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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 1925)
| THE MONITOR I r WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED PRIMARILY TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS _ PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY AT OMAHA, NEBRASKA. BY THE MONITOR PUBLISHING COMPANY__ Entered a* Second-Class Mail Matter July 2, 1915, at the Postoflice at Omaha, Nebraska* under the Act of March 3, 1879. Toe *ev.\»omn ALBERT WILLIAMS-Editor W. W. MOSELY, Lincoln. Neb---Associate Editor LUCINDA W. WILLIAMS-Buslnese Manager SUBSCRIPTION RATES. *2.00 A YEAR; *1.25 6 MONTHS; 75c 3 MONTHS Advertising Rates Furnished Upon Application Address, The Monitor, Postoffice Box 1204, Omaha, Neb. Telephone WEbster 4243 — —-J < > ARTICLE XIV, CONSTITUTION OF THE ;; UNITED STATES '! Citizenship Rights Not to Be Abridged ■! 1. All persons bom or naturalized in the United States, ! I and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the ;; United States and of the State wherein they reside. No ' - state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the ^ ;; privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor | ;; shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or prop- ? 1 > erty without due process of law, nor deny to any person £ !! within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. aBwmmi l - i-i _!— IS GARVEY RIGHT? TyjARCUS GARVEY, if we under , stand his position, maintains that the black race can never come into its own in America and that its only salvation is to migrate to the land of its forefathers and build up a great and powerful empire in Af rica. We believe that, stripped of de tails, fundamentally this is his con tention. Is Garvey right? That race prejudice is increasing rather than de creasing as our race advances in thrift, intelligence, wealth, moral worth, character and self-respect, can not be denied by the thoughtful stu dent of social phenomena. In strik ing contrast, however, to this increas ing prejudice is the ever-enlarging number of thoughtful and fair-minded white men and women—who realizing the injustice, as well as the danger of this attitude are doing all within their power to combat it. Then, too, it must be noted that in spite of opposi tion we, as a group, have made, and are making wonderful progress. This progress we hold answers Garvey’s charge that the black race can never come into its own in America. It is coming slowly, we grant, but steadily into its own. That Africa offers golden opportunities for those who have the pioneer spirit and the spirit of the pioneers is doubtless true. That as knowledge of this grows among our people venturesome youth will seek their fortune there cannot be doubted, but that there will ever be the evacu ation of America by vast multitudes of Negro folk, while possible, is scarcely probable.—When one views the growing prejudice against Ne groes in America it is easy to ac count for Garvey’s contention and those who believe as he does. When, however, one notes other significant facts one cannot agree with him. The Negro who has contributed so much to the making of America will come into his own and win his place right here—just as surely as there is a God in heaven. Africans will develop Africa and are developing it and Americans will develop America, and black men born here are Americans to the core. UNITE AND ACT 'J'HE MONITOR is always inclined to be conservative, although its editor has been called “a dangerous radical”, much to his surprise and amusement. We have been stating that the Negro population of Omaha was about 14,000. We were told the other day by certain compilers of statistics that our number is around 17,000. Perhaps this is true. We are inclined to believe that this estimate is too high and that 15,000 would be nearer the mark. We have been try ing to show what 14,000 people, alive to their economic, civic, religious and political power and privilege, could do in this community by united effort. If our number be larger as some con tend then it adds force to our argu ment. Fourteen thousand people by . -- --■-ULL-—.. ;-J- - —~ giving only one-tenth of their patron age to our own business enterprises could soon be able to build them up i into strong institutions. Think this ( over and act upon it. The exegencies i of the time demand united action. This is as necessary in Nebraska as in Mis sissippi or Georgia. BOOK CHAT By Mary White Ovington, Chairman, Board of Directors of the N. A. A. C. P. “An Anthology of Verse by Amer ican Negroes”. By Newman Ivey White, Ph. D., and Walter Clinton Jackson. Published by The Trinity College Press, Durham, N. C. Price $2.00. By mail $2.10. This is the third anthology of Ne gro verse in two years, a significant indication of the interest today in the , literary work of theAmerican colored people. If James Weldon Johnson’s anthology is the most literary and Robert T. Kerlin with its illustrations the most popular, it can be said of the Trinity College anthology that it is the most scholarly. We have here, not only introductory life sketches of each poet, such as Mr. Kerlin gives, but also biobgraphical and critical notes. Indeed there is as much prose in this volume as poetry. The biographical and critical notes are especially valuable. Much of the , material in them can be found in Ar ! thur Schomburg’s Biographical Check I list for American Negro Poetry to whom credit is given by these com pilers. If we turn to this Trinity College; connection, however, for the poetry j alone, we shall be disappointed. The selections chosen do not compare in excellence to those of either Mr. John son or Mr. Kerlin and although the book has been printed sufficiently re cent to include Countee P. Cullen, j Gwendolyn Bennett and Langston j Hughes, only Countee P. Cullen is | quoted, and he with only one pofem. The volume gives much space to early Negro work and shows a decided tendency to admire the sentimental. There are thirty-eight pages of Dunbar’s poems—a poet easily access ible—while Anne Spencer is not men tioned. In attempting to rate Negro poets these compilers put the first four in order of merit as follows: Paul Lawrence Dunbar, William Stan ley Braithwaite, James Weldon John son and J. Mord Allen. The poems of Allen, which are entertaining, do not seem to deserve so high a rating. The following conclusions are reached: One, that Negro poetry has shown a decided and unmistakable progress both in value and quality. Two, that the quality of the poetry has generally depended upon the cul tural opportunities of the poet. Three, that Negro poets have not as yet as a class risen to the level of poetry attained by many white poets far more richly endowed by leisure and cultural background. And the com pilers end by saying: “A race, un i: THE NEGRO’S CONTRIBUTION NOT NEGLIGIBLE | II | A moment’s thought will easily convince open-minded % <! persons that the contribution of the Negro to American £ < • nationality as slave, freedman and citizen was far from i < > negligible. No element of American life has so subtly and <£ <; yet clearly woven itself into warp and woof of our thinking < > and acting as the American Negro. He came with the first •{► ;; explorers and helped in exploration. His labor was from J ;; the first the foundation of the American prosperity and •£ ; j the cause of the rapid gr owth of the new world in social and y ;; economic importance. Modern democracy rests not simply y ; ; on the striving white men in Europe and America but also y ; ; on the persistent struggle of the black men in America for y ; | two centuries. The military defense of this land has de- ,{y ; pended upon Negro soldiers from the time of the Colonial $ ; wars down to the struggle of the World War. Not only does ? ; the Negro appear, reappear and persist in American litera- ;; ; ture but a Negro American literature has arisen of deep ;; significance, and Negro folk lore and music are among the • • choicest heritages of this land. Finally the Negro has played ! I ; a peculiar spiritual role in America as a sort of living, ; breathing test of our ideals and an example of the faith, > > hope and tolerance of oar religion.—Du Bois, "The Gift of :i J | Block Ftfk.” i... ♦♦♦♦«♦/♦♦♦{ , questionably endowed with humor and music, that has made a marked ad vance in poetry within the scant six ty years of its freedom, will unques tionably produce finer poetry when conditions have followed their present tendency for a generation or two. In the light of these facts the present period is, from the larger point of view, likely to nitness the real dawn of Negro poetry.” HE THAT ENDURETH TO THE END One of the greatest failings of the Negro is his lack of continuity of purpose and action. He will start out in some under taking with so much zeal and enthu siasm that one would be inclined to think that he could achieve his goal in less than given time. Watch his progress and you will observe that when he should be striving hardest his interest wanes, he gives up. Ask him his reason, and he will retort nonchalantly, “I couldn’t be bothered any longer,” or “Something went wrong.” This indifferent attitude is exhibited in the actions of Negroes; in all walks of life. They lack stick-1 to-it-iveness, and do not realize that it is the plodder that rights wrongs, j surmounts difficulties and eventually reaches his goal. Nothing in this world that is worth while is easily obtained. Whether it is a good position, a business, a pro-; fession or a life-companion, these prerequisites all require the elements j fo stamina, perseverance and endur-; ance in one’s character to acquire them. Use this thought as an in centive when faced by difficulties and th£y will disappear before your in- i trepid onslaught. The youth who has to work and struggle hard to acquire a profession usually appreciates it, and puts it to better use than one whose parents paid his expenses and furnished him ■with an office or the necessary ap purtenances to practice such profes sion. The struggles to attain one’s ambition bring out either the best or worst in us. If we fail to overcome our difficulties, we exhibit a weakness j of character that could not stand the test of endurance because the ele ments of self-confidence and courage were undermined by fear and doubt. If we overcome our difficulties we conquer our own weaknesses and. thereby gain two victories at once— ! the attainment of our ambition and the conquest of our weaker self.—The j Negro World (N. Y.) ODE TO THE CRAVEN FAIN By William Poag. W'ho casts a slur on Negro worth, a j stain on Negro fame, Who dreads to own his Negro blood, j or live, or die the same, Who scorns the warmth of Negro hearts, the clasp of Negro hands ? Let us but raise the veil tonight and shame him as he stands. The Negro fame: It rests enshrined within its own proud light, Wherever sword or tongue or pen has fashioned deed or might; From battle charge of El Cana to Europe’s thunder tone, It holds its storied past on high- un rivaled and alone. The Negro blood! Its crimson tide has watered hill and plain Wherever there were wrongs to crush or freemen’s rights to gain; No dastard thought, no coward fear, has held it tamely by, When there were noble deeds to do and noble deaths to die! The Negro heart! The Negro heart! God keep it fair and free, The fullness of its kindly thought, its wealth of honest glee, Its generous strength, its ardent faith, its uncomplaining trust, Though every worshipped idof breaks and crumbles into dust. And Negro hands! Aye, lift them up! Enbrowned by honest toil, The champions of the world today, the guardians of the soil; When flashed their battle swords aloft, a waiting world might see What Negro hand could do and dare to keep a people free. They bore our starry flag aloft through enemy gate and wall, They stood before the foremost rank, the bravest of them all. And when before the cannon’s mouth they held the foe at bay, O, never could the Negro’s heart beat prouder than that day. So, when a craven fain would hide the birthmark of his race, Or slightly speak of Afric sons before his children’s face, Breathe no weak word of scorn or shame, but crush him where he stands, With Negro worth and Negro fame as won by Negro hands. Among the twenty-three women ar rested in 1924 for murder, two of them were colored. Both were con victed of first degree murder. * # # When French, Russ and Democrat And a Serb all bunch together, The man who is a diplomat Will talk about the weather. • • * There are more Sunday school mot toes hanging up on the walls than are lived up to. A San Diego man has been fined for snoring in church. Serves him right. One snoring mail in church ii a nuisance to any of the rest of ui who want to sleep. The best of all medicines are rest and fasting.—Franklin. Soft words are frequently more ef fective than hard facts. The watchful sentinel Is happier than the sleeping soldier. A man is, in his veriest reality, whet he loves.—George Tyrrell. He that will he angry for anything will be angry for nothing.—Sallust. Lying Is the strongest acknowledg ment of the force of truth.—Hazlltt. "If you would he wealthy think of saving as well as getting.”—Franklin. If some people only spoke their minds they wouldn’t have so much to say. It Is not until you know some people well that you regret you do know them well. Worry eats through energy, purpose, vitality, and produces—nothing.—The Progressive Grocer. As the yellow gold is tried In the Are, so the faith of friendship must be seen In adversity. Men of Great Genius Not Firstborn Children It has often been said that first-born children are the clevera.st in the fam ily, but the careful Investigation of the Society of Bavarian School Teach ers upsets this theory. An inquiry into 74 cases of prominent personali ties of the artistic and literary world showed that among them were only ten first-born children. The vast ma jority were late-born offspring. Fenl more Cooper was the eleventh of twelve children; Honore Balzac, the youngest son of his parents; Napoleon Bonaparte, the eighth child; Benjamin Franklin, the youngest of seventeen; Rembrandt, the fifth of six children; Richard Wagner and Wolfgang Ama deus Mozart were the last of seven; Robert Schuman, the fifth, and Frans Schubert, the thirteenth of fourteen children. The investigations thus show that a rather advanced age of the par ents seems to be more favorable to the production of great personalities. Returned to Native Sod With shells screaming overhead and the rattle of machine guns in the air, an officer of the Irish guards in the front line trenches near Givenchy In 1915, noticed some pinks growing In the garden of a shell-battered cottage between the lines. That night be suc ceeded In digging up some of the plants with an entrenching tod. Even tually they reached a garden In Sur rev. where th(^ have .bloomed and In creased. Now plants grown from these war refugees have been taken back to Givenchy by an officer of the Imperial War Grnves commission, and their white flowers are to be seen In the Guards’ cemetery, and by the Me morial of the West Lancashire terri torial*.—London Times. Heart Specialists Organize The American Heart association is a recently formed organization of car diac specialists whose announced pur pose is "to study and disseminate knowledge concerning functional de rangements and maladies of the heart, to promote scientific treatment of such sufferers, to relieve the sufferings of patients unable to work because of the disease, and to select avenues and means of employment sultnble to other patients.” Record Snapshot A snapshot taken from the highest altitude at which any such photo graph has ever been made Is now on exhibition at the War department In Washington. The picture Is of Dayton, Ohio, and It was taken from 32,220 feet above sea level, which Is a little more than six miles. The temperature was 02..1 degrees below zero F., and special electric warming devices had to b« for the camera. Wooden Sewing A*achine A sewing machine made entirely of wood, except a few screws and the needle, is owned by P. A. Coney of Deerlng Center, Maine. Although the wooden bobbins, wooden wheel, wood en head and wooden machinery are more than half a century old. all are In good working condition. The ma chine was made 33 ypars ago by Mr. Coney's grandfather, Philip A. Faust of Danville. Pa. « Woman's Distinctions Dr. Amflla Ftelnhardt, who Is at the head of Mills college In California. Is said to possess more college and university degrees than any other woman In America. In nddltlon, she has the distinction of being the only woman to hold the presidency of a col lege In any part of the far West. NOTICE TO NON-RESIDENT DEPENDENT To Ellis Lacy, non-resident defend ent: You are hereby notified that on the 14th days of October, 1924,Bernice Lacy, as plaintiff, filed a petition in the District Court of Douglas County, Nebr., against you as defendent, the object and prayer of which are to ob tain a divorce from you on the grounds of cruelty and non-support, and custody of your minor child, Ellis. You are required to answer said petition on or before the 23rd day of February, 1926. BERNICE LACY, Plaintiff. By W. B. Bryant, her attorney. 4-tl-16-25 JACK RENAULT jWWWVA T. and P. Cleaners All Work Guaranteed We Call for and Deliver j. § 2120 North 24th St. I; J Web. 1020 j; H. J. Pinkett I ATTORNEY AND j; COUNSELLOR-AT-LAW jj Suite 19, Patterson Block j; 17th and Farnam Sts. I| !• Office Phone At. 9344 Ij 5 Res. Web. 3180 £ V.W.VAWWWYVWWVWUW AV.V.'.V.V.V.V.VAV.V.V.V.; W. B. Bryant £ !■ ■: ATTORNEY AND S COUNSELLOR-AT-LAW £ Suite 19, Patterson Block ^ 5 17th and Farnam Sts. 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