..EDITORIALS..
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THE OMAHA GUIDE
Published Every' Saturday at 2418-20 Grant Street,
Omaha, Nebraska
Phones: WEbster 1517 or 1618
Entered as Second Class Matter March 15, 1027, 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 of Man must prevail. These are the only principles which will
Stand the acid test of good.
All News Capy of Churches and all Organisations must be in our
sffice not later than 6:00 p. m. Monday for current issue. All Adver
tising Copy or Paid Articles not later than Wednesday noon, preceed
ing date of issue, te insure publication.
The MASTER POLITICIAN
THE RISE of Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the highest
office of the land has caus'd his orinns and writers to specu
late on the contributing factor?! to his success. The late Col.
Jjouis McHenry Howe was one of tl<e President’s early backers
to whom credit was given for the Roosevelt victory in 1932. In
the recent campaign, much of the credit has gone to James A.
Farley, Postmaster General and head of the Democratic Na
tional Committee.
While not trying to minimize the part these men and
other able assistants plum'd in putting Roosevelt over the pub j
lie, we would like to observe that the lYesitlent liiimjilf is a
master politician a.nd is probably the hist executive at direct
appeals to the public this country has had in recent years. Mr.
Roosevelt likes nothing better than to make a gesture such as
that made last week when he entertained an ex-sJave at the
.White House.
Upon hjearing that William Andrew Johnson, 79-year oldJ
former servant of President Ami Jew Johnson, had expressed a
desire to again visij the White House, the President saw an op
portunity to gratify this desire ami sent a Secret Service mess
enger to bring th Negro to visit him. This human gesture on the
purl of the President did not mean anything to the Negro group
as citizens, and yet it demonstrated the famed Roosevelt spirit
of friendliness and proved good publicity. That particular stoiy
was probably published in. more papers than any story on the
President’s plan to increase the membership ofthe Supreme
Court.
It only bears out that the President is himself a master pol
itical strategist. Those who oppose him arc depending too much,
we think, on putting before the public in cold logical reasoning
ments their position, which in this fashion niak,e8 dull reasoning
The occasional personal and human touch ns President Roose
velt has demonstrated is what makes the difference between
the mediocre ad master politician.—New 'i ork Age.
GOOD CITIZENS
For the first time in tHe history of Nebraska, Two Omaha
boys of the Knee are to bo commencement speakers at two of
Nebraska's largest high schools. Tl^ese young men have won
such distinction through their efforts as good students and out
standing school citizens. They are held in. high est«em by hot \
the student body and faculty. This accomplishment, by Alphom
SO Davis of Technical high school and Monrcjo Coleman of
South high school, should and does offer a source of pleasant
reflection on the part of the Negro parents and citizens of
Omaha, While these worthwhile achievements do not necessar
ly solve the many problems with which we are confronted; they
do illustrate the democratic spirit prevailing within our public
school system and indicate that talent and worthiness among
the students is recognized wherever it may be displayed.
SAFEGUARDS
Don’t attempt to start fires in stovjes or furnaces with gaso
line or kerosene.
When using a kerosene or gasoline stove, always follow di
rections of the manufacturer. Keep stove clean, extinguish flame
^fter use and allow to cool before filling. Store the supply can
outside the house.
Don’t smoke whil)e filling the stove.
In order to be sure of your stove by only those listed as
standard’’ by the Underwriters’ Laboratories.
Don’t clean clothes with gasoline, naptha or benzine.
ITuman life is our most precious possession; guard your
own and your dear ones from this giant of destruction.
Petroleum, properly handled, is one man’s most useful ser
vants. Improperly handled, it can become a giant of destruction.
Remember that—it may save your life.
HERE AND THERE
At a recent party of grown up where young people’s games
were furnishing the amu&otoaent, one of the women was asked
to tell “What would you do if you were president-”' Of course
a humorous answer was ofxpected. But after a moment’s hesita
tion the lady replied, “If I were president I would stop lynch
ing of our people in these United States.” And for a brief mo
ment there was complete silence, for all present realised that
the answcd contained dynamite.
It is updoubtedly true that if any Negro were president of
this country that is exactly what he would first try to do. It
is also tr^2 that all believe that if onr present executive made
this objective of his “must” legislation an antilynch law would
be enacted in this session of Congress.
Officials here are amazed at the
unexpected reaction to proposal®
that the Ilarrison-Fletcher bill be
modified so as to provide for equit
able sharing by Negroes in the be
nefits of the funds appropriated
and apportioned under the bill to
further education.
Both the NAACP and the Na
tional Conference on the Problems
of the Negro recently wfent on
record as favoring modification of
this bill, contending that if it were
passed in its present form, Negroes
—especially" in ^he south—-would
receive little benefit from it
The proposed modification in
cluded (1) making regular reports
showing the distribution between
ufhite ai |I Neplro sehoofc where
separate schools are maintained
ccompulsory, and (2) giving the Se
(cretary of Interior authority to
withhold payments to any state or
territory where discriminatory
practices are discovered.
Within the past week, however,
a number of “educators” from the
south have come to the capitol
to protest against any such amend
ment to the bill. They claim that
it isn’t necessary—that their local
officials are perfectly honest, fair,
and capable of appointing the
money where it is most needed.
They say, too, that such safeguards
as have been proposed are value
less, and that only through locnl
supervision can fair distribution be
carried out.
The tragedy of the situation is
tnat most of the Negroes making
these protests would admit, under
close questioning, that their rea
sons for doing so is not that they
d« not prefer Federal supervision
of educational funds to itlhat of
their local boards of education, but
that their white superiors in the
south have sent them to Washing
ton for the purpose 0f killing
a proposal designed expressly for
their benefit, under penalty of los
ing their jobs if they fail to carry
out instructions.
Negro officials in Wushinglton
sen«o something of what is hap
pening and intend to continue
their fight for close Federal super
vision of any new funds made av
ailable by the government for edu
cation- However, it will be difficult
to erase from the minds of white
politicians here the false impression
these emissaries from the south
have given them.
PERMANENT RELIEFERS
The biggest job of Negro offi
cials in Washington today is that
of finding some method of getting
colored workers back into private
industry.
The need of some definite course
of action grows day by day a«
white workers leave the relief and
work-projeat rolls, increasing the
percentage of colored workers grad
ually to a point where local officials
and civic groups begin to protest
against the seeming “special treat
ment” accorded Negroes by “the
relief.’
The logical bureau for carry
ing out such a program i« the U.
b. Employment bervice, wmcn ia
under the Department of Lpboi
and has branches in nearly every
community. This agency, however,
has found it difficult and at times
almost impossible to reduce the
Negro relief-load by finding jobs
for colored workers, although
steady pressure to this end has
been exerted upon it both from the
oultaide organizations and from
within the Department itself.
Lieutenant Lawrence A. Oxley,
Secretary Perkins’ righthand man,
hai been conducting a nation-wide
sivvey to determine the extent to
vhich U. S- E. S. is aiding Negroes
to find private employment. He has
insisted wherever possible that Ne
gro workers be appointed to work
in these Federal employmnt of
fices, as he has found that most
white workers have little under
standing of the job problems of
Negroes, and even less inclination
to go «ut of their way to find de
cent jobs for colored persons.
The NYA is considering expan
sion of its program of apprentice
braining, whereby young people
are allowed to work with skilled
artisans while being paid by the
government. If this expansion can
be accomplished, the way may be
opened for young colored boys and
girls to find their place in the in
dustrial world, first, by learning
how to do a job well, and second,
by showing tlie prospective em
ployer that they are as capable of
fine work as the boys and girls of
other racial groups.
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THE FORGOTTEN DOMESTIC
Another employment problem
which the Federal government is
now being asked to solve is that
of domestic workers in both rural
and urban communities.
The realization is general that
domestics’ wages now are entire
ly too low, their hours of work
too long, and their standards of
living too low.
Congress is to be asked soon to
provide adequate social security
and workmen’s compensation legis
lation for these workers, and to
guarantee them the right to or
ganize and bargain collectively.
Meanwhile, existing agencies pro
vided to asai*t these workers to
find jobs are being urged to esta
blish policies which will prevent
assignment to domestic jobs 'at
less than decent wages
In some communities relief or
ganizations have begun carrying out
the spirit of this recommendation
by providing adequate relief for
domestics who cannot secure jobs
at wages sufficient to provide a
decent standard of living. The rub
lies in the fact that there is little
inclination to do this in the case
already excuse is provided by for
someitime much lower than those
for white workers.
Here is a big problem for Con
gress to consider- It affects count
less thousands of Negro workers
and even more white employees in
domestic fields. Certainly it is one
of vital importance, aind should
have more than cursory attention.
WORLD IN REVIEW
Sen. Borah and the Supreme Court
Senator William E- Borah of
Idaho has introduced in Congress
an extremely dangerous amend
ment. The Republican “liberal,”
of federal anti-lynching legislation
and for that reason fought by col
ored leaders when he offered him
self as candidate for the presiden
cy, may or may not have had re
sentment in mjnd aga ifci^t their
activities when he submitted a pro
posed amendment calling for dras
tic changes in the 14tih amend
ment, a bulwark of Aframerican
liberty.
W'hile the Idaho senator says he
does not wish to change the “due
process of law” clause guarantee
ing the right of hearing and a fair
trial, under which the supreme
court has rendered its Scottsboro
and other decisions, he does want
to give the various states more
power than they have even today.
He wants to give these states pow
er to make whatever social and ec
onomic legislation they desire with
the supreme court powerless to
interfere.
merem me uanjrer. wim me
south in the saddle at Washington,
tjirere is no assurance that its re
presentative* mifeht not change
Borah’s due process of law clause
to permit open discrimination
against people of color on juries
and before the law—actions now
held illegal by the supreme court.
When they begin tampering with
te 14th amendment, there is no
telling where fanatic Negrophobists
will stop.
What we need i» more centrali
zation of government instead of
less. The doctrine of state supre
macy has increased the evils un
der which this kaleidoscopic race
struggles in Dixie. The Negro has
no recourse except to the federal
government and the U. S. supreme
court. Give these states more power,
a« advocated by Borah, with the
supreme court barred by the con
stitution from interference with a
state's “social and economic legis
lation” and there will be no bul
wark left. Colored victims of dis
criminatory “social and economic
legislation” in Alabama, Georgia,
Louisiana or other southern states
will no longer be able to raise hope
fut eyes to the federal government
and the supreme court but must
plead only with the prejudiced,
hate-filled legislators who passed
such laws.
This race cannot afford to have
the powera of the supreme court
curbed. Nor, for that matter, can
we have it packed with six men
chosen by a Democratic presided
who is under obligation to the
Democratic south and would be
forced to reward southern friends
who, while they might have keen
minds on ordinary questions of
state, come from a section of the
country traditionally intolerant of
ho citizens of color
Calvin s Digest
By Floyd J. Calvin
> « • • «--»■■» g « -t > -t « 9 0 t > > • > » ■ » » > f ~
ROOSEVELT IN ACTION
Not in many years has there
been in the White House a presi
dent who is ho completely a man
of his word and of deed as is Pre
sident Roosevelt. Before the news
columns are dry on one progres
sive move, he has made another;
and before the editorial writers
can praise him for one courage
ous act, he has taken another.
At this writing, there are three
distinct acts on the part of the
President for which colored citi
zens may feel especially thankful
and of which they may be justly
proud. First, came the Farm Ten
ancy Message to Congress, writ
ten in typically Rooseveltian words,
which still have a potent effect
on thfe multitude “The ||igricul
tural ladder, for these Americans,
has become treadmill.’’ So writes
the President of many colored and
white citizens who have been cau
ght in the net of evils which spread
tentacle-like, over a vast part of
our southern country.
The President proposes a pro
gram which looks toward an ami
cable solution of the tenancy pro
blem by not completely ignoring
the land owner, by definitely aid
ing the submerged tenants, and
also by aiding the national plan of
improving basically the economic
life of the nation. Problems of fi
nance, methods of guidance, and
plans of education, are all a part
of this progressive program. Our
hope is that once the Congress
enactsl the necessary legislation,
a “wilful” Supreme Court may not
circumvent the will of the major
ity by scrapping the program as
it did the NRA and the AAA.
Second, the President acted
quickly when Congressman Mit
chell told him he had evidence of
“skullduggery’' in the case of Mid
shipman Johnson, who was flunked
and wass all packed up and ready
to leave for home at Anapolis Na
val Academy. Had this happend a
race which is turning out a heal
thy annual crop of M. A.’s and Ph.
D ’s would have been quickly dis
graced. But the President, hear
ing the story, acted instantly, re
opened the Johnson case, and we
may now elpect ^sUce and a
square deal for Young Johnson.
Third, the President, without
<‘fuss and feathers,” and without,
even, the knowledge of some of his
secretaries, quietly rceived Dr.
Mary McCleod Bethune at the
White House, accepted her report
of the National Conference on Ne
gro Problems, which was held
recently, and chatted with her in
such a way that she left the Execu
tive Offices with complete confid
ence in the man whom the Negroes
broke party lines for a second time
to return to power.
The average colored citizen can
rest assured that his interests are
not being overlooked or side-track
ed by the Chief Executive, and that
I in addition to getting just con
sideration, he will get action.
LYNCHING FIGHT
It is meet that the anti-lynching
fight gain wide support at this time
when other progressive measures
are gaining a hearing before the
bar of public opinion, and when it
appears that a general program of
social reform is in the making.
Certainly no far-reaehing changes
in the social and economic scheme
can be effected without something
very definitely being done to check
mob violence, wtoich is the basic
draw-back to inter-racial co-opera
tion in this country. Negroes cannot
co-operate fully in improving the
national life so long as they know
the country at large is not fully
interested in their welfare to stop
so humiliating and so degrading
a practice as the meting out of
summary punishment for any in
fraction without due process of law
It is largely because the co-op
eration of a tenth of the popula
tion of the nation is necessary to
advance the general interests of
all the people that the lynching
problem will now be seriously con
sidered, and in all probability, a
law enactced to wipe it off the
national scene.
Currently we find “America,”
powerful Catholic weekly, devoting
its leading editorial to the Wag
ner-Costigan anti-lynching bill, im
ploring churchmen everywhere to
line up against this evil_ A few
days ago the New York Herald
Tribune devoted its leading editori
al to the proposition that the end
of lynching is now in sight be
cause so powerful a southern paper
as the Richmond Times Dispatch
has come out favoring an anti-ly
cliing law. And just before that
the Times Dispatch startled the
country by placing the south on re
cord as now being ready for the
Federal Government to blot out
the national crime which has claim
ed more than five thousand vic
tims since Reconstruction.
With the forces which are re-mak
ing America decreeing that lynch
| ing must go because it has no
place in the new country that is
to be, we may confidently expect
that enough agencies will join
hands to stop this inhuman prac
tice.
The new Joe Louis kayo at Kan
sas City Wednesday night has re
lieved the feelings of many fans
of the Brown Bomber. When Joe
let Bob Pastor go ten rounds with
him at Madison Square Garden re
cently, bike or no bike, his stock
sank with many of his most ardent
admirers.
Joe Louis is the Negro’s hope
for a chance at the heavyweight
boxing title. Harry Wills and oth
ers were kept from even a try at
this coveted prize. Now that one
has been developed who has both
youth and a punch, and who has
a level head as well, Negroes are
anxious that he have an oppor
tunity to reach the top of his vo
cation.
With Jesse Owens supreme in
three field events, and John Henry
Lewis wearing the light heavy
weight crown, it is not too much
to expect from the Louis record,
he may wear the highest crown in
fistiana, thus giving to the Negro
group additional inspiration and
another concrete example of ach
ievement that is sorely needed by
the group.
“Away”
By James Whitcomb Riley
I cannot say, and I will not say
That he is detd, he is just away
With a cheery smile and a
wave of the hand
He has wandered into an un
known land
And left us dreaming how very
fair
It needs must be since he lin
gers there
And you—0, you, who the
wildest yearn
For the old-time step and the
glad return
Think of him faring on, as dear
In the love of there as the love
of here
Think of him still as the same,
I say
He is n.ot dead, he is just away.
SHADYDALE
By William Henry Huff
(For ANP)
--o
They tell me down at Shadydale
They like to put my kind in jail
Because God made us black
I’d surely tell them if I could
How all that God has made is good
But how would I get back?
But God is down at Shadydale.
He’s writing, too how could He fail?
He’ll show His hand some day.
O, Shadydale, I beg, I plead
That you make haste, repent indeed
For wrath is on the way.
Passing Views
By William Pickens
Organized labor is reported to
bo planning a “march” on Con
gress to press them into turning
the Supreme Court over to Mr.
Roosevelt. Many times in human
history the masses of men have help
ed to destroy their own liberties.
It is dangerous to grasp a present
good at the risk of eternal losses;
to fulfill a present desire, heed
less of tomorrow. Mr. Roosevelt
may be a relatively safe man t°
be given so much dictatorial power
—but who knows what sort of a
human animal will follow Roose
velt four years from today? Or if
they make Roosevelt dictator for
life, how long may a life like his
last,—and who next?
The American people, dumb as
many of them are, will more safely
keep dictatorial powers in their own
handlB, Changing their own con
stitution when and if they can get
majority to do so— rather than to
allow Roosevelt or anybody else to
dictate changes in basic law throu
gh a puppet “Supreme” Court
An Echo
From My Den
By S. E. Gilbert
As I sit here in my “DEN” with
pen in hand, meditating, as it were
inspired by the encouraging thou
ght that from the walls of Oma
ha’s institutions of knowledge come
this month many Negro youth who
in accordance to the wonderful re- \
cord made by them in their res
pective schools are destined to make
a mark in life that which shall make
all proud, I write. The Omaha Guide
wishes to congratulate these men
and women of tomorrow, youth
who undoubtedly look upon edu
cation; as the one way out. Any
one w’ho would attempt to answer
the posed question would appear
rather presumptuous, and yet I am
forced to agree with the poet who
said: “For every evil under the
sun, there is a remedy or there is
none, If there is one try to find it,
if there is none never mind it.”
In my humble opinion, education
is the panacea for our racial ills.
By education I do not mean mas
tery of Greek, Latin, or Hebrew,
but rather that training of the
heart, head and hand which will
fit an individual for useful and
happy living.
The Negro race, like other races,
is composed of individuals, and the
intelligence of the masses of our
people, rather than that of the
more fortunate few, will be the
yard stick by which the worth of
the entire group will always be
measured.
Education for the masses of the <
black Americans is the way out be
cause (1) the intelligent man re
cognizes the importance of being
a citizen, keeping himself armed
at all times with that most effec
tive of all weapons—the ballot. (2)
The intelligent man now realizes
that the Negro purchasing power is
tremendous force in breaking down
economic barriers and! wiljl uj3e
this power to a good advantage.
Furthermore, he is aware of the
fact that the owning and efficient
operation of various businesses
will unlock the door to a greater
economic freedom (3) The intelli
gent man will have some know
ledge of the achievements of his
forebearers, consequently he will
have not only a just pride in the
accomplishments of the members
of his race, but a well grounded
fait in the future triumphs. (4)
The educated rrfm shojuld be a
co-operative being. Racial and in
terracial 'co-operation will dhar
acterize him. And (5) education
should cause one to interpret more
clearly the purpose and design of
the Creator and to live closer to
Him.
There can be no real freedom
for black Americans until the
masses have been liberated from
the throes of ignorance, that breed
er of crime, superstition, envy,
hatred and jealousy.
To the men and women of today,
1 say, that the men and women of
toorrow stand patiently by, asking
that you do your part in opening
the avenues of economic freedom.
Thus I commend to you to dedicate
your lives to their getting an edu- f
cation, an education that trains tho
heart, head and hand, thereby pre
paring them to be able to accept
that inevitable opportunity that
comes to all who are prepared. I
furtfher commjend that you turn
your vast spending power into the
avenue that will build places in
which your boy and girl may find
an economic out-let, in doing this
you shall have made it possible for
the future citizens of our race to
take their rightful place as Amer
ican citizens.
CHAINGANG PICTURE
By Floyd X. Calvin
Recently there appeared in many
newspapers throughout the coun
try a picture of colored members
of the chaingang fighting the Miss
issippi flood. The picture, humil
iating at best, showing human be
ings on errands of mercy working
under slave conditions, was present
ed from different viewpoints in
different sections of the nation. In
New York the picture was given
a legend which subtly criticized a
social order that, for any reason,
publicly forces men to wear a chain
In Oklahoma City colored citizens
are incensed because a local daily
paper published the same picture
with an opproprious caption—one
which catered to the ancient stereo
type of colored men working on a
levee. v
Suffice to say, however, that in f
spite of these untoward incidents,
out of the scourage of the flood
there came this: The unmistakable
attempt, on the part of relief of
ficials, to give succor without dis
crimination.
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