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
