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NEBRASKA’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS
THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor
$2.0t a Year—5c a Copy OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 1925 Whole Number 509 Vol. X—40
Moorffil Id Storey Urges Our Race to Join Association
WART OFFERDIRG
LABOR OFFICIAL
PROMPTLY FIRED
Negroes Ask Secretary James J.
Davis for Dismissal of Dr.
Plecker from Labor
Department
DISTRIBUTE PAMPHLETS
Charges That Government Agent
Used Postal Frank to Dis
seminate Anti-Negro
Propaganda
New York, Apr. 10.—The National
Association for the Advancement of
Colored People, 69 Fifth Avenue, to
day made public a letter to Secretary
of l,abor James J. Davis, demanding
the dismissal of Dr. W. A. Plecker of
Richmond, Virginia, from the Labor
Department’s staff, on the ground
that he had used the Labor Depart
ment’s privilege of free mailing, to
distribute “a pamphlet which contains
the most insulting and virulent at
tack upon the colored people of the
United States that could be imagined.
“This anti-Negro propaganda is
contained in a pamphlet entitled ‘Eu
genics in Relation to the New Family
and the Law on Racial Integrity.’ It
is issued by the Bureau of Vital Statis
tics of the State Board of Health of
Richmond, Virginia, and is published
in Richmond. In it is included an ad
dress on ‘Virginia’s attempt to Adjust
the Color Problem,’ by Dr. W. A.
Plecker. On the official government
envelope in which the pamphlet is be
ing circulated Dr. Plecker’s name is
printed as Special Agent of the Unit
ed State Department of Labor, Chil
dren’s Bureau.”
The letter, signed by James Weldon
Johnson, Secretary of the Advance
ment Association, cites the following
quotations from Dr. Plecker’s 32 page
pamphlet in support of the demand for
his dismissal:
“The mental and moral characteris
tics of a black man cannot oven under
the best environments ami education
al advantages become the same as
those of a white man.”
“Let us turn a deaf ear to those
w ho would interpret Christian brother
hood to mean racial equality.”
“Not only do the most enlightened
modern authorities recognize Negro
inferiority and the danger of amalga
mation, but leading Americans in the
past also until the issue was confused
by being thrown into politics, saw
clearly the possibility of disaster to
our institutions and culture.”
“The mongrels are superior in ment
al power to the lower race. They are
more cunning and more capable, but
they lack the creative power of the
higher race, and cannot sustain a last
ing civilization that will rank with
the best of the world."
“There is but one absolute solu
tion which is acceptable and feasible,
and that the one advocated by Lin
coln and other far seeing Statesmen
of the past, the separation of the
races by gradual repatriation of the
colored races. This measure is still
possible, but the longer it is deferred
the greater the task.”
Speaking of the advocates of birth
control, Dr. I’lecker is quoted as say
ing:
“They are failing utterly, and Will
always fail to reach the uneducated,
the feeble-mined, the morons, the Ne
groes, criminals and undesirables, who
do not read and hear, and if they did,
would not have foresight, self-denial
or fortitude to practice the methods
advocated.”
Commenting upon Dr. Flecker's
pamphlet sent out under U. S. Labor
Department franking privilege, the
Advancement Association’s letter to
Secretary Davis says:
« Dr. Plecker is an avowed anti-Ne
gro propagandist who is continually
expressing his views in the public
prints and on the platform. What he
has to say through these two mediums
is insulting to all colored American ci
tizens, but when as an official of the
United States Department of Labor he
sends this matter out under govern
ment frank and at the expense of the
common tax-payers, his actions be
come a public outrage.
“Dr. Plecker has used his official
position to disseminate propaganda
of ipsult and injury to a large class of
American citizens and in so doing has
used the govemmen franking privi
lege for the distribution of matter en
tirely unofficial. Therefore, we, the
National Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People, voicing the
united sentiment of the Negro citizens
of America, respectfully place before
you their demand for the summary
dismissal of Dr. Plecker from the fed
SCHOLARS OF BOTH
RACES HOLD MEETING
IN NORTH CAROLINA
Association for the Study of Negro
History Discusses Important
Phases of Racial Life.
(Preston News Service)
Durham, N. C., April 9.—Under the
auspices of the Association for the
Study of Negro Life and History,
students and teachers from all parts
of the country met in a spring confer
ence on the first and second of April
to discuss the Negro. Schools, clubs
and cooperative organizations from
various parts of the country were re
presented. What has been done in
these fields was reviewed and plans
for further efforts were worked out
and put into execution.
The speakers were representative of
both races. Among them were Prof.
W. K. Boyd, of Duke University, who
spoke on the "Negro in Durham”;
Prof. William T. La Prade, of the same
institution, delivered an address on the
“Negro Before the Civil War”; Prof.
John R. Hawkins emphasized the “Im
portance of the Past of the Negro,”
and Prof. R. H. Taylor, of the Uni
versity of North Carolina, gave a re
sume of “Plantation Economy.”
A special session, at which W. A.
Robinson delivered the opening ad
dress was devoted to the teaching of
Negro history. Prof. D. M. Jarnagin,
of the State Colored Normal School,
read a paper on “Valid Claims for
Teaching Negro History.” N. C. New
bold, head of the department of Negro
Education in North Carolina, spoke
instructively.
The morning session of the first day
was devoted to a discussion of the
present social and economic condition
of the Negro. Prof. T. E. McKinney,
of the Agricultural and Technical Col
lege, read a paper on “Our Uniting
Forces,” and Dr. R. C. Rrown, of the
North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance
Company, enlarged upon the present
status of the Negro.
The conference closed with the even
ing session of the second when Dean
W. S. Turner, of Shaw University, de
livered an address on "The Develop
ment of Negro Leadership” and Dr.
C. G. Woodson spoke on the “Negro in
History.”
NO. CAROLINA MUTUAL STILL
GAINS.
Durham, N. C., April 9.—(By The
Associated Negro Press)—The twen
ty-fifth annual statement of the North
Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Com
pany, th" largest Negro insurance
company in the world, shows a steady
increase in the assets of the organiza
tion The income during the past year
amounted to $3,709,496.49, of which
amount $1,899,761.49 was paid in pre
miums by policy holders and $130,
596 25 was made as earnings on in
vested assets. The payments of policy
holders and beneficiaries, including
sick and death claims, surrenders, etc.,
amounted to $729, 833. 65.
MIGRANTS REPORTED COMING
INTO CLEVELAND. OHIO AGAIN.
(Preston News Service)
Cleveland, O., April 9,-According
to a report from the U. S. Department
of Labor last week it is said that Dr.
Joel Branch reports that Negro mi
grants from the southern states have
begun entering Cleveland again in
search of employment in the various
plants and factories of this city,
is claimed in the report that there al
ready existed a surplus supply of both
white and colored laborers here, and
that recently there has been consider
able unemployment depression in the
ranks of the Negro labor.
The report indicates that Cleveland
is over supplied with labor and that
the influx of Negro labor from the
South is adding greatly to the ranks
of unemployment here.
U. S. COMMISSIONER OF EDUCA
TION CALLS A COLLEGE CON
FERENCE.
Washington, D. C., April 9.—Com
missioner of Education Tigert Wed
nesday called the fifth annual confer
ence of Negro land grant cotloge edu
cation of April 16-18 at Greensboro,
N. C. Presidents and officers of the
17 Negro land-grant institutions of
the South will attend, as well as a
large group of State and Federal edu
cators. Dr. G. F. Zook, chief of the
division of higher education of the bu
reau, will preside.
eral service.
“We are sending a copy of this let
ter to President Coolidge.”
U. S. Citizens, white and colored,
throughout the United States are be
j ing urged to protest to the Labor De
partment against the retention of Dr.
TO FILE SUIT IN WOOD
LAWN SCHOOL CAST
TO MEET CONDITIONS
New Proceedings Will Be in Nature
of an Injunction, Which Court
Ruled la the Proper
Action
_
Woodlawn, Ohio, April 9.—The deci
sion by the State Supreme court which
had the effect of affirming the Court
of Appeals’ decision in the controversy
between Caucasian and Negro resi
dents of the Woodlawn School district,
• will result in an entirely new suit to
test the question involved, it was stat
ed by Negro residents Wednesday.
The suit was brought originally by
the Negro residents of the district
as a mandamus action to compel the
School board of the district to cease
alleged “discrimination” against the
Negro children. The Negro residents
complained that the board had segre
gated white and colored children in
different rooms in the first three
grades of that school. The Negro re
sidents demanded that the children be
mixed.
Judge Robert A. IeBIond heard the
case and found from the evidence that
there were 42 white children in these
three grades of the school and 45 Ne
gro children. Judge Le Blond found
from the evidence that there had been
no improper “discrimination” against
the children and that the School board
had the right under the law to exer
cise its discretion as to the establish
ment of separate white and Negro
classes in the school.
The Negro residents carried the case
to the Court of Appeals. That court
did not pass upon the merits of Judge
Le Blond’s decision at all, declaring
that the mandamus suit was not the
^proper form of a suit to have been
brought.
The Court of Appeals held the ques
tion could have been tested only by
an injunction suit. The Supreme Court
refused to review the question. The
Negro residents now will file an in
junction suit.
HAMILTON COUNTY,
OHIO, SHERIFF INDICTED
BY GRAND JURY
(Preston News Service)
Cincinnati, O., April!).—Richard B.
Witt, sheriff of Hamilton County, was
indicted by the “business man’s grand
jury” in its final report made to the
Common Pleas Court Wednesday.
Witt is charked in the indictment
with permitting a house to be kept as
a resort. He is also jointly indicted
with Bessie Banks, a colored woman,
proprietress of the alleged resort.
The building in which the alleged re
sort is located is declared in the grand
jury report to be the most notoriots
building in Cincinnati. It is said that
no mention was made in the report of
the other heirs, white, who jointly
own the property with Sheriff Witt.
It is said that Sheriff Witt issuer!
a statement following the indictment
in which he declared that he was the
victim of political enemies who are en
deavoring to kill him politically.
FILMLAND’S POPULAR
HAIRDRESSER DIES FOL
LOWING AN OPERATION
(Preston News Service)
Los Angeles, Cal., April ifc—Seldom
has the death of any race member at
tracted such wide spread grief as was
occasioned by the passing from labor
to reward of Mrs. Hattie Wilson Ta
boume, nationally recognized as Film
land’s most noted hairdresser, who
died here Monday March 30th follow
ing an operation for a tumor.
The funeral services were held the
Thursday following and was attended
by hundreds of film stars. She was
buried beside her mother in Evergreen
Cemetery. The funeral was conducted
by Connor Johnson undertaking firm.
Mrs. Taboume was a life long member
of the Episcopal church. Large floral
offerings were sent by the Lasky Stu
dios, and from patron stars among
whom were Estella Taylor. Mita Naldi,
Lois Wilson, Cecil DeMille, Betty
'"'ompson and others. She was buried
in a green silk dress, jade necklace, a
rift fror* an admiring film star.
Mrs. Tabourne was regarded as ex
ceedingly thriftv and during her ex
tremely busv life she managed to a
mass a considerable portion of this
—nrirl’s (roods. She died intestate, leav
ing a fortune variously estimated at
from fifteen to twenty-five thousand
dollars. She leaves a son aged seven
years.
Land operated by Negro farmers
oonals in extent two per cent of the
total land area of the United States.
Good Friday Should Have Peculiar Sig
nificance for Member of African Race
There is one outstanding event in
the many thrilling and touching
scenes enacted on that memorable day
upon which JESUS CHRIST was
crucified for the salvation of men
which should make Good Friday of
peculiar significance to all descend
ants of the African race.
When the Saviour of mankind, after
the protracted watching and sleepless
ness of twenty-four hours, the ex
haustion of His agony and bloody
sweat, the fatigue of being hurried
to and fro from the courts of three
judges, the loss of blood through the
scourging, and the weakness of body
which in every human being must oc
cur through the harrassing of the
mind by insults and humiliation, was
unable to bear His heavy cross but a
short distance beyond the city gate,
where He sank under it, the heavy
rood was laid by the Roman soldiers
upon the stalwart shoulders of a
black man, Simon the Cyrenian, who
carried the cross for the Son of Man.
Intended as a humiliation upon this
Negro, it was the greatest honor that
could have been bestowed upon him.
They enshrined his name in the very
Gospel of the Cross. Whenever the
story of that memorable day is read
or told there things forth the memorial
of this son of a despised people. Is
this event without significance and
profound meaning?
The Rt. Rev. James Theodore Hol
ly, late (bishop of Haiti, the first man
of our race to be elevated to the
Episcopate of the Episcopal Church,
preached a memorable sermon on the
Feast of St. James, July 26, 1878, in
Westminister Abbey. The peroration
of that eloquent sermon went the
rounds of the English-speaking world,
and has been considered a classic. Its
reference to this event of Good Fri
day justifies its quotation here, and
is reproduced that those who desire
to preserve it for future reference
may do so. These were the words
with which he closed:
"And now on the shores of Old Eng
land, the cradle of that Anglo-Saxon
Christianity by which I have been, in
part at least, illuminated, standing be
neath the vaulted roof of this monu
mental pile redolent with the piety of
by gone generations during so many
ages;«in the presence of the ‘Storied
urn and animated bust’ that hold the
sacred ashes, and commemorate the
buried grandeur of so many illustrious
personages, I catch a fresh inspira
tion and a new impulse of the divine
missionary spirit of our common
Christianity; and here in the pres
ence of God, of angels and of men,
on this day sacred to the memory of
an apostle whose blessed name was
called over me at my baptism, and as
I lift up my voice for the first, and
perhaps the last, time in any of Eng
land’s sainted shrines, I dedicate my
self anew to the work of God, of the
Gospel of Christ and of the salvation
of my fellow-men in the far distant
isle of the Caribbean Sea, that has
become the chosen field of my special
labors.
“O, Thou Savior Christ, Son of
the Living God, who when Thou wast
spurned Iby the Jews of the race of
Shem, and, who, when delivered up
without cause by the Romans of the
race of Japhet on the day of Thy
ignominious Crucifixion, hadst Thy
ponderous cross borne to Golgotha’s
summit on the stalwart shoulders of
Simon the Cyrenian, of the race of
Ham, I pray Thee, O precious Saviour,
remember that forlorn, despised, and
rejected race, whose son thus bore
Thy cross, when Thou shalt come in
the power and majesty of Thy eternal
Kingdom to distribute Thy crowns of
everlasting glory.
“And give to me then, not a place
at Thy right hand or at Thy left, but
only the place of a gate-keeper at the
entrance of the Holy City, the new
Jerusalem, that I may hehold my re
deemed brethren, the saved o the
Lord entering therein to be partakers
with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, of
all the joys of Thy glorious and ever
lasting Kingdom.”
[ The Easter-Tide
/
PLAN RESTRICTION OF
EMPLOYMENT OF AFRICAN
NATIVES AND ASIATICS.
I General Smuts Sounds Warning A
gainst Proposed “Ring of Hatred”
of Black Africa and Yellow
Asia.
(Exclusively by N. A. A. C. P. Press
Service.)
The National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People, 69th
Fifth Avenue, New York, has received
a report transmitted to the London
Times, of a speech made by General
Smuts in the South African Legisla
ture, warning against the white gov
ernment’s Bill to limit the employ
ment of native Africans and Asiatics
in the South African mines. The Bill,
; known as the Color Bar Bill, would
I deprive natives and Asiatics of the
certificate required for certain kinds
of employment in factories and mines.
Warning of the consequences of
: such a bill, Gen. Smuts is quoted as
I having said: “We shall gather on
our heads the hatred of the whole of
1 Asia. We shall feel the weight of that
j hatred in years to come. The bill will
j he taken as an outrage not only by
' Black Africa but by Yellow Asia. We,
a handful of whites, are ringfencing
ourselves, first with the near ring of
hatred, and, beyond that, with the ring
of hatred of the whole of Asia, for
while only a few Asiatics are directly
affected by this bill, the inclusion of
their name will wrin us the hatred of
hundreds of millions of Asiatics from
the North of Asia to the South.
General Smuts asked the govern
ment to withdraw the Bill and refer
the subject to a committee on which
he offered to serve.
- I
PICKENS GETS AFRICAN TIGER
SKIN.
New York, N. Y., April 9th.—(By
The Associated Negro Press)—An
African native has sent to William
Pickens a tiger skin by Missionary
Curtis H. McDowell and his wife, who
returned to the United States on fur
lough. This is how it happened: tyr.
McDowell and his wife were both pu
pils of Mr. Pickens at Talladega Col
lege, and on the ir mission field they
saw a native who “looked like Prof.
Pickens,” in face at least, if not in
the fullness of dress.
They therefore, nick-named this na
tive “Prof. Pickens,” and explained to
him the reason why.
Pickens says that when the McDow
ells return to Africa, he will send
this native his photogarph, and that
“after the native sees what McDowell
accused the native of, said native will
hand to the Rev. McDowell next time,'
not a tiger skin, but a wild live tiger.”
WOM AN FORGER SENTENCED TO
JAIL.
Washington, D. C., April 9.—(By
The Associated Negro Press)—Mrs.
Margaret B. Buchanan, who has been
secretary of two members of Con
gress, and who was recently convicted
of on a charge of forging the name of
Mrs. Martha Warfield, formerly em
ployed by Mrs. Buchanan as cook, has
been sentenced by Chief Justice McCoy
to serve three years in prison, and to
pay a fine of two hundred dollars.
“TIME” MAGAZINE CORRECTS
SLIP UPON PROTEST BY N. A.
A. C. P.
Protest by the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored Peo
ple, at an unfortunately phrased ar
ticle in “Time”, employing the term
“blackamoor” and other objectionable
phrases, brought a prompt reply from
the editor of the magazine who stated:
“I agree with you, we were thought
less and unfair. It was flippancy, not
prejudice, that caused the article to
which you object. I am sorry.
Through you, I apologize to any of
the 11,000,000 whom we may have
hurt.
"What amends can we make? It
seems to me that the best possible
amends is for us to resolve in the fu
ture to be as fair as we were up to
the time of this unfortunate article.”
SUBSCRIBERS 80 “FORUM” BE
CAUSE OF ARTICLES BY NE
GRO WRITERS.
Lucius Frank Bell, of Washington,
D. C., has forwarded to the National
Association for the Advancement of
Colored People, copy of a letter he
wrote to the editor of “The Forum”
praising the magazine for publishing
articles by Negro writers and enclos
ing his subscription. Mrs. Bell wrote
that he was subscribing to the Forum
solely because It was cordial to col
ored writers. "This alone,” he wrote,
“has caused me to become a yearly
subscriber to “The Forum.”
MOMFIELD STOREY
ACKNOWLEDGES BOTH
DIRTNDAT GREETINGS
I
i -
Tells Colored People: “Stand Fast,
Persevere in Asserting our
Rights and We Cannot
be Beaten.”
URGES SUPPORT OF ASS’N
No Self-Respecting Colored Man
Should Be Satisfied With Being
a Looker-on When His
Help Needed
Moorfield Storey, of Boston, for
mer President of the American Bar
Association, and now President, of
the National Association for the Ad
vancement of Colored People, has ad
dressed a message to members of the
Association throughout the United
States, expressing his thanks for con
gratulations received on his 80 birth
day and urging all citizens to stand
back of the movement for racial jus
tice and betterment.
“During my life I have seen slavery
abolished the world over,” writes Mr.
Storey. “I have seen serfdom abolish
ed in Russia, I have seen the emperors
of France, Turkey, Russia, Austria
and Germany swept from their
thrones, and their places taken by the
representatives of free peoples. Bear
ing these facts in mind, I want you to
realize that the tide of freedom is
rising the world over, and that its pro
gress is irresistible.”
Mr. Storey’s letter in full is as fol
lows:
“To the Various Branches of the Na
tional Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People,
“My Friends:
“ I have received from Branches of
this Association all over the country
the most cordial congratulations on
my eightieth birthday, and most grati
fying assurances of their regard for
me personally. I take this means of
thanking one and all for these mes
sages of respect and affection, and as
long as my health permits I shall con
tinue to work for the cause which the
Association was founded to promote.
I bid them be of good cheer and per
severe in their efforts.
“The suits that are brought in the
courts against those who violate the
rights of the colored people in this
country are most effective weapons,
and every judgment in our favor is a
precedent which discourages attacks.
Let it be generally understood that it
is not safe to injure a colored man or
woman, that lynching is dangerous to
the lynchers, that the colored citizens
of this country are determined to as
sert their rights under the constitu
tion and laws, and those rights will be
respected and the progress of the race
will ibe more rapid.
“During my life I have seen slavery
abolished the world over, I have seen
serfdom ended in Russia, I have seen
the emperors of France, Turkey, Rus
sia, Austria and Germany swept from
their thrones, and their places taken
by the representatives of free peoples.
Bearing these facts in mind I want
you to realize that the tide of freedom
is rising the world over, and that its
progress is irresistible. Least of all
countries of the world can the United
States arrest this progress, as it was
the first to announce the proposition
that all men are created free and
equal, and that all governments derive
their just powers from the consent of
the governed.
"We have only to stand fast, only
to persevere in asserting our rights
and we cannot be beaten. Take no
backward step, urge our fellow-citi
zens to join our organization, to fight
with us and not stand by mere lookers
on. That is a positio nof which every
colored man should be ashamed. His
help is needed and the larger our
force, the sooner will come our suc
cess.
Yours truly,
(Signed) MOORFIELD STOREY.”
HON, JEFFERSON S. COAGE, AP
POINTED DEPUTY RECORDER.
(Preston News Service)
Washington, D C., Apr. 9.—Jeffer
son S. Coage, of Delaware, has just
been named Deputy Recorder of Deeds
of the District of Columbia by Record/
er Arthur G. Froe. The new ap
pointee, who entered upon his official
duties April 1, is a conspicuous figure
in national politics by reason of the
appointment which he formerly held
under the Coolidge administration as
Commissioner to the Virgin Island, up
on return from which Coage lectured
in the principal cities of the East up
on economic and industrial conditions
in the Virgin Island.
