THE OMAHA GUIDE
Published Every Saturday at 2418-20 Grant St.
Omaha, Nebraska
Phone WEhster 1517
Entered as Second Class Matter March 15, 1927,
at the Post Office at Omaha, Nebr., under
Act of Congress of March 3, 1879.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION $2.00 PER YEAR
Race prejudice mast go. The Fatherho«>d of
God and the Brotherhood of Man must prevail.
These are the only principles whil will stand
the acid test of good._
editorials
SIGNIFICANCE IN THE
— POLITICAL LIFE OF THE
| , — NEGRO
_ By Rayford W. Logan
The recent death of Justice Car
dozo of the United States Supreme
Court may have a significance in the
political life of the. Negro that has
generally escaped notice, according to
a report from the office of Ur- Ray*
ford W Logan, director of education
of the Alpha Phi Fraternity. “Great
Liberal as the late Justice was”, Pro
fessor Logan pointed put, “he agreed
with the other members of th United
States Supreme Court that the Demo
cratic party has the right to exclude
Negroes from its primaries. Three of
those nine members have left the court
since that decision was rendered. As
soon as two other changes have been
made Negroes should prepare a new
case and endeavor to have that deci
sion reversed. The United States Su_
preme court has reversed itself before.
Abraham Lincoln’s criticism of the
Dred Scott decision helped to make
him president Negroes should not
cease similarly to denounce the deci
sion in the Grovey vs. Townsend case
which has made the south as Fascist
as Italy or Germany” the report con
tinued.
Dr. Logan first made the suggest
ion of preparing a new case as a part
df he Alpha Phi Alpha campagn of
education for citizenship. The idea is
now being studed by some of the most
distinguished lawyers in the country.
“The Negro is more effectively dis
frachised in the South than at any
time since 1867. For this reason the
political views of future appointees to
the United States Supreme Court
should be carefully scrutinized,” the
report concluded.
-oo°
THE STORY OF “C. A.”
By Homer L. Kyle Secretary, Soren
sen for Chief Justice Committee
i Lincoln
I 1
No office in that State of Nebras
ka is of greater importance than that
of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
The voter's therefore ought to know
the history and qualifications of the
candidates. I undertake the pleasant
task of telling briefly the story of one
of them. I am qualified for that task.
For I knew him well as a fellow stu
den in the University of Nebraska
and for ten of the twenty-two years
he has practiced law I have been his
associate.
FEARLESS AND PARTIAL
The work had to be well done. The
iron clad instructions were to treat all
farly but with absolute impartiality.
To have mentioned politics in connec
tion with a lawsuit would have meant
instant dismissal. He was immune to
“influence”. As the representative of
the State insisted that every ci
tizen be treated on an equal basis
without regard to his politics, religion
color or social standing. Ajid as the •
peoole of the state know, he carried
through this program with vigor and
courage.
Under his direction fifteen gang
ers, who could not leave other people's
money alone, were prosecuted.
WHAT LAW SHOULD HU —
“Law Js-houd be the best lessons
learned from the experience of the
ages. It should be a force to blister
fraud expose hypocrisy, rout corrupt
ion, and dethrone tyranny.”
QUALIFICATIONS OF A JUDGE:
“Entrusted as he is with the pro
tection the property, liberty and
life of the people the qualifications of
a judge should be extensive legal ex
pereince, knowledge of the law, ndus
try, impartiality fearlessness and cha
racter and integrity. The arbitrary
judge who will not listen and the judge
who counts heads before deciding are
equally obnoxioois. The effective admi
nistration of justice requires judges
with the ability and temperment to
thoughtfully examine and weight all
the evidence and then the will and the
courage to render a decision which
squares with the facts and the law
without regard to where the chips may
fall.”
C. A. SORENSEN SAYS:
Criticism of Courts: — ,
Some of the criticism of the courts
is obviously without justification in
spired in paid by men whose pet oxen
have been gored. But judges and law
yers need to take a heart what Chief
Justice Hughes of the Supreme Court
of the United States said recently in
an address to the American Law in
stitute :
“The law has lacked clarity, has
maintained an unnecessarily complex
procedure and has permitted obstacles
to be interposed to the prompt disposi
tion of controversies.”
NO FAVORNTISM:
“Nebraskans above everything
else want justice without favoritism.
Thqy want such confidence in lawyers
and judges that can go into court with
the calm belief that cause will receive
able, fearless humane, and utterly im
partial consideration.”
COURTS ARE SACRED PLACES:
“To the people the courts are sac
red places, the last place of refuge
when ther rights are threatened. They
look to the courts to protect them from
the sharp practices of the cunning and
the fraud of the greedy. To the courts
they run for protection from tyranny
and abuse of power.”
A GOOD JUDGE
“A good judge mixes with each
cupful of technical law a tablespoonful
of human understanding and sympa
thy. He recognizes that equality before
the law demands that the poor when in
court shall not be a disadvantage mere
ly because they are poor.”
FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND
RELIGION:
“The right of free speech, the right
to worship God without governmental
interference, and the right to freely
print the news and comment hereon
have flckered out in many parts of the
world. It has happened in part at vari
out times in the United States. For
these rights are not prizes that can be
wcjn once.”
' ■ ~VJ W u I
FIRST A FEW OF THE MANY
__ REASON
Boasting the lowest manufactured
gas rate in America, the Metrpolitan
Utilities District is considered by mun
icipal authorities as the country’s most
efficient publicly owned utility.
A bi-partizan board composed of
three democrats and three republicans
has been responsible for the fine non
political record of Omaha’s gas and
water departments.
Omaha’s leading business and pro
fessional men have long been proud to
be entrusted with the successful di
rection of this great $22,000,000 pub
lic utility.
In a survey made recently by a
nationally known firm of efficiency en
gineers the Utilities District board of
directors were praised for the freedom
from political influence and the effici
ency of management that has made
possible an increase of $9,000,000 in net
value of the district, and a decrease of
$5,000,000 in the District’s debt” dur
ing the 12 years ending in 1936.
The present board is representa
tive of the traditional high quality and
public spirit which has always govern
ed the selection of board members.
W. B. Millard, republican and
Francis P. Matthews, democrat, are
seekng reelection to the board of di
rectors in the primary Tuesdajy, Aug.
9. All voters will be given the small,
special utilities ballot
Mr. Matthews, prominent Omaha
attorney has served as chairman of
the Metropolitan Utilities board’s judi
ciary committee. His experience as an
attorney, as legal counsel for the RFC
chairman of the Douglas county demo
cratic, and his active leadership in ci
vic affairs have qualified him for ef
fective work in the administration of
the affairs of the district. He has been
dilignt in pursuit of the district’s pro
gram to retire its final outstanding
bonded debt in 1941 when these bonds,
totalling $3500,000 mature. He also
has constantly guarded the best inter
ests of he public in all matters per
taining to service rates.
Although he has had shorter ex
perience than Mr. Matthews as a mem
ber of the Utilities board, W. B. Mil
lard, republican candidate for reelect
ion to the board can point to a record
of efficient pubic ervice during the
past year. H was appointed to the
board by unanimous vote of its mem
bers in July 1937 followng the resign
nation of Mr. C. M. Wilhelm,
For the past year, Mr. Millard has
given able and conscientious service as
chairman of the board’s finance com
mittee. His financial trainng and posi
tion as vice president of the Omeha
National bank, and his active leader
ship in many civic projects qualify
him for effective participation in the
management of Omaha’s public utili
ties.
-UV
SOUTHERN FEUDAL SURVIVALS
The Nation’s No. 1 Economic Problem
—By William L. Patterson—
Twenty-five Southern leaders met
under the auspices of the National E
mergency Council to discuss the ur
gent need of the rehabilitation of the
Southern states. The Council is one of
the instruments fashioned by the Ro
se velt administration to draft plans
for the economic restoration of the
South. This is a task of gigantic pro
porions.
In his message to the Council the
President put the question more sharp
ly than he has yet placed any other
question concerning our economic and
political life.
“It is my conviction,” said he,
“that the South presents now the na
tion’s No. 1. economic problem, not
merely the South’s. For we have an
economic unbalance in the nation as
a whole, due to this very condition of
the South.”
The South is “now the nation’s No.
1 economic problem.” It is not difficult
to agree with this conclusion when we
are clear as to the angle from which
the President approches the question:
The South with tremendous economic
potentialities and vast natural resourc
es does no contribute its share to the
material well being of the country as
a whole. Its vast natural resources are
neglected or wasted. It is a drag upon
natural development.
But the most important capital of
the South is its human resources. The
millions on the land, in the factories
and mills, among its proportionately
over-large number of unemployed;
constitute the basic wealth of the
South. The poverty of these masses of
beggars description. White and black
alike are at the fdot of the social lad
der. How can they contribute to the
nation’s well being?
Approximately one-third of the
population of the South is Negro. These
people are in many respects still slaves.
T he remnants of slavery are to be
found in the social antagonisms whicH
are artificially and arbitrarily created
and fostered and continually sharpen*
ed. They are sustained through share
cropping, peonage, debt, slaveity forc
ed labor onthe roads though vagrancy
laws and corrupt court procedure and*
lynch law “justice”
Here is the kernel of the economic
problem of the South: the economic,
political and social position of the
Southern Negro. It is a held-over from
chattel slavery. It is the albatross
around the neck of the “poor white” of
the Sc^uth. This one of the major pro*
blems before the Council: The position
of the black South.
^ et there was not a Negro among
those 25 men who were called to the
National Emergency Council. The pre
sence of one or more would have added
greatly to the morale of the Negro
people who will be one of the chief 1
sources with which the reformation of
the South is carried out.
The calling of the Council was a
tremendous forward step. I could not
see if otherwise. A real program for
the rehabilitation of the South would
mean that President had carried the
fight into the heart of the enemies*
camp.
It is no accident that the press rad
played down this phase of the New
Deal program. It is a blow aimed at the
life line of economic royalism. The
South is a source of its greatest
strength—it is easy its weakest link.
A program worth its weight in the
paper upon which it is written must be
a pi ogram that reveals the common in
terests of the Negro people and the
masses of whites in the South. It must
be a struggle against absentee land
loidship and industrial ownership.
It is when such a program as this
is formulated and steps are taken to
carry it out that the Roosevelt Admin
itsration will virtually take on the pro
portions of war.
ihe remnants of slavery yet re
maining in the South which are akin
to iascism are a drawi-back to recovery
on a nation wide scale. The North can
not free iself from the clutches of Wall
Street without freeing the South. The
South cannot be freed without freeing
the Negro. In one respect, 1938 returns
to 1861. Labor in the white skin cannot
be emancipated while labor in the black
skin is enslaved.
The settings up of the Southern
C ouncil is in preparation for a major
assault upon the heights occupied by
the “Rulers of America.” It is to be
eply regretted that no Negro was
placed on the Council. But the Council
will find a stimulus in its search for a
solution in the struggles that are de
veloping for Negro Rights.
We must go forward at an increa
ing tempo to make the significance of
the Anti-Lyching Bill clear to the en
tire country. This is the main before
the Negroes and thier friends nation
ally. And on a local scale a stubborn
struggle to defeat segregation, to se
cure relief, to obtain adequate housing,
to beat back police terror and to real
ize that full and complete equality
must be carried out. The President has
given the impetus to the struggle.
