OMAHA MONITOR
Successor to The Monitor
The Militant Defender of the Rights of the Race
Published Every Friday at Omaha, Nebraska, by the Monitor Pub
lishing Company
Entered as Second-Class Mail Matter July 2, 1915, at the Post
office at Omaha, Nebraska, Under the Act of March 3, 1879.
GEORGE H. W. BULLOCK___ ~ Editor
W. W. MOSLEY, Lincoln, Nebraska_ Associate Editor
Subscription Rates: $2.00 a year; $1.00 6 months; 75c three months;
5c copy. Advertising Rates furnished on application.
Address the Omaha Monitor, Box 1204
1724 North Twenty-seventh Street Telephone Webster 1984
Declaration of Policy
The name of this paper will be slightly changed. It
will now be the “Omaha Monitor” instead of “The
Monitor,” as formerly. In the main, the policy of the
new management will conform to that of the preceding
one. The editorial policy of the Omaha Monitor shall be:
1— Independent in thought and action.
2— Liberal in attitude and interpretation.
3— Honest in convictions and writings.
4— Militant in its fight for justice.
5— Non-sensational in composure.
6— Instructive in subject matter.
7— Conservative in viewpoint.
8— Decisive in judgment.
9— Broad in its interests and subjects.
10—Free from political alliances.
G. W. H. BULLOCK, Editor.
AN IMPORTANT WORD TO SUBSCRIBERS ij
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< * 1
i l>^<..;-x~x~x“x~x“x~x~x-x~x~x“x~x~x**:~*~:~x~x~:~>*x~x~x-x~:^
A CITY OF HOMES
There are some features about Omaha that perhaps w*
do not appreciate as we should. Among these should be men
tioned the large percentage of home-owners. It is stated upoi
the authority of real estate men that 30,000 of the homes ii
this city are owned by them that live in them. Omaha ha;
51,000 homes, and 30,000 of these, think of it! more thai
60 per cent, or three out of every five of the homes in this city
are owned by the occupants. This is a record unequalled b:
any other American city. We can point with commendabl*
pride to the fact that Omaha holds the record for home owner
ship. And it is noteworthy that our own race contributes t<
this splendid record, the estimate being that 45 per cent o:
the Negroes are home owners.
Engene Kinckle Jones, the alert, observant executive sec
retary of the National Urban League, on a recent visit t<
Omaha, stated that the housing conditions and the home-owner
ship among our people were the best that he has seen in an:
city in this country. True, there are few that can be classet
as either pretentious or palatial, but taken as an average, the:
are comfortable, attractive, and HOMEY, well-equipped witl
modern conveniences. This is a most significant and encourag
ing fact and speaks eloquently for the character of our citizens
Home-ownership bespeaks ambition, thrift, industry, sta
bility. It is indeed an honor and an inspiration to live in a cit;
that holds such a record as Omaha. When we are inclined, a
inclined at times we all are to underrate our privileges and op
portunities and belittle our city, enchanted by distant scene
which seem brighter and more promising, let us be enheartene*
by the fact that we live in a city of homes, which foretell i
greater and better city, despite its faults, if only we will d<
our part to make it so.
Omaha, my own city. A city of homes. A city to be prou*
of, and to be a better and greater city, as I and everybody els*
does his part to make it so.
ATTENTION, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Apropos of what we have said about Omaha being a cit;
of homes, we wonder if something could not be done to pre
vent the transfer of many of our railroad men, who are home
owners, to other places. Every so often the railroads tak<
dining car men and porters who own their homes here and an
raising families and give them runs from Chicago to the Pacifi
Coast, compelling them to give up their homes here or els*
seldom see their families. We wonder if this could not b<
remedied. It certainly does not help Omaha. This is a matte:
which we would respectfully refer to the attention and con
sideration of the Chamber of Commerce. This policy certainl;
does not contribute to the up-building of Omaha.
WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS
We wonder if our people appreciate as they should cer
tain welfare organizations which function among our group ii
this city. We have especially in mind, at this time, such or
ganizations as the North Side Branch of the Y. W. C. A., am
the Omaha Urban League. The “Y” has demonstrated its use
fulness and merits unstinted and enthusiastic support. It ha
been most fortunate in securing such an able, well-trained am
competent executive secretary in the person of Miss Margi
L. Danley to direct the work. Not a novice, but a well-traine<
executive who has won success in another field that was un
willing to release her. The community should give her an*
those in charge of “Y” affairs whole-hearted co-operation.
The Urban League during its brief service here has full;
shown its wonderful possibilities for not only racial but inter
racial co-operation and welfare. Those who have come ii
touch with him can well understand why Milwaukee, where hi
worked so successfully for five years, was unwilling to le
Omaha have J. Harvey Kearns, executive secretary of thi
Urban League. Omaha is to be congratulated upon havinj
trained social workers of this character working here. Let ou
citizens realize the value of our welfare organizations and o
those in charge to our city.
Then, too, there is need, urgent need, for a strong Brand
of the National Association for the Advancement of Colore*
People here. Build one up.
All these organizations are co-operative organization
working for the best interests of the community. Let us giv;
them our whole-hearted support.
COASTING TRAGEDY
was saddened Sunday by the news that six childrei
the ages of 11 to 15, were either killed or serious
what seems to have been unavoidable accidents
oasting on streets set aside for that purpose.
-i-ribrir our of t*1" vtpUmn Pori QniitV, fnUrr/l
UU9 wu UiUft t V* v**v • «*'—* 7 —**** ^t***WM, WWIV1VU
of 2302 North Twenty-seventh street, was killed outright, his
companion, Louis Strowder, Colored, is not expected to recover,
while four other children are in a very critical condition.
There seems to be nobody who could be held reasonably
responsible for this accident, although very serious.
The Cicy authorities did all that was in their power. •‘Slow’;
Signs’- were placed at every intersection, while automobiles
were discouraged in traveling those streets. The law did not
permit any further authority. Nevertheless, the accident hap
pened, and it is up to somebody to suggest a plan w'hereby such
may not occur and at the same time permit this necessary child
: ish sport to continue.
Our suggestion is to place policemen to walk those streets
to keep cars well to the curb during the periods the children
are coasting.
LEGAL ASPECTS
of the
NEGRO PROBLEM
By
JAMES WELDON JOHNSON
Secretary, N. A. A. C. P.
THE VOTE
(Continued "from Last Week)
Grandfather clauses were common
! in the south. The particular form
! which came before the supreme court
was that embodied in an amendment
i to the constitution of the state oi
Oklahoma, imposing an educational
1 requirement upon all voters, of be
| ing able to read or write any section
of the Oklahoma state constitution.
From this requirement, the amend
| ment specifically exempted all those
{who, or whosi ancestors, had voted
anywhere in the United states on oi
prior to January 1, 1886. Twc
questions were submitted to the su
| preme court in connection with the
requirement: first, was the amend
ment to the Oklahoma constitution
; valid; and second, was it void insofar
as it attempted to bar Negroes from
voting.
In a brief submitted in behalf oi
the National Association for the Ad
vancement of Colored People, Mr
Moorfield Storey pointed out the real
; nature of the exemption from thu
i educational requirement:
| “The language employed is just as
effective as if it distinctly enforced
a peculiar disqualification on all de
scendants of Negro slaves. The pur
pose and effect of such amendments
as this have been openly avowed
and there is not an intelligent man ir
: the United States who is ignorant o1
’ them. If it is possible for an in
1 genious scrivener to accomplish thal
1 ! purpose by careful phrasing, the pro
5 i visions of the constitution which es
1 tablish and protect the rights of somt
’ ten million colored citizens of th(
United States, are not worth the pa
■ per on which they are written, ant
all constitutional safeguards art
! weakened.”
| Mr. Storey further pointed out
i that:
“The choice of January 1, 1866, as
’ the decisive date is in itself enougl
to show conclusively what the rea
purpose of the amendment was . .
The effect of the amendment is t<
allow almost anybody to vote, what
1 ever his education or extraction, un
less he happens to be a Negro, foi
’ it is well known to the court as i'
was to the framers of the amend
ment that practically all residents o:
5 the United States, other than Ne
’ groes, enjoyed the right to vote ii
I 1866.”
The decision declaring the amend
’ ment void and invalid, as it violatec
> the 15th amendment, did not, how
I ever, prevent the unequal administra
tion of the general educational am
other requirements which were ad
oped in the south following th<
Grandfather clause decision, and t<
which Senator George referred.
One more recent case before th<
7 United States supreme court illus
■ trates the lengths to which legisla
■ tion has gone in the south in the at
■ tempt to make disfranishement of th<
; Negro legally binding. In Texas
' where owing to one-party dominatioi
; by the democrats, nomination in it:
- primaries was tantmount to electioi
to office, a so-called White Primary
law was enacted in 1924, specifically
exluding Negroes from the democrat
ic primaries of the state. This law
paralleled other similar enactments
in the south. A duly qualified Ne
gro democrat, Dr. L. A. Nixon of El
Paso, Texas, endeavored to vote and
was prevented by the election judges
who issued to Dr. Nixon a certificate
showing they had acted in accordance
with the Texas law.
This White Primary case, Nixon
vs. Herndon, 273 U. S. 536, was car
ried on appeal to the United States
supreme court. In a reply brief filed
after the state of Texas had inter
vened, by the attorneys for the plain
tiff, including Messrs. Louis Mar
: shall, Moorfield Storey and Arthur
B. Spingarn of the national legal
committee of the National Associa
tion for the Advancement of Colored
People, the character of the legisla
tion was clearly defined:
i “The vice of this legislation ap
pears on its face. It lays down a
general principle which confers the
right to vote at a democratic primary
election upon all voters qualified un
der the constitution and laws of the
state of Texas who are bona fide
members of the democratic party.
Then follows the discrimination,
couched in the most emphatic terms,
that in no event shall a Negro be
permitted to participate in a demo
cratic primary election held in the
state of Texas. Not content with
that explicit discrimination, there fol
lows the provision that should the
Negro vote in a democratic primary
election, his ballot shall be void, and
then, to emphasize the humiliation
sought to be inflicted upon the Ne
gro, the election officials arc direct
ed by the statute to “throw out” such
a ballot and “not count the same,”
It is like administering a kick to a
murdered man as an evidence of mal
ice and contempt.
If this is not arbitrary classifica
tion by race and color; if it does not
constitute a complete deprivation of
the equal protection of the laws; if it
is not an abridgement of privileges
and immunities of a citizen of the
United States, then it is impossible
i to conceive of 'any acts which come
within those terms ... We are not
here concerned with a political ques
tion. It is one that transcends all
politics. It is one which involves the
supremacy of the constitution both in
its letter and in its spirit.”
The supreme court coincided in
this point of view, saying that it was
unnecessary to consider the 15th
amendment:
“—because it seems to us hard to
1 imagine a more directed and obvious
| infringement of the 14th.
• | And declaring in the final par
l ! agraph of its decision:
“States may do a good deal of
■ classifying that it is difficult to be
I lieve rational, but there are limits,
■ and it is too clear for extended argu
' ment that color cannot be made the
’ basis of a statutory classification af
fecting the right set up in this case.”
Since the supreme court’s decision
in the Texas White Primary case,
which sets a precedent for the south,
there have been attempts in other
states, notably Virginia and Florida,
. to bar Negroes from the polls at pri
i mary elections, with resulting court
i struggles. The White Primary deci
i sion has not settled the primary is
J - %
More for Your Dollar \
i £ at Christmas and All Times £
■j ^
1 •; That’* the Aim of the House of Brodegaard £
j J We don’t claim to sell the cheapest goods in 4a
! t Omaha—who wants the cheapest?—but we £
[ 4 do claim the best values that can be found in J
i £ any jewelry store in Greater Omaha. We £
, £ honestly believe this to be a fact—and we £
- 4 are always ready to back up our statement. £
1 5 Shop around first—then come to Brodegaard’*. You will |jl
' I- find here a wider selection and better values than you
, / have seen at other stores. Our large volume of business "•
r •" makes this possible, not only at Christmas, but during all £
r •* the year. J
1 ?
1 f Visit Our Attractive ^
1 \ GIFT DEPARTMENT £
*!?
4 AT THCSK3NOA /9l : 5
Credii ypTMEoaoSTs £
' j&WAWVWWWWWWWVMVWWVVVWUWWWUWVWVWV^
sue in the southern states. But it |
has established once and for all a
principle of which Negroes in time
may make effective use.
To Be Continued Next Week)
CHARGE JANITOR WITH THEFT
Collins, Miss., Dec. 14 (ANP).—
The sheriff is searching for Davis
Strange, janitor of the Collins High
school, who is suspected of robbing
i the safe of the school of cash to the
; amount of fifty dollars, a goodly por
tion of which was Red Cross funds.
TO OUR ADVERTISING
CLIENTELE
Gentlemen:
The policy of this paper shall be
to give you the best returns on your
j investment. To do this we shall work
I for you while you support us. We
shall make no false claims about cir
; I
i culation, but shall represent only the
genuine subscribing class that is hon
estly and truly our own. We can
vouch for their worth to you because
we know all of them by name. We
know that they lead in intelligence
and progress; and are the most sue
1 cessful citizens among our group in
business, finance, home ownership,
home and community loving. A
^ check of the records of The Monitor
i subscribers shows that 98 per cent of
them own or are buying homes.
Ninety-three per cent of them are
heads of families running from two
to 12 people. That they spend hun
dreds of thousands of dollars an
nually with the various merchants
and business houses of the communi
j ties in which they live. That a big
majority of them can and do pay their
bills promptly. That the great ma
jority of them are engaged in busi
ness or other gainful occupations.
With this kind of clientele, we
come to you for your business and
feel confident that we are offering
you a fair assurance for returns on
your investment. Gratefully yours,
THE EDITOR.
l ; -
TO OUR CIRCULATION
CLIENTELE
r! -
:
i Dear Friends:
) You have subscribed to this paper,
some of you, from the first issue un
til now. You have been its most
i worthy and loyal supporters. We
have reason to believe that you have
i enjoyed its reading matter and pol
icy. For this, the new management,
returns most humble and hearty
. thanks and the hope that you will
t continue with it.
f If you are behind on your sub
l scription, please send remittance to
5 BOX 1204, Omaha, Neb.,
; or call
WEBSTER 1084
; and I will be glad to send or come
[ for it. Our existence and legal stat
. us depends upon paid up circulation. I
\ Thank you.
> THE EDITOR. j
1 —' i i i
|AWVVVW\\\VW.VAWVIVAVAW.VW,,AWV%%,,AWAW J
; ANDREW T. REED F. M. CARTER l" '
■ Funeral Director—Licensed Assistant *1 j
J Embalmer Res. Phone Webster 0689 J»
. Res. Phone Jackson 4365 .J
: THE STANDARD MORTUARY \
• “Complete Funeral Service” j!
; Phone—Webster 4482—Phone j!
I Office and Chapel Frr,mU47^M^nri tin *’
; Zb lb Lake Street SATISFACTION ASSURED ^
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£ FRUIT CAKE FOR XMAS ? -
I A REAL PRUIT CAKE — Very heavy with fruit and j!
made of the best ingredients. Sold in a fancy '[
tin box if you wish. J<
75 Cents per Pound ■;
Also another grade which we sell for j!
■I 50 Cents I;
\ PETERSEN’S LAKE BAKERY 5
'I 24th and Lake Streets !|
i fciiinFinnaMiniirinini |
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;j Have You Thought of— ■:
\ Cigarette Lighters \
!■ Special at ;•
98c
I CUNNINGHAM wheel lighters in sizes appro- £
priate for men or women. All metal, with £
smart, attractive decorations—in a good range £
of colors. J
Main Floor £
l THE CHICAGO RESTAURANT $
£ Formerly Chinaman Sam’s Place £
107 SOUTH FOURTEENTH STREET J
J Open Under New Management :■
V Fresh Substantial Home Cooked Food and Quick Service *1
£ Will Be Our Motto At All Times >m
£ Open Daily from 6 a. m. Till 12 p. m. Midnight £
£ Prices the Lowest 5
j MR. and MRS. BENJ. F. BURTON, Proprietors I*
£ Jackson 9946 !■
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The Omaha Monitor
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