The Africo - American ; ■ Presbyterian. Established in 1879. CONSOLIDATED WITH THE SOUTHERN EVANGELIST. Bar. 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 Religions interests of onr people in the South, and pub* Uahed at Charlotte, N. C.f every Thursday. All questions- arising under the va rious 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. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Single copy one year-$1.50 Six mouths-.__—1_, .75 Three months- AO RATES OF ADVERTISING Given on Application We earnestly ask the sympathy and prayers of our brethren and friends at large in order that our efforts in this enterprise may be crowned with success. AGENTS WANTED—to whom a liberal commission will be paid. Send all money by P. 0. Money Order, Registered Letter or Bank Check, otherwise it might get lost and the sender alone will be respon sible. Entered at the Postoffice at Char lotte, N. C., as second class matter. THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 1926 OUR CHURCHES AND THE BENEVOLENCES. Churches which have not paid their 1925-’26 benevolence quo tas should make every effort to do so during the remaining days of this month, since the Church yew: closes on the 31st* Al-j though the remaining days are few, nevertheless much can be accomplished during this brief period through. detennined and concerted effort on the part, of the churches. It is very selddin that earnest, faithful and well organized efforts result in fail ure. Unless such effort is im mediately put forth on the part of the churches the Boards must face a very large deficit with the beginning of the new year; which will mean the retarding of the progress of the work of the Church at large, certainly the weakening of the stakes and the shortening of the cords in the work of missions. Judging from the small num ber of our colored churches-in the South now appearing in this paper on the honor roll of churches having paid their quo tas, the annual reports of the colored Synods and Presbyteries of the South this year will; be by no means encouraging. Accord^ ing to the honor roll only 30 of tiie 409 churches in the four colored Synods have paid their quotas. In four of the Presby teries no churches have paid and in each of three others only one church has paid. Have all of tiie churches done their best in efforts’ to raise their quotas? We rather think they have not. Is it not true that in many in stances churches postpone the raising of their benevolences till near the end of the Church year? We are of the opinion that this is the prime cause of the failure of many of our churces to meet their financial obliga tions. We would urge, therefore, that churches endeavor to meet their obligations weekly from the beginning to the end of the year. DR. ASHBY JONES. Dr. M. Ashby Jones, one of the outstanding figures in the Southern interracial movement, has resigned the pastorate of the Ponce de Leon - Baptist church, of Atlanta, to go to St Louis, and all Atlantic espe cially its colored citizenship, is voicing regret Dr. Jones has written and spoken much on the relations of the races, and al ways with broad sympathy and understanding. Hie South can ID afford to lose such a man as he, but wherever he goes it is to be hoped that the fine spirit of cooperation and good will which characterizes him will ihui full expression. BARBER ECHOES. T “Barber Echoes” is the name of a magazine issued by Barber Memorial College, our girls’ eefcool at Anniston, Ala. The first number bears date Febru ary, 1926. There are 24 pages of Tending matter, most of it pertaining to Barber, and the pe riodical is interesting from cov er to cover. Lest some one should think the Barber girls exhaustea themselves in this splendid edition, President Scherer gives the assurance that Barber is not “striking twelve at the beginning, or thun dering in the index,” but that the “talent responsible for this work is capable of repeating in definitely.” We are, therefore, anticipating a monthly feast of gobd things during the school year. The staff numbers 17 girls in all departments. Miss Helen Jones is editor, Miss Myr tle Brodie, assistant editor, and Miss Annie Brodie is literary editor. The last two are daugh ters of Rev. Dr. F. L. Brodie, of Charlotte. TIMOTHY DARLING CHURCH, OXFORD. The last two or three weeks have been red letter days with Timothy Darling church, Ox ford, N. C. On February 14 they pulled off quite a success ful rally, realizing $360. The church was organized into ten clubs, each club headed by one of the faithful women. The church is fortunate in having a number of faithful women who always make things go. Each club was asked to raise at least $40. Most of them did so. Some went beyond. Sister Clement headed the list with $60. Some of the laaies were so determined that their clubs should not come up short that they paid out of their own pockets to bring up ■their club. Mrs.. Carrie Daniel paid $20 rather than have her club report short. This is the kind of women that make the church or anything else they are. connected with: go. Mr. Eli jah Clement, though not a mem ber? of our church, gave $5.00 that. Mrs. Clement’s club might go over the top. That is the kind of man that Brother Clem ent is. On Monday night following the rally, we started special re vival services. Dr. Russell was with us and did effective work. It happened that our rally came off: on Lincoln’s Day. Neverthe less Prof. Cozart Urged the Sab bath scnool to do its duty. He raised $10 and forwarded the same to Dr. Gaston. - Rey. It. S. Davis is quite a force in the church work as well as an indispensable adjunct in the school life. ■ A WISE STEP. Two men who had been polit ical enemies had not been on speaking terms for some months^ One day they met face to face on a narrow pave ment which only afforded room for one pedestrian at a time. “Sir,” said one of the politi cians, drawing himself up to his full height, “I never give away to fools/* ‘'‘Don’t you?” repiled the oth er cheerfully, “I always do,” and Immediately stepped into the road. START OF ’PHONE. ' It was 50 years ago today, March 10, 1876, that the first complete sentence was spoken over the telephone. Alexander Graham Bell, in ventor of the telephone, was heard over the wire' when he said to his assistant, Thomas A. Watson: “Mr; Watson, come here, I want you.” The industry, begun in that year, has grown by leaps and bounds until today it ranks as one of the foremost business en terprises in the United States. Friends of Negro education and our Church folk generally regretted to hear of the destruc tion by fire on February 22 of the Boys’ Dormitory at Swift Memorial College. In a pub lished statement President Franklin, while deploring the loss of the building, says the school has not lost a day, and will continue to go on until the last of May. There was insur ance, and it is hoped “out of the ashes will rise a larger and bet ter Duilding.” THE LEAQS OF NATIONS By Rev. A. U. Frierson, D. D. This is easily the noblest hu man conception before the world today. It would embrace in its sweep the whole wide world, and ultimately lift every fleck of the black cloud of ig norance leading to national and international suspicion, jealousy and discord. It is suggestive of employing rational and humane methods in removing misunder standings which have played a large part in keeping men divid ed in the solution of world prob lems more than any other known quantity. From these ever and anon the world or parts of it have been forced to witness or pass under the scourge of cruel, relentless and bloody war. In approaching this subject, I am fully aware that I am en tering an exclusive, if not a forbidden, field of thought, as far as the average lay American citizen is concerned, and seem ingly wholly closed to the group to which I belong—the colored American. This, however, is .not surprising, since the League of Nations is a theme over which the master minds of the world clash—and some even crash. Terminology, verbiage, critical analysis, political bearings and what nots, I am going to leave entirely to experts—diplomats, statesmen, justices and jurists—■ and discuss the subject purely and simply as a conception. As such I have no apology to offer and stand ready to subscribe to my deductions, comers, dissent ers, critics and all who may not be impressed from my viewpoint notwithstanding. I am also keenly conscious of the fact that at the Versailles conference even when and whence the League of Nations was in parturition, “Darkest Af rica” alone, with her teaming millions of sable sons and daughters had to knock at the back door. Furthermore, it is still fresn in my mind that the group of Americans to which I belong did not seem to rest very heavily upon the heart, nor oc cupy a very large and conspicu ous place in the thoughts and plana of my hero in administer ing the affairs of the nation. But not even these considera tions can in the least detract from the nobility—the great ness and grandeur of his con ception. Neither shall they lot us a part and parcel of the great est people on earth—the Amer ican people—from cherishing the memory of, and taking a just pride in, doing the man merited honors who fathered this con ception and gave it to the worlds Whether the League of Nations, or by whatever name men may choose to call it, ever becomes a workable, practicable fact; and thus a rule of life for the na tions of the earth or not, it will ultimately appear that it is aft er all the embodiment of the no blest human conception of mod ern times or any other times, even the world court—a prior great conception—not excepted. I say this because the world court can never fully meet the ends of its creation and function with complete satisfaction to all concerned until some more gen eral, yet definite union of na tions is effected. For, after all, a world court is to the League as a supplement is to an angle. Now 1 wish to set out a few definite and specific reasons for assigning the idea of a League of Nations the highest place in modern human conceptions, and why it is not' so considered and acknowledged. First of all, the conception is utilitarian. As utilitarian, it would raise men, races, and na tions to higher planes of expe rience and hope by banning, if not wholly banishing brutal, bloody war, and thus set free the heads, hands and hearts of men to engage in and follow the pursuits of love ad mercy. It would permit men to employ their native and acquired tal ents, gifts and graces: in fur thering those things that make for righteousness, peace, pros perity and progress. I am bor rowing the definition given util itarian, by Bentham and John Stewart Hill to better express my struggling thoughts. The former says, “utilitarianism is the doctrine that the greatest happiness of the greatest num ber should be the end of all so cial and political institutions in the universe.” The latter said, “That doctrine that virtue is founded in utility, or that vir tue is defined and enforced by the tendency to promote the highest happiness of the uni verse.” ' That the greatest good and happiness will accrue to the greatest number of the human family if the League of Na tions ever becomes a practical bond of.union for the nations of the earth, passes without the saying. If ever it becomes a fact, it will bring in as nothing else, save the matchless Gospel "of the Son of God. the glorious era prophesied in the long ago, by Isaiah, “And they (the people) shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears in to pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against na tion, neither shall they learn war any more/’ It would turn loose the largest organized army to tackle and set hands and hearts to the solution of human problems that has ever gone forth since time began. As util itarian the conception is unique, ideal, utopian. Second, the conception is al truistic. While it would mini mize egoism4* it would most em phatically magnify altruism in national and international con cerns. In statecraft, while it would rigidly and scrupulously guard national interests and honor, it would at the same time conserve international concerns. This it would do by bringing into one compact whole, all the civilized nations that dwell be neath the sun. It is intended and ostensibly aims to lay upon the hearts and minds of all in authority-rulers and poten tates—the inspired “ought”— “ye who are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak.” It would forever lift the iron heel of oppression from the neck of the weaker and less fortunate nations and races, as well as in dividuals. Thus it woul liter ally raise anew in the land “Glo ry to Godin the highest—on earth peace—good will among men.” If the millennium ever come or anything akin to it, it will follow in the wake of some conception practically ex pressed in a league of nations, or some similar bond of union. It would drive out the brute and re-instate - the man in man, where human interests clash. Altruism is one of man’s native endowments. When for the first time Adam saw Eve com ing to him, his heart of hearts went out to her, and in self-for getfulness he cried out, “This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.” Did not God provide to save man from be coming self-centered and selfish by raising up to him woman? To crown it all God himself said, “It is not good that man should be {done; I will make him an help meet for him.” Third, this conception bubbles over with optimism. It is the vision of a world over which the | dove of a permanent peace hov ers. Fourth, it is a conception of na tional and international comity and brotherhood. It would inter pret aright the Christ mission by breathing the Christ spirit into man’s political and civic relations, by the practical ap plication of the Golden Rule. It would answer once for all affir matively the age-worn question of the first murderer, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” It would hurl back into a murderous face an emphatic yes, that would ring out and sound the world round. Whatever else comes to pass by way of immediate approval, adoption or rejection of the League of Nations as such, it will ultimately become apparent that he who conceived the idea and was first to write“League of Nations,” dipped his pen in fresh, warm blood drawn from human hearts, and traced afresh across the sky in color of crim son the angelic song, “Peace on Earth, Goodwill among men.” - The first martyred President of the United States, the much lamented Abraham Lincoln, by his matchless emancipation doc ument unshackled directly four million or more unfortunate fel low beings, and indirectly many more millions. For the master class was more hopelessly en slaved than the slave class in a dwell. The further men get from this conception an . ... m way. For vice, he hearts cd whose tribe the passing y ashes! He dirt of no North, no South, no East, no West—“one and inseparable forever,” as we have it today. Such a union could not exist “one hall free and one half slave.” Time has vindicated the wisdom and correctness of his conception. But the man >.— the idea of a “League of Na tions” would strike the galling shackles of national and inter national strife and selfishness, which breed suspicion, jealousy, greed, hatred, and war from the necks of the nations of the earth—would free all tongues and races that on earth do iway aid the man—tbe late Jsx-Preaident Wilson—who gave it to the world, the larger will the conception and the man loom In national and international life. In this, as in all other great hu man legacies, distance will more and more lend enchantment to the view. That imposing figure, graced with a towering and mighty intellect, will by this conception live not only in the hearts of the greatest people on earth—the Americans—-but will live in the hearts of the nations of the earth. Redeemed and lif ed, they will some day v' wreathe his brow with laurels, crown his he; richest diadems, and earth’s noblest son, tuiu gicai«at emancipator. We do not sub scribe to all he said and did, but can in charity do him deserved honor. When the haze of petty, partisan politics shall have passed away and my hero is seen in his true role, men will throng to do honor to his mem ory. Varying policies and partisan politics not infrequently divide men hopelessly, filling their minds with uncompromising prejudice, and blinding their eyes to real merit and true worth. These have in my opin ion cheated this great spirit out of his just and richly earned meed of ptaise liithdrto. * But hi* legacy-—the conception of a League of Nations—-the noblest human conception before the world today—will bear rich fruitage, and upon a second, so ber thought he will coiqe into His own. Who can beat or equal it? 1st, utilitarian, 2nd, altruis tic, 3rd, Optimistic, 4th, the con cepton of international comity and brotherhood. I close in the words of Low ell: • “Great souls are portions of eternity; Each drop of blood that e'er through true heart ran With lofty message, ran for you and me; For God’s law since the starry song began, Hath been and still forevermore must be, That' every deed which shall out last life’s span Must goad the soul to be erect and free.” Winnsboro, S. C. SALEM PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. Since you have heard from us we have been constantly drink ing from the fountain of good sermons, especially the one on February 28th from the text, Mark 12:34, “The Almost Chris tian,” and on March 7, Genesis 16:13, “Thou God seest me.” I believe o ur pastor was at his best and he consoled the Chris tians by saying “when they have been mistreated and misunder stood, remember that God sees and understands, and because He sees, He will take care of us. On Sunday morning, Februa ry 21, our unday school rendered the following patriotic pro gram: Singing, “God Our Father.” Invocation, Elder Butler Singing, “The Negro Nation al Anthem.” “Life of George Washington,” Mr. Pressley. i Quotations from Washington, by several. Singing, “The Star Spangled Banner.” Epitaphs on Washington, Miss C. Alexander. Singing, “America.” After the program we had a brief study of the lesson. Prof. H. N. Sullivan Sunday school IBstitu Thursday and Friday ni was nicely attended and by all. The Brotherhood gave a vary interesting Men's Program on the last third Sunday afternoon. Our men have opened their eyes and are going forward. We pray for them great success. The Woman’s Missionary So ciety held its regular monthly meeting at the home of Mrs. Marie Calhoun. 319 Salem St. The meeting was largely attend ed and the program which had been prepared by the hostess was carried out by Mesdames Eloise Williams. Julia Burriss mid Misses Ethel Cowan and Claudia Burriss. The topic was, “Foreigners in America.” These talks were interspersed with spirituals. After the business was finished we adjourned to meet with Mrs. C. W. Francis. The hostess served us with two delicious salad courses. The mid-week prayer meetings are always helpful and. inspir ing. At our last service Elder J. C. Butler compared the Christians with a set of harness, especially the bridle, bits and reins. It .was really touching. We are sorry to report' that Mesdames Hawkins and Earle are still sick, also Mr. J. W. Marion, Jr. We pray for them an early recovery. Mrs. Lela Patton, of New York City, is visiting her broth er, Elder Geo. W. Marion, Sa lem Street. Miss Ruth D. Foster, of 'Greenville, spent the wlek-ehd with Kirs. Alma Flack and Miss 'Claudia Burriss. Reed Street High School has been playing basket ball for three years and has never lost a game. We played Sterling at the Phyllis Wheatley Center, Greenville, last Monday night' 'and won 16-4. BLANDONIA CHURCH NOTES, SANFORD, N. C. Sunday, March 7, was . regu lar preaching service at Blan donia. At the morning service at 11 o’clock Rev. McMillan chose for his text, *The Lord hath need of him,” Mark 11:3. The text was beautifully pic tured and illustrated and left an everlasting impression upon his hearers. At the night ser vice Rev. McMillan preached from the text: “Where are the nine?” Both services were well attended. The collection for the day was about $50. Sunday morning, February 29, about * 9:30, Blandpnia church caught afire and the fire alarm was turned in, but those who had come in the be ginning ot the fire had it nearly extinguished when the fire de fire department arrived. The church was not damaged very badly. The Community Quintette, with the assistance of Mrs. B. 6. McMillan, will appear in the auditorium of the Laurinburg Normal and Industrial Insti tute, in a recital, Friday, March the 12th, at 8:15 P. M. We are expecting many from Sanford to go along with the Quintette. The Quintette is composed of the following gentlemen: Rev. J. E. McMillan, Dr. D. L. Bland, Mr. Clarence Dortch, Dr. C. N. McMillan and Prof. W. B. Wick THE DUTY, OF BEINi PLEASANT. / We owe it to ourselves and to others to cultivaterihe habit of being pleasant and courteous. It is a duty to be pleasant. A sun ny smile, a cheerful greeting and a kind word bring happi ness to others and pay large div idends in satisfaction to our selves.—The Monitor, Omaha, Nebraeka,

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