1 THE ” MONIl 'or 1
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Nebraska, under the Act of Marcb t, 1879. 4 ,
THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS Editm j [
, , W. W. MOSLEY, Lincoln. Neb. _- Aaaociate Editor ,
, , LUCINDA W. WILLIAMS _ Buelnea. Manorrt , ,
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< Address, The Monitor, Postoffice Bo* 1204, Omaha, Neb. < >
I Telephone WEbster 4243
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AN OPEN LETTER TO HENRY
DUNN, POLICE COMMISSIONER
Dear Sir: I desire to call your at
tention to the fact that on more than
one occasion managers of local the
aters have called in police officers for
the purpose of having them eject
from the theater or to intimidate and
"compel the removal to other seats in
balcony or gallery, respectable and
well-behaved colored patrons, who
had violated no law, created no dis
turbance but were acting within their
lawful rights as law-abiding citizens
of this state.
The v*vil rights bill of this state
provides that, “All persons within the
state shall be entitled to full and
equal enjoyment of the accommoda
tions, advantages, facilities and priv
ileges of inns, restaurants, public
conveyances, barber shops, THEA
TERS (caps mine) and other places
of amusement; subject only to the
conditions and limitations establish
ed by law and applicable alike to
every person."
A penalty is provided for violation
of this law.
Now, sir, when a theater advertises
its seats at a given price and a pa
tron pays that price, he is “entitled
to full and equal enjoyment of the
accommodation” paid for. So long
as he behaves himself no one has any
right, in law or morals, to interfere
with his enjoyment of that right.
And whoever does so interfere is a
lawbreaker. This must be perfectly
obvious to any one with any reason
able degree of intelligence. And yet,
there has grown up in this communi
ty, which is supposed to rank rela
tively high in intelligence and en
lightened citizenship, a custom which
forbids colored citizens, no matter
how refined and well-mannered they
may be, of occupying any but certain
designated seats in given sections of
these public places of amusement. If,
therefore, such patrons quietly take
seats in other than these designated
sections, they are annoyed and order
ed to move, and when they decline
police officers are brought in to in
timidate and embarrass them. A
flagrant case of this character oc
curred Sunday afternoon when two
highly respected women were sub
jected to this embarrassment and hu
miliation. Be it said to the credit of
the officer that his gentlemanly bear
ing and conduct was in marked con
trast to that of the blatant and loud
mouthed assistant manager who call
ed the officer.
Will you kindly see to it, sir, that
police officers decline to be used for
the unlawful purpose of embarrass
ing and humiliating respectable and
well-behaved colored patrons of the
aters and other places covered in the
civil rights bill of Nebraska when
they are breaking no law, and will
you not also make it plain to theater
managers and others that police of
ficers are not to be summoned by
them save to quell disturbance and
preserve order and not to help and
uphold them in their violation of the
law?
With marked personal esteem, be
lieve me
Respectfully yours,
JNO. ALBERT WILLIAMS,
Editor of The Monitor.
A MORAL ISSUE AND POLITICAL
EXPEDIENCY
By Kelly Miller
The national republican conven
tion has engaged to bind the G. 0. P.
to the unequivocal enforcement of
the 18th amendment. Borah and
Butler met. The exponents of the
drys and the wets locked horns.
Borah won before the republican con
vention as he did last year in public
debate. The 18th amendment in
volves a double moral issue. The
very nature and essence of prohibi
tion is moral. The inculcation of
habits of temperance and sobriety is
a moral duty which the state owes
the citizen. It is also incumbent up
on the state to forcfend the young
from self-hurt by whatever measure
of coercion may be necessary. In all
of the ages of history strong drink
has been looked upon as an evil;
temperance has been regarded as a
virtue. A firm and determined es
pousal of the cause of temperance
constitutes the only great moral com
mitment of the republican party
since its original adoption of the
cause of human freedom and man
hood rights. In the second place, the
18th amendment at this time focuses
the issue of the integrity and inviol
ability of the constitution and the
law. No party can hope to bid for
public favor and openly advocate the
annulment of organic law. I expect
to see the democratic convention at
Houston endeavor to outdo its repub
lican rival in avowing allegiance to
the constitution. It is a safe bet that
Smith will outdo Hoover in lip hom
age to this great instrument. But
party platforms are designed to at
tract voters rather than to express
sincere conviction. This is the hom
age which vice pays to virtue. There
are sincerely dry democrats and re
publicans. On the other hand, both
parties have an ample contingency of
genuine wets. But on the whole, the i
republican party has a more com
prehensive purpose than its demo
cratic rival in regard to this great
moral reform. Hoover’s purpose with
reference to prohibition is construct
ive; Smith’s is destructive. We must
interpret platform phraseology in
light of the spirit and determination
of the parties and persons behind
them.
The regret is great that the G.O.P.
did not choose to be as specific in
its avowal to enforce the 14th and
15th amendments as the 18th. Here
in lies a moral inconsistency. On this
score we must rest content with the
declarations of George Washington
and Abraham Lincoln as to the ob
ligatoriness of the constitution as
such. But these 40 years of sad ex
perience makes us skeptical of the
modern day American’s sense of this
obligation so ardently espoused by
the father and the savior of the na
tion. It is well, however, to renew
our allegiance to basic principle, al
though our practice may deviate
therefrom.
We gather from press reports that
the Negro contingency of the conven
tion, some 50 strong, fought man
fully for the inclusion of the 14th
and 15th amendments, along with the
18th, in the specific declaration. In
this they were defeated. Their at
titude must be applauded in general
terms. However, I have not learned
of a single Negro participant, either
at the convention nor in the prelim
inary campaign, who openly and
avowedly advocated prohibition, on
basic principle, with the single excep
tion of the national committeemen
from Georgia. Their tactics were
rather vindictive and retaliatory.
They declared to the managers of the
party, “If you insist on enforcing the
18th amendment, then we will also
insist on the enforcement of the 14th
and 15th amendments.” The moral
force of their contention was im
measurably weakened because they i
failed to uphold prohibition for its 1
own essential merit. How greatly
this would have strengthened their
position. It is a much greater virtue
to uphold law as law rather than to
select designated portions of the law
promotive of our peculiar interests,
for emphatic advocacy.
The American people had allowed
the principle of the civil war amend
ments to lapse into complaisant obliv
ion until revived in memory by the
prohibition issue. The political
rights of the Negro will inevitably
benefit by the enforcement of the
18th amendment. Of course we
would bind the two to the public
conscience by a common chain, if we
could. The attempt is worth the ef
fort, if no more. Whatever moral
purpose may be engendered by the
latter will inevitably react upon the
former.
But now the issue has been drawn.
The republican party and its candi
date have been firmly committed to
the 18th amendment. They are also
committed in general terms, to the
14th and 15th amendments. Let the
Negro enter the campaign with un
reserved devotion to the cause oil
prohibition, with the kind of zeal and
ardor that the true reformer would
exhibit, if all the rest of the consti
tution were fully enforced. “This
ye ought to have done, and not to
have left the other undone. But the
doing of this will keep ye mindful
jf the moral obligation of the other.”
As I said in a previous release, I
have little hope that the enforcement
>f the civil war amendments will be
Drought about by direct action,
rhere is nothing in the present tem
per and purpose of the American peo
ple to justify such optimism. They
rather, the American people, the dis
posed to persuade themselves to say
with Senator Borah, that these
amendments are not being disobeyed,
at least in the letter. But there is a
gradually growing sense of con
icience. Even the southern people
will sooner or later forget to remem
Der the alleged horrors of reconstruc
;ion and the fancied dread of Negro
iomination. But more than ail, deep
seated and far-reaching political, in
dustrial and social forces are steadily
making for the observance of poli
tical equality. The enfranchisement
if women, the shift of Negro popu
lation to the free states of the north,
the lessening of racial pressue on the
southern area, the enforcement of
the 18th amendment, all tend to
wards this grand consummation de
voutly to be wished. I believe that
the election of Mr. Hoover will con
tribute powerfully in the righ direc
tion. It is too much to hope that he
will stress with equal emphasis all
three of these amendments. I hope
lie will, but can hardly expect it. The
republican platform on which he
stands does not do so. Let the race
do longer deceive itself, nor allow
the wily politician to deceive them.
I’m Always Sure of
the Best at
THE ROYAL
DRY CLEANERS
“I never have to worry when
I send my rugs to the Royal be
cause I know from experience
they’re as careful as I would be
myself — and my rugs always
look so clean, fresh and bright
that my friends think they are
brand new. Why don’t you send
your rugs to the Royal, too? It
costs no more than ordinary
rug cleaning.”
Phone for Estimates
ROYAL DRY CLEANERS
Chas. Anderson, Mgr.
942 N. 24th St. Ja. 1811
—
We face the coining campaign with |
eyes wide open. The chief proposi-!
tion so far as we are concerned is the j
18th amendment, with the 14th and
16th amendmens as correlaries. We
would, if we could, reverse the order,
and make the correlaries the leading
proposition.
Washington, D. C.
June 14, 1928.
Y. W. C. A. NOTES
The members of the Blue Ribbon
club held a vesper service, Sunday
afternoon, June 17. The attendance
was not large, due to the rainstorm,
but encouraging to those who were
on the program.
The house committee musicale and
June frolic will be held at Dreamland
hall, Thursday evening, June 21. All
are cordially invited to be present.
The second annual membership
picnic of the North Side Branch Y.
W. C. A. will be held at Elmwood
park, Wednesday afternoon, June 27,
from 2 to 8 p. m. All members and
friends are urged to be present. At
this time the Girl Reserves will hold
a field meet. This is also a day in
honor of our secretary, Miss Ruth O.
Collins, who is soon to leave the
branch for another field of employ
ment soon after the first of July.
ANNOUNCEMENT!
Growing out of the Negro trade
week activity, a committee composed
of members of the Ministerial Alli
ance, co-operating with business men
of the city have worked out plans for
the formation of a permanent organ
ization, the purpose of which when
perfected will be to promote, instill
and agitate harmonious support of
Negro business enterprises.
July 17th has been selected as the
date upon which a mass meeting will
be held for the purpose of adoption
of the plans, creation of a permanent
organization and the election of of
ficers. The place of meeting wall be
announced in a later issue of this
paper. The public in general is re
spectfully urged to be present and
lend it moral support.
The committee is composed of Mil
ton L. Hunter, Jacob C. Cary, and M.
Lynch, chairman.
The annual sermon of the Sir
Knights and Daughters of Tabernacle
was held in Newman Methodist
church, Sunday, the Rev. S. H. John
son officiating as the speaker. The
attendance was fair, owing to rain.
♦ At
I EPISCOPAL I;
X Church of St. Philip the Deacon %\
J* 21st near Paul
IRev. John Albert Williams, Rector %
SUNDAY SERVICES $
y
7:30 a. m. Holy Communion y
10 a. m. Sunday School X
11 a. m. Sung Eucharist With Sermon ))
8 p. m. Service and Sermon ❖
Y
The Church With a Welcome '{
and a Message, Come X
■jajfi tin 111 ii 111111 it i ~ i im 11 it
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