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About The Omaha guide. (Omaha, Neb.) 1927-19?? | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 1936)
SUNDAY SCHOOL ALLIANCE The Sunday School Alliance held its monthly meeting with the Christ Temple Church of God. Mr. W. E. Webb, vice-president, opened the meting In the absence of the president, Mr. H. L. And erson. The regular procedure was gone through with after which a discussion arose over the ques tion: “Has the Church anything to offer the yafung j.fcopfd?(” Rev. John Adams took exception to some of the statements of the in structor, Mr. Parker. Rev. Curry, pastor of the Zion Baptist Church joined Rev. Adams in his views, stating tliat the Church had ev erything to offer the young peo ple—things present, future and even life beyond the grave. The Alliance confirmed the ap pointment of B. S. Sutton as a field secretary. Quite an interesting program was rendered. The vice-<presidetnt presented the president, who came in dur ing the meeting, for the closing remarks. The president expressed himself well pleased with the largo crowd present and the inter est nryanifested. He expressed liimsolf as being happy that he was a part of this great organiza tion which he had served from its begining,eleven years ago. He then tendered his resignation, due to the fact that he is leaving the city to take up new work in Louis ville, Ky. A committee of three was ap pointed to d-aw up resolutions of Recomnwndu.cion* to be given to the prebident. Said committe was composed of Rev. John Adams, Mr. W. E. Webb and Mrs. Gray, secretary MEN’S LAYMEN Tho Men’s Laymen of the Pil grim Baptist Church held election of officers. The following were elected: Mr. C. Thomas, president; Mr. L. Young, vice-president; Mr. R. T. Jowers, secretary. Rev. F. S Goodlette, state mod erator, was present and held the election Remarks were made by Mr. C. Adams, state president of the Men’s Layrr*en. A very pleasant evening was enjoyed. PILGRIM BAPTIST CHURCH LAUNCHES $1,000 DRIVE The Adams Grocery entertain ed tho workers with a reception at tho church on Tuesday night. A lovely repast was served. The ta bles were lovely—decorated with beautiful flowers. Mrs. R. C. Stewart, president of tho Heart to Heart Club, in a modest way, pledged her support and influence and the Club wliich she represented to support the drive. Rev. F. S. Goodlette, state mod erator, admonished the workers to go forward and face the task with courage arid faith. A Booster Committee was ap pointed consisting of the follow ing named persons: Mr. R. T. Jones, chairman; A. B. Young, Roy Gordon, Miss Ma ble Longmore, Mr B. S. Sutton, Mrs. R. T. Jowers, Miss Eva Mae Stewart, Mrs Marshall, and Mr. R. C. Stewart. The meeting was inspiring—an awakening was very keenly man ifested. Negroes Elected Officers In New York Trade Union Now York, Jan. 18—Six Ne groes were elected to the ex ecutive board and as officers of local 280 of the Laundry Workers International Union, here last week. They were1 Mr. Wm. Rich ard, vice-president; Miss Sa bina Martinez, recording secre tary; Miss Rose Smith, Trustee; Misses .Alice Duncan and Adcle Williams, executive board mem bers. Local 280, which is affiliated to the American Federation of Labor, has offices at 143 East 103rd street, New York City. A Remarkable Child Of Africa The slave trade was such a lucrative business in the seven teenth century that Rhode Is land, “he greaest slave-trading state in America,” built 103 slave ships in the decade from 1698 to 1908, and in 1770 this state alone had 150 slave ships engaged in the slave trade.” Weatherford, who states the facts in his interesting book, “The Negro Prom Africa To America,*' also ells us that many of the slave ships carried rum to Africa which was ex changed for a cargo of sluaves. One of the shrewd slave trad ers of Rhode Island gave these instructions to his captain: “ Warter yr rum as much as possible and sell as much by short mesuer as you can.” In 1761 a slave ship from Sen egal, West Africa, entered the harbor of Boston. We do not know whether that particular cargo of slaves had been pro cured by the barter of “short measure, watere drum but we do know that among those children of Dark Continent there was a little girl about eight years old. She was not an attractive object—with her diry face and unkempt hair; but there was something about the brightness of the eye that caused a servant to purchase her. It was not with the coveteous spirit of the unfeeling slave rader that Mrs. John Wheatley bought this child. M.rs Wheat ley was a women of refinement and of a religious turn of mind. While the child was to be train ed as a useful servant of the household, her mistress felt a responsibility for her education and religious training. The child proved to be unusually bright and quick to learn. In a little more tha na year she was able to read the most difficult pars of the Scriptures fluently. She was encouraged in her love of books and given opportunity to continue her studies until she could read some of the Latin classics—especially Virgil and Ovid. Pope’s translation of [Homer was her favorite Eng lish classic. She showed some [gifts for verse making and when only fourtee nyears old wrote these lines : On Being Brought From Af rica To America “ Twas mercy brougth me from my pagan land, Taught my benighted sould to understand That there’s a God — that there’s a Saviour too; Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. Some view our sable race with scornful eye— ‘Thp.r color is a diabolic dye. Remember, Christians, Negroes black as Cain May be refined and join th' angelic strain.” That is not groat poetry, of course; but just think of it frmo a child only six years out of the African jungles! Phillis Wheatley was highly esteemed by man yof the prominent fam ilies of Boston for her loveable disposition and unusual talents. She wrote a poem compliment jury to George Washington in 1775, during the siege of Bos ton. On the resbipt of the poem Washington wrote her: “I j thank you most sincerely for your polite notice of me, in the i elegant lines you enclosed, and ; however undeserving I may be i of such encomium and panegy ric, the style and manner exhib it a striking proof of your poet ical talents, in honor of which, and as a tribute justly due to you, I would have published the poem ,had I not been ap prehensive that while I only meant to give the world this new instance of your genius, 1 might have increased the im putation of vanity.” Phillis Wheatley is not in cluded among our great poets, but when Edmund Clarence Stedman published his “Libr ary of American Literature,” he included her poem on Imag ination : “Imagination! Who can sing thy force! Or who describe the swiftness of thy course! Soaring through air to find the bright abode, Th* empyreal palace of the thundering God, We on thy pinions can surpass the wind, And leave the rolling universe behind. From star to star the mental optics rove, Measure the skies, and range the realms above; There in one view we grasp the mighty whole, Or with new worlds amaze th’ unbounded soul.” Phillis Wheatley was most fortunate in fniding her home in the Wheatley family. Like many other Negroes brought up as slaves, she responded to the high ideals set before her. Writ ing of the death of her mistress she said: “I have lately met with a great trial in the death of my mistress; let us imagine the loss of a parent, sister or brother, the tenderness of all were unit ed in her. I was a poor little otucast and a stranger when she took me in ; not only into her house, but I presently be came a sharer in her most ten der affections. I was treated by her more like her child than her servant; no opportunity was left unimproved of giving me the best of advice; but in terms how tender! how engag ing- This I hope ever to keep in remembrance. Her exemplary life was a greater monitor than all her precepts and insturc tions. To alleviate our sorrow we had the satisfaction to see her depart in inexpressible raptures, earnest longings, and impatient thristing for the up per courts of our Lord.’’ Speaking of Phillis Wheat ley, in his book, “The Negro in Literature and Art,” Brawley says: Hers was a great soul. Iler ambition kne wno bounds, her thirst fo rknowledge was insat iable, and she triumphed over the most adverse circumstances. A child of the wilderness and a slave, by her grave and cul ture she satisfied the conven tionalities of Boston and of England. Her brilliant conver sation was equaled only by her modest demeanor. Everything about her was refined. More and more as one studies her life he becomes aware of her sterling Christian character. In a dark day she caught a glimpse of the eternal light, and it was meet that the first Negro wo man in American literature should be one of unerring piety and the highest of literary ideals. ’ ’ Ashland, Va. ' Media Has Negro Coroner’s Doctor Media, Pa., Jan. 18 (by ANP) Dr.’ Lancess McKnight, was ap pointed coroner’s physician here Tuesday representing the second position tendered thp prominent young medic by the city officials during the past few months, the first being a member of the Lun acy Commission to which he was i appointed three months ago. Dr. McKnight is a graduate of. Howard University and has been , practicing here since completing I his internship at Mercy Hospital j Philadelphia, in 1931. THE COLLAPSE OF COTTON TENANCY A Review By Frederick Doug lacss Patterson, President Of Tuskegee Institute The collapse of cotton ten ancy is a concise and authorit ative description of the hope less situation of tenancy on the cotton plantatinos of the Souh. The authors have condensed in this brief volume an accurate but insufficient description of the system itself, the people whose lives are dwarfed and the devasting influence on the land and “permanent’’ struc tures thereon. The viciousness of the credit system is expained and deplor ed. The tenant is playing a game at which, in the vast ma jority of cases, he has no chance of winning. To this dilemma he returns year after year out of intimidation, ignorance or sheer routine. The authors plainly show that the absence of tang ible wealth or the failure to pay out is but a part of the picture. The other manifestations are ram-shackle living quarters and insufficient and unbalanced diets. High morbidity and mor tality are the consequences of exposure and Goldberger’s hid den hunger or pellagra due to the “three M’s of meat (fat salt pork), meal and molasses. Under the devitalizing effect of such a program of living, the lazy and ambitionless tenant can be seen in a new light, for his outlook on life is one truly without hope. Only an easy going good-natured philosophy makes his futile existence bear able. Thus the authors state that “neither ambition, nor thrift, nor self-respect can thrive in such a climate. Polite Form Of Robbery Not only is it impossible to develop a hardy stock of am bitious farm owners—the per sistent American ideal—but it is impossible to avoid physical and moral decadence.” The credit system particularly as it involves the “cropper’’, the lowest form of tenancy, is lit tle more than a polite form rob bery involving as it does a high rate of interest, frequently 25 percent, or a manager’s fee eq ually as exorbitant, it not be ing unusual for 50 percent of the crop to be absorbed by these usurious costs. The above situation combin ed with the fact that bank credit is geared to the needs of the large plantation owner rather than the small farmer, favors the ever increasing con centration of land ownership with the eoasequent reduction of increasing numbers of farm ers to the status of teanney. Future Black The outlook is not brighten ed by a consideration of the fut ure of cotton itself. This crop, the mainstay of southern agr culture and at one t.mc Amer ica’s leading export commodity is facing an uncertain future in the light of production on the part of fifty nations. The qual ity of Egyptian cotton, the great expansion in production in Russia and the potential acreage in South America are distinct threats to the soverign ty of the United States. To share in the world market at all means low cost, production. This wCll be attained by large scale operations on plantations of considerable size. The present efforts to perfect cotton pick ing machinery add to the gloominess of the picture. The authors point out that even government control with acreage control and pegged prices have all but escaped the tenants entirely. In too many instances his lot. has merely been made more miserable This was inevitable in a sys‘em where the landlord for genera Billoin Dollar Bonus By Wra. Pickens for A. N. P. The reelection siren is having a Roosevelt and his administration. A few years ago he was standing like a rock against the “bonus grab,”—but now he is dangling that sugar-teat toward the vets,— for the 1936 vote. The rest of the poor, dumb ani mals comprising the general pub lic look on, many of them not realizing that a billion dollars cannot be manufactured out of print paper, but must be made by sweat and blood and bone of those who work, and then i s taken out of their already over taxed pockets. Roosevelt has al ready taken in one grab five bil lion dollars for his re-election: if ho can take one billion more for the veteran vote, that may in crease his chances. Why should those who went in to the army, and never saw an enemy, get a bonus from the rest of us? We sent all the meat and wheat and sugar to the “boys” in khaki, while we fasted and starv ed at home. I am not talking about the war-profiteers; I am talking about the masses of us who stayed at home and starved and fed an army of nearly five millions, supporting at the same time a swollen war administration and a pack of swivel-chair pa triots. Some of these “dollar-a year men" got on the inside at a dollar a year during the war, and have been cleaning up a million a year ever since,—out of the ad vantages gained and the wires they hawe been able to pull since. That is the way it is with the armies, especially with victor ious armies,—after they devour the enemy, they turn like the Frankenstein to devour the people back home. A billion dollars will not satis fy this crew; the next presidential aspirant in 1940 will have to buy them all over again. tions has been, a law unto him self. Instances are cited in some counties in which coinci dent wdth the receipt of govern ment benefit payments there has beiV. an increase in the re lief load. Is There A Way Out? In Chapter five the question is asked as to the way out. The future of two to five million tenants who are no longer need ed as cotton tenants is question ed. The alternatives listed are: (1) starvation, (2) permanent support on relief rolls, (3) the ending of new work in cities. (4) reorganization of farming in the old cotton states. The authors feel that he fourth is the only acceptable choice. In setting forth the method of reorganization they propose that the government buy up large tracts of agricultural lands which will be sold to small farmers or tenants on a long term program. They fur ther suggest the need for a de finite supervisory and educa tional service to insure the wise use of land and funds. With this should go schools, health and recreational facilities that would contribute to the well rounded development of the new homesteaders. Here in brief is an excellent analysis of the deplorable sys tem of tenancy which involves white and black alike, a system that offers little for landlords and less for tenants, that im poverishes the countryside and vitiates the standards of Amer ican civilization. What becomes of this mass of underprivileged humanity should be of moral and material concern to urban and rural dwellers alike, for failure of rural adjustment will inevitably be followed by r. trek to urban centers which are now overtaxed with problems of ad justment. The thoughtful and accurate presentation made by the collapse of cotton tenancy is a forceful challenge for the combined and co rdinated ef fort of all agencies looking to the social and economic adjust Ment of urban and rural peoples alike. U. S. Supreme Court Shocked Bv Miss. Torture Case Washington, Jan. 18—For the first time in, the memory of many persons present the jus ices of the United States su preme court appeared yester day to be greatly shocked at the revelations of the “trial’’ of three Negro sharecroppers from Kemper county, Miss. Earl Brewer, of Jackson, Miss., who argued the case for Ed Brown, Yank Ellington and Henry Shields, the convicted men condemne dto death for the murder, made a masterly presentation of his case. When the counsel for the State of Mississippi began arg uing for sustaining the convic tion, the justices were at, no pains to conceal their indigna tion. At one point Chief Justice Hughes interrupted the argu ment to ask: “Do you mean that these de fendants must be permited to go to their death solely upon the basis of an extorted con fession because their counsel failed to make proper objec tion t’’ Justices Roberts and Van Devanter seemed equally unable to contain their indignation. Justice Roberts continually in terrupted the argument to in quire whether there was any substantial evidence of guilt other than the confession, or whether there could he any jus tification for the conviction if the court should find that the confessions were not voluntary. Justice Van Devanter became sarcastic about the testimony of the sheriff that he knew nothing about the beating of he defendants except for rum ors which he had heard. Justice Stone suggested that under the circumstances admit ted by the state the defendants were necessarily under influ ences which made it impossible that they speak voluntarily. Brown, Ellington and Shields were convicted of the murder of Raymond Stewart, a white tenant fanner, solely upon a “confession” which was secur ed by beating and torturing the three men in a manner as bar barous as the Middle Ages. All were beaten with straps stud ded with nails, and Ellington was hanged repeatedly by the neck and let down again untd he confessed. The Mississippi supreme court sustained the conviction, but two justices wrote a dissenting opinion call ing the case worse than the Scottsboro cases. The NAACP and a number of individuals and groups in Mississippi are financing the appeal through the United States supreme court. The decision on the argu ment of last Friday is expected to be handed down by the supreme court in a few weeks. Radio Programs Encourage injustice (Continued From Page 1) ination” and "segregation”. Ho was not allowed to refer to the Dyer anti-lynching bill of 1922 by its true name but had to say “Congressman Dyer’s well known bill”. Commenting on the whole line of “softening”, Mr. Spingam said “I tried to tone down the speech a bit for the radio, but I had no idea any person nowadays would want to strike out purely histor ical references to lynchings, which is a common enough American practice.” But such are the obstacles to information showing the true op pression of Negroes on the air. The case is entirely different with broadcasts unfriendly to the Ne gro people. For instance, the Board of Ed ucation itself sponsors a radio sketch over Station WMCA under the title of “Harlem Family”. The sketch has been labelled by the Harlem Parents’ Association as “demoralizing and degrading”. But, in the words of Miss Rob erta Newell, director of radio programs In adult education for the boards, the complaint was “preposterous”. AlV®r<lin& to Miss Newell, the sketch is “a fine exposition of Negro psychology. There is no suggestion of sex or anything of that nature. The languago of the uneducated Ne gro is used.” It was so very moral and up lifting in fact, Miss Newell con descendingly pointed out, that the women in the sketch “begged the men folks not to play the number game.” And further complaints fell a | gainst a deaf ear. Miss Newell replied to all protests, “the inci dent connected with our broad cast “A Harlem Family” is clos ed. That was that. Miss Booker Abram, 2G21 Ers kino street, entertained eighteen at a bridge supper New Year’s night in honor of Mrs. Ed Lee Smith, who was married Christ mas eve. The evening was spent in dancing and playing bridge and whist. A four course buffet luncheon was served. In the wee hours of the night, Miss Abram had all her guests turn over a “new leaf". The leaves were made of silver and gold paper, with the New Year's vow on the back. Mrs. Smith was Miss Roby Bell Parker, before her marriage. Ev ery one said he had had a wonder ful time, and was full of the New Year spirit—if you know what I moan. The last thing the newly weds could hear Miss Abram say was, “This is only the beginning, folk, only the beginning." Opens Liquor Store Tom Jones, well know former oxpressman, and Coaward Thomaa have oponed a package liquor store and Bhlne parlor at 1612 N. 24th street. Mr. Jones says that his * many friends and customers will find a complete stock of well known liquors, with free delivery service. Employer—Can you come to work tomorrow? Unemployed—No, you see I am marching in a parade of the unemployed. Be an ARTIST al Your Gas hange Bsti't Uiss the p ~ ” i I Free Prize to All Listeners Opsftba worati . . . her*’* a rsiaJ rail** Uome ' Ice ir< t, the MlttTKfcY OHhP. W(«r Muulf lL;.i| (■;.» i*C| xrt oic*it briutra thl* mltj ,r>* turf t« yuur hew cacti Tuesday and Vuor*. ny ■»j nl'u at la a'clocfc. WMIfiN TO TU1C VlbtUT 4. mUtADCAST TlfROAv % riorulny VALIA *\jTk 1 lW*i -"KtZJB TO 4M&KY * UYi'IvNtfB. j <AAs'WVAA* Tuesdays and Thursdays Lirisn fa E?crj Tnesdaj and TkarsJay at 10 A- M. laaHMMut^Ar ' r4urr.«amuai«njit< « :«*4««.tiiuMnMaMMr«ra'%r« .:«tw»»»» T?r»!«ai
