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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (April 3, 1925)
t l,”l»C :: :: 'HT' IT T7' ^VT T 'T' TJ CR0W1MC .. M :l l,ftto° I M r> IV1 U IN 1 1 Uiv » thamk T" I NEBRASKA’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS S THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor $2.00 a Year—5c a | t OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 1925 Whole Number 508 Vol. X—No. 39 P® ___ Klan Plots To Kill Negro Editor, Says Ex-Klan Leader PRESIDENT DRGED TO ACTION AGAINST DISFRANCHISEMENT Director of National Race Congress! Formally Requests Appointment of Special Invesigator of Southern Elections. CHARLES BEECHER WARREN MAN. Former Nominee for Attorney General Favored for Important Work. All Amendments Should he Enforced. New York, N. Y., April 3—(For The Associated Negro Press)—President Coolidge has been urged to back up the recommendation made in his Dec ember message to Congress and in his inaugural address on law enforcement, by having the department of Justice make a thorough investigation of elec tion conditions in the South. The President has been requested to advise Attorney General Sargent to make a complete investigation, and further to name Charles B. Warren, of Michigan, as special assistant l). S. Attorney General to take charge of the work. This request is emphasized in a statement issued by Rev. Dr. W. A. Byrd, Director of the National Race Congress, anil a prominent Presbyter ian minister of Jersey City, N. J. In a statement made public today by Dr. Byrd, he says the following: ‘The saddest reflection in Constitu tional government in American his tory is the fitful and woeful winking at the enforcement of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments to the Con stitution. The United States Senate flies into spasms about the majesty of the law when the President names a man of highest integrity for the of fice of Attorney General, and one would think, not knowing the facts, that the Senate keeps an eagle eye on all law infringement. “As a matter of fact, hundreds of thousands of loyal American citizens are openly disfranchised in the South, and never a word is said against it or one thin dime appropriated to enforce the law. Senators speak of their sacr ed offices and solemnly appeal to the conscience of the nation, while their own consciences are petrified w'ith res pect to disfranchisement. In my opin ion, there will never be a better time than now' to bring this subject before the American people for consideration. “Attorney General Sargent, in his first formal interview with the press, emphatically stated that he believes in law enforcement. He says that he will enforce the fourteenth and fif teenth amendments. One is not any more a part of the Constitution than the other: certainly it is no less. We hope that Charles Beecher Warren may be named Special Assistant U. S. Attorney General for the specific pur pose of inquiring into the election laws of the South, as^they affect Federal elections. “Warren, on more than one occa sion_tjas demonstrated his belief in citizenship justice and I am of the opinion that he could enter upon these new duties with some degree of right eous spirit. President Coolidge, -we believe, meant what he said in his message to Congress anil in his in augural address. “Millions of patriotic Americans will heartily back the Administration up in such an investigation, and then there will be real sincerity and less Death League Drafts Our Jimmy Wilcox On last Saturday afternoon Jimmy Wilcox, premier third baseman of the Western league for the past t;wo seasons was taken from the Omaha club, by death, after a lingering illness during the winter. Jimmy was the keystone of the Omaha pen nant winning ag gregation and his Barney place will be hard to fill. Jimmy O’Neil is now playing the sack, and has apparently been go ing good, but fans here know that O'Neil is a short stop and a real one, so should be allowed to play where he belongs, and a regular hard hitting man for the hot corner be secured. Reports from Texas have not been altogether encouraging in the way of winning games hut Burch and Griggs report their team in fine fet tie un<! that they have as yet not used their regular line-up, depending largely on their rookies, determining their worth. Aside from the loss of Wilcox, the only regular not yet in camp is Harry I/ee, one of the real pitching aces in the Tearney loop. Burch, however, issued a statement to the effect that Harry would be in the fold after April 1. Robinson, who had been a holdout, reported last week and has been in right field since then. Secretary Hans Reis has been busy as the proverbial beaver the past sev eral days arranging for opening day in Omaha and tells us that great events are in store for the fans who are expected to crowd the park when Oklahoma City meets the champs here late this month. And while on opening day topics, all readers should be reminded that it is their duty to plan on being pres ent on that day to greet the pennant winners in their first home game. April 29th is the day and the hour will be 3. Be there with bells on! UNION ACTORS AND THEATRE OWNERS CONFER. By J. A. Jackson Washington, D. C., April 3—(By The Associated Negro Press)—A committee of members of the Colored Actors’ Union, an organization com [Kised of over eight hundred Negro performers in all branches of the show business has just conferred with three of the executives of the Theatre Owner’s Booking Association—The circuit that is the dominant one in the matter of Negro performers and thea tres that play to Negro audiences. These three, S. H. Dudley, vice presi dent of the T. O. B. A. and its east ern manager; Sam Reevin of Chatta nooga, the treasurer and general man nooga, the treasurer and general man the Chicago offices entered the con ference authorized to talk for the for ty-three theatres that comprise the circuit, and that books for nearly as many other colored theatres. These houses play more than twen ty-five tabloid companies and two hundred vaudeville acts to a daily seating capacity of more than forty thousand people. They extend from Washington, to San Antonio, Texas, and to Chicago on the North. SEND LETTER TO governor McMullen The Business and Professional Men's Club, of which Charles Solomon is president and D. H. Oliver secre tary, representing a membership of 175 men, has written Governor Mc Mullen thanking him for appointing the Rev. E. H. McDonald, of Omaha, deputy oil inspector. The letter states that this recognition of the race as being an integral part of the citizenry of the state is appreciated. The full roster of the officers of the club is as follows: President, Charles Solomon; vice-presidenj;, A. F. Peoples; secretary, D. H. Oliver; assistant secretary, Leroy C. Broom field; treasurer, R. C. Price; sergeant at-arms, Dr. A. B. Madison; executive committee, A. F. Peoples, D. H. Oliv er, R C. Price, Dr. J. A. Singleton, Rev. J. H. Ellis, Dr. A. M. McMillan and M. Lynch. CONFIRMATION AT ST. PHILIPS CHURCH SUNDAY. Bishop Shayler will visit the church ohf St. Philip the Deacon next Sun day afternoon at 4:30 to administer! the Sacrament of Confirmation. The other services on Palm Sunday will be as follows: Holy Communion and blessing of palms, 7:30 a. m., church school 10:00, Matins and the Story of the Cross at 11 a. m. Last Sunday afternoon the Sacra ment of Holy Baptism was adminis tered to twelve children, the largest number baptized at one time in Fath er Williams’ entire ministry. During Holy Week the Holy Communion will be celebrated daily at 7 a. m., except Good Friday. The usual Three Hours Service fror.. 12 noon to 3 p. m. will be held on Good Friday. mockery about the enforcement of the eighteenth amendment.” According to Dr. Byrd, the National Race Congress, of which Dr. W. H. Jernagin of Washington is President, and which has l>een looking forward to this opportunity for more than a doz en years, is raising a fund of $25,000 to bring the facts of the subject of dis franchisement and other subjects frankly to the attention of the Ameri can people. FAMOUS MONARCH BAND MAY VISIT CAPITAL. Premier Negro Musicians of Country to Be Heard In Concert In Washington. (Columbian Press Bureau) Washington, D. C., April 3.—The “Hell Fighters” have left more than memories of their valorous deeds in France during the World War. From their ranks they bequeathed the musi cal nucleus of what is regarded today as the finest hand of Negro musicians in the country, and Washington is soon to have the privilege of hearing the famous Monarch organization in par ade and in concert, according to inti mations received from Charles T. Ma gil, versatile New York newspaper man and Secretary' of the Kings Coun ty Colored Republican Organization, of Brooklyn, Ne. Y. The Monarch band is the first col ored band to be selected to play band concerts in the city parks of Greater New York. So outstanding were their performances last year that they have already been engaged for the coming summer season. The wood-wind sec tion of the Monarch band has been pronounced by musical critics to be equal to Sousa’s; and, as a whole, the Monarch organization is said to play with a dash and pep not unlike the renowned Vassela’s Italian band. I ieut. Fred W'. Simpson, leader of the Monarch* and greatest Negro band leader in the United States, contem plates several days in Washington in the near future, during which his or ganization will appear before promi nent Government officials and the general public. More hogs are raised in southern Georgia than elsewhere in the cotton states. AN AMAZING PROPOSAL. Bryan Brothers Planning to Line Up the Progressive West and the ( Dominant South to Save Democrats. Washington, D. C., April 3.—The Bryan brothers, one a resident of Fro rida, the other of Nebraska, boldly propose to line up, for the purpose of national Democratic control, the ag gressive and progressive west with the dormant South, an amazing and impossible proposition, the only pro bable effect of which will be an evane scent encouragement to the disconso late southern democracy from whose recent disastrous national political political domination the country will not recover for several decades. The proposal, however, is of especial in terest to colored citizens, who fully realize the fact that when the South is in the political saddle, Negroes are in the political halter. Possibly William Jennings Bryan and his brother Charlie overlook the fact that the South has absolutely nothing to contribute to the West, the development of whose agriculture, municipalities, mines, water-power projects and railroads annually re quire vast sums of money, most of which is raised through the flotation of bond issues, not in Atlanta, Char leston, Memphis or New Orleans, but in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago. The suggestion of a po litical death pact between these two sections, so different in their aims and aspirations, will not be favorably re ceived in the West, which is now re ceiving, through its allegiance with the Republican party, greater power in national legislative affairs than it could hope for through a combination with the democratic and unprogres sive South. FEDERAL INDUSTRIAL INSTITU TION IN WEST VIRGINIA. Committee Appointed to Select Site for Institution for Woman Have Made Selection. Washington, D. C., April 3.—The U. S. Attorney General, the Secre tary of the Interior, and the Secre tary of Labor, a committee appoint ed by the U. S. Senate for the purpose of selecting a site for the Federal In dustrial Institution for Women, estab lished under Section 2 of the Act of June 7, 1924, have selected Alderson, W. Va., as the location for the pro posed institution. In their report, the members of the committee said: “We have examined into the merits of the respective sites offered, and have fixed upon Alderson, W. Va., not only be cause the natural advantages of the location are equal to those found at any other site available, but because (1) a tract of land comprising 202 acres, known as the ‘Rose Farm,’ situ ated in Monroe and Summers Coun ties, W. Va.. is to be donated free ot cost to the United States Government, (2) 300 acres of adjoning farm land comprised in the ‘Nash Farm’ can be purchased for $48,000, 13) the town of Alderson has agreed to cooperate with the Governement in securing an adequate water supply for the insti tution, and (4) necessary terminal fa cilities will be provided by the railroad companies.” The organic act creating the pro posed Federal home provides for a su perintendent, assistant superintendent, and other officers and employees, to gether with a staff of instructors qualified in English education, trades, and industry; and it is presumed, of course, that there will be need for a trained personnel of both white and colored officials and employees. Omaha Citizens Voice Approval of Monitor’s Resentment of Chicago Editor’s Unjust and Misleading Criticism Numbers of our readers have called us up while others have written us in commendation of our defense of the Negro citizens of Omaha against the unjust, misleading and damaging criticism published in the Chicago De fender of March 21, and with which we took issue last week. We are high ly gratified with the expressions of approval and are pleased that we were able to render such appreciated ser vice. While it is impossible to quote all the following are representative of messages received and the sentiment expressed: Editor Monitor: I wish to thank you for ,your article in reply to Mr. Ab bott of the Chicago Defender. Sin cerely yours, Dillard Simpson, 2621 Erskine street. Editor Monitor: Please accept my thanks for your able reply to the cri ticism of Mr. Abbott of the Chicago Defender. Sincerely yours, W. B. Tavlor. 2117 No. 28th Ave. Editor Monitor: Your answer to the Defender editorial in which you point out thhe wrong Editor Abbott did Omaha in writing it was timely and necessary. Editor Abbott, when he wrote his editorial, was “talking through h'ls hat". He did not have correct information about Colored Omaha and he had no opportunity to get it while here. It is, as you say, an unfortunate thing to invite persons to Omaha, only to have them traduce it. Keep up the good work. H. J. Pinkett. “I want to express my sincere thanks and congratulate you upon your splendid defense of our Negro citizens against the unfair, untrue and damaging attack of that Chicago editor. His article will do us a lot of damage. I can’t see what he was thinking about. I am glad you have put him straight." W. F. Botts, pas tor Zion Baptist Church. “When I read the Defender editorial I was indignant and wanted to ans wer it. I am glad you answered the criticism which is unquestionably un fair and does our people a great in justice.” Mrs. L. E. Britt. “Your reply is a cracker jack. It's all right. Glad you did it. C. S. Spriggs. “I am phoning for Doctor Hawkins and myself to express our gratitude to you for your excellent reply tp Mr. Abbott’s outrageous criticism of Oma ha’s Negro Citizens." Mrs. IA. L. Hawkins. “Congratulations and thanks for your reply to that Chicago editor’s pipe dreani.” Sergeant Dailey. “Dr. McDonald is ill, and he has ask ed me to phone you to express his ap preciation, and I wish to add mine al so, of your splendid article in reply to Mr. Abbott. It’s all right.” Mrs.E. H. McDonald. “I was hoping some one would re ply to Mr. Abbott’s foolish editorial on Omaha and none could do it better than you. I want to thank you. And I wonder why they never think to bring visitors to the Old Folks Home?f’ Martha Taylor Smith. “Beautifully done. Your article is great. We can always count on you to say the right thing at the right time in the right way." Alfred Jones. “Your courteous but forcible reply to that Chicago editor is just the thing. I wish to thank you for it. His article places our citizens in a most unenviable light.” M. H. Wil kinson, pastor Spring Hill Baptist Church. Ether Wares ~1 MARRY EARLY, SAYS MRS. ROS COE BRUCE. Boston, Mass., April 3.—(By The Associated Negro Press)—In an inter view given to a reporter for the Bos ton American, Mrs. Clara Bruce, wife of Roscoe Bruce, former ass. super intedent of schools in the District of Columbia, expresseil it as her belief that it would be for the best interests of all concerned if couples married early. “Bringing up a child requires in finite patience and imagination. The parent must adjust herself to every period of the child’s life and must grow as the child grows,” she explains. “I have always been my children’s playmate. What chance has a young ster of twelve of being understood by a parent of forty, who has had no pre vious experience with children, or a girl of twenty by a mother of fifty who has lost contact with young folks? Yet this must be the conse quence of late marriage.” Mrs. Bruce is the mother of four children, a daughter at Radcliffe, a son at Harvard and two sons in the Cambridge Latin high school. She herself is a student in the Boston Uni versity Law School. SUCCESSFUL GROCER MOVES IN TO NEW STORE. Mr. S. E. Montgomery, who has been located at 2513 Lake St., with a very small grocery store has moved into a large new concrete building at 2531 Lake Street, where he had his formal opening last Saturday with a record-breaking patronage. On the opening day efficiency of service for the race was shown by the manner in which the great crowd was promptly served by the willing corps of worK | ers in charge. Mr. Montgomery opened with a new fresh stock of groceries, meats, can ned goods, vegetables and sundries. An efficient delivery service had been installed to serve the public on the opening date of the larger store. Mr. Montgomery came to this city from Alabama. Since his arrival here he has bent every effort to make his store just what it promises to be in its present location, one of the largest race institutions in the city of Oma ha. His wife has worked right along with him, and has been a great factor in his success. ■ The situation is an ideal one for the grocery business which Mr. Montgom ery has developed, the building is ad mirably adapted for its purpose. All the work in building, except the plumbing, done by the Nebraska Plumbing Co., a race institution, and the fixtures, was done by the owner himself. OMAHA CHAPTER O. E. S HAS JAPANESE LUNCHEON The Omaha Chapter of- Eastern Star gave their lantern Japanese lun cheon at the residence of Mrs. R. L. Turner, 2817 Miami street Thursday, March 26, from 2 until 10 p. m. The house was beautifully decorated in Japanese colors and styles. There were 90 guests present. Music was rendered by Mr. Leroy Richardson and Mr. Owen during the afternoon and evening. Also a vocal solo by Mrs. Saunders Brown.. All departed at 10 p. m. reporting a pleasant time and a lovely repast. The chairman of committee, Mrs. Earl Jones, and the matron, Mrs. Johnson, wish to thank all for their co-operation. KLAN PLANS’ MURDER OF FEARLESS EDITOR HOUSTON INFORHER Former Grand Goblin Discloses On Witness Stand Plot to Kill Clif ton Richardson and Des troy Evidence. SHERIFF TO ACT AS DECOY Two Plans of Procedure Proposed But Neither Actually Tried Ac cording to Kimbro’s. Statement. Houston, Texas, April 3.—(By The Associated Negro Press)—“We dis cussed two methods of getting rid of him, both calculated to destroy all possible signs of discovery of the crime. One plan was to lure him in to a doctor’s office, cut him up into tiny bits and give each one of the fel lows a piece of his flesh to carry away as a souvenir. The other way was to locate a quicksand into which he might be thrown.” It was in this manner that George Kimbro, Jr., the principal figure in the Klan-Kimbro damage suit, ex plained the plans which the Ku Klux Klan, of which he was a grand goblin, to get rid of Clifton F. Richardson, the militant editor of the Houston In former. The klan is suing Kimbro for $25,000, and he is suing the klan for $40,000 on a debt claim and $500,000 damages. As the week ended, Kimbro concluded nine days of sensational testimony. Neither of the two methods for taking Richardson’s life which were named in Kimbro’s testimony above were actually tried, although the wit ness told of trips that he and fellow klansmen made in the night in an ef fort to find a quicksand into which Richardson might be dumped. Another plan was actually started. A klan grand jury was instructed to issue a subpoena for Richardson on the grounds that he had published il legal matter in his paper. This was to have been the Wharton county grand jury and Richardson was to have been brought to the courthouse in the custo_ dy of the sheriff. At a given sign, however, the sheriff was to step aside and two patriotic Americans, properly concealed and skilled in the use of the rifle, were to take shots at him. An attachment was actually issued against Richardson, but, for some rea son or other, the entire plan was never gone through. It is generally understood that Clif ton Richardson is a “pain in the side of this section.” A copule years ago he was beaten up by rowdies and friends have explained that it was the necessity of protecting his life that had robbed his famous editorials of some of the fire a few years ago. His paper has been most unbiased and fearless in publishing stories of crime attempted and perpetrated against Negroes in this section. YOUNG RACE WOMAN IS APPOINTED ASSESSOR County Assessor Sam K. Greenleaf has appointed Miss Naomi Lee asses sor for District No. 16 which includes the territory bounded by Ohio street on the north and Clark cn the south, between Twentieth and Twenty fourth streets. Miss Lee is the first young woman of our race to serve in this capacity in this city and it is hoped that this will establish a pre cedent. Colored Children Intelligent as Whites A report received from Los Angeles, California, by the National Associa tion for the Advancement of Colored Beople, New York, states that tests made upon public school children of Los Angeles show colored children to be as intelligent as the whites. The tests were given to 500 Negro elementary school children during the year 1922-23 and the report says “the group is probably representative of the Negro elementary school popula tion of Los Angeles.” The findings are summarized as fol lows: “1. Intelligence level. The median intelligence quotients and the distribu tion of intelligence over the various classifieatory groups indicate that there is no significant difference shown in the intelligence level of the Negro children and that of children in the fifteen schools taken as a whole.” “2. Educational accomplishment. The average accomplishment and range of accomplishment for Negro children is practically the same as for the total population of the fifteen schools.” “3. Reading comprehension. The average ability for all Negro children tested was 0.203 of a grade below the norm, while that of pupils in forty ele mentary schools was 0.016 of a grade below norm. This is not a signifi cant variation.” “4. Arithmetic ability. The average ability for all Negro children examin ed was 0.103 of a grade above the norm, while that for pupils in forty elementary schools was 0.38 of a grade above norm. The difference represents a little less than three months school work." “5. Spelling ability. The average pbility for all Negro children tested was 0.973 of a grade below the norm, while that for pupils in forty elemen tary schools was 0.79 of a grade be low norm. Although the Negro chil dren are nearly a whole grade retard ed in spelling ability, the situation is * not materially different for the total school population.” v The report is made by Willis W. Clark of Los Angeles for the city school system.
