ns The Monitor ^a
I WWW IMT * *8 WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OP COLORED AMERICANS
TUB REV. JOHN ALBSBT WILLIAMS, Editor.
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$2.00 a Year— f ents a Copy OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FEBRUARY 25, 1927 Vol. XII—No. 35 Whole Number 60S
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REV. JOHN ADAMS
ATTENDS BISHOPS* COUNCIL
Nebraska Minister May Be Chosen
To Episcopal Bench by Next
General Conference
The “House of Bishops’’ and the
“Connectional Council” of the Afri
can M. E. Church, met simultaneous
ly at Jacksonville, Fla., February 17,
through the 20th, last. One of the
duties of the Bishops’ College, is to
render, en banc, opinions on such
connectional matters as may be met
by the next general conference. The
Connectional Council, while not a
legislative body, might be regarded
as a “primary conclave,” wherein
preferred candidates are recommend
ed for the bishopric. The Rev. John
■ ■ —•
Rev. John Adams
Adams, presiding elder of the Omaha
district of the Nebraska conference,
was endorsed by the eastern and
southern wings of the Church and as
a result of which, was favorably con
sidered by the council as a logical
candidate for the episcopal office in
his denomination. Rev. Mr. Adams
returned from Florida after a three
week’s trip last Tuesday morning.
It is claimed that Mr. Adams is one
of the strongest men of his connec
tion and may be the first bishop
elected from Nebraska or this section
of the far west.
HALF MILLION CELEBRATE
RICHARD ALLEN’S BIRTH
DAY
Philadelphia, Pa. — On Monday,
February 14th, the 168th birthday of
Richard Allen, founder of the Afri
can Methodist Episcopal Church, was
celebrated at Mother Bethel A. M. E.
Church, by a great mass meeting in
which all of the churches, Sunday
Schools, and Christian Endeavor So
cieties of Philadelphia and vicinity
took part. An inspirational program
accompanied by a pilgrimage to the
tomb of Richard Allen, and concluded
with a banquet and reception, was
given in the old mother church. Dur
ing the week, February 13-20th, the
churches all over the A. M. E. Con
nection celebrated the natal day of
their founder, and it is estimated that
more than 100,000 persons took part
in the 7,600 churches of the A. M. E.
denomination and over a million per
sons attended these meetings.
Bethel African Methodist Church
was founded by Richard Allen in
1787. The African Methodist Con
nection was founded by him in 1816,
and he was the first bishop. From
that time the church has grown to
more than 760,000 members, 7,600
churches, with missions in Africa,
South America, West Indies, and
other parts of the world. There
are 16 bishops and 12 general of
ficers. Twenty schools are operated
by the church, together with a mis
sionary department in New York, a
Sunday School Department in Nash
ville, Tenn., a publishing department
in in Philadelphia, and Church Exten
sion and Financial departments in
Washington. This church publishes
three weekly papers, one quarterly
magazine, and two motnhly papers.
The church property is estimated at
over $26,000,000, and the yearly in
come of the church is more than
$4,000,000. Wilberforce University,
the oldest Negro educational institu
tion in the country, and the Christian
t
WHITE CLASSMATES
RESENT INSULT TO
COLOREN STUDENT
—
Entire Class Promptly Leaves Skat
ing Rink When Management Ex
cludes Popular Lad Because of
Color
SUPERINTENDENT APPROVES
Portland, Ore.—When hia class
mates learned that George Edward
Cannady, 13-year-old son of Mr. and(
Mrs. E. D. Cannady, editor of The
Advocate and popular member of the
eighth grade graduating class of
Fernwood school, was denied admis
sion to the Imperial Rink, where the
class was having a skating party, they
left in a body, declining to counte
nance such discrimination.
C. A. Rice, superintendent of the
schools, expressed approval of the
action of the class in abandoning the
party.
“The teacher and principal did not
know the rink had a ruling against
colored people, or the party never
would have gone there,” said Super
intendent Rice. “If the party was
held in the school gymnasium or aud
itorium, the boy certainly would be
included, and the class did right to
leave.”
George Cannady was one of the
most popular members of the class,
being captain of the basketball team
and class treasurer, a member of the
committee for selecting the class
pin and also of the committee which
arranged for the class entertainment.
For five successive years he won first
prize in the Rose Festivals for riding
the most beautifully decorated bicy
cle.
The manager of the rink expressed
regret over the incident but said that
the rink could not overlook its rule
against admitting colored people.
WASHINGTONIANS
PREPARING TO HEAR
CLARENCE DARROW
Washington, D. C.—Arrangements
were made here last week by the
local branch of the National Associ
ation for the Advancement of Color
ed People to call a gigantic mass
meeting early in March under the
auspices of the Bethel Literary and
Historical association, to hear the
famous criminal lawyer, Clarence
Darrow, who figured so conspicuous
ly in the Sweet case in Detroit.
260,000 UNWEDDED
FRENCHMEN ARE TAXED
, 1.
Paris, France — Heavier taxation
menaces French benedicts. Latest
statistics show that in 1920 some
90,129 bachelors paid the tax on celi
bates. Many thought men would
marry in order to escape paying, but
in 1921 the number of bachelors pay
ing the tax rose to 208,449. In 1924
they numbered 238,644 and in 1926,
260,000.
BISHOP’S COUNCIL MEETS
IN JACKSONVILLE, FLA.
Jacksonville, Fla.—The mid-winter
council of the Bishops of the African
Methodist Episcopal church opened
here Thursday, February 18, for a
four days’ session. Many of the dig
litaries of the Church were present.
Consideration of problems of the
Church and outlining of a program
occupied the principal attention of
the body.
$25,000 PLEDGED FLORIDA
COLLEGE BY METHODISTS
Jacksonville, Fla. — A resolution
was passed in the Florida Conference
of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
January 28th, to create a mainte
nance fund for the Bethune-Cookman
College. The amount of the fund
was placed at $26,000 of which $6,
000 will be paid annually for five
years.
Recorder, the oldest Negro news
paper in the country; the A. M. E.
Review, the oldest Negro magazine
in the country; the A. M. E. Book
Concern, the oldest Negro publishing
house in the country, are operated by
the African Methodist Church.
EDIT OR I A L
Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the first day of
Lent, a penitential season of forty days’ duration, which will
be observed, more or less consistently, by millions of Christians
throughout the world. There was a time when the observance
of this season was confined to what has been called the great
historic or Catholic communions, such as the Greek Orthodox,
the Roman Catholic and the Anglican (Episcopalian) com
munions. The Lutherans were, we believe, the sole exception
among the Protestant bodies to observe it. However, the lapse
of years has brought radical changes. Christians of every
name have begun to recognize its value and to appreciate the
psychological and spiritual importance of such a season as
Lent, and the helpfulness that must come from a period of
I more intense cultivation of the spiritual life.
There is an advantage in religious people, who so largely
agree in the fundamental tenets of the Christian faith, concen
trating their efforts in evangelism and spiritual development at
the same time or season. We have often thought how helpful
it would be if at that season, the Lenten, when such a vast
multitude as the Catholic communions embrace, are honestly
attempting to have their people give “more earnest heed to
the things that belong unto their peace,” the great Protestant
communions were doing the same thing. It looks as though
that day were dawning.
Little as we may think of it, such a common observance
is making for that unity which will heal the wounds of Christen
dom.
The underlying principle of Lent is sound and practical
and that is why it is growing in favor. The season, rightly
observed, will be helpful to those who keep it. It should not
be merely conventional. It should be regarded as a time and
opportunity for self-disciplining and spiritual growth in those
things which strengthen character and make the kind of men
and women which all normal human beings really want to be.
JACOBUS RAILWAY
COACHES RESERVED
FOR BLACK RACE ONLY
Chinese and Others May Ride in
Cars Where Negro Upbuilders
of Country Cannot—Chinese
Woman Amused
Washington, D. C.—That the Jim
Crow car laws of the democratic
South are intended exclusively for
the humiliation and discomfort of
Negro passengers, NOT COLORED
TRAVELERS, is illustrated by the
experience of a Chinese lady, as re
ported in a recent issue of the “Chris
tian Advocate.”
“Your Christian country,” said she,
“is very funny. Last week I was in
Mississippi and everyone was all upset
about me. ‘Here,’ said one conduc
tor, ‘you can’t put her in the Jim
Crow car; she is not black.’ ‘Well,
she is not white,’ said the Pullman
porter. ‘I don’t care, I said, put me
somewhere; I am getting very tired.
Such a hubbub! Such a commotion!’ I
sat on my bag and waited. By and
by they put me in the white car.”
She laughed, “Too bad you have no
yellow cars. Then your race prob
lem would all be solved, yes?”
It appears from the above interest
ing but rather pathetic incident that
all colored people—except native
Negroes who are contributing to the
wealth of the nation, who with un
alloyed patriotism fight her battles
at home and abroad, who cherish
American ideals and institutions—
can enjoy every comfort, use every
facility and embrace every opportu
nity that this great country affords.
All but the Negro.
HON. J. G. CARTER NAMED
FOR LIBERIAN POST
Washington, D. C.—Hon. James G.
Carter, of Georgia, now United
States Consul at Tanararive, Mada
gascar, was named by President Cool
idge last Saturday morning as Min
ister and resident Consul General to
Liberia. The position was formerly
held by Rev. Solomon Porter Hood,
who resigned on account of ill
health. It is believed that the Sen
ate will confirm Mr. Carter’s ap
pointment without opposition. Wil
liam Francis of St. Paul, Minn., was
his most formidable rival. ,
GETS STREET FOREMAN JOB
New York, N. Y.—Herbert Sim
mons is the first colored American
to fill a foreman’s office in the New
York City Street Department. He
was among 600 persons, who took
a competitive examination for the
position. The position pays a salary
of $2,160 yearly. Simmons began
work in the street department six
teen years ago.
THE “NEW WHITE MAN”
EARNESTLY WORKING FOR
RACIAL BETTERMENT
Speaker* at Youth Conference Opti
mistic in Discussing Difficult
Aspects of Problems of
•* the Race
New York, N. Y.—“Youth and the
Negro Problem” was the subject of
the first session Sunday of a “Doug
las-Lincoln Memorial Conference”,
held at International House, 600
Riverside Drive, under the joint aus
pices of the American section of the
World Youth Alliance, the Intercol
legiate Club of New York City, made
up of groups of race students, and
the Young People’s Fellowship, com
posed of members of the parish of
St. Philip’s Episcopal Church. More
than 200 young men and women,
both white and colored, attended the
conference and took part in a forum
discussion of various aspects of the
Negro problem. A. G. Dill, manag
ing editor of The Crisis, was chair
man. Among the speakers were De
vere Allen, editor of The World To
morrow and Alain Locke, formerly
professor of philosophy at Howard
University, Washington, D. C.
Mr. Allen discussed social equality
of the Negro from the white man’s
point of view, while Mr. Locke pre
sented the question from the point of
view of the Negro. Both speakers
heM that social equality was essen
tial to the real freedom and progress
of the Negro and that it would be
the only means of combating exist
ing evils in the relationship between
the two races. Along with the de
velopment of the “new” Negro, both
speakers declared, whose cause is
championed by such men as Howard
Odum of the University of North
Carolina, Eugene O’Neil and Paul
Green, author of “In Abraham’s Bo
som,” there has arisen a new white
man who has cast aside old prejudices
und is working for the social, intel
lectual and economic betterment of
the colored race.
“There is no way of settling the
Negro question short of complete jus
tice, complete equality, complete
freedom of friendship. Youth must
not think of any other way,” Mr.
Allen said.
BOY “BURNED AT STAKE”
IN SERIOUS CONDITION
Philadelphia, Pa.—Winston Mc
Laughlin, aged 10 years, is in a ser
ious condition as a result of being
“burned at the stake.” Three com
panions of the injured boy are under
I arrest. Police say that the boys con
fessed tying the McLaughlin boy to
: a stake, saturating his clothing with
| gasoline and then setting fire to his
clothing while they danced about
waving torches.
“Snow Queen” Delights
a Very Large Audience
The juvenile operetta, “The Snow
Queen,” presented under the man
agement of Mrs. Florentine F. Pink
ston, at the Technical High school
auditorium, Thursday evening, Feb
ruary 17, was an artistic success.
The costumes and scenery were very
beautiful. The operetta is in three
acts.
ACT I
This act introduced Celestine
Smith as Gerda and Fred Dixon as
Kay, her playmate, singing “The
Rose Hymn,” while Sarah Brown, as
Gerda’s grandmother, sat nearby.
The “Snowflakes,” represented by
sixteen boys and girls, dressed all in
white, came dancing in follewed by
the Snow Queen.
Celestine Smith, as Gerda, whose
playmate, Kay, is stolen away by the
Snow Queen, was an excellent choice
for the part. She showed pronounc
ed dramatic ability. Fred Dixon was
excellent as Kay. He spoke his lines
clearly and distinctly. Sarah Brown
as Gerda’s grandmother, and Willa
Hayes as Kay’s mother, acted their
parts very well. Mercedes Ferguson
as the Snow Queen was graceful and
stately and well suited to the part.
Herbert McCaw as the ragman,
and those who took the parts of the
townsboys and townswomen were
very good.
Millard Singleton as captain of the
robber band and Helen Jenkins, who
took the part of the robber girl, were
both very good,, as were also Ellen
Richardson, as the witch, and Lavina
Scott and Alger Adams, as the Span
iards.
ACT II
Scene I—Introduced a group of
sixteen little girls representing but
terflies, a bee, a fairy, the witch, and
flowers, all in beautiful costumes.
Special mention should be made of
little Helen Stevenson for her toe
dancing and Catherine Williams, a
fairy, for her singing and dancing.
The flowers sang for Gerda, and es
pecial mention should be made of
Sylvia Adams, who, as Narcissus,
told Gerda in song what had become
of her playmate, Kay. Her song
was very well rendered. Olive Jack
son as the rose, told Gerda how to
find her lost Kay, Lucile Patterson
as Snowdrop also told Gerda in song
what had happened to Kay. Other
flowers to sing were Gertrude Mc
Caw and Vera Chandler as forget
me-nots, Edrose Willis as violet and
Helen Singleton as tiger lily. The
flowers’ farewell was sung by but
terlies and flowers.
James Crumbly as soloist for the
robber band was very good. The
torch dance by eight boys was uni
que, artistic and much appreciated.
Marjorie Bolden as the acrobat
surprised and delighted all with her
exhibition of agility and skill. She
is only twelve years old but is most
wonderful in her work. The four
girls, Margaret Bell, Margaret Dick
erson, Eula Henderson and Cleo
Sayles in the angel’s serenade, sang
sweetly.
The overture, “Poet and Peasant,”
by Miss Elaine Smith, an advanced
pupil of Mrs. Pinkston, was beauti
fully rendered. Miss Willa Hayes,
another pupil of Mrs. Pinkston, was
accompanist.
Too much praise cannot be given
to Mrs. Pinkston for the music, and
her assistant, Miss Pauline Capps, for
the dancing and to Messrs. Misner
and Peck of the Misner School of
Expression, for the dramatics. The
costumes, which were most artistic
and beautiful, were designed and
made by Mr. John A. Smith.
ACT III
The third art showed the Snow
Queen on her throne surrounded by
the Snowflakes, when a huge snow
ball was rolled in by two pages of
the queen, Woodrow Macklin and
David Ferguson. When they opened
it, Catherine Williams as Alva, the
Snow Queen’s favorite Snowflake,
dressed all in white, stepped forth
and gave a very graceful toe dance
number. In this act Gerda finds
her lost playmate and the operetta
ends with a finale chorus by the
whole cast.
There was a large and aprrecia
tive audience, numbering about 1,200,
which will long remember this de
lightful and artistic operetta. Sixty
children were in the cast, ranging
in ages from 2 to 16.
PARALYZED BUT CONDUCTS
A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS
AND **BL1SHES POEMS
Cincinnati Ohio—For fifteen of
his forty-five years Raymond G.
Dandridge, Cincinnati colored citi
zen, has been bedridden with par
alysis, but he conducts a coal busi
ness from a telephone at his bedside
and hae a talent for poetry which
has brought him attention outside
his race.
Two volumes of his poems have
been published and many of his
verses appear in anthologies of
Negro poetry. And any poet will
find kinship in his lament of “
Editors — who mock his song, de
ny him bread, then sing his praise
when he is dead.”
The friends who come often to his
bedside include as many whites as
colored people.
ARCTIC EXPLORER AIDED
BY PRESIDENT COOLIDGE
Washington, D. C.—Through the
action of President Coolidge, Mat
thew Henson, one of the few sur
vivors of Admiral Peary’s Arctic ex
pedition, has received a promotion in
the New York Custom House from a
messenger at a salary of $1,700 to
a clerk, at a salary of $2,000 annual
ly
Recently a plea was made in the
House by Representative Celler, dem
ocrat, of New York, for an award
for the part that Henson played in
the discovery of the North Pole. A
bill was introduced by Celler ask
ing that a medal be awarded to the
hero who not only saved Peary’s
life in the famous expedition in
1909, but made the discovery of ftie
North Pole possible.
HC /ARD GRADUATE WINS
HARVARD FELLOWSHIP
Washington, D. C.—Notification
was received at the university last
week that the authorities of Harvard
university, Cambridge, Mass., had
awarded Charles Clifton Andrews,
graduate of Howard university col
lege of liberal arts, 1926, a Fellow
ship in Zoology. This announcement
is rather unusual, as the usual re
quirements to receive a Fellowship
in Zoology at Harvard make it nec
essary to spend one year in residence
at Harvard before the award is made.
Since his graduation, Mr. Andrews
has been doing research work in Chi
cago and at Howard, under the super
vision of Dr. E. E. Just, professor
in zoology.
DROP SHELL INTO STOVE;
TWO INJURED IN EXPLOSION
Houston, Texas—Their curiosity
in dropping a shotgun shell into a
stove “to see what it would do” ended
disastrously for a race youth and his
brother here recently.
Van Wright, 22 years old, of 1905
Stevens street, will lose his left hand
and his six-year-old brother, E. W.
Wright, will lose four fingers from
his right hand. They were taken to
St. Joseph’s Infirmary.
SEGREGATION CASE GOES
TO SUPREME COURT
Washington, D. C.—The appeal
case of the Louisiana and New Or
leans residential segregation meas
ures is slated to come up before the
U. S. Supreme Court March 7th.
Attorney L. Charbdnnet, retained by
the N. A. A. C. P. in the case, was
in Washington last week.