Nebraska Newspapers

    I
r::T^ The monitor
NEBRASKA’S 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, MARCH 13, 1925 Whole Number 505 Vol. X—No. 36
X " .. II! I I —II. II I II ———
FI6HT RESIDERTHL SESBE6ATI0N EVIL
- *•«? _ '______
CHICAGO EDITOR
OEUVERS ADDRESS
TO DIG AUDIENCE
Robert S. Abbott, Founder and Owner |
of Chicago Defender, Speaker at
Third Anniversary of
Bethel Church
BISHOP CARRY ALSO PRESENT
Methodist Prelate Makes Strong Plea
for Funds to Pay Debt and
Introduces the
Speaker
Standing room was at a premium in
St. John’s A. M. R. church Monday
night where Robert S. Abbott, editor
of the Chicago Defender, spoke under
the auspices of Bethel A. M. F„
Church, which celebrated the third an
niversary of its founding. The major
object of the celebration was to
raise funds to meet the mortgage on
Bethel, threatened with foreclosure.
The pastor of St. John’s, the Rev. C.
A. Williams, had graciously placed his
large church at the disposal of tne
daughter church for this occasion, and
an expectant and appreciative audi
ence filled it to overflowing. Bishop
r rev of Chicago, in charge of this
district, also came to lend his influ
ence, at great personal inconvenience.
I* was Mr. Abbott's first visit to
Omaha and the audience was anxious
to see and hear the man who had suc
cessfully built up such a large and in
fluential newspaper as The Chicago
Defender, with its $100,000 plant and
126 employees, unquestionably is.
Those who expected to find in Mr.
Abbott a great orator were disap
pointed. While he drove home many
plain truths which need to be ns
neatedly emphasized and said many
good things, there was a crudity and
hesitancy which betraved an untruined
speaker. The too frequent use of the
first personal pronoun was also an un
conscious fault of the speaker.
Mr. Abbott was placed at a great
disadvantage, too, from the fact that
"Ithough he was scheduled to deliver
the principal address, other features
of the program, some of them un
necessary and tiresome, postponed his
address until nearly 11 o’clock. This
■ as a great injustice to him and also
to the patient audience who had come
to hear him.
Mr, Abbott was introduced by
Bishop Carey. He expressed his de
light at his reception in our city and
thp favorable impression it had made
upon him. The keynote of his speech
was ‘‘Selling American Citizenship to
Ourselves". He stressed the impor
tance of being living and dying Amer
ican citizens.
“The Negro,” said Mr. Abbott, “has
not received American citizenship.
The Constitution gives it to him, but
he is loath to take it. He discounts
himself. He permits foreigners to
come here and be admitted to the
privilege of citizenship which he de
clines to grasp. He is sleeping on his
rights, and needs to be awakened. So
long as he discounts himself and acts
us though he were not an American
citizen, with all that term implies, he
will lie ‘aken at the value which he
(Continued on Page Two)
essay contest on race
RELATIONS AROUSES GREAT
INTEREST AT KNOXVILLE
College Students Are Being Encour
aged to Give Conscientious
Study to Important
Question
(Preston News Service.)
Knoxville, Tenn., March 13.—Great
interest is being shown by the stu
dents of Knoxville College in the
prize for the best essay on Race Re
lations recently established by Rev.
I. M. McQuilkin, D.D., of Pittsburgh,
Pa. The general subject is "The Re
sponsibilities of Each Race for Better
Race Relations.’ The contest is open
to all the members of the junior and
senior classes, and the majority of the
r,'eml>ers of both classes have signi
fied their intention to eompete for
'he prizes. Hr. McQuilkin intimated
that the winning essay would be pub
lished in one of the leading re
ligious periodicals. This effort to
stimulate a deeper interest in and
study of race relations is highly com
mendable, declared a member of the
college faculty, and it is hoped that,
many other such prizes will be estab
lished in this and other institutions
throughout the country. The students
of both races should be encouraged to
give this <|uestion serious and con
scientious study.
INDUSTRIAL RACE COMMISSION
BILL EXPIRES WITH CONGRESS.
(Columbian Press Bureau.)
Washington, March 13, 1925.—The
Foster Bill, creating a Federal Negro
Industrial Commission, carried for
ward into the Senate by Senator
Cummins, of Iowa, automatically ex
pired with the closing of Congress on
March 4th. This proposed legislation,
which has been pending for nearly
two years, and which was merely a
new edition of the measure introduced
some time ago by Senator Spencer,
of Missouri, thus dies, and there ean
be no Negro Industrial Commission
until new legislation has been intro
duced, which must run the usual
course of Committee hearings, debate,
passage, and signed approval by the
President.
Such a commission was originally
conceived by the late Col. Giles B.
Jackson, of Virginia, who secured
substantial support from Ex-Con
gressman Layton of Delaware. Dr.
Jesse Lawson, an eminent Negro so
ciologist of Washington, and other
proponents, both white and colored.
Opposition to the industrial bill wai
quite marked, and Mrs. Sadie Mossell
Griffin, of Philadelphia, L. O. Walker,
of the Washington Tribune, Attorney
James I’. Neill, of Washington, and
others, were vigorously active in their
protests. It is expected that another
effort will be made to establish the
proposed commission when the new
Congress convenes.
C ARD OF THANKS
Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Costen desire to
thank the Priscilla Art Class anil the
Charity Circle of which Mrs. Ardena
Watson is president for their appre
ciated trifts to and congratulations
upon the birth of their son.
RODS LOOK GOOD IN TRAINING CAMP
Kre many weeks
roll past Omaha
base ball fans will
be mulling their
way into the vin
ton street League
Park for the open
ing home game of
the season.
The Omaha West
ern leaguers, the
Buffaloes, are now
in spring training
camp in Texas and
most of the regu
lars and all of the
rookies have ar
rived and are rapidly being whipped
into shape by Manager Griggs, Coach
Leldy and Owner Barney.
Recent telegraphic word from their
camp gives evidence that Omaha fans
may expect a crackerjack club this
season, for while Mr. Burch sold sev
eral of his stars, he has also been
busy in the buying market.
True, Old Joe Bonowitz, Lou Koup
al, Joe Dailey, Nick Cullup and Frisco
Thompson will not be back this seas
on but we have King and Harris from
Shreveport, Johnny Monroe from the
same state, anil a couple of pitchers
from Pittsburg, besides a host of very
promising looking rookies to mould
another pennant winner from.
There always has been and always
will Ire criticism of the magnate who
sells his stars after u pennant win
ning season. But sometimes this is
justified and especially so in such a
season as last year when Owner
Burch Has an actual loss in gate re
ceipts necessary to meet expenses of
over $15,000.
This season from all predictions of
writers all over the country promises
to Ire one of the best for years ai^d
Omaha fans should rally to the stand
ard of their pennant winners rind per
haps we will repeat this season.
Reports coming from the majors’
training camps tell of the almost cer
tain success of Nick Cullop with the
Yankees, whom he is with now.
In a training game this week Ire
tween the regulars and yannigans,
Nick won the game for the latter in
the 9th inning with a long homer over
Whitey Witt’s head in deep center
field.
Thompson and Koupal, who are
with Pittsburg at their camp in Cali
fornia both look good but will un
doubtedly to farmed out for further
experience.
Oklahoma City is counting on
Thompson being at their keystone
sack this year for they expect Pitts
burg to send him to them in payment
for Don Songer.
a negro pioneer
(Columbian Press Bureau.)
Portland, Oreg., March 18, 1926.—
Back in the early eighties, William
Bush a Missouri Colored man went to
Oregon. He had $10,000 in cash and
wanted to buy some Oregon land; but
as that State had not co-ordinated
with the Federal constitution, Bush
did not buy ,but journeyed on to
Washington Territory, where he
bought a vast acreage which is now
called Bush’s prairie. later, Bush was
elected to the legislature. It was he
who discovered what is known as Cen
tennial wheat, and his exhibit look
first prize at the Chicago World’s Fan
in 1892. The Bush family is and has
been well known in the southwest part
of the State and has added much to
the progress of Washington. Now that
the states of West Virginia, Michigan
and Wisconsin are making attractive
offers to farmers, it would be well for
those who know how to farm, especial
ly those who are migrating from the
southern states, to investigate these
opportunity.
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF
WOMEN TO MEET
Washington, March 13.—The Nation
al Council of Women of the United
States will be hostess of the Interna
tional Council of Women during the
Quinquennial to 1* held in Washing
ton during the week beginning May
4th. The International Council is a
federation of national councils repre
senting thirty-nine different countries,
and is organized for the promotion of
unity and mutual understanding be
tween all associations of women work
ing for the common welfare of human
ity the world over. The National As
socition of Colored Women is the
only organization of our group affili
ated with the National Council.
More than a year ago when the
question of preparing the program
was considered. Miss Hallie Q. Brown
proposeil that Negro spirituals, the
only true American music, be included
in the musical numbers; and Miss
Brown was appointed to prepare this
important part of the Quinquennial
program. While in Washington at
tending the Inauguration of President
Coolidge, Miss Brown held several
conferences in interest of the Quin
quennial musical evening.
ALLEN CHAPEL, A. M. E. CHURCH.
O. J. BURCKHARDT, Pastor
Sunday makes another epoch in the
history of Allen. We had a greet
Quarterly meeting. Rev. C. A. Wil
liams of St. John brought us a great
message from Jno. 3-16, Rev. G. W.
Slater, Divers, Metcalf, and Jones and
S. E. Grass were present with us. Sun
day, Dr. J. D. Barksdale, the editor of
the Western Christian Recorder with
headquarters at K. C., Kansas, will
speak for us at 7:30 p. m. Dr. Barks-j
dale is a great man. Don’t fail to
come and hear him. He will speak un
der the auspices of the Allen’s league.
CLUB BOYS WHEEL CHAIR
FOR INVALID CHILI)
La Viejo Banda Club had a "Dough
nut Day,” February 7th at the Jewell
Building, to raise funds to purchase
a wheel chair for an invalid child,
Luelln Beam. Our pj^pose has been
ccomplished. Little Luella has the
hair which makes it possible for her
to leave ^er bed for the first time in
three years.
The Club wishes to thank all who
•'n an'- way helped to make this its
first public undertaking a success.
We regret that space will not permit
us to give the names of all who con
tributed toward this end, and name
only those who gave the larger cash
donations: Mrs. Margariette Woody,
Messrs. .James Bell, I,ee Counsellor
L 0 Carev. Team work brought
opiness to all.
I,eona Johnson, Pres.
Cleotta Reynolds, Secy.
Vinnie Hieronymous, Chr.
PEPPER POT CLUB
The Pepper Pot Club held its month
ly social meeting at the Club Den, last
Tuesday pvening, March 10th. The
evening was spent in whist playing.
Mr Russell Taylor who has been ill
returned to the cliib.
Miss Maryella Liverpool entertained
few friends Saturday evening, Mar.
7th, at the Club Den in honor of her
sister’s birthday, Teresa Liverpool.
MR. BONOFF OPENS
EXQUISITE LADIES’ SHOP
Joseph Bonoff, who is well-known
•Hid highly esteemed by a large num
ber of our people has opened up one
of the handsomest ladies' and misses’
clothing shops in the city, on Six
v—~—.— .rfv>r
',J'-u~rLrj:.L.""" -- ", _ . ..— M. M M j
frrnth near Karnam. It is a littlei
gem. It. is known asi “The Shop of I
art Modes". A cordial invitation is|
exfended to our reailers by Mr. Bo-'
noff to visit his exquisite establish-1
ment. "Courteous attention always”1
is Mr. Bonoff’s business motto.
THE PRESIDENT’S SECRETARY
Washington, March 13.—On March
4, Hon. Everett Sanders, an Indiana
Republican, succeeded Hon. C. Bascom
Slemp of Virginia as Secretary to
President Coolidge. Mr. Sanders, who
did not seek renomination or re-elec
tion to the next Congress, was born
near Coalmont, Clay county, Indiana,
March 8, 1882, the son of Rev. James
Sanders and Melissa Everal Sanders.
He taught school for three years; at
tended the Indiana State Normal
School at Terre Haute for two years;
entered Indiana University in 1904,
and graduated from that institution
with the degree of Bachelor of Laws
in 1907.. He was admitted to the In
diana Bar in the City of Terre Haute,
in June, 1907, and practiced law until
he entered Congress in 1917. At the
National Convention, held in Cleve
land, he was prominently mentioned
as a running mate on the ticket with
President Cooldge.
ABBOTT ADDRESSES
BUSINESS MEN AT
COMMERCIAL CLUB
Editor of The Chicago Defender Gives
Some Wholesome Advice to Bus
iness and Professional Men.
Robert S. Abbott, editor of The Chi
cago Defender, spoke before a large
number of enterprising business and
:■<Sessional men at the Colored Com
mercial Club Tuesday evening at 8
o’clock. The meeting was well attend
ed by members from the Colored Com
mercial Club, Negro Business and Pro
fessional Men’s league, and the Jun
ior Colored Commercial Club. Mr. Ab
bott was very well pleased with the
future outlook of the different organi
zations here among the Colored men.
He emphasized the great need of co
operation if any progress is to be
made by the people here. The key
note of the speech of the evening was
his advice to the people to shoot
straight; attempt to render a service
to the people in the most efficient
manner possible for the good of the
people rather than for self aggrand
izement.
Mr. Abbott told of a cluJb formed by
some of the business men in Chicago
known as the A. B. C. It is the in
tention of the club to study race rela
tions from a standpoint of business.!
In order to do this the members do all
in their power to acquaint themselves
with the best modem methods of bus- [
iness in its entirety. He says when
ever a business or professional man
conies to the city of Chicago, he is in-1
vited to speak before the Club.
Mr. Abbott said that the Negro too
long has neglected small details. “We
must look out for these”, he said.
I “They count more in our success than
| many of the bigger things.” “We have
j a large number of men and women
coming from the colleges and univer
| sities each year, make places for all
I these men and women as they come to
us prepared,” pleaded the speaker.
LEONA WILLIAMS
The famous colored Columbia phonograph record star who
will sing her syncopated melodies in person at the popular Gayety
next week in conjunction with Dave “Snuffy” Marion’s Own
Company.
LOUISIANA SUPREME COURT
APPROVES SEGREGATION
Negro Citizens Subscribe $40,000 to
Carry Case to the Supreme
Court of the United
States
(Preston News Service.)
New Orleans, La., March 13.—The
Supreme Court of Louisiana put its
stamp of approval on the segregation
ordinance passed by the city council
some weeks ago, which prohibits Ne
groes from establishing residences in
white residential neighborhoods and
whites from residing in Negro neigh
borhoods.
The case was the outgrowth of a
suit for a restraining injunction by a
white man residing in one side of a
duplex house to prevent the owner
from renting the other side to Ne
groes.
Indications are that the case will
be taken to the United States Supreme
Court, as Negroes are reported to be
enthusiastically subscribing to a $40,
000 fund necessary to take the case
to the higher court. It is said that the
case has now attracted nation wide at
tention and many cities such as Louis
ville, Richmond, Washington, Balti
more and others are watching the
Ix>uisiana case with interest.
-....
| BLACK BELT FARM LABOR
SITUATION DISCUSSED
(Preston News Service.)
: Montgomery, Ala., March 13.—
! Shortage of productive man power in
the eleven Black Belt counties of Ala
bama was dwelt upon in a talk before
the Montgomery Kiwanis Club Tues
day, by Jesse B. Hearin. Mr. Hearin
made a number of striking state
ments, based upon his investigation
; of economic conditions in the Black
' Belt. Among other things he said:
‘‘There are but 9,000 white men 21
' years of age and above in the whole
of Montgomery county.
“There are less than 26,000 white;
i men 21 years of age and over in the
eleven counties of the Alabama Black
| Belt.
“Since the beginning of the recent
| migration of Negroes from the South,
] twice as many Negroes have left these
! eleven Black Belt counties as there are
I white men above 21 years of age in
I this section.”
Mr. Hearin remarked about the
high quality of the citizenship of the
i Black Belt, the natural fertility of the
I Black Belt soils, and said that in his
! opinion the whole problem revolves
about this question of peopling the
1 Black Belt’s fertile lands. He said
! that this must come before the South
| can hope to get industries for the cit
ies. Once solve the land problem, and
industries, I think, will naturally fol
low.”
Large percentages of Negro chil
dren of school age are not enrolled in
school in Southern States, according
to facts brought out at the Thirty
fourth Annual Tuskegee Negro Con
ference held in January, 28.6 per cent
of the total number of Negro children
between the ages of 10 and 14, living
in the rural areas of Alabama did not
attend school in 1920; in Georgia the
corresponding percentage was 32.5; in
Louisiana, 40.0; in Mississippi, 26.2.
COOLIDGE STANDS
FOUR SQUARE FOR
THE CONSTITUTION
■ Document Guarantees Equal Rights to
All American Citizens Irrespec
tive of Race, Creed or
Color
ANNOUNCES AMERICANISM
Given Sufficient Assurance to All
Citizens to Press Forward
Unafraid Into New
Period
(Columbian Press Bureau.)
Washington, March 13, 1925.—“Our
Constitution guarantees equal rights
to all citizens, without discrimination
on account of race or color. I have
taken my oath to support that Consti
tution. It is the source of your rights
and my rights; I propose to regard it
and administer it as the source of the
rights of all the people, whatever their
belief or race may be.” Thus wrote
President Coolidge, on August 22,
1924, in a letter defending the ambi
tion of a Negro citizen to become a
candidate for a seat in Congress; and
on March 4, 1925, after taking oath
of office again as President of the
United States. Mr. Coolidge again
made direct reference to the U. S. Con
stitution in its pronouncement against
discrimination as to any citizen or
class of citizens.
“It would be well,” said President
Coolidge, “if we could replace much
that is only false and ignorant preju
dice with a true and enlightened pride
of race. American seeks no earthly
empire built on blood and force."
Thus are American ideals announced
upon an American platform, and it
was a happy truth that after taking
oath on March 4 to faithfully execute
the office of President of the United
States, and to the best of his ability
to preserve, protect and defend the
Constitution, the President, neither by
reference nor otherwise, made any dis
tinction as to any citizen or class of
citizens in his discussion of the future
administration of the affairs of the
American Government. Such a desig
nation would have been quite unneces
sary in view of the guarantees which
the President has uttered in such un
failing terms since taking offiec.
The die is cast, and with an ideal
background. Equality for all citizens,
without the slightest suggestion of
“denying any measure of full political
rights to such a great group of our
population as the colored people,” for
whom, says President Coolidge, he
“feels his responsibility for living up
to the traditions and maintaining the
principles of the Republican Party.”
This is quite enough assurance for
all citizens, white and colored, to press
forward into the new four-year period
of progress, unafraid, consoled, and
safeguarded, and with the knowledge
that government of the people, for the
people and by the people exists to
day as it did when the Constitution
was amended so as to repledge
American independence to all who
were worthy of its protection, its
peace, and its guaranties.
“CHRISTIANITY AND RACE PROBLEM”
By J. H. Oldham. Published by The
George Doran Company, 244 Madison
Avenue, New York City. Price $1.76.
By mail $1.85.
“This book was undertaken at the
request of the United Council for
Missionary Education and is being
published for them by the Student
Christian Movement." But let no one
think this reads like a missionary pub
lication. It is of broad, humanitarian
interest and recognizes the fact that
race prejudice is rife in Protestantism,
and that the Catholic Cathedral and
the Moslem Mosque are more demo
cratic than the Evangelical church.
It is an effort to get at the reason
for race prejudice, to describe some
thing of its history, and to propose
certain practical steps for its diminu
tion.
“The fundamental issues on racial
relations are not ethnological or bio
logical but ethical. Our difficulties
do not arise primarily from the fact
that differences exist. They are creat
ed by false ideas in our own minds."
This is the keynote of the volume.
The chapters are given up largely t<
probing these ideas, to see how far
they are false and what truth if any,
is in them.
The author brings out with clear
ness the sufferings of men under hu
miliating conditions. It is not whether
a man is poor but whether he is res
pected that is of prime importance.
If a man lose half his crop by flood
it is hard, but it is not insupportable
as it is, when a conqueror takes half
his crop from him in taxes, lording it
over him in the meanwhile. The un
christian, petty insults that the white
practices against the black, the author
condemns in no uncertin words. He
scores such men as Prof. Josey of
Dartmouth, whose book I reviewed
last summer, who would have the
white race deliberately deny the ad
vantages of civilization to the color
ed. “To settle things by the callous
pursuit of material interests, and the
use of superior force,” he says, “and
to settle them by reasoned appeal to
justice and equity are two irreconcil
able modes of precedure and the world
must make its choice between them.
The one leads to an ordered and civi
lized society, the other to anarchy and
ruin.”
Mr. Oldham gives us five practical
suggestions:
1. The conversion of our minds.
2. The growth of right knowledge
on racial matters.
3. Cooperation between the races.
4. The creation of a right public
opinion.
5. The spreading of the Christian
(Continued on Page Two)