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' Entered el Socoad-Ciasa Mail Matter. July 2, 1916 at the Postoffiee at Omaha. J |
Nebraska, ender the Act of March 2. UT9 , ,
! ! THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS - -- ! !
, , W. W. MOSLEY, Lincoln, Nob- -- Aseocioto Editor , ,
; , LUCINDA W. WILLIAMS ...... _____ Business Massfer ,,
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' > Address, The Monitor, Postoffiee Box 1204, Omaha, Neb.
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EDITORIAL
(Continued from Page One)
There are also friendly forces which believe in the ideals of democracy and
true Americanism.
Behind Alfred E. Smith are also forces unfriendly, historically un
friendly, to the Negro, and that is the narrow-visioned Bourbon South,
vocal, clamorous and outspoken, and therefore more honest, in its opposi
tion to our racial progress and advancement. Its hostility is open and
avowed. It flaunts its banner with the same device, “White Supremacy.”
But it must not be overlooked that behind the democratic candidate there
are also friendly forces, both South and North, who believe in a square deal
and the ideals of democracy.
On the so-called major issues, such as Farm Relief, Prohobition and
the Tariff, there is in reality little difference between the parties. There
is a lot of shadow boxing.
The question resolves into that of the qualifications of the two candi
dates. Which is the better prepared man, all things considered, for the
Presidency? Judged from that standard alone, which is the chief standard,
there can be no question but that the better prepared man is HERBERT
HOOVER. But in voting for him, those of our race who do so, should hug
no delusions as to the warm and enthusiastic friendship for us as a group
of the Republican Party, or of the united hostility of the democratic party,
each of these exists in a vanishing quantity. In supporting Herbert Hoover,
rather than Alfred Smith, we can only do so with the hope that he may
prove himself too big a man in heart and mind to be controlled by the re
actionary and hostile forces within his party. We can indulge the same j
hope in the eventuality of Smith’s election.
* * * » •
POOL FOR SECRETARY OF STATE
Charles Pool, democratic candidate for Secretary of State, has a favor
able reputation among our people. As a member of the Board of Pardons,
he won the reputation of being humane and fair-minded. Some years
ago he was the only democrat who survived a republican landslide and he
attributed his success to the vote of our people secured through the influ
ence of The Monitor.
*****
SOME INSTRUCTIONS ON VOTING
—
If you desire to vote a split ticket, as many of our citizens desire to do,
this is the way to do it: Mark, a cross in your party circle at the head of
the ballot. Then if, for example, you want to vote for Metcalfe, instead
of Howell for senator; or for Pool instead of Marsh, put a cross before
Metcalfe’s name, or Pool’s name, or whoever you want to vote for on the
opposing party’s ticket. Suppose you have put your cross in the Republican
circle at the head of the ballot, and a mark in front of Metcalfe’s name,
what does that mean? It means that you have voted for EVERY REPUB
LICAN CANDIDATE ON THE TICKET, from President down, EXCEPT
HOWELL, the candidate for senator. Is that plain? Suppose, for ex
ample, you want to vote the Democratic ticket, but there are one or two
Republicans you want to vote for instead of their Democratic opponents.
What do you do in that case? Put a mark in the Democratic circle at the
head of your ballot, and then a mark in front of the candidate of the op
posing party. Suppose you want to vote for Sears instead of Fleharty, or
Weaver instead of Bryan. Put a mark before Sears’ or Weaver’s name and
that means you have voted for EVERY DEMOCRAT ON THE TICKET
from President down, except Fleharty or Sears, as the case may be.
By voting a split ballot, you do not lose your vote. Your vote is count
ed. Don’t let anybody mislead you on this matter. If you want to vote
a straight ticket you can do so by one mark in your party circle; if ycAx
want to split your ballot and vote for some one or more candidates on the
other ticket, you can do that as we have stated.
On the other ballots where it says “VOTE FOR ONE,” or “VOTE FOR
SIX,’’ or “VOTE FOR NINE,” as the case may be, you must put a mark
before one, or six or nine. You may vote for the number stated or less
than the number stated and your ballot will be counted. BUT IF YOU
VOTE FOR MORE THAN THE NUMBER STATED, your ballot will be
thrown out. For example, where under judges of the district court, it says,
“Vote for Nine,” if you vote for TEN your ballot is thrown out; -but if
you vote for less than nine, be it one, three, six, or any other number UN
DER NINE, your ballot is counted.
We hope this is quite plain.
If you are registered as a republican or a democrat you don’t have to
vote the republican ticket or the democratic ticket only or only for re
publican or democratic candidates, you can vote for anybody you please
on any ticket.
We are anxious that you should vote and know how to vote and we
hope this information which is furnished by the Election Commissioner’s
cffice may help you.
*****
RE-ELECT BARNETT
We urge our voters in the Tenth Legislative district to vote for F. Ik
Barnett for the State Legislature. He has represented this district for
two terms and we should send him back. We wish to remind our readers,
and this corroborates what we have said elsewhere about the value and im
portance of ONE VOTE and that YOURS, that Barnett won the nojjiina
tion at the primaries by only TWO VOTES. You see what that means, do
you not? It means that we must unite our vote for him and give him un
divided support if he is to win. Barnett deserves your vote and should get
it. It’s going to be a hard fight and we must fight hard to win.
*****
THE NINTH DISTRICT
We sincerely regret that The Monitor cannot support Dr. McMillan in
the Ninth Legislative district. He permitted himself to be used for the
sole purpose of defeating Dr. John A. Singleton, the present incumbent,
and had not Palmer, the white candidate, been withdrawn at the last mo
ment, neither Singleton nor McMillan could have been nominated. He was
selected for a sinister purpose by a well-known agency and thrust down
the throats of the people of that district with the implied spirit of “Take
him or be damned.” The time for that kind of business, in our judgment,
has passed. Under other conditions we would have gladly and enthusiastic
ally supported him. Of course, he may win without our support, we realize
that, but we regret that we cannot support him.
METCALFE OUR CHOICE FOR SENATOR
For United States senator we are whole-heartedly for Richard L. Met
calfe, the democratic candidate, believing that he has outstanding qualifica
tions both of head and of heart for the position. We believe that not only
will Nebraska be the gainer by his election, but that the senate will be en
riched by a man of his vision, sound judgment, courage and sense of justice.
Knowing him, as we do, we do not believe that he will compromise on any
question of justice and right, and that he will always be found standing
four-square for justice to all men. We believe that he will spend himself
ungrudgingly, working for the best interests of this great commonwealth of
Nebraska and for those interests which affect the whole nation. We com
mend Richard L. Metcalfe as our choice for United States senator from
Nebraska to the favorable consideration and support of our readers.
SEARS FOR CONGRESS
We believe that the Hon. Willis G. Sears, republican congressman from
the Second district, should be returned to congress. He has done nothing
showy, he has not posed in the limelight, but he has been a reliable, faith
ful and dependable worker for the interests of his constituency. In matters
in which we have been particularly interested, such as the Dyer Anti
Lynching bill, and the appropriation for Howard University, he has been
found voting on the ri^ht side. Vote for Sears for Congress.
*****
WEAVER FOR GOVERNOR
Arthur J. Weaver, the republican candidate for governor, has shown
himself worthy of confidence and as a man who will fully measure up to
the duties of his office.
McMillan in the ninth
By G. H. W. Bullock
"If thy right hand offend thee, cut
it off and cast it from thee: for it it
profitable for thee that one of thy
members should perish and not that
thy whole body shall be cast into
hell.”
Six months ago, through the col
umns of this paper, I opposed the
candidacy for slate representative of
one Aaron McMillan, from the Ninth
district, whose entry into the pri
maries was manipulated to bring
about the defeat of Dr. John A. Sin
gleton, the present incumbent. I did
so on the very sufficient ground that
his entry had been manipulated by
a political coup with the sole aim and
desire to administer punishment to
Dr. Singleton, who had served one
term acceptably and who by this ex
perience had every chance to be by
far the stronger and wiser choice of
the people for another term.
During the interim between then
and now, nothing has transpired to
change my opinion. I am as bitterly
opposed to his election to that post
now as I was to his nomination at j
that time. I did not then, and I do
not now, question the integrity of
McMillan, neither have I any grave
doubt that his educational equipment
would qualify him to perform the
duties of state representative. But
in the light of comparison, I very se
riously doubt the wisdom and good
faith of this manipulated exchange of
one unquestionably better qualified
man, whom we had already in the
office, for another whose qualifica
tions were questionable.
Surely such an act was neither
necessary nor in the public interest.
Flanked by almost unlimited machine
money and workers, McMillan was
nominated by the slim majority of
72 votes. Now we are advised to sup
port him for election. The only rea
son advanced by his supporters is
the old well-worn argument—“that
he is a colored man,” and that for
that reason we ought to support him.
Be not deceived into believing that
McMillan is the hearty choice of any
organization. He is most certainly
not. It is rather convenient now to
have him on the ticket for the obvi
ous reason that the colored vote is
so uncertain this year, that McMillan,
a colored man, might strengthen the
chances of success. The machine is
not playing any conspicuous hand in
this election. It seldom does in na
tional elections, it being a local or
ganization concerned in local inter
ests. But if it were, you would be
dead sure that if it supported Mc
Millan at all, it would be only overt
ly, while covertly it would lend sup
port to his democratic opponent.
Both candidates in the Ninth dis
trict are machine picked men. You
will also hear the plea from politi
cians interested in carrying that dis
trict that you should support Mc
Millan because he is a member of our
group. The answer should be un
mistakeable, that we as a group have
risen above that kind of petty tog
gery which prompts us to support this
man or that because of his racial or
religious affiliations. We hold to the
broader view, that a man’s racial con
nections no more fit him for public
trust than does a man's religious af
filiation disqualify him for public of
fice. We hold to the theory that the
j only qualification necessary is that
| the man shall fit the office by ehar
: acter, preparation and experience, re
gardless of race, color or religious
| connections. This would be putting
i in practice what we preach and pro
j fess on the political curb. A democ
racy in deed and not in word only.
Put men in office whom you have
every reason to believe will fulfill
the requirements of that office in
every detail. One who will work in
the interest of his constituency un
fettered by any political obligations.
This we cannot hope to have in Mc
Millan. McMillan would go in office
under obligations to the organiza
tions which were responsible for his
nomination. It is no use beating the
devil around the stump on that mat
ter. You know that machines are ex
acting and never forget. It was
through the instrumentality of an ex
acting machine that the present rep
resentative from that district, who
did a creditable job of it, will not
return. Can we expect more of Mc
Millan? I should say not. It is bad
enough to have a representative of
doubtful caliber. It is infinitely
worse to have one who is tied hand
and foot to an exacting political or
ganization, whose dictum he must
obey.
We have established the idea in
this campaign that we have ceased
to sign on the dotted line. We are
thinking and acting for ourselves.
We shall have no more of these “po
litical deliveries” to which we have
been accustomed in this town. If
we come or go in this election, it will
be by our own choice, and we shall I
accept full responsibility for our act. j
Of course, we should like to have two |
of our group in the Nebraska legisla
ture. We ask of those who are ask
ing us that question, did we not have
two there already? Why take away
from us a man of unquestionable abil
ity to give us one who essays to flirt
with machine politics, the very ele
mentary rudiments of which he has
not the slightest acquaintance?
Applying the Biblical caption to
this situation, v e term McMillan as
our right hand and Barnett as our
left. “The ‘right’ hand offends us,
and we are going to cut if off and
cast it from us. For it is profitable
for us that one of our members shall
be defeated than for us all to suffer
this injurious precedent.”
"NORRIS-ISM”
(Continued from Page One)
become an obsession to Norris. It
finds expression in its exponent’s in
flated self-consciousness that he is
one jump above the world and all
therein. His record in the national
senate proves this. He is about on
the retiring li3t, and there is not a
single piece of major constructive
legislation which bears his name. His
chief stock in trade is negation. He
opposes everything anybody else fa
vors and favorr everything every
body else opposes. Oh, yes. He does
not contemplate running for the sen
ate again. He has received about all
the favors his age will permit from
this “trrible republican party.” He
now seeks retirement, and inasmuch
as he cannot or does not choose to
seek re-election, he has for the first
time come out for the democrats ten
days before election. “Ye cannot
serve God and mammon.”
- -
VICTOR E LEVINE FOR
SCHOOL BOARD
—
Omaha voters should not fail to
vote for members of the school
board. America’s greatness depends
upon its educational system, and the
citizens should not neglect this im
portant factor in American life.
One of the prominent candidates
for the school board is Dr. Victor E.
Levine. He is well versed in educa
tional needs and in educational prob
lems. He began his own career as
a school teacher in New York City,
He afterwards served on the facul
ties of two of the greatest American
universities, Columbia and John Hop
kins. His present position is that of
professor of biological chemistry and
nutrition, School of Medicine, Creigh
ton university. Dr. Levine holds the
degree of doctor of medicine and the
degree of doctor of philosophy. His
brother, Dr. Albert J. Levine, is a
distinguished author and journalist.
Dr. Victor E. Levine is known na
tionally as an educator and scientist.
He is modest, but courageous and
fearless. His broadmindedness in
cludes a firm belief in the rights of
all citizens regardless of race or
creed.—Political Adv.
AS THE NEGRO GOES TO POLLS
Before my next release sees the
! light of print, the die will have been
j cast. As the American people go to
! the polls next Tuesday, the Negro
j goes along with them. If the repub
licans succeed in sidetracking prohi
bition, as they are endeavoring to do,
there is left no great issue before the
American people. The through train
of state must change crews at this
constitutional juncture. Whichever
of the expectant crews may take
charge, the train will be efficiently
managed and the white passengers
well looked after. I said four years
ago that it amused me to see Negroes
lashing themselves into fury as to
which white man is to be president.
I wish to repeat the same admonition
today. The experience of the past
four years but adds to the ridiculous
ness of the excitement. A sensible
man looking dcwn upon the wrangle
and tangles, the accusations and
counter accusations between oppos
ing Negro political camps, could but
indulge the remark: “What fools
these black mortals be.”
For the first time since reconstruc
tion, the Negro goes to the polls next
Tuesday emancipated from his eman
cipators. He has thrown off the
thralldom which has held him like a
vise to the fortunes of the G. O. P.
The old Negro may indeed feel bound
by ties of eternal gratitude to the
party of Lincoln and Sumner, but the
young Negro does not. There is a
limit beyond which gratitude ceases
to be a virtue. The American col
onies stung into revolt by injustice
and tyranny, quickly forgot the deep
debt of gratitude which the strug
gling daughter of the wilderness
owed to her generous and genial
mother across the sea. No manly
people can ever pledge its love and
loyalty in perpetuity under change of
time and circumstances. The present
election is held in 1928, and not in
1872. The Negro who places his
back to the future and his face to
the past will continue to vote the re
publican ticket to the end of time.
I The fleshpots of Egypt are always
I more enticing to the timid and timor
ous than the dangers and vicissitudes
of the untried desert. I have just
scanned in a widely circulated and in
fluential Negro paper, a paid adver
tisement in two parallel columns, of
the goodness of the republica nparty
and the badness of its democratic ri
val. But these contrasted lists of
good and evil refer to the things that
are past and gone. There is not one
absolute or relative word about fu
ture prospect and promise. So far as
the Negro is concerned, the republi
can party is like the potato, the best
part is under ground.
If the Negro, as a race, supports
the G. O. P. in the present election
and in the next ten elections to come,
there is no apparent likelihood that
his political lot would be greatly im
proved thereby. The Negro acquired
an initial momentum for the party of
freedom and equality in the early
days which it is admittedly difficult
to reverse. Those past middle age,
the over-optimistic who somehow be
lieve that the spirit of Abraham Lin
coln will be reincarnated in the G. O.
P., the timid and hesitant, who rather
endure the ills they have than risk
those they know not of, those of the
slavish Uncle Tom type of tempera
ment, the cunning and crafty who
hope to gather in the crumbs of fh
vor which fall from the white mas
ter’s table, will adhere to the repub
lican standard, though the dry land
turn to sea. On the other hand, the
forward looking, the progressive, the
radical, the new Negro, the intelli
gentia, will revolt against the repub
lican recreancy, and will risk what
ever expediency which may promise
change. It must be conceded that
the democratic party does not hold
out a promising prospect; but pro
test against a false friend often in
cidentally results in benefit to an
avowed enemy. If the Negro, north
or south, exoects to make any further
political progress, he must by some
means overcome the hostility of the
democratic party which effectively
blocks his advancement whichever
pafcy is in national ascendancy. It
is abundantly demonstarted that this
cannot be done by aligning the race
in solid political array against that
party. He cannot vote either way
without humiliation. The Negro who
bears in mind the backward trend of
the republican party for the past 30
years and who is sensible of and sen
sitive to the renunciation of Kansas
City, the crucifixion' of Perry How
ard, and the olive branch to the lily
whites, the alliance with the Ku Klux
Klan, the religious bigots and the
race iritolerants, can vote for the G.
O. P. except with great compunction.
On the other hand, to vote for the
democratic rival with its historical
attitude staring him in the face, im
poses, if anything, a greater weight
of chagrin. No wonder that our tal
ented friend, Dr. Du Bois, betaking
himself to the tall timbers of social
ism, looks down upon these impos
sible alternatives, and calls one a fool
i
and the other a suicide.
As a matter of fact, the Negro next
Tuesday will flounder between these
alternate bewilderments. No single
Negro in the United States, unless he
is a plain fool, will go to the polls
next Tuesday with enthusiasm and
gladness. No Negro that will rise
high in the air; no voice will grow
hoarse with shouts of acclamation.
The election will be a gloomy one.
I had hoped to rally the race un
der the standard of prohibition and
the banner of Hoover. But the can
didate himself sent down word that
prohibition was not to be discussed.
His influential wet supporters in the
east forbade. The G. O. P. of an
cient idealism has harked back to the
stand pat doctrine of Mark Hanna.
It now proclaims the glad tidings of
prosperity and the gospel of gutc.
None of these things appeal to a peo
ple smarting under a sense of moral
wrong. You cannot cure the hurt of
the soul by proffer of a full dinner
pail.
So far as I can ascertain by care
ful analysis of the situation, the Ne
gro next Tuesday will split his vote
in something like two equal parts.
Both parties are appealing to him for
support, openly in the north and fur
tively in the south. Both Work and
Raskob are operating whispering gal
leries among southern Negroes. It is
a campaign of easy speaking. South
ern Negroes will be well distributed
between the two contending parties.
The most active campaign among
them in either camp is conducted un
der the leadership of “Goose Neck
Bill” of Texas, the old time republi
can warhorse for Governor Smith.
It seems that both chairman are let
ting loose rival inducements of a sub
stantial kind in the Negro field. Or
ators of equal fame and prominence
are working for Hoover and Smith.
The Negro newspapers of widest cir
culation and influence are either
friendly to Smith or at least un
friendly to Hoover. The general sen
timent of the Negro press, as be
tween the two candidates, is practi
cally a stalemate. No Negro re
proaches his brother for voting this
way or that. Whatever else may hap
pen, this campaign has hopelessly,
and I believe, wholesomely, divided
the Negro vote.
Hereafter, no one will be able to
tell the colored man’s political affil
iation by his race. This, I hope, will
atone for all of the humiliation which
the Negro is forced to suffer at the
hands of both parties. More Negroes
will cast their ballot next Tuesday
than at any time since reconstruction.
Each voter must decide for himself.
In the language of the Chicago De
fender, it is to be hoped that he will
vote "sensibly and not sentimental
ly.” There will be something like
two million Negro voters, but no Ne
gro vote.
KELLY MILLER.
Dr. Craig Morris and nephew,
Jesse Hutten, attended the Nebraska
Missouri football game at Lincoln,
Saturday.
I . ^ O. S’earp |
Re-elect
SEARS
Republican
To
Congress
Dependable, Fearless, Fair
and Faithful.
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