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Established 1875
By J. H. DEVEAUX
ftOL C. JOHNSCm..... -Editor and Publisher
#. H BUTLER .................. .Asso. Editor
MISS WILLA M AYERS, Asst, to Pub. & Manager
Published Every Thursday
1009 WEST BROAD STREET
Telephone, Dial 5338
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RE-REGISTRATION IS TOO SLOW
There are only six months left for
re-reKistration. The people in this coun¬
ty are taking it too casually. Ten-
thousand must register every month be¬
tween now and January, or five hundred
a day, if the sixty-five thousand who
were on the books in 11)46 are to have
their names replaced on the list. ()ul
worry, naturally, is about the apathy ol
Negro registrants- We are at a loss to
understand why those who can read and
write are not availing themselves of the
opportunity to register before it is too
late. They will find it very difficult
if they put it off till the last minute.
It is a simple matter. The registrars
are as cooperative as they can he. I he
questions they ask can be answered in
three minutes. A registrant is aske I to
read and write a simple sentence, to g’ve
his mother’s name before she was mar¬
ried—her maiden name—to give his age
and address, and to write his name.
For those who cannot read and write, it
is just a little different. They a ill lie
required to answer ten out of thirty ques¬
tions. They can he answered, with a
little study, by any one who is interest¬
ed in becoming a good citizen! who is
anxious to do his duty to himself and
his city. To fail to register because it
is said the new law is unconstitutional
is just plain stupid.
It is the duty of every citizen to urge
every other citizen to register, hut the
obligation is heavier upon those who
have influence over large numbers ot
people. If the ministers of the more
than two-hundred Negro churches in
and around Savannah would do their
duty, on any announced day they could
lead more than half of 25,000 Negro reg¬
istrants to the registrars’ office and help
them take an important step towards
becoming citizens with a voice in their
government.
It was reported at the end of last week
that only one thousand Negroes had
registered during the three weeks that
the books have been open. This is too
slow. Two hundred must register ev¬
ery day to heat the dead-line.
FACING FACT
Now and then somebody gets upset
by the news that one state refuses to
send back to another state an escaped
prisoner. On the surface it appears
that such refusal defies, discredits, or
discounts the law and quality of justice
of the state which seeks to recapture a
prisoner. Naturally enough the anger
of the state from which the prisoner es¬
caped is aroused. The anger is not les¬
sened by the fact that extradition is re¬
fused because of what the prisoner says-
Unfortunately, it has too often been
true that conditions in the prison camps
in Southern states, even in Georgia, have
been almost indescribably bad, and enough even
a prisoner’s word could contain
of truth to elicit sympathy and cast a
shadow of doubt on the quality of jus¬
tice which sent him to the brutal and
inhuman treatment of a prison camp.
There are prison camps in Georgia,
some not far away, where raw and hard¬
ened men, unfit for the task of handling
human beings, hold forth behind an
iron curtain which baffles routine in¬
spection. Prison camps must he cleaned
up and the quality of justice which fills
them must be reviewed and checked be¬
fore our states can honestly take other
states to task for not honoring extradi¬
tion requests.
We do not condone crime. Crimi¬
nals should receive adequate punish-
ishment, hut too many instances war¬
rant the belief that “a returned prison¬
er’s life would not be safe and that he
would he subjected to cruel and unusual
punishment." The sooner we face the
facts about our prison camps and the
absence of equal justice in dealing with
WE ARE RISING
By William Henry Iluff for ANP
We are rising, true enough.
But as we rise, lets keep a level head.
Be not bumptious, be not rough.
But be gentle, kind, and prove we are well
bred.
We are rising now each day.
We’re putting footprints on the modern
sand.
At last we’ve learned the way;
Therefore, we shall go forward hand in
hand.
And all the world was right.
The morning steal out of the night.
My soul was raptured over and over,
Entered as Second Class Matter at
Office at 'Savannah, Ga., under the Act of
March 3. 187 9
National Advertising Representative:
Associated Publishers
5(52 Fifth Ave.
New York 19, New York
Negro prisoners, the sooner will the
practice complained of come to an end.
THE SOUTH IS SICK
About ten years ago the late Piesident
Roosevelt said the South was the na¬
tion's economic Problem No. 1. Loyal
Southerners set out either to deny that
this was true or to apologize for it.
Many students sought to place the blame
for it on absentee ownership of farms
and discriminatory freight rates. Some
were disposed to blame the presence oi
large numbers of Negroes in the South
for its predictment. A radio broadcast
on last Monday quoted from a recent
study on conditions in the South, which
calls the South sick economically and
culturally, setjs forth that its sickness is
not due to discriminatory freight rates nor
to absentee ownership; that there are
too many small farms and too few
middle-sized farms; that it is culturally
sick because it is economically sick.
Jt is strange that the South will not
do more to improve its natural and hu¬
man resources. One is incliited to con¬
clude that it will he sick until it can
bring itself to place a higher value upon
spiritual things, upon justice and human
rights; until it breaks with its fanatical
adherence to traditions which prevent its
making use of all the skills which all
of its citizens possess, and converting
them into assets rather than liabilities.
If it could for instance, raise the edu¬
cational level of its nine millions Ne¬
groes and provide better housing and
better health facilities, it would thereby
increase the market for goods and ser¬
vices, and would increase the number of
man-hours for productive work.
The statesmanship of the South is so
tradition-bound that it declares itself
humiliated by any ettorts to have it deal
justly in the matter of civil and human
i ights. It refuses to learn that it
cannot keep human beings down with¬
out staying down with them. It lights
desperately to maintain reaction. We
hope our South will get better without
getting worse. stealing the show
Alabama is now-
We wonder if the recent outbreak of law¬
lessness will teach it something. We
see it as demonstrating what many right-
minded persons have been trying to drive
lyime: that’ as long as the liberty of
anyone of us is insecure the liberty of
all is insecure. Violence unchecked
and shrugged off toward Negroes is
sure some day to he visited upon white
people. Under pressure from many
aroused citizens, the Alabama legisla¬
ture may go the legislature of Georgia
one better and pass a law unmasking
those who would not have to ply their
trade in the open.
SALUTE THE EASTERN STAR
The Order of Eastern Star, an auxil¬
iary to the Masonic fraternity, like it,
was organized in Savannah. The first
chapter, Electa, was organized July 18,
1898, and the Grand Chapter was organ¬
ized here August 2!), 1899, fifty years
ag<. consequently the Eastern Star is
celebrating its fiftieth anniversary here
beginning Sunday, June 26th.
The Order of Eastern Star is of Prince
Hall affiliation because of which it is as
genuine and legitimate as Prince Hall
Masonry itself. It is interesting to note
that Savannah is the proud mother city
of these two very worthy organizations.
A Savannahian, the Rev. James M. Sims,
under the authority granted by the Most
Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of
Massachusetts, organized the first two
Negro Masonic lodges in the state, and
became the first Grand Master of Prince
Hall Masons in Georgia. A Savannah¬
ian, the editor of the Tribune, Grand
Secretary for more than fifty years,
organized the Eastern Star. The pres¬
ent Grand Worthy Matron, Mrs. Mary L.
Ayers is also a Savannahian and is a
charter member.
“SHAME”
By John llt'nr k Clarke fpr ANP
I could not look upon her face,
Twas agony ridden beyond compare,
I thought only of the disgrace
That put the agony there.
1 viewed the sight, then asked aloud,
“O God, why should this be?’’
Her son hangs on yonder tree;
I could not look upon her face
Without thinking of hef hectic plight,
I turned my back on this sight.
Overhead a flock of stars, were
Smiling like a lovely dancer;
She lifted her hands and called,
A God that did not answer.
By George Matthew Adams
The eyes of a clog—any dog—are about
the most expressive of all that belongs
to a dog. Of course all the friendly ones
—and what dog isn’t?—wag their tails as
an expreesion of friendliness and good
will, hut those eyes look into your soul,
because they are the soul of a dog. Hav¬
ing no other way of expressing his
thoughts, the dog looks into your eyes
with his and there is silent communion.
Look into the eyes of your dog—your
friend—say something friendly to him,
and his bark and activity often show no
bounds. Those eyes of his are his in¬
terpreters of your thoughts and perhaps
he understands far more than any of
us ever suspects. Certainly he has
earned that oft-repeated phrase as
“man’s best friend.”
A reader has kindly sent me a clip¬
ping under an Alexander, Minnesota,
date line of a dog that belonged to a
farmer near this place, who loaned his
eight-vear-old Chesapeake-Labrador dog
to his son, who took him to Billings, Mon-
tana- In less than a month he was back
again with his original master, having
traveled some 650 miles. He was cut
and bruised and “just a hag of bones,”
hut he made the distance. Hardly had
ho entered his old home before he fell
over and slept for 72 hours! That’s
loyalty for you, and devotion to the one
most loved.
BETWEEN THE LINES
By Dean Gordon B. Hancock for ANP
DETRACTING TITLES:
Recently it was my good fortune to hear
cnee more the wondrous and inimitable
Nannie H. Burroughs. To my very great
disappointment she was introduced as “Dr.
Burroughs-’ The very title chilled by soar¬
ing admiration for one of the greatest wo¬
men of this generation- Among the many
things that Nannie Burroughs does not
need is the doctor’s title to her name.
Site is really and truly too important a
person to be bothered with a doctor’s title
in the way of an introduction. I think it
quite proper that she should have a Doctor’s
degree for she verily deserves every recog¬
nition that the nation can accord her. But
when we hear her introduced as Dr. Nannie
H. Burroughs, we feel that we are trying to
embellish a name and a character that needs
no such emblishment When I went out to
hear her speak. I did not go out to hear
“Dr Nannie H. Burroughs”; I simply wat-
ed to hear Nannie Burroughs in her own
initimitable wya, deliver what was upon her
heart and mind. Nobody ever hears Nan¬
nie Burroughs without a wholesome inspira¬
tion. But to muss up this wonderful char¬
acter with superfluous titles is to detract
more than is added. Booser T. Washington
built Tuskegee and not “Dr- Washington.”
Thomas Edison is the name of the immor¬
tal who proved his wizardry witn electricity-
To add “doctor” to Edison’s name is to
depress inspiration and to adulterate great¬
ness. What can we add to the immortal
Franklin Delano Roosevelt by prefixing
“Doctor" to his name? What would the
title “doctor” add to the lustre of Charles
Darwin or Karl Marx? Within recent years
we have heard much about “Dr. Charlotte
Hawkins Brown” and “Dr Mary McLeod
Bethune and Charlotte Hawkins Brown we
Bethune and Charlotte Hawkins Brown and
now w’e are hearing about “Dr. Nannie
Burroughs” It- is just as well for us to
know that when we ad “Doctor to
N a n n i e Burroughs, Mary McLeod
Bethune and Charlotte Hawkns Brown, we
are trying to retint the rose; we are trying
to add beautifying hues to a gorgeous sun¬
set. There are some persons who need
titles sorely, and are abundantly helped by
them, but not Nannie Burroughs and Mary
McLeod Bethune and Charlotte Hawkins
Brown.
It is going to be a fine thing for Negroes-
among whom degreeism is breaking out
like an itchy-rash, when they find that
titles are strictly limited in adding pres¬
tige to certain persons, who have carved
their own niche of greatness in the hearts
of their generation In other w’ords, there
are certain persons too big for titles and
from whom titles detract instead of add
There is rare intelligence in those
eyes of a dog. No dishonesty there.
They are, perhaps, the most honest eyes
in the world. They can detect the dis¬
honesty in human eyes. An unfriendly
move toward his master and a dog is
immediately in action.
The dog you love takes it as a matter
of course that you should take him with
you, no matter what your intentions may
be. If you start off without him, those
eyes almost show tears. He’s hurt in
heart and spirit. And how many, many
times w T e cannot resist that honest and
sincere appeal
And what watchful eyes. They will
watch your every movement. They
crave intimacy and unde r-
s t a n d i n g, and they give all that
they own, regardless of the cost. Some¬
times they even gladly give their lives.
Have you ever noted a master speaking
crossly to his dog, or abusing him, and
then noted the expression of those dog
eyes, as though to say, “How could you?”
Every dog knows well the language of
kindness. It was born with him.
How greatly we can learn from this
noblest of all animals! Dumb (but not
in intelligence), dependent upon man for
much of his joy in life, ever watchful
for an opportunity to serve his master,
or to protect him ifendangered, to him
we pay our homage—and it comes from
fhe heart! Happy heaven to them all!
Who wants to hear about the late Dr.
Henry Ford who built an automobile empire?
Who would want little Harry Truman’s
name to be cluttered up with a doctor’s
title when he will go down in history as
one of the great moral stalwarts of the ages?
Adding titles to certain prominent per¬
sons is like Into the “arranging” of Negro
spirituals in many instances. Only recent¬
ly I was in an audience when the chorus
rendered “Swing Low. Sweet Chariot.” And
to be frank, when the musical labors were
over, I was not certain which way the
chariot swung, whether low’, or up, or wide.
There were so many variations and ex¬
pressions and such efforts at musicianship
that the beauty and pathos of that immor¬
tal song was lost. It has come about that
our college choirs are “rendering" our beau-
Negro songs with such pretentions that the
glorious melodies and pathos and sweetness
are fast disappearing and instead of being
me profound inspiration they were meant
to be from the beginning, they are mere
vehicles to show off the genius of some
rangements" ne^hytic conductor- in the These -category various with “ar¬
are same
/these superfluous titles and detract from
our fine spirituals, just as surely as the title
“doctor” detracts from some of our noblest
characters
There are certain prolixities of speech
and music—which are appurtenances of our
new found opportunities^ and that they may
-soon pass away, should be our earnest pray-
ins Brown speak I do not want to hear any
kins Brown speak I do not want to hearany
“Doctor Brown.” I want to hear the woman
who came out of New England and went
into North Carolina and built an institution
the like of which is not found in the Negro
race. I want to hear Charlotte Hawkins*
Brown even as I want to hear Mary McLeod
Bethune and Nannie Burroughs. Titles de¬
tract from some persons, believe it or not!
POEM
By John Henrik Clarke for ANP
You came after my ’heart had been broken
So completely it could never mend;
And I had sworn to the Gods of Romance
Never to love again.
I had been faithful to a previous one.
Who crushed my heart for the sake of fun;
When you came and offered true love.
I had not the strength to respond.
So go away and let me be;
And, behind you, close the gate;
I could have loved you passionately—
Only you came too late.
HOME EDUCATION
Improve Child BehaVDr by
Substitution
M. Louise C. Hastings
•The Child’s First ILme is the
Family”— Froebei
National Kin- T _.
/Issued by the
deigarten Association, 8 West
49th street, New York City
/These articles are appearing
weekly in our columns !
"What shall I do with Don¬
ald?” asked a young mother
F :r three mornings he has
crept out of bed very early and
taken all the things from his
father’s brief case and scatter -
ed them over the room. Each
Urn* he was punished, and he
still goes ahead with the same
naughty act."
I asked quickly, “why does
his father leave his brief case
within Donald’s reach? Evident-
fy the child’s interest in the
brief case and the temptation
to look inside and then to play
with the contents were too
strong for him.”
Then I tried to explain to
how I felt about it. "Donald
onlv three years old,” I said
“Why not put the brief case out
of sight—so that it will not be
a temptation? Why not put
something else where he will
find it in the morning—a box
of pictures, for example; it
should not be crayons, for those
he might use in an undesirable
way."
“But Donald has to learn
that he mustn’t touch things
that do not belong to him!” his
mother insisted.
“Yes,” I replied, ‘but so great
a temptation for so young a
child should be avoided. We
must help him; children ’have
to creep before they climb. Why
not put the brief case where
Donald cannot find it? This
would prevent disobedience and
remove the need for punish-
ment.”
I was very much interested
in this little boy, and the next
THE ROAD TO HEALTH
By Albert W. Dumas, Jr., M. D. Natchez, Miss, for ANP
SCARLET FEVER
Little Linda Gibbs, young-st
child of a family I know,
been getting treatment for
past few months for a
nine ear.” a serious infection
which .... she got at . the time ,. of .
& a
severe attack of scarlet fever
In addition to the expense
and the pain which the child
has suffered, the little girl has
lost many pleasant hours of
play and much school time.
though she is a very smart
youngster for uer eight years
she has lost so much school
that it’s going to be hard for
her to catch up with the class
All this might have beer
avo.ded. It might be unfair
blame the child's mother for
Linda’s ear trouble, because
scarlet fever sometimes brings
complications, no matter how
promptly precautions are tak-
en. At the same time, prompt
med cal attention helps prevent
complications of scarlet
or helps to make them less so-
vere if they do occur.
Linda uad a younger brother
who had scarlet fever, in a
mild form before she did. Mrs
Gibbs, fortunately, sent for the
doctor when the younger child
first boeame ill. When the
doctor arrived he tpfated (the
boy and at the same time warn-
ed the mother to keep the rest
of the family, especially little
Linda, away from the sick room
because scarlet fever germs can
be easily spread.
But Linda was fond of her =
little brother and coaxed to gc ]
in the sick room and play with j
him. Mil’s. Gibbs rememberer:)
the dodtor’s instructions, but
she thought she would “take a
chance” and at the same time,
K«ep the children <,«t lor
e
About two days later Linda
said she didn’t feel well enough
to go to school. She said she
had a sore throat and didn’t
feel like eating. But Mrs. Gibb?!
thought maybe Linda was a
little jealous of all th;
uion her ibrc.ther was getting I
and was making believe she was
sick.
It wasn't until the following
day. wlVn Linda had a high
fever and a heavy rash and
kept vomiting, that the doctor
saw her. And even then, the
THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1949
[day I made up a box of play
j things from the ten cent store
land took it to his mother for
his early amusement. The
j brief case was forgotten, and
j because he had plenty with
whic.i to occupy hims.lf he
nQ{ . get j n to m ischief.
Theie is another side to thi3
situation. Young fathers and
mothers have something impor¬
tant to do. and it should be
done—not always the easiest
way, but the right way. It is
i well to let Daniel have a toy in
h:s crib with which he may e v -
j lertain himself m the early
l orning. If, however, he gets up
the parents should take tuins
in getting up with him. Of-
co’.rse, the parents want to
sleep, but there is a job to be
done—• tue most important in
the world—character building.
Tne activities of a mlschiev-
ous child need constant super
vision- tais energies need out¬
lets, and he should have fre¬
quent opportunities for change
of play. It takes time, and it
takes patient, unobstruetive
on the part of par-
jents.
Frcebel said. “Let us live with
our children." That with is an
important word As used here
by Froebei it means in sympa¬
thetic understanding of.
Not long ago we had a sweet
little four year old with us in
the car She had been playing
jmudpies in our back yard, hap¬
py as a lark. As she stood on
the seat of the car, I turned
and said, “You have had a hap¬
py time today, 'haven’t you?”
She looked at me with squinty
eyes as if she had never seer*
me before, and replied, “I’m not
talking now.”
I might have laughed at her
I might have reprimanded her
Instead, I exclaimed, “Oh, look
at that beautiful blue jay.
This divG-’ted her attention.
and she was herself again and
was happy all the rest o the
drive.
doctor was at the Gibbs' home
Checking on the little boy, not
because ne was called for Lin-
da
The doctor discovered that
had a more severe form
scarlet fever than her bro-
and it was difficult to re-
the .. little ..... girl . , to , health
Whil * little boy h ad
nc
complications from his scarlet
everi Linda has been under the
care of an ear specialist ever
since, as a result of her illness
That’s the way scarlet fever
sometimes acts,
Although adults can and dc
pet SC arlet fever, the disease
usually attacks children between
six and 10 yea rs of age. Child-
ren should be kept as far away
as possible from anyone who
has scarlet £e*er and every
precaution taken to prevent the
spread of the germs,
when a child complains /of
feeling sick, has a sore throat
0 r fever and vormits.- he should
be put to b ed and the doctor
called immediately. These may
be the early symptoms of scar-
let fever. The rash that fre-
quen ti y comes with the disease
usually takes from 24 to 48
hours to develop after the on¬
set of the earlier symptoms
Then prompt and proper medi¬
cal and nui'sing care can help
avoid the dangerous complica-
tions of scarlet fever which can
in long illnesses, disabil-
ity and even dea th.
Th s article is co-sponsored
the National Medical Asso-
and the National Tu-
berculosis Association in the
interest of better heal h of the
people.
__
JOltll t i j T'v Uti\'
S *
un< J Une 2(>
The five Masonic lodges will
celebrate St. John's Day Sun-
day. The date will be etoserv-
afternoon at 4 o’clock at
the Masonic Temple,
E. R. Ruffner in in charge of
program committee ancl
the address will b? delivered
bv Rev. F. W. Bagby. The
is invited to attend.
The first practical subma¬
rine was built by John P. Hol-
about 1875.