The Africo - American
Presbyterian.
Established in 1879.
CONSOLIDATED WITH
THE SOUTHERN EVANGELIST.
Rev. H. L. McCROREY, D. D. LL. D.,
Editor.
W. E. HILL, Associate Editor.
Rev. C. P. PITCHFORD,
business Manager.
Devoted to the Educational, Mate
rial, Moral and Religious interests
of our people in the South, and pub
lished at Charlotte, N. C., every
Thursday.
All questions arising under the
various subjects above indicated are
discussed from a Christian point of
view. Each number contains the
freshest and best news from the
Southern field and from the Church
at large. There is carefully select
ed reading matter suited to all class
es of our people—the farmer, the
mechanic, the artisan and the pro
fessional man.
The Sabbath School and Mission
ary causes will receive special at
tention.
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and prayers of our brethren and
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efforts in this enterprise may be
crowned with success.
AGENTS WANTED—to whom a
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Send all money by P. 0. Money
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Entered at the Postoffice at Char
lotte, N. C., as Second class matter.
THURSDAY, OCT. 15, 1925
CATAWBA SYNOD.
Charlotte Presbyterians are
entertaining the Synod of Ca
tawba this week. Many lead
ers who are thoroughly con
versant with the general work
of the Church are here, and
the reports and discussions of
conditions within the Synod
and throughout the Church
have been of such a nature as
to enlighten and encourage.
Charlotte delights to extend
hospitality and-its Presbyteri
an folk are at their best when
entertaining their own.
MRS. J. J. WILSON DIES.
We are grieved to learn of
the death of the wife of Dr. J.
J. Wilson, which occurred Tues
day at her home in Wadesboro.
Mrs. Wilson had been in bad
health for some time, having
been stricken with paralysis
more than a year ago. She
was a woman of unusual cul
ture and refinement and was
for many years supervisor of
education in Anson County.
She was also interested in re
ligious work and gave much
time and service to the up
building of the church at
Wadesboro. The family will
have the sympathy of friends
everywhere- May God, who is
rich in mercy, give them
abundantly of his grace and
comfort their hearts.
SIDELIGHTS
HERE AND THERE
Well, “Who is Torch, any
way?” Like Banquo’s ghost, it
will not down. It is a fact that
whoever he is, he will not be
known now by the public. He
thought he threw a rock to
hurt but it has only hurt him.
The question may be asked
again, Who is “Torch ?” The an
swer is: “There isn’t any more
‘Torch.’ He is simply a
charred stick.” The fires of
logic, commonsense, facts and
humor by Drs. Russell and
Tucker and Rev. C. W. Francis
have, burned him up. Then add
ed to that the caustic, acid-eat
ing reply of Dr. Shaw left no
remains of him whatever.
Amen! It won’t pay, Bro.
“Torch,” or rather “Bro. Ash
es,” to sail under false colors.
Somebody will always snap you
out of them. Who is “Torch,”
then? Nobody knows- He is not
sponsored by the Lincoln men
who have a right to voice the
sentiment of their AJma Mater.
Who is he, then? A “down-and
outer-—a bombastic preten
der, one whom we have every
right to believe in the man that
Dr. Shaw hints at and who fed
church field “dope” to us out in
Arkansas. We hope Dr. Gaston
is not disturbed over what a
few disgruntled men
soluted •” New IforST
delphia, geographically speak
ing, are not Lincoln University
and the Presbyterian CKurch.
Men of all schools who know
Dr. Gaston, know his worth to
and interest in our work and
when the news went out that he
had declined the honor which
had been accorded him every
one of them rejoiced except, of
course, “Torch,” and his select
bunch of calamity howlers.
Public schools are opening
fast now. It is a duty that all
owe to the race to urge our
folks to send their children to
school. Compulsory school laws
have no effect upon obligations
which they owe to their, chil
dren. The only way, in some
cases, to make it a moral obliga
tion, is to see to the enforce
ment of the law. A good many
of our people think it smart to
evade the law. We know of a
case where a man thought he
cleared himself of the law by
sending his boy to school the
least possible time that he could.
At fourteen years of age that
boy quir school before he com
pleted the second grade. The
man now has or did have a
girl of about twelve years of
age selling papers on the streets
of a busy town. That man is a
“big” church man of another de
nomination. A church man who
takes no pride in education and
allows freedom of that kind to
his children is not worthy of the
name of a churchman. And yet
many of our people in these kind
of communities turn their hos
es up at the Presbyterian
Church and her ministers be
cause they preach education in
everything.
Whither are we drifting?
Here is a new one. Recently we
got this rumor., A certain
church in one of our smaller
towns asked its minister to. pay
the New Era money out .of his
salary. There must be some
thing to this because the man
who succeeded the former came
to us seeking infanpatio# as to
the right of such. Solomon’s
often-quoted statement, that
“there is nothing new under the
sun,” does not fit in here. The
sun had not MoVed'dver thhr far
in his day. il -u .
Friends this way are eager to
know whether Smith is to play
foot-ball on Thanksgiving or
not. We saw a schedule of her
rival’s games, and, to our sur
prise, the Thanksgiving (game
at Salisbury is scheduled with
Bennett College. Give us some
light, “Mr. Campus Editor.”
JOHNSON C. SMITH UNI
VERSITY FACULTY PAYS
TRIBUTE TO MR. DUKE.
The faculty of Johnson ,C.
Smith University on receiving
the sad news of the death of
Mr. James B. Duke adopted
the following resolutions:
Whereas, the passing of
Mr. James B. Duke has re
moved from the ranks of the
American people one of the na
tion’s greatest business genius
es, one of her greatest and wis
est philanthropists, one of her
greatest supporters of educa
tion, one of her largest-hearted
citizens, and one of the great
est friends of the Negro race:
Resolved, 1st: That we bow
in humble submission to the
dispensation of God’s provi
dence in calling from labor to
reward this prince of men and
great benefactor of mankind,
irrespective of race or condi
tions
2nd. That Johnson C. Smith
University, one of the benefici
aries of the Duke forty million
dollar Foundation for Schools,
Hospitals, Churches, etc!, will
ever cherish the memory of
Mr. Duke and endeavor to
measure up to the responsibil
ities which his generosity has
placed upon the institution. *
3rd. That we share in the
sore bereavement which has
come to the family and friends
of the deceased.
4th. That the work of the
institution be suspended Octo
ber 14th, during the hour of
the funeral service.
As further marks of appre
ciation and esteem, a Mild
some design of Easter lilies
and roses was sent to Durham
by the University, afid a. me
morial service will be. held in
the near future.
MR. DUKE
(Continued from page 1)
presence of the State’s distin
guished and immortal dead.
Pallbearers Enter
As the chimes struck 11, the
honorary pallbearers, consist
ing of the members of the
board of directors of the Duke
Foundation, marched to their
seats at the front of the church.
These were George G. Allen,
William R. Perkins, William B.
Bell, Anthony J. Drexel Bid
dle, Walter C. Parker and Al
exander H. Sands, of New
York, and W. S. Lee, Norman
Cocke, E. C. Marshall and C. I.
Burkholder, of Charlotte, B. E.
Geer, of Greenville, S. C., and
Dr. W. S. Rankin.
W. S. Lee, for twenty-two
years the intimate associate
and ally of Mr. Duke in the or
ganization and direction of the
destinies of the capitalist’s
power interests, occupied an
end seat near the magnificent
casket in which lay the body of
his fallen friend and respected
chieftain. Other Charlotte ex
ecutives, Cocke, Marshall and
Burkholder, almost as long as
sociated with the deceased as
Mr. Lee, sat alongside the lat
ter and manifested by their
solemn mein and testified with
their tears to the sorrow with
in their souls for the sever
ance of their friendly and
achieving bonds of the years.
Mrs* Duke and little daughter,
each supported by kinspeople
from New York and heavily
veiled, took their places direct
ly before the casket as the
choir sang: “How Firm a Foun
dation.” Immediately thereaf
ter Dr. Edmund Soper, dean of
the School of Divinity of Duke
University, read Scriptural se
lections, the 91st Psalm, chief
ly, with other verse selections
from the New Testament. The
choir then sang, after the
hymn had been read in full by
Dr. Soper, “Abide With Me*.”
The minister followed with* fa
prayer in which praise was ut
tered for “our fallen friend and
beenfactor, who although pow
erful, learned to be gentle, al
though successful, learned the
verities of eternal values and,
though a master of great
wealth, had become a servant
of the multitude.” As the
choir sang “Nearer My God to
Thee” the casket was conveyed
from the church to Maplewood
where it was committed with
the ritualistic ceremony to its
place in the granite mausoleum
where through the long years
have rested the bodies of the
deceased family.
Flowers Banked
The section of the cemetery
in which the mausoleum is lo
cated became a paradise of
flowers, banked high against
the extensive vault and placed
thereabouts in such r profusion
as has probably never been
spread over a Southern grave.
Among the more notable were
the contributions from Mr.
Duke’s intimate business friends
in New York, another from the
directors of the Duke Founda
tion, and two especially note
worthy designs from employes
of both the Southern Power
Company and the Southern
Public Utilities Company. Each
was five feet square, and stood
out for attractiveness and
beauty as well as in the midst
of the mountain of beauty. The
floral designs were not taken
to the church, only the casket
being simply covered with ros
es and the pulpit contained a
wide spreading arrangement of
lilies of the valley.
In this environment of splen
dor more simple than spectac
ular was laid into the great si
lences one of the first five of
America’s men of millions, a
wizard of industry of interna
tional renown, and the supreme
benefactor of the Carolinas,
who only 68 years ago came in
to being only a few miles from
what is now the great, surging
business and educational city
qf Durham, cradled in the pov
erty that circumvented the
South following the Civil War
and yet by his unflagging in
dustry and gigantic intellect
uality, won his way to the top
of America’s pyramids of mon
ey.
N. A. A. C. P. REPORTS SEG
REGATION FIGHTS IN 17
CITIES OF U. S.
Denver, Colorado, is Latest
Addition to Growing List.
New York, Oct. 9.—Acute
segregation situations in 17
cities throughout the United
States, ranging from New York
to Los Angeles, are reported
by the National Association
for the Advancement of Col
ored People, 69 Fifth Avenue,
which has just received a re
port adding the city of Denver,
Colorado, to those previously
listed.
George W. Gross, President
of the Denver Branch of the
N. A. A. C. P., reports that the
“grim monster of segregation
has raised its head in Denver
as in other cities just now and
it looks as though we are to
have a fight here.”
The Denver situation arises
out of a joint meeting recent
ly by three “improvement” as
sociations, whose members and
friends are being urged to sign
agreements not to sell proper
ty to Negroes. Petitions have
been prepared and are being
circulated for every block in
those districts and numbers of
property owners are reported
to have signed. Proposals were
also discussed at the white
property owners’ meeting, to
establish a separate school for
Negro students and to amend
the State law to provide for
segregation.
The cities besides Denver,
now involved in segregation
fights are:
Detroit: 11 Negroes charged
with first degree murder for
defending Dr. 0. H- Sweet’s
home from a riotous mob, are
being defended by the N. A. A.
C. P.
Staten Island (New York
City): Samuel A. Browne, col
ored letter carrier, has repeat
edly been threatened with
death if he does not sell his
house. Backed by the N. A. A.
C- P., Mr. Browne is suing a
white neighbor who has been
indicted for participation in
disorders.
Washington, D. C.;: Case of
segregation by property own
ers agreement is pending in U.
S. Supreme Court, carried to
that court by the N. A. A. C.
P.
New Orleans: N. A. A- C. P.
is fighting local segregation
ordinance passed in contraven
tion of Supreme Court’s decis
ion in Louisville segregation
Case of 1917.
Norfolk, Va.: Has passed or
dinance similar to that of New
Orleans.
St. Louis: Attempt to enjoin
colored physician from buying
and occupying property subject
to white property owners’
agreement. Outcome of this
case depends upon Supreme
Court’s decision on case now
up in Washington.
Roanoke, Va.: Home bombed
and S. C. Medley sued for not
consummating purchase of a
house in which his white neigh
bors would not have permitted
him to live
Baltimore: Court upheld race
zoning law, segregating races.
Pittsburgh: Colored people
arrested for firing on prowlers
after receiving K. K. K.
threats.
Los Angeles: Case involving
attempt to dispossess colored
people from ownership of land
which it had been previously
agreed was not to be sold to
Negroes.
St. Paul: Attempt to prevent
Attorney William B. Francis
from occupying home he had
purchased. Fiery cross was
burned in front of his house.
Local N. A. A. C. P. furnished
watchman.
Falls Church, Va.: Attempt
by court action (injunction) to
prevent a colored man erecting
a house on lot purchased by
him sometime previously
Kansas City, Mo.: Homes of
Negroes bombed; threats made
against Negroes living in so
called white districts. Local
N. A. A. C. P. furnished
watchman to guard homes from
mob attack.
Cleveland: Attempt being,
made to prevent colored doctor
from occupying property he
has bought.
Oakland, Calif.: Attempts
made to forces Negro dentist to
remove from new home in so
called white districts. Threat
ening letters signed K. K. K.
sent and windows broken.
Brooklyn, N. Y.: Mr. and
Mrs. Alfred Vaughan threat
ened with death if they moved
into house they purchased* N.
A. A. C. P. obtained police pro
tection.
A LITTLE MORE ABOUT
DR. GASTON AND HIS
CO-WORKERS
Several articles have ap
peared in the press recently on
Negro Presbyterian work in
the South. The writer is one
of the ministers and workers
involved in the articles; so, as
you' read this article, do not
decide that he is tied by any
financial string. While his sal
ary is small his church is self
supporting. Nor did he advo
cate self-support for any rea
son other than that one should
cease to receive help when he
can help himself.
I have purposely waited for
some facts on this subject to
come from J. C. S- University
by one connected with that
school, since some product of
that school was cited as evi
dence to sustain the claims
of the writer of the article.
Dr. P. W. Russell has published
the desired facts with suffi
cient emphasis.
I began as a minister
in the work in 1902. Since 1914
I have labored as a teacher in
a parochial school in connec
tion with my church work. A
great part of this time was
during the administration of
Dr. E. P- Cowan who was act
ing as Secretary-Treasurer of
the Freedmen’s Board. So I
know when Dr. Gaston as
sumed the duties of Secretary
Treasurer of the same Board
after the death of Dr. Cowan.
Before and during the time
which Dr. Gaston has served
as Secretary many of us have
met with him in an annual
“Workers’ Conference” every
year, which conference extends
over two or three days and
nights. In these meetings open
and free discussions on every
phase of the work, school and
church, are indulged in with
splendid harmony and frank
ness, and the program is car
ried out with commendable dis
patch.
Now, then, instead of find
ing crushed spirits among the
men, during these years our
experience with Dr. Gaston is
this: we have an excellent
brother and a most considerate
man to work with. He is not
the man described by Brother
“Torch” and others, in the ar
ticles
Respecting his attitude to
our work, school and church,
the main limit that I see in
Dr. Gaston is that awfully lim
ited means with which to do.
Now, then, brethren, tell us
what part of our great work,
Home or Foreign, is not great
ly limited or handicapped by
lack of means with which to
do.
I am greatly surprised at the
judgment of any man who sup
poses that we Negroes are such
base and senseless cowards
that he can both think it and
then publish it without incens
ing us. Brethren, we are just
as free as you are, and in our
work we manifest as much
manly courage as you do in
vour work.
Above I said I am not tied
by any financial string. But I
am tied by two other strings
in this matter. One is the sin
ister spirit which is manifest
in the effort to cripple a good
work which has cost the sacri
fice of many a good man and
woman and thousands of dol
lars to establish and to main
tain and to brand the workers
as being so weak that they can
be coerced as slaves. The oth
er tie is the sinister spirit
which drives a man to be will
ing to sacrifice a good work
and all the workers in order tc
get a background on which tc
slay a good man. Good mer
and good women in the cause
of the Church who have prov
en their loyalty,' as the one
aimed at, are not easily found
It seems, then, to be onlj
sheer cowardice on the part oi
any man to be used by the old
adversary to try to hinder a
good work and to kill good
folks. If a man means to tel]
the truth, and to throw a dag
ger to kill, why should he have
to hide behind “Torch?”
If I can locate you, friend ir
your hiding place, I want tc
tell you I have not been co
erced; no effort has been made
to coerce me, nor any worker
I know. Lastly, in our fight
ing, brethren, let us be certain
that we are not disgruntled be
caus the Board has not put as
much money into our pockets
as we think it should have put
in them. The Church needs
more helpers and less riders.
REV. Z. A. DOCKERY.
Statesville, N. C.
JAMES BUCHANAN DUKE.
In Memoriam
By Rev. Y or Ice Jones, D. D.,
Dean of the School of Theology,
Johnson C. Smith University.
Ye waters of God—free and abun
dant™™*
How long, O how long shall ye
Continue to fall and flow back?
O waters, as long as ye fall and
flow,
So long shall James Buchanan Duke,
Magnificat hamesser of you,
O God’s waters,—so long shall he be
a blessing!
And as long as ye fall and flow,
0 God’s waters, so long
Shall James Buchanan Duke
Live, blest in hearts
Of Japhat and Ham!
REV. W. H. SHEPPERSON
MAKES ADDRESS TO THE
LADIES’ MISSIONARY CIR
CLE, AMELIA, VA.
Sunday, September 20th, was
an enjoyable day for all who
heard the program rendered at
Russell Grove church under the
management of the Ladies’ Mis
sionary Circle of Amelia, Va.
The societies present were Oak
Grove, Christian Light Mission,
Mannboro, Va., Allen Memorial,
Jetersville, and Russell Grove
and Big Oaks, Amelia.
The services were introduced
by Rev. W. H. Freeland, the
pastor of the church, who read
a beautiful Psalm and an
nounced the hymn, “Stand Up,
Stand Up for Jesus.” Prayer
was offered by Elder Joseph
Johnson of the Big Oaks
church.
Miss Elsie Wright, the de
lightful little granddaughter of
Mrs. and the late Rev. Wright,
of Amelia, Va., made the wel
come address. Response was
given by Mrs. Sarah P. Brown,
of Allen Memorial.
Mrs. M. J. Wright in very
choice words introduced the
speaker, Rev. W* H. Shepperson,
who spoke very forcibly upon
the subject, “Young People and
the Church.” Rev. Shepper
son’s talk was very inspiring
and all were benefitted for hear
ing him. We thank you, Rev.
Shepperson, for that lovely
spirit which brought you to us
with such an encouraging mes
sage.
The next number brought
Mrs. Kemmie Anderson for
ward with one of her choice
songs, “I Am a Child of the
King.” As usual all were glad
ro have her among us.
Rev. W. H. Freeland spoke
upon the subject, “Who Shall
Take Our Places?” He told of
the shortage of the number of
applications for the ministry
and plead that the church look
ahead with much prayer, think
ing that this particular line of
Christian endeavor should be
esteemed and strengthened*
Mrs. Estelle Wingo, of Rus
sell Grove, plead that Christian
education should be the key to
church and community service.
Miss Evaline Booker, of Allen
Memorial, spoke touchingly on
“The Care and Rearing of
Young People.” Other short
addresses were made by Mr.
George Mayes, Mr. T. W. Wil
kinson and others.
Miss Leona Brown, of Jet
ersville, sang very touchingly.
Miss Brown is the accom
plished daughter of Mrs. Sa
rah P. Brown. Mr. Clarence
A. Wright presided at the or
gan. The collection was fine,
i After the singing of a beau
tiful quartette by the little
: Misses Elsie Wright, Kather
ine Booker, Rachel Swann
i and Annis H. Barrett, we ad
journed with the loud acclama
tion of “On to Allen Memori
al,” Jetersville, November 29,
1 o’clock P. M.
SARAH V. THOMPKINS*
Mannboro, Va.
Monday evening, October
19th, at 8 o’clock, Mrs. Nell
Hunter, noted singer, will ap
pear in the first number of the
Lyceum course at Johnson C.
Smith University.