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About The Omaha guide. (Omaha, Neb.) 1927-19?? | View Entire Issue (July 17, 1937)
COMMENTS EDITORIAL PAGE opinions I THE OMAHA GUIDE Published Every Saturday at 2418-20 Grant Street, Omaha, Nebraska Phones: WEbster 1517 or 1518 Entered as Second Class Matter March 16, 1027. at the Postoffico at Omaha, Neb., underAct of Congress of March 3, 1870. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION 52.00 PER YEAR Race prejudice mast go. The Fatherhood of God and the Brother hood of Man must prevail. These are the only principles which will •tai.d the acid test of good. All News Copy of Churches and all Organizations must be in our sffice not iater man 6:00 p. m. Monday for current issue. All Adver tising Copy or Paid Articles not later than Wedneeday noon, proceed ing date of issue, to insure publication. 'i IiiiI his State's Bights attitude on .tjlie woman suffrage wtts( a purely artificial device ,*o cloak his personal prejudiced can' he inferred from his williugncss ,tJo vote for what he called ill “whi.e umendnient” to the federal woman suffrage amend ment. He proclaimed, “When ,fhis white amendment was pre- j seated, I voted to make it (tin* woman suffrage amendment) a white amendment. Curiously enough, the iveord does not sup port his statement. The record shows that on March 19, 1911, he voted against two Hindi amendments, each presented by the Miss issippi senators, Vardanian and Williams. The Williams amend ment provided: “The right of white (italics supplied) citiacnsl of the Cnited .States to vote shall not he denied or abridged.I on account of sex." The Vardanian proposal, while not expressly ♦•violating .the woman vote, was even more vicious, for it pro-! vided “in all other respects (that is in all respects other than1 sex) .the right of citizens to vote shall he controlled by the State wherein they reside.” I ndcr this proposal, constitutional imped-1 imeiits to the abrogation of all Negro suffrage, male as well as female, would have beeiftiisolved and thil State left i're'e to negate1 the Fifteenth Amendment. It was one or both of these proposals ■that Borah mistakenly declared he had voted for. Mistake to Give Negroes Votu A Conclusion ns to Borah’s willingness to wipe out the Fit'-1 teenlh Amendment rests upon some,filing more explicit than in-1 /erences from his statement as to the “white amendment.” I will say very frankly (Borah announced during the 1914 debate on woman suffrage) I am one of fhose who be iieve that it was a mistake to bestow upon the colored peo ple at that particular time the right to vote. That his view was not unaniimously shared by the reply •Senator McCuinber made: Had it not been granted then it would not liavi been granted, and we would have had in this day a large popu lation that were 'not citizens of the country. If it had net been granted at that time it never would have! been granted afterwards. 1 wo weeks later Horan went turther: Mr. President, I say very frankly that if woman suff rage in this country depended upon the repeal of the Fif teenth Amendment, if there were no way to get woman suffrage except to get by an amendment to the Constitu tion of the United States, and I believe that in order to get it the Fifteenth Amendment would have to be repealed, I would vote to repeal the Fifteenth Amcndmont. Asked by Senator Thomas of Colorado whether, “for tlie purpose of restoring prior conditions,” he would vote to repeal the Fifteenth Amendment, Borah replied: I want to sav to the Senator that if there is to be found no way in which to enforce the Fifteenth Amendment, I would unhastitatingly vote to repeal it. It is a certainty now that it is a delusion and a snare.. (The full deadliness of such repeal to the Nlegro citizens Borah himself recently indicated. On January 28, 1936, on the hustings in Brooklyn, N. Y. to advance bus political aspirations replying to the badgering of Negroes in his audience, he said: It there is anybody in the United States who ought to be interest ed in maintaining the integrity of the Constitution.—.it is the colored man, because it is his charter of living, (italics supplied). The spectacle of Borah simultaneously professing a sincere belief in the betterment of the government by the inclusion ol women in the elctorate and thwarting such a social advance by dragging in the Negro question is typical of his self-contra diction. Such conduct, if Borah should not insist upon being judged by a higher-thau-average standard, might be regarded as the sheerest hypocrisy, it might also he regrded ivs indicating an obsession with the race problem. lie has said: I regard the race question as the Nemesis of American life. I sympathize deeply with the people upon whom falls most heavily the burddn of solving it. Sphinx-like, in acrutablo, an intractable it intrudes itself at every national life, no outlook but is colored by the sinister shadow of this problem. We of the North can afford to take counsel upon this matter. We can afford to listen to the requests of our Southern friends. (Continued Next Week)) DELINQUENT SUBSCRIBERS—PLEASE NOTICE The postoffice department does not permit the delivery -of papers to delinquent subscribers. If your payments are not up to date, please mail or bring amount due to The Guide office or call WZB1517 for representative: Tour oeoperatiou will be greatly appreciated' lbs MsMgemeat BRORZE Standouts jfgfefe AtfP MfcS. ClARENCE WILLIAMS FAMOUS TLATMO AUGUSTS, MUS. WILL I AMS, KNOWN OK THE AH AS EVA TAYLOEL, MA.5 DOKTE MUCH TO VO P— ULAMIE MANY OF UEP. HUSBANDS SOKGS.VWISH I COULD SHIMMy LIKE MY S\STtB-,KATE' WAS HIS MUST HIT ....... i ji/kno HERNANDEZ-. AVETEfcANOF STAGE,* MUSICIAN. SINGER. AND DANCES.} IS MOST POP~ I ] UlAD. AS fcADIO'S "JOHN HENfcY/ MYTHICAL ftlACi.fc.WtftGlANT, j AND IS AT PRESENT N.B .C’.STfc.C. ON THE "GOOD TIME SOCIETY" PD.OGR.AM.. * ^ ^ O 1*3? •IKTEANATKWM, NFAKO Y*ES3 Echo of the News By H. J, Ford, Wahsington, HEAVEN ON EARTH While we, a lifelong Baptist, cannot agree with Father Di vine in his claim that lie is Ood. the diminutive pretender should be given some credit for the l.ead/Vship lie has established which far outshines any other in spite of his messianic claims. Those most disturbed by his activities spare no pains in toil ing the world the humorous side of his cult's behavior, but none have thrown any light on that phase of Ids work, which if ad opted generally would make this world a better place in which to live, truly creating ■ heaven on earth. There is no color line in Fa ther Divine’s heaven, which is strictly in keeping with spirit ual pronouncement. Divine also teaches his followers to be thrif ty, pay their debts, and learn self-government. They are ad monished to form good habits, to be honest, industrious, and peaceful, and with such objee laves lie finds a fertile field, not only among the leader hungry Harlemites, but in ot her far remote places. Frit its, while quick to persecute this self appointed god, fail abso lutely to offer something better or even “just ns good” and art adding to his popularity by giving bis “angels” opportiui ity to compare his sufferings with the sufferings of the “Man of Sorrow.” We ngrt > tlm' “peace is wonderful,” and a few more heavens on earth would do this old world no harm. -o Cong. Arthur W. Mitchell Files Suit It was recently announced that on May 10th Congress man Arthur W. Mitchell filed suit against tli/e Illinois Cen tral, the Roek Island and t1, Pullman Railroad companies for forcing him to ride in a jim crow car in Arkansas while on his way to Hot Springs. Atty. Riehard hi Westbrook is asking for $50,000 for the Congressman. Everybody’s Going! WHERE t To the big Carnival Dance featuring Anna Mae Win burn and her Swing Band on Mon., July 26, at the beautiful Dreamland hall. The Bacchanite Boys will be on hand to see that | everybody haa fun. G.l. 0- 3tE; K$ ! (Continued from Page 1) worjkuiig eoudj,ions. \\Tha,t the general labor movement ir America cannot ignore the great body of 'Negro labqr. Now for some of the bunk: The speaker spent, most if his time trying to show that Chris tianity and the Labor Movement are just alike. Of course, the Christian church is one of the worst, jim-crowiug institutions in modern civilization hut he perliapps was not referring to any likeness in .that particular. “In no single case lias a Ne gro been discriminated by the CIO,” said the speaker. We had no facts,to disprove it, but some j how we know that such a sweep ing statement is always untrue | in Amerce* Of Course the CIO is young, hut no instUtution domin-, : ated by American whites can j claim such racial- uuoonsci I ousness. Besides, had already heard an unimpeachable colored itian say that in Cleveland,'O., they had tried to get the CIO leaders to use their influence to get. Negro workers on a job dominated by a CIO union, 1 and tried in vain. That is at I least negative (but very effec tive) disci-umhiat ion ' against, I “the colored brother. Ao uiscniminc.uon wn-irsn lover!” exclaimed the speaker. We’ve heard that before,—from the American Federation of La bor. Nice resolution,—audable aim,—but not yc.t a fact in the | A. F. of L.—We have also heard that same exclamation from American Communists, Social ists, Democrats, Republicans, and even from the employing situation actually is. Colored and white workers class, and muchly from the New Deal. But we know what the sit sit together, work on einnmit ,tees together,” but that’s no | achievement of the C. 1. 0. They I were*doing that in Alabama coal and iron fields 35 years ago. The Negro must not he swept off his feet: the poor black devil is in such a ‘‘fix” in America that he grabs at any new thing as salvation. If the C. I. O. will use dynamite on whites when they want to bully them, they’ll use something worse (maivbe TNT) on Negroes, when they get to the place where they want ,to bully Negroes. There is no hope i<|the brutal ity of one section of Labor against another. Cruelty, vio lence, lawbreaking are danger ous from any quarter .they pro ceed. Even Roosevelt will find that out before it is all over. NAACP. Open Letter (Continued from Page 1) tide.” The Supreme Court of the United States has repeatedly held that a “State” can only act through its officers or ag ents and the denial of equal pro tection or due process by an of ficer of the state is “state ac tion” within ,tjhe meaning of the Fourteenth amendment. A cheek of the records of senators who raised this point will show that they constantly vote for the granting of feder al monies to the state for direct relief, etc., and then attempt to raise the question of states’ rights against all forward legis lation. Objection Raised: The bill is a force bill, aimed at the South: Answer: Lynching is a national evil, although the majority of the lynch'ings occur in the South. The Fourteenth amendment ap plies to all states alike. An increasing majority of southerners desire an effective anti lynching bill a poll taken by the Amercan Institute of I ublic Opinion in January, 1937 reveal the following answer to the question “Should Con gress Enact a law which would Make Lynching A Federal Crime,” Yes No Nation.70 p.c. 30 p.c. SOUTH..65 35 New England. 75 25 Mid. Atlantic. 72 28 West Central . 70 30 Mountain . 65 35 Leading southern newspapers endorse the principle of a Fed eral anti-lynching bill. Objection Raised: The bill does not reach all forms of illegal killings: Answer: The bill % aimed only at these killings in which the state government is a silent partieipat or bv withholding its protection from the victim. Ordinary kill ings, gang killings and killings, and violence incident to labor dispute*, a,re omitted because in these types of killings there is usually no breakdown in state law before the killing and subse quent. to the killing the police, prosecutor and court actually function. Objection Raised; The bill by placing a penalty on the peace officer will discourage a con scientious officer from tak ing a person into custody where he is charged with a crime which has inflamed pu blic sentiment. Answer: The amended bill demands that peace officers fulfill the duties of their office'and take active steps to protect a person suspected of or charged with a crime even though the per son has not been taken into custody. A peace officer could not escape bis responsibility by refusing to arrest a person and allowng him to be lynched by a mob. Objection Raised1 The bill is a political gesture: Answer: More than 100 cooperating and sponsoring organizations with a total membership of more than fifty million people from all sections of .the country have endorse the principle of Fed eral anti-lynching legislation. The vote on the Gavagan bill, April 15. 1937, showed 194 Democrats and 72 Republicans for the lynching bill; and 116 Democrats and 3 Republicans against. In 1922 a Republican House of Representatives pass ed the Dyer ant,i-lynching bill. Objection Railed: The lynch ing problem is the problem I of rape, protection of home and fireside, womanhood, etc. Answer Less than one-sixth of the victims of lynchings have been accused by ,tjie lynchers them selves of any sort of sex crime (Chadbourn’s Lynching and the Law University of North Carolina Press, 1933). South ern white women themselves want a Federal anti-lynching bill. They have repudiated the theory that lynching is neces sary for the purpose of protect ing womanhood. The most pow erful denunciation comes an nually from the Ass’n. of South ern White Women for Preven tion of Lynching whose direc tor is Mrs. Jessie Daniel Amos Standard Building, Atlanta, (la. Objection Raised: The states themselves are capable of handling the lynching evil. Answer: Five thousand one hundred and eight persons, men ami wo men, white and black, have been lynched in America since 1882. No punishment whatever has been inflicted upon the lynchers in 99.2 per cent of the lynchings. In eighth-teths of oue per cent of the. lynchings punishment was very slight This is the record of the man ner in which states have hand led the lynching problem. Objection Raised: Lynchings are no worse than “gangster killing's” of the North and, therefore, Congress should not enact an anti-lynching bill unletes it includes these “gangster killing.” Answer: Lynehings are more than murders. They embody the com plete breakdown of the law en forcement machinery of ihe law enforcement of the sta'e. The peace officers do not at tempt to do anything about lynchings—peace officers in vestigate gang killings, make arrests and prosecute. Gang killing are furtive and secret —lynchings are frequent ly perpetrated in public after wide publicity. The local community sanc tions lynching and protects the members of the mob—local communities condemn gang kill ings and insist on the arrest and conviction of'the gangsters. -o THE LOW DOWN --from-— HICKORY GROVE JO SERRA Up to now I been le,ttin’ some on,e else but me, worry about these taxes and deficits, and such truck. Never seemed very much of my business, if any. but I guess I been asleep at the switch, as you might say. But I’m sure gettin’ woke up with a bang, here lately. Mrs. Jo, she came back from the gro cery store the other day and she says, look here Josephus, you will have to pony up some more change, if the Sunday dinner is to be much more than shad ow. And say, did that bring me outta my coma. Somebody has been foolin’ me about who pays the taxes and expenses of all these things we bsen told was gonna make ev erything tip-top for everybody. jAnEclio I j I From iMy Den ’ I By S. E. Gilbert { As I sit here in rny DEN with Pen m hand, meditating as it were; there comes t0 mind an article that appeared on the front parge of fthe Omaha Guide a short time ago with the cap tion of “Buy Nebraska Made Goods Says Storz.” lie stating this caption with different words 1 write “Spend Your Money with Merchants and Firms Who Show Willingness, Not by Words but by Action to Give Us Employment.” Throughout .flie country civic and race minded Negroes are launching campaigns to cause merchant and firms who enjoy a large race patronage to em ploy members of the race in tih'eijr 'businesses ^ Dear readers perhaps you are not aware of the fact that in Omaha 10,000 Negroes spend au .-^ average of $1.24 per person daily, making a total expendi ture per day of $22,807.00, an annual expenditure of $10,000, 000. Ask yourself the question what would the unfair merchant and firms do if you would direct your buying power along the channel in which may be found Nergoes employed, instead of the chanel where nonejare found On 24tji street, there are stores enjoying a lucrative pa tronage from (Negroes, which include drug stores, grocery stjores, dry good stows, ice cream stands etc., who do not share any of the profit received with those who give it. It is your duty, black Amer icans, to put for.1 h a concerted effort to have them change their selfish views and give our qual ified boys and girls who are struggling to ge,t an education, a chance. Thu doing unto you as they would have yon do, in dollars and cents. I propose a campaign in Oma ha which will ultimately result in the placing of at least one clerk in every store in that sec tion of the city with a large gro patronage. The race should get hack in tile form of wages some of the hundreds of thousands of dollars it spends annually with these merchants. -o- I Nebr. Quota 475 President Roosevelt affixed his signature immediately to the uevv CCC Legislation the other clay. With this final exe cutive action, the former Emer gency Consolation Work Organ ization became officially the CCC. The 30,000 colored juniors and war veterans enrolled in.the CCC will continue. The camp stewart, three cooks and leader in each camp will be exempted from an age limit of other jun ior enrollments. 457 Negro youth of Nebraska are eligible to make application in the new set-up which is in process for opening headquarters for that purpose. Watch the papers for further information. I can see now that it has been listen’ to. When they commence i to fumble around in the pockets of my old jeans. I commence to sawy. Maybe if I get woke up en ough, I’ll do something about it, except just squawk. I guess I’ll write em‘ a postcard down ti there in Washington, and I’lt* *■ drop ’em a hint that Pm gettin’ rejgistered for the nex* election. Yours.with the low-down