Nebraska Newspapers

    COMMENTS EDITORIAL PAGE op,n,ons
• • . . ' * * **
THE OMAHA GUIDE
Published Every Saturday at 2418-20 Grant Street,
Omnha, Nebraska
Phenes: WEbster 1617 er 1518
Entered e* SecomTciasi Matter March 15, 1927. at the Poetoffice at
Omaha, Neb.. underAct of Congreea of March 3, 1879.
' TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION 32.00 PER YEAR
Race prejudice must go. The Fatherhood of God and the Brother
hood of Man must prevail. These are the only principles which wHi
tUn.d the acid test of good.
All Nows Copy of Churches and all Organisations must be In ou
•ffice not later than 6:00 p. m. Monday for current issue. All Adver
twine Copy or Paid Articles not later titan Wednesday noon, proceed
Ing (Tate of issue, to insure publication.
..EDITORIALS..
' j
THINGS ONE REMEMBERS
There are many simple things that could be done to reduce
automobile accidents. Recently I saw a small trailer with lum
ber in it break loose from the pleasure ear towing it. It lashed
on the side of the road. 1^ missed oncoming chrs by a split sec
ond, and came just as near causing a wreck with the car which
out into oncoming traffic, slued around and ran into a bank
was following it. Th,, trailer had been fastened to the pleasure
car bumper (which was never made to haul a trailer) with an
irwaeeure bolt that simjrfy jolted out. It whs onJy a miracle
that it did not cause serious or fatal accidents, 'fihe owner of
the trailer refastened it to the bumpor witli some bailing wire
and started out again.
What excuse is there for laws or regulations governing
automobiles, that permit, such potential deat^i-dealiug con
traptions on the highways! A traffic officer would immediate
ly stop a driver without a license plate. Why should not laws
be pafwed whereby a traffic officer would atop every car tow
ing a trailer that did not have some form of identification at
tached showing it complied with rigid regulnttions as to its
ipvfety, and arrest the driver! This is merely one potential law
to aid in automobile accident prevention, which could be os
easily enforced as automoble licensing requirements.
- - 4 ■ ■ —
PIANOLA POLITICIAN
A few short years ago the late Colonel EL Hofer, then ed
itor of the Industrial Review, wrote: “Mluahy-minded, good
natured sentimentalists, aided by the sap-headed, ignorant and
vicious dementis, including largo organizations of men und wo
men moralists and upliftcrs who read socialistiehlly inclined
newspapers and magazines—iwhat are they not capable of un
der leadership of politicians who are ready to accept any theory
that can be played on the pianola, hnd follow the will-o’-the
wisp changing and vaecilaiing theory that everything can be
Bafcly left to the desires and aspirations of the masses.”
CHANGE OF HEART
r
"When the proposal to increase the membership of the Su
preme Court was first made, it was widely believed, by the
bill’s opponents as well ns backers, that it would be endorsed
in the Senate by a handsome majority.
Today, the most nutliorative surveys and estimates indi
cate that the majority in favor of the bill is very small—two or
three votes. A number of senators originally believed to be for
it have reently come out in opposition.
"What has caused this changef Several elements are invol
ved—but the most imporant of all is the force of public opinion.
It is no secret that, every congressman's mail bias bulged with
letters discussing the proposal, and that the majority have op
posed it. The meropolitan and rurfc.1 press is overwhelmingly
opposed. So are most of the nation’s most respected political
and economic commentators.
More and more, partisanship is disappearing in regard to
padking the high court. The people and their representatives are
realizing that here is one of the most vital issues the country
has yet faced, and that, it must be debated on grounds of prin
ciple, not politics. That is a heartening sign.
At best, .the Secretaryship of the Treasury is a hard job.
Under present conditions, say observers, it is a major headache
to its occupant—Mr. Morgenthau.
The failure of Federal revenue to measure up to predic
tions makes it essential for itjhe Treasury to issue more bonds
at the end of this fiscal year. It is up to Mr. Morgenthau to as
say the market, get .the money at las low interest as possible.
This takes plenty of figuring, in the light of the substan
tial drops in goverment bond values occurring early this year—
drops .that have but slightly recovered. No authority thinks
the decline was due to doubt of government's credit. It was due j
instead, to more private financing, offering higher interest j
rates than the government bonds, to profit .tpking for raising
of money with which to pay income tnjees, and, highly import
ant, to the Federal Reserve Board’s order to its members to in
crease their deposit reserves, which necessitated liquidating of
governments. Treasury long-term issues have been paying
around 2*4 per cent on par value. New bonds will pay about 3
per cent, which means that carrying charges will cost the gov
ernment millions more than formerly.
KELLY MILLER
SAYS
THE LOST GENERATION OF
NEGRO YOUTH
I devoted th« time and apace
allotted to my last release to a
r lost generation of youth in gen
■ eral. 1 now come to the specific
application to the case of the
■ colored youth in particular.
" During my first interview of
I President Mordecni Johnson af
! ter he assumed the duties at
Howard University, I pointed
out the human possibility in
volved in (.he task which he had
attend to perform. I slated to
him that bhc present generation
is bound for hell and express
ed the hope that he might save
! it if he eould.
The last generation of Negro
youth, now pussing off the stage
wus quickened and inspired by
j the first impulse of freedom.
The sky was the limit to its
hopes andambitions. Being car
ried forward by the enthusiasm
for humanity engendered by the
Civil War, its aspirations knew
no bounds. The missionaries of
the North made them believe
that human brotherood and
equality was not a visionary
ideality but a practical concrete
realization just around the cor
ner. Thestatesmanship of that
day brought three amendments
into the Constitution specific
ally intended to lift the Negro
to the full status of Ameriian
citizenship. When I was in col
lege a> half century ago, my
schoolmates were preparing to
become high functionaries in
public life. They had before
them the example of Negro leg
islators, goovemors, congress
men and senators. Colored men
were prominently mentioned as
cabine^ officers and as vice
president of tihe United States.
Frederick Douglass wns the
apostle and examplar of esual
ity of citizenship, but came to
the end of his life with disap
pointed hopes. 1 heard his last
great public deliverance in
which he shook his head in fore
boding declaring, “I had pre
sumed that the white mas was
too great to be small, but T can
not shut my eyes to the ugly
facts before tne." The recon
struction dream had passed a
way forty years after the ex
periment began. Every Negro
had been cast down from his
scat of public power, there was
not lefj a single member of a
state legislature or of the na
tiona congress. Only a few held
on to public office by means of j
donated appointments. All pub
I lie power and prestige had been
I stripped a'vny.
The missionaries wno preacn
ed human brotherhood and
equnl rights in early years had
passed from labor to reward to
be succeeded by a breed with
less faith in God and less be
lief in man. The blighting ef
fect on the hopes and aspira
tions of the Negro youth was
indeed appalling. Through lack
of sincerity they caused their
bladk brethren to lose faith in
God and in the Christian relig
ion. The missionary movement
all over the world is facing de
feat because the missionaries
failed to live up to the doctrine
which they proclaimed to be
lieve. Great, will be their con
demnation when brought before
the bar of a just God. Being
buffeted and baffled in this
wise, they turned from the God
l of righteousness to the God of
i Mammon only to find confusion
worst confounded. The awful
reality was soon forced upon
them that the accumulation of
wealth, on their part was im
possible. Missionaries taugh
them a life of consecration t
the redemption of their race b^
sacrifice. Hut when they los
faith in the missionaries, thei
repudiated the doctrine whicJ
they taught. Every colored stu
dent in the earlier days deeme<
it to be his bounden duty to g<
out into the world and do some
thing for his race—now he vain
ly hopes to be able to do some
tiling for himself. Commence
tnent day used to be the time oi
great rejoicing and extrava
gunt expectations—now it is n
day of serious and somber re
flections. Every year 1 witness
over three hundred young men
and women decorated withftca^
demie and professional degrees.
My heart is filled with sadness.
What are these young men and
women going to do with their
collegiate honors? JSvery col
lege bred youth should pray
three times a day, with his face
turned to the White House, that
the New Deal and its WPA pro
visions may succeed, else the
hopes and ambitions of educat
ed youth will be dashed to the
ground. There is little work
that awaits them which will
make requisition upon their aca
demic attainments. The pros
pect is growing more gloomy
with the years. After recruit
ing the prepared places with
provided salaries, there is little
that awaits; ^hem which will
yield in return little more than
a bare subsistence.
The fault is not within the
generation itbelf, but in the
stars. This is a sacrifice gene
ration which comes at a time
of transition. The loss is inevit
able. The offense must needs
come, but woe be unto that gen
eration through whom it com.
eth.
It is a crime against human
ity to preach pessimism to the
young, but it is a still greater
crime to allow them to go on
unmindful of t8ie fate which
nwaits them. Wise statesman
ship would caution them ho
face the situation realistically
—with a heart for any fate.
But all is not lost. If this gen
oration must nee{ls l)e H sacri
ficial one, succeeding genera
tions may rise on the stepping
stones of their dead selves to
higher things. A single genera
tion is hut a day in a thousand
years in the history of a race
wiih an endless future before
it While the Negro youth of
this generation may have little
or no opportunity to do great
things or achieve great dis
tinction as compared with the
white men. ye they have the su
perlative opportunity of doing
the best they can. Angels can
r An Echo
i
In ;
From i My Den •
1 { By S. E. Gilbert
^ As I sit here in my den, pen
* in hand, meditating as it were;
I shall refrain from dipping my
pen, but instead shall permit
you to read wluit Woodrow F.
Morgan, a young man who is
completing his high school ca
reer this June, has to say in re
gards to “The Negro and the
Constitution11 as was delivered
by him in the recent lilks ora
torical contest and with it won
second place.
THE NEGRO AND THE CON
ST1TUTI0N
Ladies and Gentlemen: The
subject I have chosen to talk
upon is one of the foremost im
portance to the Negro. First of
| all, let me state my reasons for
selecting this all-important top
ic. It is because of the fact that
the Negro in his economic and
political life, has been unfairly
treated. He has not been given
an opportunity to pursue un
hampered, the desires of every
one of you, namely; life, liber
ty and t he pursuit of happiness.
In other words, he is, although
you may not wish to admit it,
in economic slavery. Further
more, he will continue to be in
such a state of economic servi
tude unless you see to it that
the legislaures of our various
law-making bodies, interpret
the constitution of the United
States in a fairer manner, in a
manner not showing favor nor
prejudice to any, but fairness
to all.
h nends, m, reference to Am
endment 14, Section 1, of the
U. S. Constitution; “All per
sons born or naturalized in the
United States and snbjeet to
the jurisdiction thereof, are cit
izens of the U. S. and of the
states wherein they reside. No
state shall make or enforce any
law which shall abridge the
privileges or immunities of cit
izens of the U. S., nor shall any
state deprive any person of
life, liberty, or property, with
out due process of law, nor de
ny t o any person the equal pro
tection of the laws." How many
states have enacted laws in di
rect contradicion to that ex
press statement! In several
Southern states the laws regu
do no more, and no more is ex
pected of them. “What though
the field be losit, all is1 not lost,
the mind is its own place and of
itself can make a heaven of hell,
a hell of heaven."
ISSiV ’
ALLEN
toPAcnic
MAS WIN ADDED lO
. THE EATEST EDITION
Of!HE DICTIONARY,
AND MEANS 'ORAY'
iOR^AlRvlGHT. bill
* ROD.INSON
* THE WOIAD MANY M
MAM AvGO. £7
Vl/LEAD MILY'
TWICE IMPRISONED NKS%tc<
STRUMMED <5 SUNG HIS WAT to
PARDONS. HIS SONGS & MUSIC
WERE RECORDED FOR THE:
U.S. lERRMUf OE CONGRESS.
_ *.
*TM3>( BH.ONNN^
AJVTtD AMONG THt TOP CONttDIAMS
INOUP-GRjOUP, PLAYED AUATUlLt
PARJ IN THt PICTURE VCAN THI5
&t DiXIt' JTAl^BJNG JANl WITMJU.
) 1957 JBTK!«ATI0I»AL »BB!10 TnESC
(Sr HIT «pW»*yo»At Pte» 1068 H&XM J
gating suffrage are often ad
ministered in such a way as to
discriminaie against the Negro
voter. Five main devices are
used in several southern states
to exclude a large number of
Negroes from the polls. They
are: (1) an educational test
which is enforced more strictly
against Negroes than whites;
(2) a poll tax,which many Ne
groes cannot afford to pay; (3)
the requirement that the voter
own a cerain amount of proper
t y, which operates chiefly
against the Negro; (4) the bar
ring of registered Negro voters
from white primaries; (5) and
constant intimidations by threat
of physical harm. As a result
of these, the Negro is denied
the right to vote in the states
where his race is the most nU'
merous.
Consequently, he takes little
interest in politics and is likeiy
to be wholly ignorant of state
and national affairs. A com
ment on the activities of south
ern men in driving out the Ne
gro vote occurs in a paper of
the American Negro Academy
and is summed up in this man
ner: “The significance of the
undoing of the reconstruction
is that—it marked the arrogant
reassertion of the malignant
and desperate purpose of south
ern oligarchy, trained in the ab
solution of slave mastery, to de
spoil the Negro of the rights of
citizenship, and to reduce him
to a state of serfdom." This is
an unfortunate predicament
which could be averted in most
cases.
My friends! It is up to you
and me todevise some means of
bringing about those, better con
ditions, economically as well as
politically. But how? And from
what has been said it can be
clearly seen that the solution of
the Negro problem is not an
easy one. However, I believe the
best solution lies in the educa
tion of the Negro. Give him
health training, citizenship
training, and vocational train
ing. These will make him eco
nomically self-sufficient. What
do I mean by economic self
sufficiency? By that I mean to
say that the Negro should be in
a position to support himself
independently, without any aid
from outside sources. He must
be in a position to agressively
compete with other races. He
must feel that he is economic
ally equal to any other race.
When a race is economically
self-sufficient, it is in a posi
tion to more ably demand politi
cal equality. To do this we
should have here in Omaha our
own Negro grocery stores on
North 24th street. The Negro
should operate his own laundry,
The Musicians
By Mrs. H. Making
-o
' ‘ Lift every voice and sincr”.
The very phrase itteelf is in di
rect compliance with the com
mand of God's will for He put
a most belajutiful song in the
mouth, heart and soul of Mary,
the mother of JeBus—rejoicing
and being glad that she was to
go down in the valley in the
very shadow of death to bring
forth the Skvior of mankind.
When one leads a people to give
praise to Jehovah God, being
glad and acknowledging the
fact that He is merciful, thank
ing Him for His goodness, and
making known to Him that we
notice His kindness, greater
will be His blessings.
David was most! highly rec
ognized because hesang his song
from the hills, from the valleys,
and begged all people t o join
in his songs of praise to God.
Every man, woman ond child
should learn for memory, the
three verses of the great Negro
|song written by a great Negro
j pair—J. Rosamond and J. Wen
: dell Johnson. Next week I will
give the history of these writers
The A-scale is next in line
with 3 sharps—F, C and G. Do
you realize that music is writ
ten from A to G and regardless
to how difficult a song or piece
may appear, it is only written
from a, b, c, d, e, f, and g notes.
There are 26 changes in a chro
m!a,tie scale.
his own department stores. Yes,
in a metropolis of this size we
should have even a Negro hos
pital. We should have a bank
operated entirely by Negroes.
At present the Negro, of course,
has not reached this level. How
ever, I do believe he is fast ap
proaching that state. When he
does, he will be readily looked
upon as a potent economic fac
tor, and eventually given polit
ical equality in practice. Our
educational opportunities must
be greatly increased to bring
about this type of Negro. The
Negro child should have school
ing as well fitted to his needs
as that of the white child. Only
then and then alone will we be
able to free ourseves from the
economic and political shackles
that have kept us restraint
these many years and that have
retarded our progress.
In conclusion let me say that
the Negro has the quality and
material to do these things. He
only needs intelligent leaders
, and above all, united and con
certed action to bring about
this economic self-suffis^ency,
which will result in his politic
al equality.—Woodrow P. Mor
gan.