS — (By The Associated Negro Press) New York City, Apg. 22.—The movement to nominate a Negro for Congress in the 21st congressional district which comprises Harlem and has a majority of colored voters, re ceived a big impetus when the repub lican county committee met recently and agreed to name a colored candi date. Various elements in the dis trict have been trying to further such an effort for some time. Committees representing several local political and civic organizations waited recently upon Wm. Pickens of the N. A. A. C. P. urging him to permit his hat to be thrown in tfhe ring declaring him an ideal candidate not only because of his past fecoid but because of his ability as a writer, thinker and platform ora tor. It was rumored that the LaFol lette group had held out an offer to back him if he ran independently. Some effort was also made in behalf of Mr. Rumble, a manufacturer. Re cently a delegation presented the fol lowing names for the committee to consider: James Weldon Johnson, Wiliam Pickens, Dr. Charles H. Rob erts, John B. Nail, George W. Harris and Fred R. Moore. Dr. Roberts has has been nominated and will make a vigorous campaign. LA EOLLETTE’S STATE CHAIRMAN TO NAME A NEGRO ELECTOR Chicago, 111., Aug. 18.—Following a conference between Charles J. Mc Gowan, state chairman of the LaFol lette organization, and G. Victor Cools, national manager of the Negro divi sion, at their headquarters, 67 West Madison street, Chicago, it was an nounced that a Negro elector will be named for the state of Illinois. This is the first time, since the recon struction period, that a Negro will be so honored. Tile La Follette organiza tion believes, and puts into practice its belief, that the Negro is an Amer ican citizen and must share equally with other groups in the distribution of the social income. The colored people will be represented in all branches of the organization by mem bers of their race. Accordingly, they will have representation on both the state and Cook county executive com mittees. Mrs. Alice Dunbar-Nelson, the most prominent and fearless woman of the race, hue been appointed eastern or ganizer of colored women as well as a member of the national council. In an interview between Mrs. Nelson and Congressman John M. Nelson, national manager, the congressman expressed his absolute confidence in Mrs. Nel son’s ability to handle the situation in the east. Mack C. Spears, an ener getic young Negro, has been appoint ed an organizer of La Follette-for President Club. He will operate in Illinois, Missouri, Colorado, Utah and California. MILLIONS HIDDEN HT TIMID NEtiHOKS IN SOCKS AND HOLES President Moton in Excellent Address Culls Attention to Business Possibilities Within Bare Chicago, ill., Aug. 22.—(By the As sociated Negro Press.)—In one of the most remarkable opening addresses ever delivered at a convention of the National Negro Business league, Dr. Robert It. Moton, president, brought his thousands of hearers, assembled in the spacious auditorium of Wendell Phillips high school to an inspired appreciation of the newer opportuni ties and responsibilities of the Negro in business. Ho declared that the times had changed, that twenty-five years ago the problem was to get the Negro into business, to help him overcome hi» “timidity”, but that no such issue confront® him today, there being a necessity now to “stress the need for I honest, capable, expert management as a basis for credit and a warrant of confidence on the part of the bus iness world in the ability and com petency of the American Negro.” Dr. Moton was frequently inter rupted by applause as his wholesome remarks struck a responsive chord in the men and women assembled who had sensed in their own business rela tions the spirit of the points he drove home. He pleaded for preparedness, for a race comparable to the five wise vir gins who were ready. He referred to possibilities for the race by Holding that "It is conservatively estimated that there are twenty million dollars of Negro money hid under mattresses, behind brickg in the arch, buried in earthen Jars and in otherways secret ed around the home. "I know of one home,” he asserted, "where the wife and children knew that the father had at least Bix thou sand dollars. He was taken ill) and went out one night, telling his wife he was going to hide it. They had good reasons to believe he had a good deal more hidden away else where. He died the next day, and though they scoured the place inside and out, they were never able to locate the money.’’ I)r. Moton recounted in some detail both the growth of the league and the growth of Negro business from what they both were twenty-five years ago, Negro business now, he emphasized, may be measured in figures of mil lions, and does not begin to approx imate what it may attain in the next few years. In’ connection with the future growth of Negro business refer ence was made to the new million dollar Negro Finance Corporation, and the hope was expressed that the present meeting of the league would result in the first complete list of j permanent officers and committees. The stand of the Negro press in re gard to ‘.he corporation was praised as was the unanimity with which Ne gro newspapers fought for fair play for the Negroes, despite private differ ences. At the beginning of his speech Dr. Moton paid high tribute to Chicago as a "city in which the progress of the race does not suffer by compari son with any other city in the coun try, with its multifarious business en terprises, with two great banking in stitutions—the Binga State and the Douglass National bank owned and operated by our people; the Liberty Life and other successful Insurance companies, with taxicab companies, not to mention the great printing establishment of R. S. Abbott and the Chicago Defender, the headquarters of the Associated Negro Press, with scores of successful professional men and women, and the unnumbered beautiful Christian homes.’’ » DSCRIMINATION ON STREET BUSSES MEANS LEGAL FIGHT Test Case Brought Against Baltimore Street Railway Company for Refusing Colored Passengers. Baltimore, Aug. 22.—Whether the United Railways company, operating busses on the public streets can ex clude passengers because they are col ored will be fought out in the civil courts of Baltimore. Action with this in view was taken last week when G. S. Seabrook, 304 N. Gilmor street, instituted a damage suit against the United Railways com pany for refusal of one of its con ductors to allow him to enter one of the busses operated by. this corpora tion on Charles street. Barred by Driver. According to the petition of Sea brook, filed in the City court he was not allowed to enter the buss when he presented his fare at the comer of Baltimore and Charles street at 12:20 p. m., July 12. This action, according to Davis and Evans, who represent Seabrook, is a specific violation of the terms of the franchise granted the company and against the ruling of tihe Public Service company. Various civic organizations have long sought someone to make a fight against the Jim Crow buss line in the city operated by the United Railways. Hundreds of persons, men, women and children, have been embarrassed .by the United’s employees who have refused to take fares from Negroes and ordered them off the busses. Strangers have been shocked at the roughness of tlhe treatment. Protest made to the Public Service commis sion elicited the reply that the United has no authority under the rulings to refuse to haul or to segregate Negro passengers. Among lawyers downtown, it is un | derstood that the United has not a CHRISTIAN CHHRCH FOUNDER AHD HEAR “RLACr-RISHOF Former Episcopalian Rector, Now Pre late of African Orthodox Church Startles Reporters GENEOLOGY SUPPORTS CLAIM Hamitic Blood Traceable In the Ances try of The Savior, Who Would Be Jim Crowed In Dixie. New York, Aug. 22.—If Christ ever went below the Mason and Dixon line, he’d be jim crowed,” declared Bishop George McGuire, of the African Ortho dox church, who startled newspaper men in an interview here recently. Twenty years ago Bishop McGuire was a priest of the Episcopal church, a colleague of the late Bishop Greer of New York and one-time rector of St. Thomas’ church in Philadelphia, the oldest Negro Protestant Episcopal church in America. He had preached in Trinity church, New York, when Bishop Manning was its rector, and in St. George’s church when John Pier pont Morgan, Jr., sat in the congre gation. When he went to Arkansas in 1!)03 as an archdeacon he ran into Jim Crowism and it left scars on his spir it. In 1919, when the white Bishop Overs was consecrated as successor to the black Bishop Ferguson in Liberia, a Negroes’ country, it Opened the old wounds. The bishop is a large man, with a rumbling bass voice, finely shaped hands capable of a magnificient ges tui-e, and a mobile face that is trans formed with-every memory of the in dignities he has suffered and the hopes he has conceived. In cerise-colored biretta and laven der soutane, with a heavy pectoral cross at his bosom and an amethyst episcopal ring on his finger, he makes a striking picture. “God Not Really Black” “Of course,” said Bishop McGuire, “God is not a Negro. A spirit is noth ing physical. But in one's prayers one must vision some one to listen, and we can think only of some one in hu ma form. mere is no ooudi, nowever, ac cording to the genealogies of Jesus given in the New Testament, that He had black blood in His veins. In addi tion to the blood of Shem, He had al so the blood of Ham. The Scriptures bear record that Tamar, the mother of Pharez, and Rahab, mother of Boaz, were Canaanites, Canaan being the fourth son of Ham. From Pharez and Rahab runs the pedigree of Christ. “And since by the standards set up by white men one drop of Negro blood makes a man a Negro, if Christ with this known pedigree were living today in Dixie the color line would be drawn against Him.” Apostolic Succession When Bishop McGuire founded his new' church the older churches smiled. “Where can he get the apostolic suc cession as bishop?” they asked. In time he got it. He was consecrated in 1921 by Archbishop Vilatte, of the old Catholic church, and so traces his ap ostolic succession through Ignatius III., 126th successor of St. Peter as bishop and patriarch of Antioch. The African Orthodox church now has two bishops, nine' priests, eight deacons, two deaconesses and other Workers and 21 congregations with 2,500 communicants in Canada, Trin idad, Cuba and the United States. A third bishop is soon to be consecrated. BOARD MEETING OF OLD FOLKS HOME . • Tht regular monthly meeting of the Board of the Old Folks’ Home will be held on the first Thursday in Septem ber. A public reception will lie held for the friends of the home Septem ber 13, to which the public is cordially invited. Ministers are requested to announce this reception to their con gregations. Persons needing some one to cut their lawn can be furnished a man for this work by phoning the Old Folks Home. The services at the Episcopal Church of St. Philip the Deacon Sunday will lie holy communion at 7:30 a. m., church school at 10, morning prayer and sermon at 11. No evening service during August. Morning prayer is said daily at 9 o’clock. legal leg to stand on and that the only salvation lies in preventing Negroes who sue from carrying the cases through to tlhe end.