EDI! ORIALS
THE OMAHA GUIDE
Published every Saturday at 24018-20 Grant Street.,
Omaha, Nebraska
Phone WEbster 1750
GAINES T. BRADFORD, - - Editor and Manager
Entered as Second Class Matler March 15, 1927, at the Post Of
fice at Omaha, Neb., undertheAetof Congress of March 3, 1879.
. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION $2.00 PER YEAR "
Race prejudice must go. The Fatherhood of God and
the Brotherhood of Man must prevail. These are the
only priciples which will stand the acid test of good
SAVE THE LIVES OF SCOTTSBORO BOYS
An iiMBpeabable crime—one that outrages all decent people
—has been committed !
O/.ie Powell, one of tbo nine Heottsboro boyg lias just been
foully shot by one of the pol'ce guards as lie was being trans
ported 1*0111 the Patterson tri d lo the Birmingham jail.
This monstrous lynch assault was the result of three days
of savage terror deliberate'/ worked up against the Scottsboro
boys, their ;;tkoraeye and witness® at the,Patterson trial.
Wh -n the pu| <:e lynch agent of the Alabama officials shot
(b.'.e Pm ell he was carrying out the bidding of Judge Callahan,
whmo every attitude in the Patterson trial •creamed: “ Waste
no tin; -. Lynch ’em !’’
The Tu-year 1 ving death sentence against Patterson— ns I
brutal is it was -did not appease tlie lynch desire whipped up!
by the prosecution all over Deatur, Alabama. The Alabama
lynch (lass must have blood! Blood to symbolize the oppres
sT n of the Negro people; blood to terrorize the hundreds of
thous nds of Negro and white who have .shoulder to shoulder re
pcatedly stayed the lynchers’ hand.
Tli lives of all the boys are to the gravest danger!
The Southern lynch class clearly intends to use rope and
faggot, instead of the cumbersome process of legal lynching.
The pretext for the shooting of Powell is being used today
by Hitler ta.se is ts in Germany, Mussolini in Italy and in hellish
capitalist dungeons all over the world: "Shot while trying to
escape.’’
When Powell arrived in Mini in; ham. in'fter the shoot ig
too \v<ak to arise from the wound, Sheriff Sandlin yelled, “Get
up!” The wounded boy, with blood gushing from his face, cried,
“I cant ” Such bestial cruelty could hardly he found anywhere
else in the civilized world!
The meaning of this hideous lynch at tempt is ms clear as
daylight.
The fascist forces in America -represented by llearst, the
Liberty Leaguers and all their Ku Klux hordes are aiming to
HitLe rize the country. They mean to east into an abyss the
fundamental rights of liberty, justice, in r play and freedom,
on which this country was founded.
Today they struck through the lynch clams of the South.
Seeking to make the Negro people the scape-goat (of their loath
some barbarism, they struck through the wounded body of in
nocent Ozie Powell.
But tomorrow like poisonous vipers they will steke at
every decent human being who dares to speak against the mer
ciless rule of savage fascism.
This monstrous act is a warning of what will happen to
all liebrty-loving, fair-minded people—unless they c’se in one
united mass to save the Setottsboro boys and set them free.
the danger to these boys, threatened with brutal lynching I
by the Alabama officials who have them captive, presents the |
American people with one of the most critical attacks on civil
fights a throat which must not gto unanswered by all who
cherish those democratic rights and who seek to resist fascist
assaults.
Let your voice be heard 1
Demand the release of all the Scottsboro boys am! their
safety from lynching by their jailers!
Demand that the hoys be immediately turned over to the
custody of the Federal court, as the courts and officials of
Alabama, unable to prove them guilty, are plotting their death
by open murder!
Demand that President Roosevelt act in the face of this
great lynch threat to nine indocent Negro boys, symbolic of the
oppression of the 14,000.000 Negroes in the United States.
Sa'fo the Scottsboro hoys!
Their lives arc in great peril.
One has alreadybeen murderously struck down!
INVESTIGATE BEFORE YOU KNOCK
For one reason or another it seems that every Negro who
takes an active part in Negro welfare work in Omaha is subject
ed to various and numerous verbal attacks that for the most
part are wholly unwarranted.
During the past few’ wekes Mr. Squires of the Urban
League lias been the victim of a tongue lashing from friends or
foes. They charge that he is directing a project under the NYA
that would have paid an individual not employed around $100
a month. To make these accusations without investigating the
facts has a serious effect. A little thought Would save the em
barrassment that goes with these attacks and too it pays
to be sure rather than sorry.
The whispering campaigns that are constantly being launch
ed against those who hold prominent positions lessons the in
fluence of the group and it keeps the group from getting many
of the benefits that are rightfully due. No United Front can
be presented by the colored populaion of Omaha and this is for
the advantage of the other groups. Our people are worn out
fighting each other and w’asted their resources before the main
problem is reached. When it is reached there is no strength or
Do not look at. Hie Negro
His earthly problems are ended.
Instead look at the seven WHITE ediildren who gaze u
Lids gruesome spectacle.
Js it horror or gloating on the face of the neatly dressed
soevn-year-old girl on the right?
Is the liny four-year-old on the left old enough, one wond
ers, In comprehend the barbarism her elders have perpetrated?
Itubin Stacy, the Negro, who was lynched at Fort Lauder
dale, Florida, on .July 19, 1935, for “threatening and frighten
ing a white woman,'* suffered PHYSICAL torture for a few
short hours. Hut what psychological havoc is being wrought
in the minds of the white children! Into what lends of citizens
will they grow up? What kind of America will they help to make
after being familiarized with such an inhumru'ti, law-destroying
practice as lynohing?
The manacles, too, toll their own story. The Negro was;
powerless in the hands of the law, but the law was just as pow
erless t porotect If m from being lynched. Since 1922 over one
half the lynched victims have been taken from legal custody.
Less than one percent of the lynchers have been punished, and
they very lightly. More than f>,000 such instances of lynching
have occurred without any punishment whatever, establishing
beyond doubt that federal legislation is necessary, as in the |
ease of kidnapping, to supplement state action.
What, you may lutsk, can YOU do?
In May 1935, a fUlibuster in the United States Senate, led
by a small group of senators, most of them from the states witli
the worst lynching record, succeeded in side-tracking the Osii
gan-Wagner Anti-Lynching Bill. Th s bill will be. brought up
again in the 1936 session of Congerss.
1. Write to your Cogressnian and to the two United States
Senators from your state urging them to work assiduously and
vote for passage of the hill.
2. Get the church, lodge or other fraternal organization,
social club, and whatever other groups you belong to to pass
resolutions urging Congressmen and Senators from your state;
to vote for the bill.
3. Write letters to your newspaeprs and magazines urg
ing their help.
4. Make as generous a contribution as you can to the or- j
gamzation which for twenty-five years has fought this evil and
which 'is acting as a coordinating agent of church, labor, fra
ternal and other groups, with a total membership of 42,O0O,(XX),
which are working for passage of the Oostigan-Wagnor Rill.
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE |
ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE.
G9 Fifth Avenue, New York.
l
courage to attack the main foe.
It is not the aim 'or purpose of this article to condemn or
exonerate any individual of any wrong doing unless we. have
specific proof that such is the case. Now there is .a way for
those who would continue this policy to satisfy themselves as
to the fairness of such a method. Locate those in proper author
ity and if you have th eproper credentials, information will be
given on anything you believe on other people and it will stop
a lot of these attacks that grow in time from a mere mention ,
to direct accusations, by the time it reaches the third party.
Mr. Squires has done a great deal of good work for the
Community in the short time that he has been here and he de
serves credit for the courageous stand that lie has taken for the j
group. Let's not discourage the efforts of this man by petty
heresay information. The community will be the loser in the
end.
Seed pods of the rubber tree contain a pas that causes the
pods to explode and shoot the ripened seeds 70 to 100 feet.
More American passenger automobiles and mtoor truck
chassis are used in Turkey than the products of any other
country.
A California woman lias invented a stand to hold a tele
phone to leave a user’s hands free for taking notes or type
writing.
The world’s largest dry dock, capable of handling Rhips
more than 1200 feet long, has been placed in service in Liver
pool.
ALTA VESTA
A GIRL’S PROBLEMS
(By Videtta Ish)
ALTA VESTA TO HER
FATHER—NO. 28
(For the Literary^ Service Bureau)
Dear Daddy: You did give nve
a wonderful surprise. I never
dreamed you would come to see
me. Though I have said it a thou
sand times I say again, you are
the best and sweetest daddy any
girl ever had. Though I am a lit
tle sad as I am always when you
leave me I am still happy. It
sems you are still here and will
come in just any minute. Well,
[ know you are gone, now.
Daddy dear, I am so glad you
?aw the girls and I am glad you
were kind to them. One of them
said she'd be happy to have a
father like you if she didn’t have
anything else in the world, and I
almost told her that I’d ask you
to adopt her. Then it seemed
funny to think of as she is a col
ored girl- But then again, it’s
funny that she isn’t colored ex
cept that she belongs to a race
where most of the people are col
ored. I just can’t understand this
color business, Daddy. Can you?
Well, I am sleepy now- Good
night, Daddy Dear.
Alta Vesta.
(For the Literary Service Bureau)
Conservative Boy in Love with
Girl Who Drinks and Smokes —
Won’t Agree to Quit After Mar
riage— Challenges the Lover’s
Right to Interfere—Better Pass
Her Up, Sad Boy—To Marry this
Girl Would be Taking A Long
Chance with Happiness.
(For advice, write to Maxie Mil
ler, care of Literary Service Bur
cau, 616 Minnesota Ave., Kansas
City, Kans. Ifor personal reply
send self-addressed stamped en
velope.)
Maxie Miler—Here is where I
need your help. I am madly in love
with a fine young fellow- J am 24
and he is 26- We are about even
in education and he has a good
trade- But he will drink whiskey.
He drinks a little all the time and
gets drunk about once a month.
He says if d will marry him he will
quit drinking. I am afraid he won’t
and that my children will be
drunkards and I don’t know what
to do- What is your opinion ?
Mollie Turner.
Mollie Turner—This man may be
sincere, but there are many things
to be considered. If he’s had this
habit long it will be difficult to
overcome- You are right about
your children. Heredity is a fact.
With this very man the drink habit
may be such- Better make an in
▼estigaion: find out if his father
drank and to what extent his bro
thers and sisters had or have the
drink habit. Talk to him frankly
and ask him to tell you the truth
about these things. Get these facts
and send them to me and I’ll give
you personal advice- But remember
Mollie, to marry a habitual drunk
ard is a dangerous experiment.
Maxie Miller
Birmingham “Slum
Clearance” Causes
Racial Dispute
Birmingham, Ala, Feb- 1, (A
N. P.) Declaring that there were
more whites unemployed who
could not be taken care of by the
relief commission, a petition was
filed by a committee of white
citizens with the city commission
Tuesday urging the same appro
priation for a slum clearance
project for the whites as that ap
proved for Negroes.
The project in the Negro sec
tion of the city is under way and
several hundred workers are be
ing employed. According to the
petitioners, whites are in dire need
of better housing facilities, in fact
much more than Negroes who are
more accustomed to living in the
slum districts. They further aver
red that in all fairness to the white
citizenry a similar project, or one
on one on a much larger scale,
should be launched immediately
to remedy this condition among
whites.
A copy of the petition will be
sent to President Roosevelt, urg
ing his approval of the project
commission.
KELLY MILLER
SAYS
RUDYARD KIPL’iNG AND HIS
NEGRO REAERS
Rudyard Kipling, the unlaurel
ed Poet Laureate of England, is
dead. Before these lines see the
light of print his ashes will have
found sepelture in Westminister
Abbey. Kipling gave literary em
phasis and start to the quickening
of racial arrogance which has cul
minated today in Hitler’s attitude
toward the Jews. He was the lit
erary forerunner and counterpart
of Lothrop Stoddard and Madison
Grant who gave psuedo scientific
and soclalogical sanction to the
Nordic Myth. Kipling’s “Take Up
the White Man’s Burdens” and
Stoddard’s “Rising Tide of Color”
are companion pieces of mischief
in stirring up strife among the
and nations of mankind.
I first became acquainted with
Rudyard Kipling through an in
terview given out by him in San
Francisco in the early nineties. It
seemed as if he had ome misun
derstanding with a colored waiter
In describing the affair he stated,
as I now' recall his words, “Let me
stop here and curse the whole Ne
gro race.” Since then the poet of
the barracks and barroom has ris
en to be a star of the first magni
tude in the literary firmanent- I
have read his writings which I
have greatly admired and fre
quently quoted, but always with
his racial bias as a reserve in the
back part of my mind
Kipling possessed a local, na
tional patriotic and racial; but
not a world mind. He was the poet
of circumstances, surroundings
and conditions, but not of the uni
versal strivings of the human spi
rit. He could hardly separate the
circumstantial from the essential,
the temporal from the eternal. He
was the poet of the concrete and
not of the abstract; he dealt with
man as a biological being but not
with mankind as a spiritual entity,
tlf perchance he reached imperial
heights, where race and color dis
appeared, the flight was inciden
tal to the emphasis of his narrow
national or racial purpose. Such
flights were never sustained; but
he suddenly sank into himself on
the lower plane of flesh and blood
Robert Burns, on the other hand
was much more narowly limited
and circumscribed in his environ
ment than Kipling. The genius of
the poet of Scotland, however, rose
swiftly above his limited environ
ment and swept the whole horizon
around him and the skies above
him- With him, Scotia was but a
local setting of universal truth
which emerged, from the back
ground of provincial environment.
You might search the entire of
Kipling’s writings in vain for a
line that is comparable in univer
sality of thought and ideal to
Burn’s:
“For a’ that and a’ that; it’s com
ing yet, for a’ that,
That man to man the world o’er
shall brothers be for a’ that ’’
With Kipling, mortality and eth
ics are limited by latitude and race.
He does not appreciate the exist
ence of “A law of God or man
north of 53” nor the validity of
the Ten Commandments “East of
the Suez.”
His horizon was not only limit
ed by the latitude of race but by
sex as well. Of all the great poets,
he stands practically alone in ig
noring sex appeal as a source of
poetic inspiration. His highest
conception of woman is: “A rag
and a bone and a hank of hair.”
Falling back on the bald, biologi
cal anology he assures us that
“The female of the spicies Is more
deadly than the male.” The near
est he comes to recognizing the
universal claim of womanhood is
when he tells us that “Judith
O’Grady and the colonel’s lady are
sisters under the skin.”
Kipling never appreciated spir
itual values. He never so much as
lifted his eyes to heaven. He recog
nized neither the fatherhood of
God nor the brotherhood of man.
In his “Recessional” bombastic
appeal is made to the “Lord, God
of Nations” but only in the sense
that Cicero was in the habit of
rhetoricaly Invoking “The Immor
tal Gods” to complete his rounded
periods. But even at that, Kip
ling’s appeal to deity was only to
protect his own nation in its far
flung battle line and its ill-gotten
“dominion over palm and pine.”
He had contempt for all other
nationalities except his own. His
reference to the German as a
“vandal and a Hun’ and to the
Russian as a “bear that looks like
a man” aptly illustrates the nar
rowness and intensity of his pa
triotic spirit.
Kipling looked upon the non
PROVERBS j
AND
PARABLES i
by A. B. MANN ■
for The Literary Service Bureau
This is a wise precaution and
failing to heed it many have suf
fered serious loss. Literally one
should look, because he might leap
into a puddle of water, leap into
a deep pit, leap and alight on some
sharp thing which would cause
physical injury and great pain.
But the adage has a deeper sig
nificance.
This warning has to do with
making investments, forming
friendships and alliance, selecting
companions, undertaking any en
terprise, launching any movement
and is against preciptancy in any
effort. It is of the same tenor as
the Bible caution about counting
the cost which moans consider the
exigencies and the possibilities of
success.
Perhaps in no other connection
does this apply more aptly than
in that marital ventures. The
shameful divorce record is due
largely to this haste. There is the
greatest need that people look
before they leap into matrimony.
SERMONFTTE
By Arthur B. Rhtnow
for the Literary Service Bureau
A man, well known in the Tealm
of sport, fell in love with a young
lady of another religion. During
tho courtship, religious differen
ces semcd to have been forgotten
in the all-absorbing revel of emo
tions. But when the day was set,
the bride insisted upon being mar
ried acording to her “faith ” And
the ardor of affection suffered a
chill, temporarily, at least.
“I didn’t know she took her re
ligion seriously,” the prospective
bridegroom complained.
She didn’t. Had she done so, he
would have noticed it long before
the difficulty of choosing the offi
ciating clergyman arose. In all
probability, she occasionally would
have mentioined the church serv
ices she had attended, and spoken
of her religious convictions to him
who was or should have been wor
thy of the confidences of her
heart, and he would have noticed
the fine restraint that true relig
ion exercises when the intoxica
tion of affection threatens to run
wild.
People who take their religion
seriously carry with them a re
ligious atmosphere, not affected
tatious, but genuine as gold and
subtle as rare perfume
By crossing native w'th fore
ign species United States gov
ernment experimenters have
produced red, yellow and pur
ple potatoes.
Electric cables to be mounted
around windows have been in
vented in Germany to warm in
coming air and prevent drafts
in whiter.
white varieties of the human race
as the “lesser broods without the
law,” “half devil, half child, whose
chief mission in life seems to be
to aggravate the white man’s bur
den” Whatever credit he accorded
the “lesser breeds” was secondary
and subordinate to the glory of the
white lord and master. “The
things that you learn from the
yellow and the brown will help
you a heap with the white.”
Kipling genuinely believed that
“East is East and West is West
and never the twain will met "
If, however, he was willing, gen
erously or grudgingly, to concede
virtue and valor to the non-white
contestant, it was only to glorify
the greater virtue and valor of the
white- He was wiling to make on
ly an individual exception in favor
of the non-white and concede the
distinction between East and West
might for the moment, vanish
when “Two strong men stand face
to face though they come from the
ends of the earth.”
To the Negro student of liter*
ature, Kipling presents a tempta
tion and a warning. His apt,
pointed, pictoral power of expres
sion must be admired even by thd
“lesser breeds” against whom he
directs his shafts, though they'
smart while they smile.
The Negro student, in perusing!
Kipling’s works, must be ever onj
his guard to appreciate and praise!
that which is universally good am®
separate it from that which if
racially bad
Kelly Miller
