CITY EDITION ^ | TUf If Have You Read
Price Five Cents jpf / p j|^ j J “D0ING the StroU”
/JUSTICE/EQUALITY JEWTOTHtljN^
LARGEST ACCREDITED NEGRO NEWSPAPER WEST OF CHICAGO AND NORTH OF KANSAS CITY
B^aph«.° wEU“.7Matter at Poat omca’0mah1' Nebr-under Act °‘,<arch *’ 1874 Omaha, Nebraska, Saturday, February 10, 1940 Volume Twelve, Number 47.
1809 ABRAHAM LINCOLN 1865
LINCOLN DAY OBSERVANCE *
by Emmett J. Scott
Washington, D. C.—Next week, throughout the
country, on February 12, hundreds and hundreds of
communities will pause to pay tribute to the memory
of Abraham Lincoln, the Great Emancipator.
No group will enter more heartily into the spir
it of these celebrations than representatives of the
race whom fate and fortune elected as the chief bene
ficiaries of Lincoln’s historic Charter of Freedom.
Personal History
Lincoln’s personal history is well known to ev
ery high school boy and girl, and to the intelligent of
the world. The Lincoln Saga has been told in song
and story in every nation on the face of the globe.
His lowly beginnings, the privations he endur
ed, his poverty, his self-improvement, his early hatred
of the institution of slavery, his introduction of a bill
outlawing its extension while serving as a member of
the Illinois Legislature, his growth intellectually, his
election to Congress, his debates with Stephen A.
Douglass, his nomination and election as President of
the United States, and all the sequences,—Civil War,
Emancipation, his assassination, and the world’s ac
claim of his chracter and achievements re writ into
the warp and woof of American history.
U. S. PROBES KLAN ACTIVIT-j
IES IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Hint Sawmill and Allied Industries
May Also Be Investigated as a
Klan By Product—U. S. Asst.
Attorney General in Charge
of Quiz
Greenvile, S. C. Feb. 8 (ANP)—
Interest in the government’s inves
tigation into Klan activities throu
ghout the State gained momentum
this week as Thomas J. Dodd Jr.,
of Washington, special assistant
to U. S. Attorney General Robert
H. Jackson continued the probe here
that he had begun earlier in Col
umbus and Anderson.
Mr. Dodd confirmed a report that
he was here to probe the recent vis
it of alleged Klansmen to the NYA
camp for Negroes near Columbia,
and the whipping last December of
Lanier Pruitt, white, by members
of the hooded band.
Appeals for the felerad quiz had
been made by the local branch,—
NAACP., the Workers’ Defense
League and by other private indiv
iduals, following a serier of Klan
raids on Negro comunities, in one
of which several colored citizens of
Greenville were whipped by the
Klan raiders. Many prominent So.
Carolinians, it is said, are slated to
be called upon to explain their Klan
affiliations.
Many colored citizens here and
in Columbia have long believed that
federal authorities would investi
gate Klan influence on labor condi
tions throughout the state in the
sawmill and other industries. Flag
rant violations of the wage and
hour act in the saw mills will be
uncovered, it was reported, should
the government investigate this
angle.
It is also rumored here that the
CIO will soon start an intensive
campaign to organize the sawmill
PIANIST PRAISED FOR
CONCERT
. - —.-.. M ■ 1
Orville Moseley, head of the mus
ic department at Southern univers
ity, who won praise for his program
as featured artist on the B Sharp
Musical club’s Mardi Gras concert
in New Orleans recently. A grad
uate of the Chicago Musical College
Mr. Moseley himself a composer, is
just now completing a symphony.
(ANP Photo)
workers and those allied industries
in the South. The brother of CIO
head John L. Lewis, it is said, will
be in charge of the organization
move.
REPUBLICAN SPEAKER
New York, N. Y.—Aaron H.
Payne, young leader of Colored Re
publicans, Chicago, will speak at
the Lincoln Day Dinner of the Na
tional Republican Club of New
York, from the Ball Room of Hotel
Waldorf-Astoria, Monday evening,
February 12, on the nation-wide
hookup of the Mutual Broadcasting
System, with Mrs. Robert A. Taft,
wife of the Senator, from 9 to 9:30
p. m., (E. S. T.)
These addresses will immediately
precede the Speech of Chairman
John Hamilton from the same plat
form over the Blue Network of the
National Broadcasting Company
from 10 to 10:30 p. m., (E. S. T.)
Chicagoans Launch W. Ward For
Bishop Movement with Banquet
BANQUET LAUNCHES WARD
FOR BISHOP DRIVE
With many friends from both
Chicago and other sections of the
fourth district in attendance, a ban
quet at Poro college Tuesday night
launched a campaign to have the
Rev. A. Wayman Ward, pastor of
Greater Bethel AME. Church, Chi
cago, elected to the bishopric at the
AME. General conference in De
troit next May. Slf>wn in the pic
ture, standing, left, to light, are
• Rev. M. E. B. Peek, Robert Thomas,
Q. W. Baber, Detroit; W. H. Grif
fin, M. R. Dixon, St. Louis; G. W.
Blakeley, Little Rock, and J. D.
. Howell, Detroit. Seated left to
' right, are Mrs. Janet W. Ward, wife
[ of the candidate; Bishop R. A. Car
ter of the CME. church; Bishop W.
J. Walls of AME. Zion, Rev. Ward,
Dr. Charles Thompson and I). S.
Enteminger, Col. and Mrs. William
E. Warfield have backs to camera.
(ANP Photo)
I AM AN ALL AMERICAN
Symposium by Fred C. Williams
I landed in America in 1619 at Jamestown, Vir
ginia, an old English colony. My companions, a group
of Dutch traders, sold me to a tobacco planter. I have
been in this country everysince, growing as it grew,
developing as it developed and I am woven into the
web and woof so thoroughly that it would be imposs
ible to separate me from its maker without destroy
ing its present form of government.
I have borne the burden of my fellowmen pat
iently for I plowed the fields, planted the crops and
gathered the harvest, altho I sang “Go down Moses,
tell old Pharaoh to let my people go.” I listened to
the Lord and waited and when the colonies revolted,
mine was the first blood to be spilled there on Boston
Commons when Crispus Attucks went down. A
martyr to liberty. I was with Washington at Valley
Forge but was sent back to my master at the end of
the war. I planted cotton, hauled it to the gin and bal
ed it and used it as the breast works when I was called
to defend the port of New Orleans against the Eng
lish fleet under Farragut. I was still shackled but
God was in the plan that was to work out when the
North and South came to grips over slavery. 1 was
at work as Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Fred
erick Douglas, constantly whispering into the ear of
Abe Lincoln who abolished slavery by proclamation
and I went forward 200,000 strong to break the rebel
lion and save the union.
I sought education, strengthened my Christ
ian faith, built colleges and churches, developed edu
cators and bishops. My name is Legion. I am every
where and everything. The record enrolled me as
Booker T. Washington, George W. Carver, Bishops
of all names, Paul Robeson, Sisserite Jones, Bert Wil
liams, Bill Robinson, Herbert Delaney, William Tomp
kins. Too many to mention at this time. For I can
be found participating in every walk of life and prof
ession. I am without care or worry. My face re
flects sunshine. My eyes are bright. My manner
gay. My voice is filled with laughter and in my
heart there is always a song. Each day I say “Lift
Up Your Voice and Sing”—“Onward Christian Sold
iers”—and “God Bless America”. For this is my
land, my home. The America I love and will always
defend and no one can deny. My claim that I am an
ALL-AMERICAN._
SPURLARK. SWEEPSTAKES
WINNER. LEAVES $30,000
ESTATE
Chicago, Feb. 8 (ANP)—An es
tate of $30,000 was left, the bulk of
it to his wife, by Royal E. Spurlark,
Pullman porter who won $75,000 on
an Irish sweepstakes ticket in 1938
when he died at the age of 60 on
.Tan. 19 following two major oper
ations.
Estimate of the estate was made
by Atty. William H. Temple who
filed Spurlark’s will for probate
CHICAGO, Feb. 8 (ANP)— A
banquet attended by leading Chic
ago ministers and laymen at Poro
college Tuesday evening launched a
movement to elect the Rev. Way
man Ward, noted pastor of Greater
Bethel AME. church, to the bish
opric at the coming AME. general
conference in Detroit starting May
1.
The Chicago Sponsoring commit
tee, headed by the Rev. M. E. B.
Peck and Dr. Charles M. Thompson
with others of the church, has been
enlarged in include ministers and
laymen of the Chicago conference
headed by the Rev. B. H. Lucas and
others. His sponsors include the
Revs. T. Deans Scott, J. D. Coston,
Robert Thomas, G. W. Gordon, S.
Robert Maguinez, M. E. B. Peck,
John A. Alexander, G. W. Williams,
and Archibald Carey Jr.;; H. O.
Abbott and David W. Kellum; At
torneys Oscar Brown, Roy L. Was
hington, George W. Lawrence, D.
K. Lawrence and Patrick Prescott;
Bishops R. A. Carter and W. J.
Walls; Dr. L. K. Williams, Mes
dames Annie M. Malone, Minnie J.
Foots and Margaret Joyner; Ald
erman Earl Dickerson and Benjam
in Grant, former Alderman Robert
Jackson, former State Senator Wil
field. These and many others at
liam E. King and Col. William W’ar
tended Tuesday’s banquet.
I / Kw. W aidf noted as 0410 of th6 ♦
' outstanding ministers in tbc conn- 1
ection, came here from Denver 12
years ago after erecting one of the,
most modern edifices possessed by
the race in the Colorado city. He
was the first Negro to serve with
the Chicago Church federation, em
bracing all Protestant churches in
the area, as chairman of its Race
Relations commission, and the first
to become vice-president of the fed
eration. Since being pastor of
Greater Bethel the church has for
more than 10 years led the entire
connection in general dollars money
and other finances.
In addition to Chicagoans, guests
at the banquet included several gen
eral conference delegates from the
Fourth Episcopal district who an
nounced their intention of support
ing Rev. Ward and bringing to the
fourth district the first bishop e
lected from there in 20 years.’
Thursday. He said the porter paid
a tax of $19,000 on his winnings and
purchased several annuities. The
winner continued working until his
illness as he was near retirement
age and expected to receive a pen
sion. i
His widow, the former Albertine
Pickens, noted in stage circles, was
married to him last Dec. 8. She
was his second wife. His son, Roy- j
al Spuriark Jr., a law student at a
local university, is understood to
have had several tiffs with Mrs.
Spurlark during the latter stages;
of his father’s illness and after his
death.
IT TAKES PRESIDENT TO GET
BISHOP WRIGHT OUT OF
AFRICA
CAPETOWN, South Africa, Feb.
(ANP)-—Were it not for action on
the part of President Roosevelt, Bis
hop R. R. Wright, family and party
might be stranded in Africa indef
initely. As it is, he now expects to
be back in America in time to at
tend the AME. bishops’ council
which meets F'eb. 15.
Bishop and Mrs. Wright, their
son, R. R. Wright III, and Dr. and
Mrs. A. J. White of Wilberforce in
stitute have been in Africa for some
time where the prelate’s espiseopal
district is located. Bishop Wright
and his son hold return tickets to
j New York over the Union Castle
, and Cunard lines from Capetown,
, but due to the European war, they
I as American citizens, are barred
J from taking passage aboard a bel
ligerent’s vessel.
Several months ago the party at
GOP. COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
James Leonard Lewis, prominent
Florida attorney, who was recently
named chairman of a Republican
survey committee to work with Re
publican organizations through the
state. Grandson of the founder of
the Afro-American Life Insurance
company. Mr. Lewis also serves as
a company executive. He was laud
ed by the national committeeman
for forceful activity in republican
politics.
(ANP Photo)
YOUNG NEGRO ARCHITECT
DESIGNS NB)V INFANTILE
PARALYSIS HOSPITAL
\ Tuskegee Institute, Ala., Feb. $
— (ANP)—Louis Edwin Fry, head
of. the department of architecture
at Tuskegee institute, has won high
praise from the architectural' con
sultant of the National Foundation
for Infantile Paralysis Inc., for his
drawings and specifications for the
$121,000 infantile paralysis hospit
al now under construction here un
der a $161,000 grant from the
foundation.
This new hospital, only institu
tion of its kind for Negroes in the
nation, will be Fry’s fourth major
work as principal executive archi
tect since coming here in Septem
ber, 1936. Since then he has des
igned and supervised the construc
tion of the new gymnasium in 1938
at Alabama State Teachers college,
Montgomery, at a cost of $126,000;
the science and health education
building there in 1939 costing $89,
D00 and the $50,000 Extension Serv
ice building here erected last year.
tempted to book passage over the
U. S.—South Africa line and was
told the company did not take Ne
groes. The Java New York line
made a similar statement. A total
of 12 ships turned down Bishop
Wright’s group using various types
of excuses. Meanwhile white Am
ericans found no trouble booking
passage home.
When three months passed and
still no vessel would accept the bis
hop’s party, he sent the following
cablegram direct to President
Roosevelt:'
“I want to get to America for
Bishop’s council Feb. 15. Americ
an ships refuse me, claiming ‘fully
booked.’ Consul here powerless.
It’s a shame that American citizens
in time of war when all want Am
erican sympathy cannot get pas
sage home because of race preju
dice even in American ships. Dr.
and Mrs. White, my wife, son and
self appeal to you.”
Soon after sending the message,
Bishop Wright got first class ship
accomodations from Capetown to
New York.
During the 1936 presidential el
ections, Bishop Wright was one of
the leaders in the campaign to re
elect President Roosevelt and de
layed sailing to his district in Af
rica until the November elections
were held although he had been
chosen bishop and assigned to the
African district of the AME. gen
eral conference in June.
