Nebraska Newspapers

    . .. EDITORIALS . . .
VAV.V.VAV.V.V.V.'.V.'W.'AV/AV/.VAVA’/.V.V.V.V.'.VA’.V.VA'.VAV.VAV.VAV.V.v.
The Omaha Guide
Published every Saturday at 2418-20 Grant St.,
Omaha, Neb.
Phone WEbster 1750
Entered as Second Class Matter March 15, 1927
at the Post Office at Omaha, Neb., under the Act
of Congress of March 3, 1879.
Terms of Subscription $2.00 per year.
Race prejudice must go. The Fatherhood of
God #id the Ero herbcod of Man must pre
vail. These are the only principles which will
stand the acid test of good citizenship in time
of peace, war and death. _
OMAIIA NEBRASKA DECEMBER 23, 1934
Q CHRISTMAS g§!
The best Christmas editorial ever writ
ten is in. the Bible. It tells, in beautiful sim
plicity, a changeless story. There is the star
moving across ttffc heavens and fixing itself
finally as a diadem above a Bethlehem stable.
There are the wise men of the East, first of
hundreds of millions to bend before the power
and beauty of the Christian ideal. There are
the shepherds in the fields, for whom the veil
of eternity lifts so that the mortal sees the
immortal choirs pouring “good tidings” upon
hirw. There is, in fact, for th« Christian, the
most beautiful, the most significant and the
most necessary story of all history.
In its crowning moment the narrative
pronounces this snoerb, matchless benediction.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace-•-” . , . .
The sentence epitomizes the Chn-i'-n
faith end sums ut> Christ-like living. Glogy
to God is exemplified in an noright life, peace
on earth is the expression of a sublime and
sensitive hivman’ty. The world struggles
bravely toward the goal, and each passing age
sees the spreading consciousness of generous
conduct. “Man's inhumanity to man .“yields
to the mellowing grace of civilized society.
Civilized society is most intense in the
familv group, focused today around a com
mon rememberance. however far scattered its
members may be. It is of the genius of the
Christmas season that men far awny from the
hearthstone can snuff the odors of the . past,
and natch from the vanished years a wisp ot
experience, a flavor of recollection, that holds
the heart steady and the mind clear to those
affections which irrevocably bind us together.
Thet home at Christmas is the symbol ox
that peace and open-hearted living for which
the world so wilfully seeks. The gifts, the
gay cries of happiness, the . sweet union of
kindness together from the cradle of mankinds
better destiny.
It is a wonderful story, whose words
sing down the corridors of time reclaiming
and inspiring countless generations. No other
narrative has xuilocked so swiftly the door to
the human heart; none other is able to lift our
imaginations so tenderly into universal com
munion.
ETERNAL SANTA CLALS
Tlicv are going to deb link Santa Clans
awain this Christmas—those childless profes
sional improver of the race who know better
than parents what is best for their children.
Yes sir_It is curtains for old Saint Nick.
Haiucinations, Peucinations of grandeur
Here is one idol the iconoclasts can not smash,
one myth they cannot explode. One cannot
create disbelief in the mind that wants to be
lieve, and where is there a child that does not
want to believe in Santa Claus until arrival at
the skentcal age?
The debunkers do not know the hope
lessness of what they propose. They, poor
adults, for whom the rosy mist of childish
faith no longer obscures the harshness of real
ity, h ave grown so far away from Santa Claxis.
Who keeps the Santa Claus myth alive.
Not little children. It isn’t an instinctive be
lief nor a product of young imaginations, i ar
•ents teach it out of story books and by the ob
servance of Christmas to bring happiness to
themselves as well as to their children. So the
debunking of Santa Claus involves the conver
sation of all parenthood to the academic
theory that fairy tales and myths are not good
for little minds.
And after all is there so much harm in
the great, bright dreams of childhood, or _ in
the joy the imaginary coming of old Kris
Kringle brings to millions of little hearts; Is
Santa Claus a public enemy or a ‘red menace,
or a “yellow" peril,” that his power must be
OVert«IRSTMAS ENTERTAINMENTS
Christmas entertainments— how the
children enjoy them? What is it that makes
their little entertainments so splendid / iheir
stage fright helps a little. The sea of heads m
the audience confuses them and gives them
stage fright, but whether they make perfect
orations, or fail in the attempt, their baby
faces creep into the hearts of the people and
makes them glad. ... . ,, .
So if they distinguish themseves m their
recitations we Love them, if they break down,
we love them in their discomfiture. This is
how the matter stands and no mother need he
ashamed of her boy because he fails in his
* * piece. ’ ’
© Depression, iVtiat ornery ideas get in
thy name.
If he decides not to quit smoking, after
all his grippe is getting better.
To find the best craftsman, select the
•ns who isn’t afraid to praise the others.
The remarkable thing about family
pride is that people can be proud of so little.
‘ Note to ussia: If American girls aren’t
elsss conscious at least they are conscious of
class.
We remember getting along m the sen
ate munition* investigation tp the sissboom
jrtege. What became of the ah?
Some notoriety seeker with a car has
the chance of a lifetime. Vo one has been
struck vet bv a bullet train.
a Venireman speaks
_
•John P. Ridgeway, a prospective juror
in a criminal ease being tried in District Court )
gave the C-ounty Attorney’s office a piece of
his mind and was immediately excused from
jury service.
The occasion for Mr. Ridgeway’s out
burst was furnished by the County Attorney,
Jleniy Beal, who the previous evening had j
given a statement to the press, berating juries j
as spineless and responsible for failure of the
State to get convictions. Mr. Ridgeway in his
statement to the press says Mr. Beal is passing
the buck. Amongst other thing the irate ven
ireman said that the jurors are of the same o
pinion as he, that veniremen the least fit are
retained as jurors, while the more intelligent
are challenged, that there is too much wool
pulling right before the eyes of the jurors,
that there needs to be house cleaning, that
(Judges and prosecutors should be removed
from politics.
We believe that Mr. Ridgeway is entire
ly right about removing the Judiciary from
polities and reprint herewith our editorial of
July 14, 1934.
REMOVE THE JUDICIARY FROM
POLITICS
(Omaha Ouide, July 14, 1934)
The trend of the times nationally and lo
cally is an utter and complete removal of
the Judiciary from possible or remote
, control of unscrupulous politicians.
It is an undeniable fact that judges, know
ing their terms shortly expire, and that
they must run for re*election, naturally
must be somewhat of politicians, keeping
their ear forever to the ground, ever
tempted to show favor to politicians.
Younger judges experience political man
handling much more than the older judg
es. Judges with years of service, estab
lish names and in time become independ'
ent of polities. Our main hope, wish and
prayer is for a judiciary, free and un
hampered, able to mete out. even handed
justice, regardless of the importance or
lack of importance of the persons involv
ed.
This end naay be accomplished by en
trenching judges in their offices and giv
ing to them the security necessary to en
able them to fulfill the office without
any feeling of necessity of currying fav
or of any person or group of persons.
Fulfillment to this end, we feel can be
accomplished by the necessary legislation
giving the governor power to appoint
Supreme Court Municipal Court and dis
trict Court Judges for a period of life or
until retired or with removal from office
by impeachment .proceedings only.
It may be argued that the governor
would have no control over these men
after they were confirmed, and too, his
term of office is short in comparison to
the term of the judges. Party worries
are a trivial objection. The one para
mount consideration is that we would
get much higher caliber men for the jud
icial #fifice than sometimes is the case
under the elective system, and could have
an unshackled judiciary.
We submit this to the candidates to the
legislature, and ask that the “Removal
of he Judiciary from Politics,” be incor
porated as a plank in their platform, and
that they will submit such legislation as
is necessary to bring about this end.
The moment more John P. Ridgeways
assert themselves, we the people of Nebraska,
shall have courts of Justice of which we may
all be rightfully proud.
•• WHEN THE FIRE ENGINES GO BY..
Most of us have never outgrown a thrill
of ecit'ement at seeing the fire engines roar
by. The hurtling red apparatus, the scream
of the siren, and the sight of the gleaming e
quipment, is the stuff that makes for vivid
Irarna.
We might enjoy the spectacles less,
however, if we stopped to realize that we are
paying the bill for that engine and for the fire
it is going to. The cost of maintaing and op
erating fire departments is an essential and
major item in every municipal budget— and
the more prevalent fires are, the more the de
partment costs.
And here’s a fact that may come as a
surprise to the bulk of citizens—we all must
chip in to pay for the property which is des
troyed or damaged when fire sweeps through
it. We pay our share in a number of ways.
One of te ways is through higher insurance
csots—the rate in any community, over a per
iod of time, is based upon the amount of fire
loss.
j
NO ROOM
BY R. A. Adams
(For the Literary Service Bureau)
A weary traveler, he makes his j
way, !
From door to door, and now, ‘tis
close of day
And shelter he must find, for very !
near
Her time approaches, and con
suming fear
Besets his soul, because—because,
alas
So swiftly .do the precious mo
ments pass
Now, sorrowing he shakes his \
weary head.
Returning whence his wanderings j
have led,
And unconcealed the height •£
his distress
Acquaints her with the failure of
his quest.
Saying, “Alas, wherever 1 have
been,
‘Tis just the same—there’s no
room in the inn.”
Two thousand years have passed
away, since then,
And yet ‘tis true, among the sons
of men,
There is no room for Christ. The
story’s told
Just as it was in Bethlehem, of old.
Then 'twould be well to offer fer
vent prayer
‘That room be made for Jesus,
everywhere.
Christmas and Benevolence
BY R. A. Adams
(For the Literary Service Bureau)
The term benevolence has been
greatly misunderstood. It has
been confused with generosity
and more largely with donations
and contributions. It involves
them, hut, in fact, it is the spirit
which incites or inquires them.
The term is from “bene” well, ©r
good, and “volens.” to will, or
to wish; therefore, benevolence is
“wish one well;” “will him good.
This was so understood bv the
angels who sang the Savior's na
tal song over the heads of as
tonished shenherds on the plains
near Bethlehem on the first
was the an'ouncem’lit of the good
will of Ood toward man who had
broken His law and thus became
subject to the peaoaltv therefore
Tt as the announcement of God's
disposition to show mercy rather
than to mete out justice.
During the Christmas season
there are many who feel that they
would Do benevolent toward others
if they had the means bv which
to purchase presents for.them- to
make donations and contributions
to them. But the very wish or
desire to do such is benevolence.
Somali,.can be. benevolent no mat
ter what may he the'financial cir
cumstances. Of course', the real
spirit of benevolence will he trans"
lated into actions.'wherever and
whenever possible; but, even
where there is lack of ability to
make material contributions the
snirit may be there and manifest
ed in various wavs. Now, since
heal benevolence is a disposition
of mind and heart, without, regard
to contributions all can be bene
volent, at Christmas time—and
at all other times, as far as that is
concerned.
CHRISTMAS SERMON
The Faith of Isiah)
BY Dr. A. G. Bearer
(For the Literary Service Bureau)
Text: Unto us a child is born;
unto us a son is given.—Isaiah 9:6.
Wonderfully lucid were the vi
sions of the Messiah granted to all
the phophets but the clearest and
most vivid was that granted to
Isaiah, as this text evinces. Three
things feature this vision.
1. He Saw It By Faith. The
vision was not explained. Did he
see what transpired in Bethlehem
two thousand years ago. Did he
view the manger. Did he hear the
angels sing. Did he witness the
trek of the shepherds. We do
not know just how it was revealed
but he saw it—and his heart Avas
filled ith joy.
2. He belieA'ed it. This prin
ce of prophets, this dean of the
prophetic school, believed what
he saw. In his mind there Avere
ho doubts. He saw it as already
accomplished. This is evident
from his use of the present tense,
“a child is born; a son is given.”
3. He Proclaimed It. Because
there Avere no doubts he aauis cer
tain the Lord Almighty could
and A\Tould fulfill His promises, thi
phophct proclaimed it—and pro
claimed it as already done.
In this age productive of seept
ism of rank atheism and blatant
modernism, it would be well at this
Christmas time to consider the
faith of Isaiah and to pray, ‘‘Lord,
give us such a faith as this.”
MAXIE MILLER WRITES:
A Christmas Message
to Her Children
(Fer the Literary Service Bureau)
(For advice, write to Maxie Mil
ler, care of Literary Service Bur
eau, 516 Minnesta Ave., Kansas
City Kans. For personal reply
send self-addressed, stamped en
velope.
Again, dear children, we coone
to Christmas time. Rather Christ
mas time has come to us. 1 won
der how you are. I wonder what
you are doing. I wonder what
Christmas will mean to you. 1
wish I could send each one of you
a tangible, material present. Un
able te do that, I send you my
very best wishes for happiness
and prosperity and some Christ
mas advice. , ,
This is the season for good will.
Let1 it be so with all of us. Let
wives and husbands who have been
enstranged seek reconciliation.
Let all who are at variance make
new efforts to clear up all mis*
understandings and make peace.
Let them “iron out” their differ*
ences and make a new start. Dur
ing this love season let us encour
age love manifestations. Let for
giveness of injuries and the eon*
guering of the disposition toward
revenge be dominant features of,
our Christmas serttiments.
In the line of benevolence, let us
cemfort the distressed, relieve the
poor and needy, and show good
will toward all. Let the real bene
volent, altruistic, broad guaged
Christmas spirit prevail among
us; and in this T assure you what,
the biesser will also be blessed.
Yours for a profitable Christmas,
Maxie Miller.
PROVERBS AND PARABLES
(Better to Bend Than to Break)
BY A. B. Mann
(For the Literary Service Bureau)
.This conies from the old fable
nf the giant oak and the sappling.
There came a storm. The oak
being inflexible, it could not bend;
the wind snapped it off; and when
the storm was over the oak was
prone on the ground. The sapling
bent low as the wind blew against
it. After the storm it as it was
standing and soon nature lifted
it up and it was as straight as
before.
Into human life come storms of
misfortune, of persecution, of
adversity in various forms. The
individual who can make read
justments, submit temporarily to
unpleasant' circumstances, suffer
humiliation, and can face these
and not despair, will be able to
lift up his head after the storms
have passed. Those who cannot
do these things will break and
crash, like the giant oak.
IOOKING BACK
(Christmas Retrospections)
by Videtta Ish
for The Literary Sendee Bureau
At this Christmas season, T am
looking back from the elevation
of years, to the past, and to its
Christmas celebrations. And I
am saddened bv* the retrospect
and the prospect, as well. In
those days we had Christmas de
votion. There was appreciation
of the Great Father’s Gift of Jes
us, His Son. There as of the real
spirit of Christmas than we have
tO'dev. There were feasts and the
neighbors were there. The poor
and needy were rembered, also.
But, today.
Two things which greatly mar
Christmas celebrations of this
period are commercialism and
bacchanalian,ism. This most sac
red season has been commercial
ized. We have Christmas sates:
Christmas cards and other forms
of greeting are emphasized : trans
portation companies advertise
special Christmas rates and urge
use of them to visit homes and
friends; but all this is for commer
cial purposes.
Bacchanalianism is rampant at
Christmas time. We have the
flow of rum and consequent ex
cessive intoxication. At our feasts
gluttony and inebriation prevail;
and there are the ethical impro"
; pieties which follow* bacehanal
■ ianism.
Yes, the old-time Christmas sen
timents and expressions seem a
bout dead and these newer, des
tructive things have taken their
places. Spiritual devotion has*
been sacrificed on the altar of car
nal pleasure. But this substitu
tion imperils all of the best and
most vitol interests of mankind.
Those of us who look back regret
and deplore this departure from
the safe and sane; and we trem
ble for thg future.
1.0*).000 UNEMPLOYED TO,
FEEL FERAS COMFORTS
Jacob Baker, assistant adminis
trator and director of the FERA
Work-Relief Program, reported to
Administrator Harry L. Hopkins
this week that one million unem
ployed and needy families through
out the United States would re
ceive mattresses, conforters,
shoe's, pillow cases and towels for
winter.
Many people in the rural South
and other areas of the country will
enjoy their first sleep on a cotton
mattress with clean shoe's and pil
low cases. The story is told of
an elderly colored woman who,
having been taught to sew on one
of these work projects in Mississ
ippi, and after making several do
zen pillow cases, remarked;
“Auntie won’t ever lay her
head on one of these nice white
pillows until she sees the pearly
gates.’”
In that little Mississippi town
today, 20 Negro families on re
lief are the proud possessors of
not only pillow slips, but sheets
and mattresses, too.
The nearly 100,000 colored per
sons on relief in Mississippi have
felt the benificence of the Federal
Surplus Relief Corporation which
during the montht of October
shipped in 48,002 yards of ticking;
52,200 yards of toweling; 167,087
yard of sheeting; and 445,600
yards of printed cotton material.
Mr. linker says: We who are
in a position to replace our house
hold equipment from time to time
have searcelv an idea of what
five years of destitution, can do
to household goods. A broken
glass in such a household in an
irreparable loss. Any number of
people in tbe country are sleeping
on bare slats or bed springs. To
fill this almost bottomless need,
household goods are being turned
out by the unemploved on a limit"
ed scale for distribution among
the unemployed.
“Thus far, many of the goods
and wares have been hand made.
Hand-woven rugs, furniture work
ed by hand, hand-modeled pottery
—these are some of the products
which are turned out in relief
work-shops. The workers seem,
certainly, to get more creative err
iojonent out of this sort of pro
duction than from operating ma
chines. Since our object is not
to save labor, but to create it,
their preferences can easily be
indulged.
“There is really no ground for
the concern expressed in some
quarters that we are going in for
wholesale manufacturing. A re
latively small percentage of the
1,500.000 individuals on relief
work are actually engaged in oro
duction and distribution. Most
of them are still employed either
in construction or in cultural ed
ucation and service fields. More
over, we have no equipment, in
our workrooms for high speed
mass production. In order to
create jobs the work is done as
far as possible bv hand with very
simple machines.”
Washington, D. C.
Four hundred colored women
on work relief in the nation’s
Capital, in the last two months
have been real Santa Clauses to
about ten thousand little boys
and girls of Washington. These
unemplyed moothers have made
shirts and dresses for their own
needy neighbors’ children in FE
RA sewing centers. No one can
ever identify these garments as
those made at any of the six Dis
trict of Columbia work shops. Un
der the wise supervision of Mrs.
Gertrude Van Ifoesen and her
colored forewomen, the patterns
are all different and the color of
the goods equally assorted. The
spontaneity of interest and pride
reflected in the faces of these
women of middle-age as they
beam over products of their ma
chines observed our inspection
trip to annek’r Sewin’ cent’r bore
out the oft repeated statement of
Administrator Hopkins, that un
employed wkraien, like the men
MUTT AND JEFF —You Might Fool A Lie Detector But You Can’t Fpol A Brain Detector * By BUD FISHER
l^UCIOKA AfW SCIENTISTS NOTHIN FOR
ARE DISCOURSED VECHJSS y0L) To W0RRY
THEY 0,1 LY HAVE ARnoTTHaf»
CRIMINAL AND PALTER ABOUT Tnwn
BRAINS TO STUDV-THEY
ARE LOCKING FOR BRAINS
IT ALSO S£Z THAT BODIES
WITH BRAINS HAVE BEEN’
WAITING IN THE
Room of the university
NIX,THAT lets
ME OUT, MUTT!
I CANT STAND
THE COLD!
. ' * -
seen working assiduously about
the promies on a grading project,
prefer to the dole every time.
Mrs. B. E. Powell, the colored
forewomen whispered to Mar
garet, \\ adsorth, the district su
pervisor : t
“All these this morning.” She
pointed to two ten foot stacks of
little girls’ dresses. There was
no question either that the work
of the sixty-odd women was being
done not only cheerfully, but with
genuine application and inspiring
earnest ness.
Miss Wadsworth explained the
philosophy back of the whole pro
gram. The relief organization,
with its trained case workers,
guides the needy in making the
adjustments to the problems cre
ated by lack of employm’nt along
normal lines and to do it with
courage and confidence.
The mutual respect and harmon
ious working together of clerks,
caseworkers and aides of bath
races gives evidence of the new
spirit back of the rehabilitation
program.
Sixty-seven mothers on the
FEB A rolls were in attendance
at the weekly instruction class.
A chart in “ABC” language head
ed. Nutrition” and listing cod
liver oil, milk, green vegetables
and how to prepare foods hangs
in front of them. Thev are given
on, oral and visual demstration
of howr to make the grocery order
within the budgetary allowance
do the job.
Lantern .slides are shown and
the cooking technique of a gas
stove demonstrated. Mimeograph
ed sheets of each lecture are given
to ■‘ho clients for home use.
The relief service includes first,
an understanding of the needs of
these unemployed families; then,
the lesson is taught of how they
an best help themselves.
PA. SUPERIOR COURT
VINDICATES MAN ACCUSED
OF RAPE
New York, Dec. 14—Samuel
Smith, reputable Lewistown, Pa.
man, tried and convicted in No
vember 1933, for alleged attempt
ed assault with intent to rape on
a white woman, has been granted
a new trial by the Superior court
of Pennsylvania. The court held
evidence as insufficient to show
criminal intent and that the high
est offense that could possibly a
rise out of the evidence was that
of assault and battery. The high
court stated that the trial court
had erred in not directing the
jurv to find the defendant not
guilty of assault with intent to
rape. The trial court had refused
a new trial on .Tilly 4. 1934.
According to the National Asso
ciation for the Advancement of
Colored People which contribut
ed $100 to Smith’s defense, his
ease will be tried as one assault
and battery this coming .Tanurary
term which begins January 7.
The attorney in this ease is Paul
S. Lehman of Lewistown.
Smith, owner of a rooming
house at -which the white woman
Ada Wise, as staying, was accus
ed by her of attempting assault
after he had asked her to vacate
the premises because of her con
duct and had called a constable.
OKLAHOMA COURT DOOMS
JESS HOLLINS TO DIE JAN. 4
New York. Dee. 14-.Tess Hollins
must die. So decreed the Okla
homa Criminal Court of Appeals
this week. Hollins has been un
der death sentence for allegedly
raping a white girl since 1932.
The National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People
entered the ease on August 15,
1932, three days before Hollins
was to be executed, following his
conviction in December, 1931.
The N. A. A. C. P. won a.stav
of execution and won a new trial
at which a quest’n of Negro jury
exclusion was raised by Judge
E. P. Hill, the counsel retained
by Oklahoma branches. Hollins
was again sentenced to death hv
an alLwhite jury and now that
the appeal in his behalf has failed
he is sentenced to die January 4,
1935.
The Oklahoma P>ranehes have
now done all that is possible in
Jess Hollins’ behalf, hut the na
tional office has turned the ease
over to its legal committee for
anneal to the supreme court, of
the TTni+ed States on the all-white
jury issue. Application for the
anneal will automatically stay ex
ecution.
RAILROAD CZAR DENTES
COLOR BAR
New York, Dee. 14—Tn reply
to the query of the National Asso
ciation for the Advancement of
Colored Peonle last, week concern"
in" the shelving of five Negro
statistical workers in keeping
with the alleged color bar policy
of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission’s Washington office to
which they should have been
transferred from New York
John Ti. Rogers, assistant to
Joseph B. Eastman, Federal Coor
dinator of Transportation, denies
any color discrimination.