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About The Omaha guide. (Omaha, Neb.) 1927-19?? | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 1937)
..EDITORIALS.. THE OMAHA GUIDE Published Every Saturday at 2418-20 Grant Street, Omaha. Nebraska Phones: WEbater 1517 or 1618 Entered as Second Class Matter March 16, 1927, at the Postoffice at Omaha, Neb., underAct of Congress of March 3, 1879. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION $2.00 PER YEAR Race prejudice must go. The Fatherhood of God and the Brother hood ef Man must prevail. These are the only principles which will •lai-d the acid test of good. All News Capy of Churches and all Organizations must be in our •ffice not later than 6:00 p. m. Monday for current issue. All Adver tising Copy or Paid Articles not later than Wednesday noon, proceed ing date of issue, to insure publication. An Echo From My Den As 1 sit here in my “Den” with pen in hand, meditating n« it wi re, 1 fu'ly realize that the good old days, which were not as good ns painted, will never again return to the American Negro. We are facing a new era and we have got to orient ourselves to things as ihey ure and will be. The old slogans, the old philosophers, the old programs, must bow to the hew. We can depend upon none other than ourselves. The Negro writer, artist, professional and business per son, u'l owe it to the masses upon whom they live, to take the leadership and not permit the masses of Negroes to wander aimlessly and hopelessly in the mire of poverty and degrad ation. The educated Negro must do this—if not for the love of the Masses, then at least out of intelligent self-respect,. Considering the present economic and social status of the Negro, 1 say that the Negro of education and prominence lias no busiuess standing by with folded arms sneering cynical ly at his struggling brethren. Instead he should reach down and aid him to obtain economic freedom. We have not long since come to the end of another year. It is not a good policy to form the habit of looking backward. It is advisable to view $n retrospect won and then to take stock as it were. It is from this angle that we here.in Omaha, should consider the year I t)3(i and what it meant to us. First it was a hard year. Most of us suffered from the economic blight which has struck aJl alike. Conditions were almost unbearable. Those who have come through the ordeal without going down deserve whatever laurels which might have been won. » Second, the Negro, as a group, has gone through a dis astrous period, not because he i|s not capable, competent, and efficient, but us wus stated by Rabbi Wise of New York while lie was addressing a Howard University Graduating Class in 1928 “Negroes are just as smnrt, just, as intelligent, and just jus qualified as the Jewish people. The only difference is we stick together, huve respect for one another, patronize one an other, and do not double cross.” Negroes are not losing their jobs; Negro businesses are not going to the wall; Negro professional men will not, after years of hard study and sacrifice, be unable to prove their ability because of the depression, but because of their own jeal ousy and seemingly satisfaction to remain in a state of lethargy. The economic position of the Negro is not so hopeful as many believe and if he is to escape from the chains of economic bondage, he must put liis'energies and dollars into a construct ive program, carry on an intensive and sustained campaign of appeal to the Negro consumer to trade with the worthy Negro * dealer and with those of the opposite race who, through their action, show a willingness to return to our ranks either by way of employment or by means of transactions; fair and just pro portions of revenue received from our vast spending power,! which ranges much over $10,000,000 annually here in Omaha. Negroes must work daily for their economic independence I through the instrumentality of organization. Taking as mot to, “Spend your money where you can receive the greatest re turn.” NATURE FOOLS THE “EXPERTS” The danger of plans, however well meant, that would artificially curb basic crop production to a substantial degree, are found in the current wheat outlook. Best estimates show that the world crop this year will be almost dangerously small. And much of our wheat acreage in America has been deliber ately removed from sendee. Nature frustrated the plans of the crop experts^-as she often will It is becoming increasingly apparent that movements and policies that really and permanently help agriculture—to say nothing of the public at large—stem less from government farm programs than from the farmers themselves. While “farm re lief’’ programs have changed and officeholders have come and gone, the farm cooperative movement to improve production and distribution methods, lias been going ahead, and each year has witnessed new achievements. Such cooperatives have a. permanent, nou-political program based on sound, proven prin ciples, as contrasted with governmental programs which are necessarily transitory, and are usually infested with po.itics. It has been widely forecast that this Congress would be quiet and peaceful, and would follow the President’s wishes with little opposition. But now the stage is set for one of the longest, most acri monious and most important congressional battles in jears Cause is the President’s message on changes he would like made in our judiciary system. Certain phases of the message—such as the proposals to empower the Chief Justice to shift lower court judges about in order to expedia.te cases, and to lessen the time required to take cases involving Constitutional questions from lower courts to the Supreme Court—will meet with the agreement of almost I everyone. But the big thing is the proposal that would au h | orize the President to appoint an additional Supreme Court Justice for every justice now on the court whose age is 70 or more. That has split party lines wide open. Leading Demo cratic newspapers ho.ve corne ouj against it. A Democratic bloc, under Senator Glass, has been organized in the Senate to Pight the measure. Influential Senator Norris, who seen eye to eye with the President in most matters, has expressed his disapproval. It has long been known that the President has been considering various plans for curbing the power of the courts to annul laws passed by Congress. Now the issue is in the open at last. I --- - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 ! Calvin’s Digest By Floyd J. Calvin SUPREME COURT i I The fight launched by Presi i dent Roosevelt to liberalize the Supremo Court ip fraught with many progressive possibilities for the Negro. When the N. R.A. and the AAA were killed by this court, the Negro suf fered directly, as well as indi i rectly. The NR A was design ed, essentially, to raise the j wage standard of the humbler workers of this land, and white' there were many inequit ies as between while and eo'or I ed at the start, of the program, it is easily probable that these I would ha.ve been corrected. For the New Deal Administration | has shown a disposition to cor ; root any evils which obviously discriminate between citizens on a basis of color. We have concrete instances of this on PWA projects- in different parts of the country where lo cal labor policies ha.ve been changed by orders from Wash ington. In the case of the AAA, Ne gro farmers were benefiting from its method of dealing with the American farm problem. Perhaps all Negro farmers did not come under its jurisdiction but those who did were not. heard to complain of lack of receiving benefits due them un der the law. Other problems will arise, like the Farm Tenancy quest ion, which may require a Su preme Court decision to fully establish a new rule of proce dure in this field. Some citizens seem to fear a change in the Supreme Court may give the President too much authority. Insofar as the Negro is concerned, it would appear tha.t the best thing would be to make sure that the New Deal fundamen tal changes in the eeonomie structure of our country be made permanent while Roose velt is in office, for it may be many years before we get an other President who will take the fair and human attitude toward the underprivileged which he has tnkon. If it tak es liberalizing the Supreme Court to make the New Deal policies the law of land, from what we have already seen of the Roosevelt program, it would be to the Negro’s ad vaaitage to change the Court. Changing the Movies Miss Louise Beavers, one of our best known movie stars, when interviewed in Boston re cently, said the “big compan ies’’ are getting tired of critic ism of what they are trying to do for Negroes, or words to that effect. We do not object to Miss Bea.ver’s viewpoint, for we would naturally expect that to be colored by the fact that she is directly concerned because of her livelihood. But we do object to Miss Beaver’s manner, for it is the public, and not the “big companies’’ who decide the motion picture policies. This fact was clear ly demonstrated when the Ca tholic boycott forced the mov ies to clean house, cut out so much smut and gangsterism, and put in, instead, more his torical and classical pictures As a result, the children of our country got a real break, for now the movies are plainly an educational as well as an en ter! aiment factor in American life. We have not yet seen Miss Beavers in her latest picture, “Rainbow on the River,” but members of our family hav , and we can tell Miss Beavers right here that while her act ing is said to be excellent, the role she plays is cer ainly not appreciated by our modern, 1 high school colored girls and boys. We understand that she pleads in the picture that she wants to remain a s'ave; and that she shows every solicita tion for the education of a li.tle j. white boy, while she lets a. lit-! tie colored hoy grow up in ig- 1 liornnce. Of course that is the script, and Miss Beavers is paid to do the acting, but we are mentioning it to show our well-liked star just, how her , roles register with her public. White stars a.rp very anxious to know how their public takes their roles, and if Miss Beav ers is to remain popular, she must be like the white stars in ( this respect, and not with I white people alone, but with her own race as well. In this connection, we will quote a letter from Mrs. Car- < rie Pcmbrook, head of the Dc- « partment of English of Lane ^ College, Jackson, T'enn., which . was sent to us in response to a ^ query on the movies. Miss t Beavers might read this letter with profit, and then pass it { along to the “big companies’, which pay her what ought to be and what we hope is a hand some stipend. “I believe that I speak for the race when T say that we feel personally affronted every time we see the coon hunting, dice throwing scenes. We feel ashamed and disgusted when we see any stalwart man play ing a frightened, cringing role. It is insulting to the race to show only the mammy type of woman. This type of woman is rarely given anything to do except hang clothes on a line n some rich lady’s back yard, or chase small boys away from a dice game. The higher as ispirations or finer sensibilit ies of the race are shown. I think that we gen erally appreciate the role giv en to Mr. Paul Robeson and his partner in “Sanders of the River”. Mr. Robeson acted the part of a selfssaorificing fa.ther and husband. “Will the general public ev er get an idea of the “Soul of Black Folk” by the roles Ne groes play in the movies? Does 'the great American public 1 know of tho heart hunger an The longing of the Negro for the higher and nobler things o life? There is talent in the race, and we should like to sec it used more fully. We believe that the present, interpretation is faulty. The life of a people caai lever be interpreted bv showing only the middle and lower strata* of their society.” Kelly Miller SAYS Roosevelt and The Supreme Court Kelly Miller in the Washington Herald, Feb. 12, 1937 The enlargement of the Fed eral jurisdiction so as to in clude a greater control over the industrial, economic and social life of the people was the on° clear, unmistakable, outstanding issue of the last campaign. This, like the ab oli ion of slavery, can he ac complished only at the expense of traditional and, shall wr say eonstitutiona1 rights of the States. Federal jurisdiction can increase only at the ex pense of State’s righ s, since they are complementary com ponents to four political eirele. bike the illumined and be iarkened segments of the sur face of the moon, as the one in creases, the other must de crease. The advocates of the N w Deal, as well as its more sin •erp opponents, agree that the Constitution must be revamped >r revised to meet the require nen's of the new industrial revolution through which we irn now passing. The vital difference between the two I school® binges on the question is to whether this must n^eds ie eccomnlished bv reconstrue ion or hv liberal internreta ionr There no different" n objective, but in method. Roosevelt believes that the Constitution can be liberalized n. harmony with the demands if the age of science, invention id technology. The Supreme Court, wi ll its traditional, log ical east of mind, stood square i— iy athwart of this purpose. Conservative opinion follows the letter though it killeth; lib eralism is chiefly concerned with the spirit which make.h alive. Senator Borah insists that this end be accomplished by formal amendments. President Roosevelt prudently refrained from pressing the avowed is sue in ‘the maelstrom of the campaign, when both sides knew it was in the back part of his mind and would push for ward* to expression as soon as the campaign was over. Indeed, the opposition to his election Ringed on this issue and taunted him for not bring ing it to the front, but he pres erved a sagacious and sa'utnry silence. A heated campaign is no time to inject controversial j constitutional changes. Roose-! velt, nevertheless, was openly | charged with the intention of I packing the Supreme Court in ! order to put through his New Deal policies.' He was accused | in every mood and tense of condemnation for his withheld purpose to pack or override the Supreme Court. The lending anti-New Deal orators in the campaign ex hausted their vocabulary of a buse and condemnation, so thatj now, in light of his program to UberaHirte the judiciary, tihey can invent no additional terms 'of abuse, condemnatio or vit juperation. The head and front of this opposition is exempli fied by ex-President Hoover, speaking for the orthodox Re publieaais, anjd ex-Secretary Rainbridge Colby, speaking for the Jeffersonian Democrats. They have carried their op position along this line as far as it can possibly be pushed, and their present pronounce ments are only repetitive. The American people have heard all that they can possibly have to saiy, and their verdict was registered by a plurality of 11, OOOJDOO votjcs. (Overwhelming majohities in both House and Senate have been chosen on the basis of President Roosevelt’s well-known purpose to subvert the obstacle of the Supreme Court by its liberalization. This was the answer of the people to the challenge of the opposition!. This was their mandate. It was, therefore, seen that any further protest, either to the people, or to Con gres would be void of practic al effect. The New Dteal is committed ^o the liberalization of the jud iciary. President Roosevelt’s proposal to this end cannot substantially fail of effect., for it merely indicates the path which the American people have chosen to travel under his leadership. FLOOD CONTROL by GIFFORD PINCHOT (Copyright, 1937, THE WASHINGTON POST A flood is like an epidemic, the time to stop it is before it begins. Until now, however, we have bqcn, so to 'speak, providing hospitals to ta,ke care of the victims instead of establishing quarantines to keep out the d.s ease. We have been building engineering works to take care RULES of THE GUIDITE CLUB -OBJECTS OF THE CLUB !. To teach our boys and girls to appreciate Art, literature, Science and Physical education. !. To help develop talents of our boys and girls and give hem an outlet for their expressions. !. To teach them the value of reading weekly and daily news-! >apers. L To acquaint them with boys and girls throughout the world vho are striving for higher ideals, i. To bring them before the public. 6. To teach love for the church and Christian workers and a idler appreciation for the words, “Do unto others as you would' ave them do unto you/r -Rules For Membership In The Guidite Club 1. You must be a regular reader of The Omaha Guidte to be come a member of the Guidite Club. 2. Each member must send in interesting stories and pictures. Write newsy letters and answer letters written to you. 3. Each member must show evidence to the club sponsor that he or she has written and receive^ at least two letters from members of the club before becoming eligible for the honor roll. 4. You must write neatly and only on one side of the paper, signing your name and address plainly at the bottom of the sheet. 5. Every member must read the interesting features on the Guidite Page in The Omaha Guide and discuss same at the weekly meetings. 6. You must extend the hand of fellowship to sister and bro ther Guidites when they are seen with the Guidite card and button. 7. Each member must attend the weekly meetings of the Guidite Club or give a plausible excuse in writing from their parents. 8. You must go to bed each night with a Guidite smile and promise never to frown when Mother says go on an errand, wash the dishes or sweep the floor. 9. Every member must be a real booster of The Omaha Guide and agree to interest at least 5 grown-ups in purchasing The Omaha Guide. i 1 £ t APPLICATION-GUIDITE CLUB Please enroll me in The GUIDITE CLUB, I promise to abide by the rules as set forth in The Omaha Guide. My Name is My Address is,-. City _ _ State School Grade - Name of School— Parents’ Name - Date of Birth----——“-' ~ Cut this out and bring or mail to “Uncle Gil”, Omaha Guide, of the floods after they occur and have done practically nothing to prevent the floods from occurring or to reduce their height and destructive ness when they do take place. Leveefc and other lengineer ing works on the lower rivers are absolutely necessary, just as hospitals are necessary. But a million flood sufferers know today that such engineering works are not enough. We are like a man trying to work with only one arm. The arm we have not used is flood quarantine at the headwaiters. It wil take both armb to do this job, and hard work at that. Th/e history of floods in Am erica, is proof positive that they are getting worse and worse. They are worse not only be cause they are higher, but be cause there are more people to suffer and more property to be destroyed. Aiflft the present & flood is the worst of all. There were floods in this country long before Columbus sailed the ocean blue. And I suppose there always will be floods, just as there always were and always will be acci dents and diseases. But floods ^ 'I like accidents a,nd diseases, can be controlled and reduced. And the time to do it is not af ter they happen but before they begin. Before we began to ravage our natural resources, even in flood time the streams ran fairly clear. The soil was pro tected and kept porous and ab sorbent by the forests and the prairie sod. To all intents and purposes there was no bare ground at all, and so the enor mous mass of soil and sand, now carried by our rivers in flood, remained where nature put it. Since then we have cut and burned and cleared and plowed so unwisely that we have laid our soijl open to the little fin gers of the rain, which for years have been picking up and carying away the richness I* of our land. And not only carrying it off from' where we need it, but making of it a deadly weapon to destroy the safety, wealth, and happiness of our people.
