COMMENTS EDITORIAL PAGE opinions I
THE OMAHA GUIDE
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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))
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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