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,