The Omaha guide., 1933-07-15
KEEPING A

hEEPiNG a PkOMlSE!
Back in my prison days over a
month ago now) I promised to use
this column for the balance Of my
life in an effort to help the Negro in
Business for I am convinced that ev-
cry wrong affecting the Negro today
can be righted il the Negro, as a
group. will just quit chasing will-of
the-wisps and concentrate on build
ing up a strong eco-omic group. Fa-
vors Of any kind can best be secured
by that group who know how to con-
troll and use their purchasing pow
er. II you don't believe that is true
just put a small want ad in your fav-
orite white paper advertising you
have some money TO invest. The
many people who answer your ad and
seek your funds will be courteous,
pleasing. promising and docile to you
that you will even forget that you
are blaek-such is the power Of pos
session.
Since being free the very first step
] have taken towards helping the Ne
gro in Business is to ferret out all
the little leaks that waste energy,
and sap the financial vitality out Of
our economic system. For years. in
prison, / recorded every significant
fact and now | am checking these
facts-as best as my meagre funds
will permit me. And while a prison
er ! wrote many an article on the
wastefulness Of our people chasing
rainbows through following the leads
OF fashionable advertisers. The vsfy
spot in our economic system that is
worse than a cancer is the fact that
many Of our publishers in their zeal
10 achieve a ven today without
realizing the effect it viii have on,
their own tomorrow, or on
the ace as a whole, use the question
able, and yes in & great many cases,
fraudulent advertisements that are
plastered all over the advertising
columns Of some publications.
That conditions is the very worst
spot in our economic condition today.
How can we a a ace expect to build
ourselves up on a sound economic bas-
is when the advertising columns of
our paper lead the reader to believe
that all one has to do is to buy a rab-
bits foot, lucky charm. snake ring,
incense powder, confidential tips, or
whatnot and then sit back and wait
for lady luck TO do the rest. I am
frank I o state right here that every
publisher who encourages this sort
Of procedure, regardless of what he
may extol in his editorial columns, or
how public spirited he may be, is
POSITIVELY dragging his WI race
down and is POSITIVELY making it
harder for his own paper to secure
the advertisements Of strictly legiti-
mate business firms.
Our publishers are continually
harping on cooperation but talk to one
Of the papers readers about cooper
alton and you will be forced to wait
until they "hit' the number or their
lucky charm has brought around their
ship for such readers spend their
earnings in such uackery while their
legitimate business needs are neg
lected and thier honest debts are ig-
nored- How any publisher can ride
around in his swank car knowing
that he is playing the part of a CON-
mon -steerer" to a more common and
despicable racket" and not permit
his conscience to hurt him is beyond
me.
During the past few weeks I have
checked up on some of my previous
compilations and in my possession I
now have FACTS on many of these
questionable advertisers and / have
definite proof of the worthlessness of
their efforts. In some instances their
mail has been definitely prohibited
through a governmental fraud order,
and vet our publishers run their ad-
v~ertisements permitting them to use
the telegraph to further mulct our