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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 1925)
The Monitor NEBRASKA’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTEE TO TEE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS _, THB RKV JOHN A LB BBT WILLIAMS, BAter $RM a Tear—Ac a Copy OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1925 Whole Number 539 Vol. XI^No. 19 N GRO GROWING STRONGER POLITICALLY Sweet Trial at Detroit Is Started With Darrow in Complete Charge RUBBER VENTURE WILL STIR LATENT ROWER OF LIBERIA Diplomat Avert* Negro Republic Will Gain Place of Political and Finan cial Importance Within Next Decade EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT Advantageous Educational and Social Project Shown in Appointment of Representative of Phelps Stokes Fund New York—A letter toCharles B. D. Ning, President of Liberia, felicitating him on the successful negotiation of conces sion whereby the Firestone Rubber and J F#-e Company will invest I1(HJ,(MJ0,IKM) in developing the rubber output of Liberia lias just been sent to l)r. R. P. Falkner. who was chairman of the American Com mission of Liberia in 1909, and who sub sequently rarried through the negotiations to put its financial relations with the Creat Powers pn a firm basis. Dr. Falkner said, in an interview, thul this entrance of American capital into this West African Negro Republic could hard ly fail to give the country a needed ini petus in developing its resources. While agreed that in the course of years this step would be bound to increase the interest of the United Slates in West Afri ca, and that along with commercial devel opment greater political interest could not fail to arise, he was confident that the concern shown by some London newspa pers over this new growth of American interest was greatly' oxxaggerated. Ho continued in part: “The United Slates, of course, has tra ditionally taken a friendly interest in Li beria, and from time to time, when the Liberian Government has hail foreign re lations to straighten out, it has called on us to ure our good offices. We have al ways maintained that indefinite relation. We helped to establish Liberia as a coun try after the war of 1812, and in 1844. when called on by Great Britain to say categorically whether or not we held a protectorate over Liberia, we replied that we did not, but, with the knowledge of the other countries interested, we help ed her declare herself a republic, this new concession will be developed suf ficiently to stimulate other trade material “It will take 10 years or more before ly, so that any growth of political inter est on the part of the United States is bound to be very slow.” An educational and social project for the little Republic of l.ilreria as ambitious and extensive as the industrial develop ment planned for that country by Harvey Firestone, has been revealed in the ap pointment of James L. Sibley as educa tional representative in Liberia of the Phelps-Stokes Fund, the American. New York and Massachusetts Colonization So cieties and the missionary bodies of the Episcopal Churches.” Mr. Sibley has been commissioned by these various agencies, acting in concert and with the officers of the Phelps-Stokes Fund directing the work, to formulate plans in cooperating with Liberian offi cials and representatives of the existing schools, for a complete redirection of all educational effort in the republic. This work contemplates placing the conserva tion of health and the development of na tive industries in the foreground and will include farm and home demonstration work similar to that being carried on in the United States by the extension serv ice of the agricultural colleges. Mr. Sibley has been connected with the State Department of Education in Ala bama, and has been active in the agri cultural extension service of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute and the University of Georgia. He spent three years in the Phillipines for the Government, training groups of natives in modern agricultural methods. More recently he was assistant director of the Alabama Child Welfare Department, a position he resigned to ac cept the Liberian commission. During the war he was in charge of the rehabil ation of disabled soldiers in Alabama. Mississippi and Louisiana. He has done post-graduute work in social, industrial and economic branches at Harvard and Columbia. Because of his varied experiences and his contacts with Negro education in this country, Dr. Anson Stokes chose Mr. Sib ley for the new work in Liberia and tne appointment was confirmed at a series of conferences of the organizations inter ested held last week in New York, Hart ford and Boston. In educational and industrial aspects this second phase of Liberian develop ment is considered by commercial author ities as important as the first, which was I DECIDED DECLINE SHOWN IN DEATHS FROM TUBERCULOSIS Important Achievement in Notable Improvement of Health Condition Among Negroes Washington—The present !I'|egro death rate, because of tuberculosis is about 244 per 100,000 deaths In the Metropolitan Life Insurance Industrial districts, and about 300 per 100,000 In the United States registration cities. Compared with the death rate among whites, because of the same disease, the respective figures are a bout 100 and 100. During the past ten years the decline has been 35.7 per cent for colored and 50.3 per cent for whites in the Metropolitan Life districts; and 33.1 |>er cent for color ed and 46.4 for whites in the United States Registration cities. So closely have experts of both races studied this problem, and so en couraging is the past ten years’ de cline, that an eminent white statisti cian says: "The most important sin gle achievement in the improvement of health conditions among Negroes for the past ten years has been the reduction In mortality from tuberculo sis." announced recently by Harvey J. Firestone. The Firestone interests are said to be making a ♦ 100,000,000 investment in Id beria and have announced the acquisition of 1,000,000 acres of land for the produc tinn of 250,000 tons of rubber annually, the employment of 300,000 natives, im provement of the principal harbor at Mon rovia, the construction of railroads from the port to the interior and the building of schools and hospitals equipped on Ainer ican lines. The 2,000,000 natives of the interior are said to be strong and comparatively heal thy people, but primitive and badly in need of training in the care of their health and in modern agricultural me thods if the country is to reap the bene fit of the American interests. The new educational program proposed is baaed on a survey made in 1920 by a commission, of which Ur. Jesse Jones Secretary of the Phelps-Stokes Fund, was Chairman. The report of the commission, written by Ur. Jones and comprising 326 pages, is considered the most informative publication on the education of native Africans ever issued in America. The co operation of the colonization and mission ary bodies with the Phelps-Stokes Fund trustees in the unification of the Work in Liberia is said to be the practical appli cation of the lessons contained in the Jones report. Liberia extends from a point 260 miles north of the equator nearly 600 miles along the West African coast, its habit able region for the white race is a strip from ten to twelve miles wide, but with the interior it comprizes 9,700 square miles, about the size of Teras. Because of the constant presence of malarial fever, the vitality of the people has been undermined, anil this has retarded their progress, al though the country is rich in both miner al and agricultural resources. The native products are rubber, coffee, cocoa, palm oil and several varieties of nuts, some of which are used for making dyes. No at tempt hus been made to work the mineral deposits, which are said to include coal and iron. It is felt by the various American agen cies that if the Panama Canal '/.one could he made more habitable for the workmen and the American forces retained there. Liberia can lie made more healthful for its natives by sanitation and protection against mosquito communication of ma laria. Although the country has a compe tent native medical force, largely trained in American colleges, its financial re sources havt been inadequate for such a program of sanitation as can now be car ried out. UNCLE WIGGILY’S TRICKS f 1 BIRMINGHAM CELEBRATES NEGRO TRADE WEEK Tuskegec Institute, Ala.—(By the Asso ciated Negro Press) According to a re port received Albon L. Holsey, Secrttary of the National Business League, a suc cessful Negro Trade Week was conducted in Birmingham from October 19 to 26. The campaign was conducted under the aus pices of the Birmingham Civic und Com mercial Association, P. D. Davis, Presi dent, and was productive of most satisfac tory results in increased cooperation and good-will among the business men of that city. Through the medium of mass meetings plucards and circulars, the citizens of Bir mingham were called upon to patronize the Negro merchant during that week. Coupons were given for each twenty-five cent purchase or for any payment of bar k accounts. The campaign was brought to a close on Monday night, October 26, when a monster meeting was held in the auditorium of the Masonic Temple. Speeches encouraging race pride were made and prizes amount ing to $175 were awarded as follows: one for $50, one for $25, and ten for $10 each. The Birmingham Reporter says of the campaign, “The movement, sponsored hy the Birminbham Civic and Commercial As sociation, was intended primarily to call at tention to what the Negro business and pro fessional man has to offer the public, to stimulate a mutual helpfulness between business and profession, to encourage the enlargement of the Negro enterprises and sponsor the establishment of new concerns. The program also called for better, clean er, and more orderly conducted places of business and offices." As a result of the campaign, the bus! ness men of Birmingham report a sub stantial increase in business, and every where there is pruise for l*residenl Davis of the local association and for the Nation al Ntgro Business League which fostered the idea. - t .1 ■ ■ 1 FAMOUS BANDMASTER GOES TO TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE Tuskegee Institute, Ala.— (By the Asso ciated Negro Press' The Tuskegee Band of fifty pieces is being rapidly put into shape under the leadership of Warrant Officer, Wade H. Hammond, veteran army bandmaster who is on temporary leave from his post with the Tenth Cavalry Band at Fort Huachucha, .Arizona. Mr. Hammond began his army career during the Spanish American War, when he was bandmaster of the Third Alabama Regiment. He later studied band music at Royal Military School of Music in Lon don, and for the past nineteen years nine of which were spent in the Philip ine Islands, he has served with the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry Bands. [ His present service with the Tuskegee Institute Bund is ntude possible through the courtesy and interest of Colonel J. C. Rhea. Commander of the Tenth Cavalry. DETROIT RETAINS MAYOR SMITH t I Detroit retains Mayor 8tnith, Repub lican. avowed friend of Colored Amer ica. One of the objections used against Mayor Smith by his oppo nents was the fact that he "is friend ly to Negroes and appoints too many to office”. In the last days of the cam paign, Henry Ford came out in an open statement backing Mayor Smith. His son, Kdsel Ford, had been strong ly' for him from the beginning. Smith's opponent was openly hacked by the Ku Klux Klan, hence this made a bitter issue of the invisible empire, and it lost in Detroit. With the trial of Dr. O. S. Sweet on in Detroit, the election results are not without some signifi cance in trend of sentiment. In Cleveland, where they have the preferential ballot and elect twenty five councilmeti by districts, Thomas W. Fleming, attorney, is retained in the council. This will make Fleming’s Seventh term. John H. Duvall was elected Mayoi of Indianapolis on die Republican ticket The new mayor, according to outside reports, had the hearty back ing of the klan. Colored people of In dianapolis took little stock in the re port, and supported him heartily, even those who were opposed to Gov. Jack son last year, because of the same charge. Mr. Duvall Is a native of In dianapolis, and there are almost 30, 000 colored votes in Indianapolis, it is, very obviouB that he could not have been elected without the racial vote. Cincinnati, for the first time In years, seems to be lost to the old Re publican organization. For the first time the ' Queen City” held an election r under the preferential system. A small council of nine is chosen, who will elect the city manager and may or. The Rud. Hynica organization sought to keep control, but at latest accounts the chattel1 candidates won; this means opposition to the old Re publican organization. Charles P. Taft II, son of Chief Justice Taft, was with the charter side. He is practi cally interested in racial welfare. There is little to be gained in know edge of the trend of general political sentiment in the fall elections. Local issues were before the voters. Repub licans of New York ire frankly sur prised at the poor showing of Water man. This means that the Senatorial election next year will be keen, and aggressive. In Louisville, Ky„, Republicans claim the election of their candidate, but the Democrats will contest. A tremendous sensation was created at the last minute in Louisville, by the Democratic candidate withdrawing because of open charges by Republi cans that he was a member of the Klux. The militant and mysterious de termination of the Ku Klux Klan to keep itself a definite part of American politics Is one of the astounding facts of the times. MAN JAILED FOR DESECRATING FLAG OF UNITED STATES Los Angeles, Cal.---(By the Associated Negro Press) Jake Ball, white, a cleaner and dyer, was given 250 days in jail, after having heenfoundguilty of wiping his shop windows with an Amercan flag. PRIESTS BECOME FUGITIVES RATHER THAN MARRY Mexico City, Mexico—(By the Associ ated Negro Press) Reports from the state of Tabasco say that Bishop Pascal Diaz and fourteen Roman Catholic priests have fled from that state to escape the require ments of the decree that priests of all creeds must marry in order to exercise the duties of their office. It is reported that the bishop and his fellow refugees are coming to Mexico City to protest to Presi dent Calles that the state of Tabasco’s decree amounts to religious persecution. Five priests in Tabasco already have been arrested because they refused to be mar ried. 24TH INFANTRYMAN FREED LEAVES ONLY 22 OF ORIGINAL 67 IN JAIL New York—The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has been informed by Major Edgar King, Acting Parole Officer at Fort Leavenworth Disciplinary Barracks, of the release on home parole, Nov. 1, of James Gaffney, former 24th Infantryman, who will go to Charlotte, N. C. This reduces the number of Houston Martyrs, imprisoned for alleged participa tion in the Houston riot, to 22 out of the original 67 sentenced to life and long terms. The N. A. A. C. P. has fought in behalf of these men from the day of the riot and expects that every one of them will have been paroled in 1926. Since the N. A. A. C. P. and cooperating bodies presented a petition in their behalf, sign ed with 125,000 names, to President Coolidge, when there were 55 still in pri son, 33 men have been paroled. LYNCHING# HAVE CLAIMED NINETY WOMEN SINCE iNRit New York—According to the re ports compiled by the National Associ ation for the Advancement of Color ed People, 69 Fifth Avenue, New Yc«-k, for October, 1925, there have been 90 women lynched in the United States since 1889; of this number 74 were colored and 16 were white. “Old Mississippi” leads with a total of 16, her last feminine victim being in Pickens county, in 1923. Mississippi holds two lynching "honors”. She has lynched more wo men than any other state of the Union, her closest rival being Texas, with 11; and the last, woman lynched in the United States was lynched in Mississippi. Texas has lynched 2 white and 9 colored during this year. In 1895 Texas broke all records by lynching 6 women; 2 white and four colored. No state of the Union has lynched as many women In one year. ASK FOR FIELD SECY., FOR Hl'GE ENDOWMENT FOR EPISCOPAL SCHOOLS New Orleans, La.—At the annual conference of the Protestant Episcopal Church held here laBt week both houses have been presented with a memorial for a Negro field secre tary, an endowment of *10,000,000 for schools from the American church In stitute for Negroes and permissive le gislation whereby missionary districts with Negro bishops might be constitu ted. Ten institutions of the church in the South devoted to the education of Ne groes will benefit by the endowment. During the past year 5772 students were enrolled in these schools. The value of the schools and equipmnt is placed at $2,000,000. It cost *380,000 to maintain the schools during the past year. Order your Colored Dolls early.—Adv. COLORED WOMAN MAKES BEQUEST OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATION The late Mrs. Josephine L. Kane be queathed $1,0*111 to the National Associ ation for the Advancement of Colored People, it was learned when her will was filed for probate in New York City. This is the second substantial bequest the N. A. A. C. P. has received within a year. Commenting on the bequest, James Weldon Johnson, N. A. A. C. P. Secre tary, said: “The fact that Negroes are reaching the point in prosperity and thoughtfulness where they make provisions in their wills for the aid and continuance of important institutions and causes marks a most sig nificant step in race development.” The sooner the white man learns that be cannot circumscribe the op portunities of the Negro, without cir cumscribing and limiting the opportu nities and usefulness of himself, the better it will be for all concerned.— Atlanta Independent. NEGRO LABOR CONGRESS t HAS FAITH IN RUSSIA Would ..Train Negro Youths in “Red’ Diplomacy as an Ejfective Cure for American Ills Chicago, 111.—One of the most startling revelations during the Negro Labor Con gress here last week, was the statement that three American Negro girls and seven Negro young men are now in Russian schools taking a three-year training course for the Russian diplomatic course. It was also brought out that the Con gress was considering sending other Negro youths to Russia for training in agitating communism. Dissatisfaction with the special condi tions confronting the race in America and leadership in tackling the Negro question were the qualifications stressed in select ing candidates for Soviet schooling. Ford Whiteman, head of the congress, explain ed. Whiteman represented radicals at the Communist internationale in Moscow. The Congress is composed of forty groups in this country. _ $1,927.82 RAISED TOWARD LEGAL DEFENSE FUND FIRST WEEK New York—The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which is raising a $50,000 Legal Defense Fund to fight segregation and other cases, has announced the following progress: Given by Garland Fund. $5,000.00 Offered by Garland Fund.$15,000.00 Required to meet offer.$30,000.00 Raised in wk. ending Nov. 6.. 1,927.82 Still Needed.$28,072.18 Among the first to respond to the N. A. A. C. P. appeal were' Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Spingarn, who sent their check for $i00. Another contributor was the well-known New York musical critic and novelist, Carl Van Vechten, who sent his check for $10. Other contributors include Mrs. Florence Kelley, $200; E. J. Reefer of Philadelphia, $100; District of Columbia Branch, $464.50; Mrs. Mary Perry Mc Cracken of New York, $15; Colored Ci gar Workers, through A. A. Marquis, $32. Many gifts toward the fund are coming to the N. A. A. C. P. from people who can afford only small sums and write let ters saying they wish they could give more. As examples of the wide interest in the case, one dollar contributions have come from Mammoth Cave, Kentucky; Fairmount, Indiana; and points in the Far West. Branches of the N. A. A. C. P. through out the United States are holding mass meetings to raise Legal Defense Funds and weekly reports of progress are to be issued through the N. A. A. C. P. Na tional Office. - GIRL VIOLATES JIM CROW LAW, IS SENT TO JAIL Charlotte, N. C.—-Because she insisted on sitting in the front of a street car, vio lating the well-known Jim Crow code. Miss Marie Coachman, a young race girl was arraigned in police court on Wednes day, Oct. 7, and sentenced to five days in jail for her offense. The verdict pro vided that if Mis Coachman paid a fine of $5 and costs within 10 days she will not have to serve her sentence. CLEVELAND SEGREGATORS ATTEMPT TO OUST COLORED CHILDREN FROM SCHOOL Cleveland, Ohio—Harry E. Davis, mem ber of the Ohio Legislature, and member of the Board of Directors of the Nation al Association for the Advancement of Colored People, reports an attempt to oust 12 colored children from the schools of Shaker Heights near Cleveland, ,as an act of reprisal against Dr. E. A. Bailey, who refused to vacate his new home in that section. The children ousted came from Beechwood Village which, hav ing no schools of its own, had contracted with Shaker Heights to give schooling to all the 60 or 70 Beechwood Village chil dren. Mr. Davis writes to the N. A. A. C. P. National Office: “I prepared a mandamus suit which was to be instituted in our Court of Appeals to compel the Board of Education of Shaker Heights to carry out its contract. In the meantime the Beechwood school authorities requested the County Prose cutor to take the same action in the Com mon Pleas Court. I withheld my petition pending the outcome of this later suit and 1 am pleased to advise that on Monday the 26th, the Court issued a Writ of Man damus against the Shaker Heights author ities requiring them to carry out the terms of this contract.” Please be ready to pay your subscrip tion when the collector for The Monitor calls. ELECTION RETURNS SUPPLY OROUNUS FOR RUMINATION Democrats Carry New York and New Jersey By Aid of Colored Voters Responsive To Fair Treatment PARTISANSHIP LOSINft PULL Race Voters Learning To Cast Their Ballots Where They Believe They Will Yield Largest Direct Results New York—(By the Associated Ne gro Press) The Democrats have a gain won in New York with gener ous backing of Colored Citizens. Tam many plays an everlasting game in a practical way. Senator Walker won by more than 400,000 votes, but Tam nian>, Mayor Walker, and all the leaders will recognize leader Ferdi nand Q. Morton and his famous or ganization in political consideration through betterment in Harlem ap pointments. Tammany spent more money in or ganization development and publicity in New York during the campaign in Harlem, than the Republican Nation al Commttee spent for racial organiza tion during 1924 throughout the entire country. The proportion in Harlem was no larger than the proportion in other parts of the city, but it was a just proportion, that’s the difference. Republicans have learned to count on Colored votes with such a degree of dead certainty, that they work up the interest, or attempt to, with an air of condescension. Tammany goes after Harlem as an integral part of the whole—and always wins. That’s the ans wer. As 1 he Chicago Defender stated edi torially two weeks ago, Tammany does for the Negro in New York what the Republicans do in Chicago; there fore, the group was urged to support the Democrats in New York, while sup porting the Republicans in Chicago. In other words, Colored voters are be ing urged to place their votes where they will yield the largest direct bene fits, regardless of parties. It has been surprising to Republican politi cians to learn the effect this kind of argument has on the rank and file. New Jersey Remains Democratic New Jersey remains in the Demo cratic column, electing another gover nor. The Democrats of New Jersey, it is urged, have given considerable more attention to the rights and needs of Colored voters than has the Republican party. Gratitude for this has been expressed in votes. The Re publicans continue to wonder what it s all about. “In the last analysis”, according to a well-known New Jersey Democrat, “the white Democrat* may not care any more for a black citizen than does a white Republican, but the Democrat realizes that black vote* are essential to holding office, and hence he acts accordingly.” Boston gets a Republican mayor after a long wait. This should be gratifying to President Coolidge and Senator Butler., the latter being a can didate for Senator next year. Sena tor Butler, also chairman of the Re publican National Committee, will be put to the test of real political strength to hold hi* seat. He may win, but he will realize that he has been in s political contest. The Democrats ex pect to again nominate former Sena tor David I. Walsh, whom the Colored people of Massachusetts make bold to declare in the friendly column. The secretary of the present Democratic mayor is Joshua Jones, son of Bishop Joshua Jones of the A. M. E. Churcn. JEFFERSON DAVIS’ SLAVE DIES Gulfport, Miss. (By the Associated Ne gro Press)—Maria Johnson, 93, wBo was a slave of President and Mrs. Jefferson Davis during the Civil War, is dead at her home in this city. She is survived by 15 children, 17 grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren. During the days of slavery she was owned by President Davis, Mr. and Mrs. Paul S. Logan and the Louis family of Gulfport. INDICT VOODOO DOCTOR New Orleans, La., (By the Associated Negro Press)—Dr. Link Williams, an al leged Voodoo doctor, who it is claimed has defrauded thousands of whites in all sec tions of the United States by m».n. „f magic powder, has been indicted by the federal grand jury here on a charge of using the mails to defraud.