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The Monitor
NEBRASKA’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS
THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor.
7
! _
GROWING —
THANK YOU
$2.00 a Year—5 Cent* a Copy
Omaha, Nebraska, July 27, 1928
Vol. XIV—No. 4 Whole Number 677
( Howard s Indictment Cause of Thinking
ALABAMA MASONS
BORN MORTGAGE ON
$750,000 TEMPLE
Principal of Tuskegee Institute De
livers Congratulatory Address
On Memorable
Occasion
PRAISE WORTHY ACHIEVEMENT
Demonstrates Possibilities Open To
Enterprise and Co-operation
By Race in South and
Elsewhere
Birmingham, Ala.—Negro Masons
of Alabama closed their fifty-ninth
annual communication here Thurs
day night with the buring of the
mortgage on their $750,000 temple
at Fourth Avenue and 17th Street at
which time Dr. Robert R. Moton,
principal of Tuskegee Institute, de
livered the address.
Congratulating the Masons upon
the occasion. Dr. Moton declared that
the order gives a demonstration of
the “possibilities that are open to
Negro enterprise and cooperative ef
fort right here in the South. Some
times we are tempted to complain
that there is not opportunity for de
velopment of the Negro in the South.
But this building not only shows the
possibilities in this direction, but it
demonstrates also that the vast ma
jority of Negroes who have remained
in the South are going steadily ahead
in oeveioping me possnuiiues rigm
at hand. This building shows to thd
city of Birmingham and to the state
of Alabama that the Negroes of this
section are an asset and not a liabil
l ity. It shows that they are working
I out the solution of thir own problems
V right where they stand rather than
\ "unning away from them; that they
ire determined to vindicate their
•laim to a right to share in all of the
pportunities and privileges of Amer
, an citizenship right here in the city
jihere they live.”
jf Further, he stated the building is
a demonstration of interracial co
operation for the "burning of this
| $125,000 mortgage indicates that
I there have been financial institutions
I in the white race that have confid
ence in the order and its leadership
and have backed them to the limit
in this enterprise. In this sense the
temple is a monument of interracial
cooperation that is substantial and
enduring and is a harbinger of better
things which are to come.”
Dr. Moton commended Grandmas^
ter Walter Thomas Woods upon the
success in erecting and clearing the
building of debt, stating that such
orders as these prove the capacity of
the Negro to handle large sums hon
estly and efficiently.
William H. Carter, auditor of the
Grand Lodge and treasurer of Tus
kegee Institute, reported assets in
cash and holding of more than $800,
000. In 1917 when he was elected
auditor the order was in debt to the
extent of $115,000. Since that time
with the reorganization of the fi
nancial system which was effected,
the order has collected more than
$2,000,000; has paid out in death
claims $1,016,000; and has cleared
itself completely of debt with a cash
balance of $80,000.
LOUISVILLE NOW HAS
NEGRO TRAFFIC COPS
Louisville, Ky.—The chief of po
lice in making assignments of police
officers to certain dangerous corners
assigned colored cops to 10th and
Chestnut and 10th and Walnut
streets during the morning and even
ing hours when traffic is so dan
gerous.
WINS SUNSET DYE CONTEST
Mrs. Oleatha Birch of St. Johns
bury, Vermont, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. J. W. Alexander, who is visiting
her parents at their home, 2734 Par
ker street, was pleasant ly surprised
wher she received an award of fifty
dollars, third prize in the Sunset
Dyes contest.
This is one of the many contests
Mns. Birch has entered and won wih
in he past few years.
ANITA PATTI BROWN GIVES
PLEASING RECITAL AT PILGRIM
Anita Patti Brown of Chicago, the
well known and talented soprano
cantatrice, gave a delightful program
at Pilgrim Baptist Church, assisted
by the choir, Monday night. The au
dience was not as large as it should
have been to greet this fine artist,
but it was an appreciative one. Mme.
Brown’s charming personality as well
as her excellent program, charmed
and delighted all who heard her. The
program included numbers from Han
del, Gounod, Brahme, Schubert, Bur
leigh i. Rogers and Mayerbeer. Miss
Wilia Hayes ably acouitted herself
as Mme. Brown’s accompanist.
NEGRO CULTURAL CENTER
CLOSES VACATION SCHOOL
The Negro Cultural Center an-|
nounces the close of its second vaca-!
tion school with a final exhibit and
program to be held in Swift’s Service
building, 27th and Q street, on Sat
urday evening, July 30, at 8:15, and
cordially invites its friends and pa
trons to be present.
Street cars stop in front of the
door on the Q street viaduct. The
Employees’ cafeteria, which is loaned
for the exhibit, is on the fourth
floor. Parking Bpace is available
within the gates, at 27th and R
streets.
Cooking classes of girls from 8 to
15, directed by Miss Goldie Mitchell,
will demonstrate correct table serv
ice, and will serve cakes, pies, sal
ads, ice cream and cookies.
Sewing classes taught by Miss
Florence Myers and Mrs. Hattie
Agee, the latter a volunteer of the
South Side, will exhibit dresses, pa
jamas. aprons, slips, bloomers, and
other things.
Basketry classes of both boys and
girls, under Mrs. Bolden, will exhibit
waste baskets, work baskets and
vases; while wood work classes, under
Rev. W. D. Smith, assisted by our
staff member, Mrs. Lovetta Busch,
will show a variety of clever toys.
Boys from the wood work classes
have less to show in toys because of
the time they have put into building
a picket fence for the Cultural Cen
ter’s “beauty spot” on 30th and V
streets. This “beauty spot” was sug
gested by the City Beautiful Cam
paign inaugurated by the Omaha
Chamber of Commerce last spring.
Children from the Center have co
operated with grown-ups in clearing
a small space at this corner and do
ing their bit to make it attractive.
Boys from the Center, led by Mr.
Smith, have also put in time on the
building of a shelter on their new
playground at 27th and V streets, and
on the clearing of one end for tennis
courts.
Directors of this playground, Miss
Thelma Norris and Mr. C. A. Stewart,
will have groups of girls and boys,
respectively, participating in the pro
gram. Under Miss Norris, two
groups of girls will do the Egyptian
and a Dutch donee. Mr. Stewart’s
boys will do a “stunt.”
The pre-school group, composed of
34 children under 7 years, which held
its classes in the afternoon, will show
kindergarten hand work, and sing.
Mrs. Lillian Anders, of the South
Side, has been the faithful volunteer
assistant with this group. Through
her efforts the class roll doubled by
the end of the f ond week.
Much credit is due Miss Thelma
Norris for her faithful .work with this
group.
Mrs. Cordelia Armstrong helped
with choral class, and Mrs. Alma
Webster volunteered for handcraft.
The costumes for the dances are
being made by the girls, under direc
tion of Miss Norris. They were pur
chased with money which the older
and younger girls earned from the
sale of punch on the playground this
month. One little girl, Espanola
Anders, was so eager to do her bit,
though unable to come to the play
ground at the time of the sale, she
made and sold ice cream, which
netted more than $1.00 for the cos
tumes.
Everybody has co-operated for the
success of the school.
Mrs. Rhone, director of the Center,
reports a large and regular attend
ance during the past four weeks of
vacation school.
EDITORIAL
For several years the need of a municipal playground and
recreational center for the congested district lying north of
Cuming street and having Thirtieth street as its westward
boundry, was keenly felt, and some public spirited citizens
began a movement for it. Finally, about four years ago, a
tract lying between Twenty-first and Twenty-second and ex
tending from Paul to Seward, was selected and purchased by
the city for this purpose for the sum of $35,000, if our informa
tion is correct. Some litigation followed, which delayed open
ing the playground. However, last year one corner of this
tract was fenced in and provided by Park Commissioner Hum
mel with some playground apparatus, and an attendant placed
in charge. The children of the neighborhood throng the place,
showing that the playground is needed. But aside from this
make-shift arrangement, for that is what it really amounts to,
nothing else has been done to make this municipal tract what
it really ought to be, an attractive and adequate playground
and recreational center for the large community which it
serves. There it lies, a dusty, unattractive, barren and little
used tract of land not far removed from the business heart of
the city.
i ms iana, au oi u, snouia oe usea lor tne purpose tor
which it was acquired. A few thousand dollars expended upon
this tract would be money well spent and make it serviceable
as a real municipal playground. What ought to be done, in
our opinion, is this: The entire tract should be fenced in with
a neat wire fence. Trees should be planted to relieve the bar
renness and ultimately provide a reasonable amount of shade.
A baseball diamond should be laid out and a stand built for
spectators, like those provided elsewhere. Three or four ten
nis courts should be provided and croquet grounds laid out.
There is ample room in this tract for this. We believe that
these suggested improvements would not cost to exceed $5,000;
but even though it did, it would be money wisely and judicious
ly spent and would bring big returns in improved citizenship.
We are speaking now only of the tract which the city now
owns, but as a matter of fact the little strip on Paul and Twen
ty-first streets, now occupied by several small houses dange
ously crowded together, and that on which Pleasant Green
Baptist Church stands, should be acquired and added to the
present tract.
It may be contended that the Department of Parks has
not money to make these improvements; but we believe it can
and should be found. A large sum of money has been recently
spent on building a new bear den at Riverview Park. Perhaps
the bear den was needed. But surely the children in the terri
tory which the Paul street playground is supposed to serve
are worthy of at least as much consideration as the bears in
Riverview Park.
If money can be found for new bear dens and like im
provements in our parks and boulevards, of which we are all
justly proud, surely money can be found to give us a real well
equipped attractive playground and recreational center at
Twenty-first and Paul, instead of the makeshift which Mr. |
Hummel, because of the handicap under which he was placed,
was compelled to provide to meet an emergency. Weary of
delay, he equipped the present small playground last year for '
Lhe children of this neighborhood. Our contention is now, that
if no litigation bars such action, this whole tract should be ade- '
[juately fitted up and made a real recreational center and a
credit to our city, instead of leaving it the barren, dusty, un
attractive and unused spot it is. In other words, we plead for 1
a real playground, for which the taxpayers have been assessed,
instead of the makeshift which we now have.
Mrs. Willibrant, Disclaims ;
Politics, Howard Prosecution
i
Washington, D. C.—(Staff Corre
spondent of the Associated Negro
Press)—Declaring that she was actu
ated in the prosecution of Perry W.
Howard, Mississippi national commit
teeman, by no other motive than that
of doing her duty as a law enforce
ment officer, Mrs. Mable Willebrandt
in an interview recently with a rep
presentative of the Associated Negro
Press, insisted that she would not be
swerved by public opinion or political
pressure from her program of seeking
indictments and convictions wherever
graft was found, no matter how big
and powerful the person involved was
or what his racial identity happened
to be.
Public attention has been directed
toward Mrs. Willebrandt recently be
cause of the militant attitude and
eager zeal she has shown in her post
convention prosecution of charges of
selling federal officers in Mississippi,
a practice which in the absence of fi
nancing the republican organization
in that and other southern states, is
reported to exist in most of -them.
While it is understood that most
present day state political organiza
tions are financed by assessments lev
ied upon patronage, the practice was
made a felony by a law passed last
year, sponsored by southern senators
for the express purpose of trapping
those who levied upon federal jobs.
The levelling of attention however,
upon Mississippi where the lone Ne.
gro national committeeman still sur
vives and Georgia where a senatorial
investigation committee recently pil
<
loried Ben Davis, has given rise to the (
widely expressed view that the real 1
purpose of the drive was to rid the ]
party of Negro leadership. The ab- ,
sence of prosecutions in other states ,
thus far seems to emphasize that <
opinion.
“I will not discuss the Perry How- i
ard matter, because it would be both <
unethical and unprofessional to give
out information regarding a pending
case,” Mrs. Willebrandt said in an
swer to a series of pointed question.' |
presented by the Associated Negro
Press. “And while I deeply regret
the turn the matter has taken in the
public press and know that many will
perhaps interpret my activity wrong
fully, I simply am following the only
course open, that of prosecuting such
criminality and graft wherever and
whenever evidence of it is laid before
me. I am first a law officer of the
government. While so, as an individ
ual I have espoused the cause of Her
bert Hoover, neither that fact nor the
interests of the republican party will
affect my official attitudes.”
Mrs. Willeb.-andt, whose grappling
with the red hot problem of southern
political methods has focused the
country’s attention upon her, presents
an interesting picture. Evidently, in
her middle thirties, slender, garbed in
blue, with light brown hair and cool
grey eyes, this woman who by sheer
force and ability has won a place as
an ace in the department of justice,
is entirely feminine in her appear
ance. She has none of the strident
(Continued on Page Three)
5T. PHILIP’S CHURCH
OPENS TENNIS COURT
A fine tennis court has been made
on the lot adjoining St. Philip’s Epis
copal church, and was formally open
ed Wednesday afternoon with a ten
nis tournament, thoroughly enjoyed
by the group of young people who
attended. The winners were Law
rence Burnett and Dorothy Patter
son, with Charles Wilson and Edna
James close seconds. The work of
making the court, including the erec
tion of the fence, was done by Ray
Gustin, Clinton James and David
Brewer, with one or two other boys
putting in a lick or two now and then.
St. Philip’s tennis court is one of the
best in the city and will be kept in
use by tennis enthusiasts.
ENTERTAINS AT A
MUS1CALE TEA
Mrs. Hiram R. Greenfield gave a
“Musicale Tea” last Saturday at her
home, 1005 North 49th avenue, Dun
dee, from 5 to 7 p. m., honoring her
niece, Miss Willette Embry of Rich
mond, Ky., her guest for the summer.
A number of the young smart set,
which is composed of the college and
high school groups of young girls,
were invited. Several piano and vio
lin numbers were rendered by the
alented group. Also vocal numbers
with violin obligatos. Miss Embry
rendered “Minuet in E Minor” by
Paderewski. The musical hour was
lighly interesting, inspirational and
entertaining. Several young matrons
risiting in Omaha were present, Mrs.
Florence Hunt Level of Detroit,
ifich., Mrs. Mandel Rick Bondurant
>f Washington. D. C. ArrisH ncr the !
lostess were Misses Grace Dorsey,
md Dorothy Allen. Miss Gertrude
..ucas presided at the punch bowl in
he reception hall. Mrs. A. L. Haw
cins graciously assisted the hostess
ilso, by getting autographs of guests
md kodaking. Miss Goldie Mitchell
erved salad at the dining table. Mrs.
iondurant served the ices. The fili
ng table was resplendent with the
leautiful garden fl iwers and ferns
ised in decorations, and the guests
mjoyed the dainty refreshing sum
ner menu, and the hours were rt
ilete with happy voices resounding
heir college and school experiences.
HARIAN ANDERSON
SINGS IN LONDON
London, Eng.—The English papers
lave been lavish in their praise of
he work of Marian Anderson, the
■elebrated contralto, who has ben
itudying for sometime in London,
iliss Anderson appeared in her initial
ecital in the famous Wigmore Hall^
m the evening of June 15, her pro
rram including songs and ballads of
Jurcell, Martini, Schubert, Caldada,
leBussey, Schumann, a group of Ne
rro Spirituals, and songs by the em
nent English composer. Sir Roger
juilter.
Miss Aderson is broadcasting a var
ed program over the radio in London
in August 7.
Musical critics of London are loud
n their acclaim that Miss Anderson
s destined to become the world’s
greatest contralto. She is expected
lack to this country in the early fall,
vhen she is booked to appear at the
Academy of Music under the auspices
if Nu Sigma, the Philadelphia Chap
er of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.
IOHNNIE JONES, OMAHA’S
FAVORITE WELTER WEIGHT,
OPENS BOXING CLASS
Johnnie Jones, Omaha’s favorite
colored welter weight, has been se
cured by the Executive Committee of
Roosevelt Post No. 30 to take charge
if the gymnasium and instruct in
>oxing. The classes will open Aug
ust 1st. It is the desire of the box
ng instructor to conduct morning,
ifternoon and evening classes.
All young men interested in the
»rt of boxing are requested to com
nunicate with Johnnie Jones, Web
iter 6768, 2422 Lake street.
Mrs. Harrington of Houston, Tex.,
s the house guest of her brother, Dr.
7. B. Lennox, at 2527 Patrick ave
lue.
PERRY HOWARD 1HDER
CHARGE OF SELLIHG
FEDERAL POSITIOHS
Mississippi Political Leader Claims
Innocence of Wrong Doing But
Victim of “Lily White"
Enemies
NEGRO LEADERSHIP MARTYR
Powerful Influences Have Been En
listed to Eliminate Race Prestige
In Southern Republican
Affairs.
Washington, D. C.—Declaring that
the charges preferred against him by
the Senatorial Investigation Com
mittee were unfounded, Perry W.
Howard, former special assistant to
the Attorney General of the United
States, characterized himself as a
martyr to NegTo leadership in the
South, and the investigation as a
means of overthrowing the power of
Negroes in the Republican party in
the South, in a statement released re
cently.
Mr. Howard was indicted on
charges of peddling federal patron
age, along with several other prom
inent republican leaders in Mississip
pi including S. D. Redmond and his
brother. Mr. Howard made bond
here in Washington and the leaders
who are residing in Mississippi were
granted a change of venue last week.
The statement made by Howard was
as follows:
“The only information I have with
reference to my indictment is what
I have in the daily press.
“I am a martyr to the cause I rep
resent—Negro leadership. Persecu
tion is the price of martyrdom. Pris
on walls to martyrs are like palaces
x am ^ciictuy Will
ing to be offered up and pay the price
of martyrdom. A cause is certainly
far greater than the individual. I
have been pursued politically and in
the civil courts, and now my political
enemies seek to have me crucified in
the criminal courts.
“I have no idea what the charge is.
Whatever it is, I know that it is the
back fire from the current of a right
eous cause, and this cause will go on
whether I am temporarily incarcer
ated or not. I am guilty of no wrong
doing, directly or indirectly.
Confident as to Outcome
“My ‘lily white’ adversaries have
enlisted the aid of powerful influ
ence, material, political and other
wise, and I am not surprised at what
las happened. For seven years I
lave been the most hounded and in
vestigated man in the United States.
“No man in the nation has done
more than I to prevent anything that
even smacked of the purchase and
sale of public offices. I required of
ipplicants for offices in the state of
Mississippi affidavits declaring that
the applicant has given or promised
to give no consideration of any kind
for the office. This was at the in
ception of my administration and
prior to the enactment of the statutes
requiring the filing of affidavits to
that effect with the Comptroller Gen
er* _
“I appeared before the House ju
diciary committee, as the records of
that committee will show, and urged
the enactment of a law requiring all
appointees to make an affidavit stat- ,
ing that they had not given or prom
ised to give any consideration for
their appointment.
“I repeat that I have done no
wrong. I have been merely accused
as the result of an exparte hearing.
No one in public life is safe from ac
cusations by his political enemies, and
all fair-minded Americans will throw
around me the presumption of in
nocence until I have been proven
guilty.
“I have no fear of the outcome of
a trial in Mississippi.”
Mrs. A. F. Peoples, 3011 Pinkney
street, who has been ill for some time
was rushed to the Methodist hospital
Sunday, where she was to have been
operated upon. She was too weak to
undergo the operation and passed
away Monday afternoon.