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About The Omaha guide. (Omaha, Neb.) 1927-19?? | View Entire Issue (March 13, 1937)
..EDITORIALS.. THE OMAHA GUIDE_ Published Every Saturday at 2418-20 Grant Street, Omaha, Nebraska Phones: WEbster 1617 or 1618 Entered as Second Class Matter March 15, 1927, at the Postoffice at j Omaha, Neb., under Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION $2.00 PER YEAR Raoe prejudice must go. The Fatherhood of God and the Brother hood of Man must prevail. These are the only principles which will j stand the acid test of good. All News Capy of Churches and all Organizations must be in our sffice not later than 6t00 p. m. Monday for current issue. All Adver tising Copy or Paid Articles not later than Wednesday noon, preceed tng date of issue, to insure publication. Judicial Reorganization . No Issue since tin* World War lias brought such a deluge of debate, argument and bitterly opposed controversy as the Presidents judicial reorganization proposal which, to all in tents and purposes, would give the Executive Branch control over the Judicial Branch to un unprecedented extent. Public ists have written article after article upon, various phases of the question. Public men—m\*c for that group which hesitates to say “yea” or “nay’ to anything until it ha|s/ decided which side has tlie tide of public* sentiment in i,ts favor—have come out with their opinions. The “letters from readers’ sections of the big newspapers are crammed day after day with conflict ing views of the “average citizen.” The President s action hats brought into tty* limelight a in uny-face tod and very old question concerning fundamental governmental theory. Tliterc are two kinds of democracies in the world. One, such as the United StatoU, has a written con stitutien by which the legislative Branch must abi|(i|e—or boj reversed by the courts. The other kind of democracy best exemplified by England which has no written constitution.. It lias instead what might, he termed a ‘fluid constitution.’—it can be changed at will by Parliament. In England the courtis simply interpret legislative ucis—ttyey cannot overrule them. BATTLE AGAINST LYNCHING . New York, Mar. 5—An editorial in the Miami I>aily News. It is probable that, within a number of years, Southern legislatures will be ready to ]>»*» laws against lynching. It is evident that no such general assumption of state responsibility is immediately in vidw. This leaves the federal govern ment to deal with a menace which is inspiring increasing pub ic impatience with the brutality of murdering mobs. Into the senate yesterday vrfdnt an antilynching bill, modelled after the Costigan Wagner measure which was killed by filibustering Southern senators in 1935. A companion, bill hah already b0en introduced in the house. The measures pro vide that any legal officer found) guilty of negligence in the protection of prisoners is liable to five years in prison or a fine of $5,000. The city or county in which the lynching occurs is aty»o liable to a fine. This ranges from $2,000 to $10,000. Im mediately following any reported lynching th|e G-men will be set upon the trial. The law is inot so drastic ais lynching legislation go^fe. Probably it is not drastic enough. Virginia has had an anti lynching law for 10 years which not only punishes the negligent officer but provides for lodging of murder charges against members of the mob. The law ijs accompanied by provisions for strict enforcement and there has not been a lynching in Y ir ginia since it was passed. It will be said the proposed measure violates state rights Constitutional authorities have argued both ways as to that. But lynching violates human rights and few states have shown a disposition to protect their rights by assuming the responsi bilities which they entail. It is doubtful that our Southern opinion will long tolerate perpetuation of mob rule. Last year there was founded an as sociation of Southern women which declared its resentment that the honor of white womanhood is used as a skirt for brut ality and crime. Lynching submits one human being to hidjeous tortures. It submits a dozen or a hundred or a thousand other human be ings to moral degredation and loss of self respect. In recent years it has been a matter for gloating in the European pv*$«. America should tolerate ho further compromise with barbarism. The states have bung back. Now it is up to the federal govern ment to drive the matter through. Calvin s Digest By Floyd J. Calvin Courage Commended We wish to commend the cour age of certain of our college execu tives who have come out and taken a clear-cut and progressive stand on the Harrison-Black education bill. We have watched with interest the moves of certain Negro lead rs who had much at stake and we are now happy to observe that the men with most to lose have hewed closest to the line. Ordinarily this would not be saying much ,but in Negro life, we all know what tre mendous pressure it is possible to bring on our leaders who have ex ecutive power—even pressure not seen by the public. Fortunately, however, Negro life, has been de velopcd to a point where it is no longer possible for back-sliders, straddlers and even group traitors to sell out without the public knowing it instantly. Speaking like this, it is not ne cessary to call names; but those for whom the orchids are meant ^ know who they are. Hastic’s Nomination We note opposition is develop ing to the nomination of W. H. Hastie by President Roosevelt to a Federal Judgeship in the Virgin Islands. Unfortunately, a Demo cratic Senator ferns to be leading that opposition. The confirmation of Mr. Hastie is absolutely essential to a new and higher step in our civic | life which should be taken under Mr. Roosevelt. If there are anjr Negroes of so little vision, and of so great personal jealousy, a* to oppose this nomination, even “un d< r cover,'* we hope they will meet the fate deserved ty all race trait ors. Here is an opportunity to make every colored person in the United ! States feel proud, yet we find some of us so small of soul as to actual ly protest such a move. It i» not ev en practical, not to mention possi ble, for they should all stick to gether, whether they agree or not. It is a question, often, of how much you have to lose as well as how much you may gain. Under Roose velt, we stand to gain a lot if we will but take advantage of natural ly favorable circumstance. We don’t know who will be the next Pre sident, so let’s make hay while the sun shines. If for no other reason,! let’s remember how little we got under Hoover. Auto Employment Roy Wilkins, in hi* report on the automobile situation in Michi gan, says: “In Flint, center of the recent strike, the huge Buiek plant employs Negroes only as janitors Tho great Fisher body plant has only two Negro girls in its cafeter ia.. The AC spark plug plant em ploys mostly women and girls— all white. ' In Lansing, where Ulusmotmes are manufnctLred, there are said to be only ‘one or two’ in semi skilled work. Detroit sentiment is strong for Henry Ford and his open shop because it is Ford who ha« given Negroes most work in his Ftiver Rouge plant. Ford has open ed up opportunities for Negroes in skilled as well as unskilled jobs and they will be found sprinkled throughout the plant ” This report from the automobile urea does no look so good for Ne gro employment except in the Ford factory. Mr. Wilkins says frankly that Negroes are skeptical of John L. Lewis’ C. I- 0., but it would ap pear that they have not much to lose by favoring the Lewis union, according to what they have, now as non-union workers. We believe that the trend is not only toward unionization, but the inclusion of colored workers, and we would suggest that colored workers ponder long before they take a stand against any union. They may have to accept the union and then fight out their battles within the organization. You can’t expect a perfect set-up at the start. On the whole, the unionization prin ciple Sb correct. Help U. G. E. We are glad to lend our sup port to the United Government Employees, InK>, of Washington, who are fighting for the passage of a bill sponsored by Senator Pat McL.rran of Nevada and Congress man William P. Connery, jr., of Massachusetts, which calls for a $1,500 minimum annual wage and a general pay increase for all em ployees, both federal and district, below $3,600 a year. The inter denominational Ministers’ Alliance of Washington has endorsed the measure. It is believed that the enactment into law of the McCarron-Connery measure will mean a very substan tial pay increase for most Negro employees in the low bracket groups, who average approximate ly $1,080 per year. The Government employees ar gue tjmt with private irtdu*tiry granting payr increases, it is only fair that underpaid government workers be given similar consider ation The U. G. E. is also seeking to get similar House action for cus todial workers of the Department of the Interior ns was taken for Post Office and Treasury custod ial appropriations. This special fund of $975,000 was set aside over and above the regular appropria tions. This special fund, it is point ed out, would permit a substan tial increase tjo charwomen, la borers, elevators and similar work ers in National Park Service. Most of these workers have not had a singlo increase in salary despite their efficiency, or the number of years tliev have been in the service Any action designed to bring more money to Negroes, especially those on the lower wage levels, is com mendable, and deserving of support It will be in proportion as our low er level wage earners are raised in the economic scale, that our up per level workers, and business executives will prosper. More power to the U. G- E., a young organization, and its cour ageous officers, who are unques tionably battling for the underpri vileged on the Federal payrolls. -o PATRONIZE OUR j ADVERTISERS KELLY MILLER SAYS_ March 1, 1937 A WEAK RACE IN A WICKED WORLD Dr. Kelly Miller, Howard University Washington, D. C. Dear Dr. Miller; We, of the United Aid for Peo ples of African Descent, are pain fully distressed by the news from Rome and Addis Ababa telling of the wholesale slaughter of hundreds of Ethiopians as reprfsal for the bomb-throwing incident in Addis Ababa. Such wanton destruction of human life cannot but arouse the conscience of the civilized world, particularly members of minority groups. As a result of a mass meeting held last night at St. James Pres bytenan church, a number of cable grams and telegrams, protesting these Fascist acts of barbarism, were sent to President Roosevelt, His Holiness Pope Pius XI, The Right Honorable David Lloyd Geo rge, the Italian Amibaissadoir1 at Washington and the Italian Con sular-General at New York. Another mass meeting has been called for Mondny evening, Mar. 1st at the Renaissance Casino, 188th Street and Seventh Avenue, to further express the indignation of liberty loving persons of all races We respectfully request that you send to the mass meeting an ex plosion of opinion condemning con tinued Fascist slaughter of practi cally defenseless Ethiopians, whose greatest crime Is that they stand in the defense of their country. The United Aid for Peoples of African Descent is pledged to use every legitimate means to help save the Ethiopian people from further attempted extermination. May we rely upon your help Yours very sincerely, William Lloyd Imes, Pres. United Aid for Peoples of African Descent Rev. Wm. Lloyd Imes, Pres. United Aid for Peoples of African Descent. New York City Dear Dr. Imes: I am enclosing herewith a state ment to be used at your mass meet ing Monday night. “The world has reached a state of widknednes9 unequaled since the days of Noah. With the guilty ac quiescence of church and state, It aly is permitted to rape the an cient Kingdom of Ethiopialand to exterminate her loving sons who resent the atrocity. Organized government and organized Chris tianity break down at the color line. It may be that it devolves upon descendants of the so-called “Dark Continent,” as God’s chosen people, to quicken the conscience of mankind.” Kelly Miller There never has been a time since; the great flood when the world; was more wicked than it is today.' Our boated civilization consists j in parallel progress in wealth, wis-1 dom and wickedness. When we look' over the face of the civilized world and witness the ruthlesgness of the Italians in Ethiopia, of Hitler in Germany, of the British in In dia, to say nothing from patriotic reticence of Americans in Amereia, our hearts sink within us. The peoples of African descent, scattered throughout the world, bear the heaviest brunt of this af fliction, but they must not permit themselves to be overcome of evil; but must overcome evil with good. They cannot fight with carnal wea pons; they cannot match might with might, wealth with wealth, knowledge with knowledge, or po wer with power. They find them selves in the plight of an. infant crying in the night, an infant cry ing for the light, and with no lan guage but a cry; and yet a cry is the most powerful and effective language in the world- Prayer, petition and protest constitute the only weapon which the weak can command against the strong But let us not be down cast. Al ong with the growing wickedness of mankind, there is also a grow ing conscience, else there would be no recompense for those who suffer and are heavy laden. Every religi ous system that comes into the world releases ome new doctrine which serves to quicken the human conscience. Although the human race has come a long way since mankind, like brutes, was red in tooth and claw, yet we have not reached the halfway point on the winding stair that stretches from i wolfishness to brotherhood: from I enmity to amity; from earth to heaven. Think of the time of universal slavery, when the weak were re garded as the legitimate prey of the strong; when the Lord’s annointed could boast of a heathen as their possession, to be ruled over with a rod of iron and broken to pieces like a potter’s vessel. The slowly quickening conscience of mankind has gone far beyond the initial stage. There is always an ever increasing minority in all lands to whom the afflicted may cry for sympathy and succor: oth erwise prayer, petition and protest would be in vain. The Christian consieence is not yet keen and al ert enough to heed the cry of the afflicted at too great a cost to it self. It is only in spasms of virtue such as swept over this nation and wiped out the iniquity of slavery that this conscience asserts itself with righteous indignation. It soon lapses into a state of sloth and in action. It is not dead, but sleepeth to be awakened only when the vol ume ox prayer, petition ana pro test would not allow it ease in its slothful slumber. Herein lies the only hope of the Jew in Germany, the unco/unted millions in India, and the scatterejl fragments of the African throughout the world. If there were not a God in Heaven, the helpless and lamentable condi tion of these helpless folk would create one and place him there, so that there might be a personalized God of compassion who sitteth in the clouds to look into the bottom of our grief. The peoples of African descent are the chief beneficiaries of that Beatitude with the promise “Bless ed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” The Negroids of the world have the moral and spiritual advantage over their more arrogant and haughty Brethern Moral and spiritual reforms come fronv those who feel the need of them. If the Negro fulfills his high mission he may reigard him self in truth and in deed as God’s chosen people to serve as monitor over the conscience of a wicked world in a wicked age. Appeal to government may fail; appeal to philanthropy may prove of no avail; even apeal to reason may leave us be-puzzled in scorn and derision; but appeal to con science faileth never. Kelly Miller An Echo From My Den By S. E. Gilbert As 1 sit here in my den, with pen in hand, meditating as it were, there comes to my mind something of importance. Mr. Wm. E- Borah, of Idaho, has introduced into Con gress an extremely dangerous amendment! The man whom we remember so well as a foe of anti lynching legislation, and for that reason fought by progressive Ne gro leaders when he offered himself as candidate fotr the presidency. His Excellency now seeks in all probability to carry out his hid den ambition of nullifying rights of the Negro to have the advantage of te due process of law as set out in the Fourteenth Amendment—the amendment which he now seeks to change, giving the states the right Ito act as they see fit as pertains to social and economic legislation, leaving the federal government and the Su preme Court powerless to interfere —therein lies the danger. Such a change would permit open discri mination against people of color on juries and before the law action now held illegal before the Surpeme Court. When they begin tamper ing with the Fourteenth Amend ment there is no teling where fan Jatic negrophobists will stop. The doctrine of states rights has been almost an unsur mountable barrier to the race. Al ready many states have sufficient leeway to treat Negroes almost as they please. State administrations take tax money and give little in return, not even a school teacher or a county doctor; they have tricked laws prohibiting the black vote; they have done everything to pre vent our receiving an equitable share of Federal Relief Funds.. Un der Borah’s amendment a Federal anti-lynch law would be an impos sibility. Now we in Omaha, who are id entified with that group for whom the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendements stand out as a Rock of Gibraltar, should re gister our protests with our repre sentatives now in Congess. Fellow | citizens, I beseech each and every on of you to give this serious thought now. -o “Maid of Salem” — False Film BALD REFLECTION ON A GREAT RACE by BISHOP W. J. WALLS Chicago, March (ANP.) The picture entitled “The Maid of Salem,” showing at the Chicago theatre, is another instance of the habit of prod ucers to defanie the Negro race by sinister implications on the screen. History is distorted to make it appear that a Negro slave called Tituba started the witchcraft at Salem This woman is pictured in weird and disgusting supersti tion, conjuring the mind® of groups of old and young with blood curdling stories, telling fortunes by palmistry and giv ing herb drinks to intoxicate the brain. That feature of the picture misrepresents history. The child of John Goodwin is made to fall out with a. Ne gro slave woman, Tituba, whose arest and confession starts the frenzy that caused the deaths attending this witch craft episode. This is not true As a matter of fact, the person whom Goodwin Is young daugh ter hated and falsely accused of stealing family linen was an Irish servant woman. The mo ther scolded the girl so furious ly for lying that she fell down in a fit. The other children of the family joined her. The witch minded doctor, clergy and magistrates decide it was a case for them and instructed the girl to accuse the one who had tricked her by pointing the finger when the alleged trick ster appeared. The headstrong pretending girl pointed her finger at the Irish servant wo man and the servant was forth with hanged. Then the raging storm against invisible imps began. This occurred in Bos ton in 1688. The events that touched off the Salem brainstorm were not until 1692, as the film states. Tituba, the slave, did figure in a group with girls when three were arrested for palmistry and hysterical acts, of whom two were white. The white girls denied what they were do ing and the slave girl told the truth. Mark you, the picture makes the mobbish officers ar rest only the colored slave and connects her with the 1688 Bos ton incident in place of the Irish woman ^ervajnjt. i* Tills makes the picture a plain false hood. More is true. The slave girl is pictured in filthy fright ful form, looking out of demon i ish eyes and fleeing like a hum an devil. Th,e shrewd effect of this picture on the minds of the A merican public is incalculably harmful. Frank Lloyd, the producer, and the Paramount Studio might as well know now that the Negro resents this ef fort to veil white peoples sup erstition by palming it off on a poor Negro slave girl. His tory shows that this supersti tion swept Europe and North | America and destroyed even so ! notable a person as Joan of Arc. This was official and not slave superstition. What is more, the colored slave girl was Indian, but yon get no hint of this in the “Maid of Salem’ film. The Indian race has established a reputa tion of resentment to misrep resentation on the stage and screen, so the producers dare not. The whole foul business of that holocaust is made to be <rin in the superstition of a slave girl, who was mostly In dian with, perhaps, a Negro strain. The whites brought to ' court from the Salem’s maid’s part, played by Claudette Col bert, down to see the children look decent and clean, while the slave character is made black, filthy and foul. History does not make her black. If she w-ere black, she no doubt, was clean and kept. Down with “The Maid of Salem’ picture until it drops its bold reflection upon a great race. Sitting With the Organizations By the Review Editor We who are desirous of being the looking glass through whom the past, present and future of the many organizations Of our city may reflect, bring to you, dear reader, a statistical review of the meritorious work done by the Oma ha Urban League Community Cen ter for the year 1936. There were, on an average basis, 44 groups (classes and cluhs) with a definite enrollment that met each month at the center. Those groups held an average of 168 meetings per month. The average monthly enrollment of these groups was 606 persons. The average monthly attendance at these group and class meetings was 2,643, a total attendance of 20,346. During the year 48 special ev ents such a dancing parties, mov ies, pflays, etc., were held for the community. The attendance for the above mentioned special events waa 4.s86 The gymnasium was open for an average of twent-four days each month. The average monthly attendance in the gymnasium was 1,202 per sons, and the total attendance II, 018. There was a total of 389 meet ings of outside groups, committees, and organizations using the facil ities of the Center with a total at tendance of 6,229 The aggregate attendance for the above programs (hiring the year was 42,469. The WPA orchestra met on an average of 21 days every month with an average attendance of 661. There were 829 persons applying for work in the industrial and placement department. There was listed 440 jobs to be filled during the year. There was filled 437 of these jobs failing to fill only three of the 440. In filling these jobs there vraa placed 668 different persons. In the neighborhood department of the Center, since July 1st there has been held 96 different meetings There was 725 persons in attend ance at these meetings. These meetings represented the .activities of seven different out side neighborhood groups. These groups have a total mem bership of 110 persons. Thus ends in brief an account of the stewardship of the Omaha Urban League Community Center for the year 1936. ——,—o Ray L. Williams, Atty. Tuchman Bldg- 24th and Lak NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION In the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska. In the matter of the estate of HATTIE WILLIAMS, deceagod: iAU persons interested in aaid matter are hereby noified that on the 3rd day of February, 1937 W L. Myers filed a petition in said County Court, praying that his final administration account filed herein be settled and allowed, and that he be discharged from his trust as administrator and that a hearing will be had on said petition before said court on the 6th day of March 1937, and that if you fail to appear before said Court on the said 6th day of March, 1937 at 9 o’clock a- m-, and contest, the Court may grant the prayer of said petition, enter a decree of heirship, and make such other and further orders, allowances and decrees, as to this Court may seem proper, to the end that all matters pertaining to said estate may be finally settled and determined. Bryce Crawford County Judge
