THE OmCIAL ORGAN Of THE AFRICAN
m
ODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH
NUMBER TWENTY ONE.
CHARLOTTE NORTH CAROLINA
RSDAY, MAY 26, 1921
VOLUME FORTY-FIVE
Race Riots Predicted if
Ku Klux Organize.
Interdenominational Ministers in Let
ter to The Times Protest Against
Klan’s Incorporation.
Race riots like those in Ehst St.
Louis and in Chicago will follow if
the Ku Klux Klan is permitted to
organize in this city, according to a
communication to The Times received
today from members of a committee
appointed by an interdenominational
ministers’ meeting called when an
nouncement was made that the re
vived “Ku Klux” was organizing.
Members of the committee are T.
J. Moppins, pastor of the Metropoli
tan A. M. E. ti. church; C. A Williams,
pastor o#St. Paul’s chapel; A* R. Dob
bins, pastor Wayman chapel; Wm. F.
Turner, presiding elder; B. F. Ab
bott, pastor Union Memorial M. E.
church; C. M. Powell, M. D., and
Aaron E. Malone, president of Poro
College, who are among the most
prominent Negroes in St. Louis.
“Do Away With Police.”
“If we welcome this organization
we might as well do away with our
police force and courts of law,” the
letter says. “All upstanding, fearless
agents of the law will be liable to
a visit from the night rider or secret
bullet.
“The Ku Klux Klan comes to us
from a state and section where inur
• der-farms, peonage, lynchings and
. ighjistly outrages at midnight are
common.^
The letter in full follows:
“Permit us to enter our most seri
ous protest against the organizing of
the Klan of the Ku Klux here in St.
Louis. When it begins to operate
and the people have caught its spirit
it may mean that the riots of East
St. Louis, Chicago and other places
will be repeated here.
“Happily, we have been free from
this sort of mob violence. Let us
guard at every cost this pleasant race
relationship here. It may not 'be
ideal as yet; it could be infinitely
worse. We often complain that pub
lic sentiment will not sustain the
processes and verdicts of pur courts;
yet too frequently we allow those
things to happen which are destruc
tive of a wholesome public sentiment
Outlawed by "the U. S.
“The Ku Klux as an organization
has a criminal record and was out
lawed by the Federal Goverment.
It comes to us from a State and sec
tion where murder farms, peonage,
lynchings and ghostly outrages at
midnight are common. What can
you expect from a group of people of
this kind? A tree is to be known
by its fruity Its voice is Jacob’s voice,
but its hands are the hands of Esau.
“It is said that the organization is
to' protect the white people; what
has it done to protect the black peo
ple ? It professes to champion white
supremacy in this land. This is a
slander on white supremacy. If
white supremacy needs such a cham
pionship it is doomed already.
“The courageous Governor of
Georgia and the noble white citizens
like him who are fighting barbarism
in the State know from a deep sense
,#f shame what this Klan means. Let
"Uhis Ku Klux emissary go back to his
•wn State and help his great-hearted
Governor to clean up.
“It has come to a pretty pass that
ifce orderly processes of law and the
methods of a civilized and Christian
community are to disregarded and
admitted to be a failure by resorting
to the methods of the Mafia.
“To allow- this organization to op
grate "will mean that the foundations
•f a law-abiding community are giv
ing away and will be the means and
ness when their deeds are evil.
“High Sounding Talk.”
“As it is, our city and State ark
shamed by banditry covering its
tracks and defeating the law by kill
ing witnesses and by the hoarse cry
of the mob satiating its blood lust.
If we welcome this organization we
might as well do away with our po
lice force and courts of law. All up
standing, fearless agents of the law
will be liable to a visit from the night
rider or secret bullet.
“In spite of the high sounding talk
which this emissary is handing down
to St. Louis, he know that the Ku
Klux Klan everywhere and at all
times is the relentless enemy of black
Americans—who are among the truest
Americans,.
Shall Reap Whirlwind.
“Let us assure all that the only
supremacy that will last is a moral
and spiritual supremacy, the su
premacy which is inherent in right
eousness, brotherhood, even-handed
democracy and equal opportunity
under impartial law.
“The whiteness of crumbling Aus
tria, of crushed Germany and of
Russia, bleeding at every pore, has
not saved them. Righteousness ex
alts bub' sin destroys nations. God is
going to have the last word on our
conduct as a nation and as a com
munity.
“If we sow the-wind- we shall reST
the whirlwind; and already the sough
of the coming storn can be heard
over the land.
“We call upon the Governor, the
pulpits, the Mayor, the Police De
partment, the Chamber of Commerce
and all good citizens without regard
to race, creed, calling or whether
native or foreign-born , to stand to
! gether out in the open and in every
way make sentiment against all in
fluences which are un-Christian,
un-American and inimical to our
peace*
MID-YEAR FLASHES FROM THE
MIDDLE WEST.
We are very anxious for the readers
of our great Church organ of Zion
“The Burning Star,” whose heat and
shining rays are supplied by the
thoughtful son of Zion in person of
our Dr. W. J. Walls, Editor, to hear
from us.
| On April 8th the Ter-centenary
King, Bishop J. L. Blackwell visited
our little charge accompanied by our
Ter-centenary evangelist Rev. W. T.
Beck. At 8:30 P. M. Caldwell chapel
was packed to its capacity. All things
| were ready. Bishop Blackwell intro
duced Rev. W. T, Beck as the speak
er of the hour. He demanded the at
tention of the hearers with one of his
sweet songs of Zion. He spoke from
Gal. 6—and he held his audience spell
bound. People say never a man spoke
like this man. Bishop Blackwell ex
tended invitations and made a strong
appeal for the Ter-centenary which
resulted in $42.50.
“Ter-centenary Honor Roll.” •
Mrs. Annie Robinson, $1; Mr. J. R.
Cooper,$1; Mr. Cha£. Moore, $2; Rev.
D. G. Shelton, $1; Mr. and Mrs, W
iS. Wilson, $5; Mr. O. T. Bond, $1;
Mrs. Mammie Tall, $1; Mrs. E. G
Bell, $1; Mrs. Lillian Bond, $1; Mr.
Robert Frazer, $1.25; Mr. Alex Sneed,
$1; Mrs. Nettie Frazer, $1.50; Mr.
| Willie Coates, $1; Mr. R. Nichols,
$lf Mr. M. Hardison, $1; Mrs. Laura
Wilson $1.25; Mr. H. Howard, $1.50;
Mrs Minnie Ogeltree, $1; Mr David
King, $1; Mrs. Eliza Farmer, $1; Mrs.
S. Freeman,, $1; Rev. Lindall, $1; Miss
Jessie Rollins, $1; Mr. Joe Perkins,
I $1; Rev, P. C. Wilburn, $1; Mrs. M.
H. Cooper, $1; Mrs. Marie Johnson,
,50; Mr. John Carr, .75; Mrs. Winnie
WATCHING THE
5AKERS.
By Dr. W. H. Dawenport.
of death
bring, if it
solicitous
|g problems,
ie sur-e: we
3ed with in
ie solemn i
savements,
Ive a devi
The dismal mafrc
through our ranks
has not already done
moments and perple:
Of one thing we may
are certainly noit engr
fantile insensibility
ty of our Connectional
which will assuredly I
ation from the strict lines of owr
Connectional procedure. In Meth
odism the General Conference is
the arbitrary authority of the
Church; and any rule, however old
or venerated, may be
the best interest of t
mands it. It cannot
tides of Religion, but
the General Rules ifftwb-thirds of
its members assent to ft. Any other
rule may be changed by a majority
vote, and no General Conference is
bound by the acts of its predecessor.
Rules are made to meet contempo
raneous conditions and not for all
time. These rules may be changed
ltered when
Church de
nge the Ar
may change
when circumstances and conditions
warrant it whatever? may be the
opinion of the Pre
whose duty it is, to rt
of order and not upoi
The General Gonfeirer
to itself. It should
that a law requiring!
be forty years old ant
eled” at least twenty
he is eligible to the ej
iding Officer
upon points
joints of law.
is a law un
determined
minister to
ive “trav
before
operate to
*v anfage^1
anged
by any General Conference subse
quent to its enactment. Indeed a
motion to reconsider and' rescind
such a law may be passed in the
same General Confeence. Likewise
the law requiring a two-third vote
for an election to the episcopate:
Also any other inhibition, which
may or may not have been inspired
by deep piety, reverent righteousness
or lofty idealism, but was political
or personal in its nature^ though ve
neered with piousness and morality.
The decimation of our episcopal
bench will bring us face to face
with a grave situation- We shall be
able to meet it calmly and judicious
ly, except we are bound and chained
with the thought that all our leg
is’ation is unchangeable and infalli
ble. To my mind no mortal man,
nor any body of mortal men, how
ever well intentioned, wise or emi
nent, is infallibe.
Tampa, Fla.
TER-CENTENARY CONFERENCE.
By J. E. Robinson.
The Mid-year conference of the
Pee Dee conference has passed into
histoid- This conference came off
at a time when the people were quite
busy w$ta( their; ifarmih All the.
preachers of the conference were
on hand with few exceptions. All
made fair reports considering every,
thing. Bishop Lee knows how to
handle Mid-year conference. He is
strictly to business. He is a great
man. The Pee Dee conference is in
a farming belt,-- where the people
have nothing to doi hut farm. * This
conference is composed of two pre
siding elder districts, hut they raised
a handsome sum of $803 considering
the hard times.
The Mid-year Tercentenary con
ference was held in Rock Hill, S.
C. It was a grand conference^ this
being Bishop Lee’s old home the
people were giad to see him. This
conference had been a little dull on
the Tercentenary fund,' but Bishop
Lee has got them awake and things
seem to be moving on nieely. Bish
op Lee is the right man in the right
place. He is teaching "the people
to pay to the church, be thrifty and j
industrious. He is a great Bishop.
Louisville Makes Large Preparation
Evidences of Race Thrift
What promises to be the largest
assemblage cf Negro physicians,
surgeons, dentists and pharmacists
, in history ? will take place in the* City
of Louisville when the National
Medical Association meets there for
its 'twenty-third annual session, Au
gust 23-26, inclusive.
In choosing Louisville as the’
meeting * place, the Association
showed rare judgment. No other
city offers so many inducements for
Negro professional men tot assemble
as Louisville.
Situated on the Ohio River within
a day’s journey of Cleveland, Detroit,
Chicago^ Cincinnati, and St. Louis,
its admirable location makes it easy
of access to the larger cities of the
country, and being a railroad center
it is handily reached from every
' section of the United Stages.
Louisville has a total population of
about 300,000; 60,000 of which are
Colored. Though south of the Ma
son-Dixon line, *it has none of the
humiliating restriction^ of the
southern cities, there being no jim
mw street cars or segregated parks,
etc
The Red Cross Hospital, which is
under the direct supervision of Col
ored physicians and surgeons, offers
the most modern equipment for
clinics and research. •
Unlike most cities Louisville c^n
sides having the Roscoe Simmons
Hotel, where rooms and bath can
be obtained at a nominal sum> there
is the Pythian Temple, a beautiful
$200,600.00 structure which can ac
commodate a large number. In ad
dition there are many beautiful
homes which will be open toi the
visiters.
The most progressive type of
business among Negroes is to be
found in Louisville. The recently
organized First Standard Bank, cap
italized at $125,000.00, and two In
surance Companies are not surpassed
in their administration by any sim
ilar institutions in the country.
Few cities can boast of the scenic
I location of Louisville—situated on
the banks of the rightly named
i beautiful Ohio;'it offers splendid op
portunity for boating, fishing and
other forms of water sport.
For quiet reading there are two
libraries branches of the Carnegie
library, the Nmost beautiful in the
country, under the supervision of a
Colored y librarian and assistants.
Every book and magazine, whether
popular or serious reading can be ob
tained at either of these buildings.
Many outings are being planned
for the visitors. Churchill Downs,
America’s most famous race course
_.River trips to various points along
the river and motoring parties to
the Mammoth Cave and the beautiful
Blue Grass country for which Ken
tucky is famous, are a few of the
pleasures which are being planned
for the occasion.
All sessions of the Convention will
be held in the Jefferson County Ar
mory, one of the largest Convention
mory, o ne of the largest Convention
Halls in America. This Hall will
contain the exhibitor’s booths, ovefi
"lOO in number, representing all lines
of medical, surgical, dental and
pharmaceutical supplies. No physi
cian, surgeon, dentist or pharmacist
can afford to’ miss this session, the
greatest meeting of Colored men in
the medieal and allied sciences ,
which has eve^ taken place.
HORROR ON THE RHINE. NEGRO
TROOPS SERVING WHITE MAN
' AGAINST WILL.
It is impassible to study—the Ne
gro occupation, and believe that the
I- -
the black troops themselves than
against the Germany. They are virtu- ,
ally slaves—forced—to military serv
ice in a cause in which they have no
interest and which they do not under
stand.”
Thus writes Lewis Gannett from
Mainz, Germany, after careful first- <_
hand study. His article appears in
THE NATION for May 25. About
the “Horror on the Rhine,” German
officials told Mr. Gannett “that this
propaganda was a commercial enter
prise conducted for profit.” The arti
cle censures the conditions of the oc
cupation, and describes in detail not
only the conduct of the bl^ck troops
on the Rhine but that of the white
troops as well. _
THE NATION publishes in the
same issue the complete text of the
Haitian Memoir to the United States
describing the atrocities perpetrated
by the military occupation of the Re
public of Haiti and concluding in
part:
It is the most terrible regime of
military autocracy which has ever
been carried on in the .n&me of the
great American democracy.
The Haitian people, during these
five past years, have passed through
such sacrifices, tortures, destructions,
humiliations and misery as have never
4>efogep-bewv.dtnown inthecotw-se- of
its unhappy history.
The American Government, in spite
of the attitude of wisdom, modera
tion, and even submission whicht it
has always found in dealing^with the
Haitian Government, has never lived
up to any of the agreements which
it had solemnly entered into with re
gard to the Haitian people.
The Haitian people is entitled to re
parations for the wrongs and in
juries committed against it.
The great American people can only
honor themselves and rise in universal
esteem by hastening the restoration
of justice—of all the justice due a
weak and friendly nation which the '
agents of its government „ have
systematically abused
MISS GARDNER’S 90th BIRTH
DAY.
A ninetieth-birthday Reception and
Testimonial will be tendered to Miss
Eliza A. Gardner (the oldest member
of the A. M. E, Zion Connection)
at Columbus Avenue A. M. E. Zion
church, Boston, Massj. (Rev. Benja
min Swain, D. D., pastor), at eight
o’clock Friday evening, May 27, 1921,
in the auditorium. The music will be
in charge of Dr. Walter O. Taylor,
chorister, and Mr. William H, Batum,
Supt. of the Sunday School, win be
Master of Ceremonies, the Butler Club ,
(of which Miss Gardner was founder
add first President) being in general
charge of the anniversary. Friends
of Mrs. Gardner are hereby especial
ly invited to greet her on this occa
sion which will include a literary and
musical program and testimonials
from eight to nine o’clock, followed
by a reception in the vestries from
nine to ten o’clock. The executive com
mitte includes besides Rev} B. W.
Swain, D. D., pastor, the following:
Mrs. Eliza Bryant, chairman, Rev.
Jacob Powell, secretary, and Mrs. El
la Johnstone, treasurer, supported by
the officers and members of the But
ler Club and other church auxiliar
ies,
NOTICE.
We the members of the A. M. E.
Zion Church hope that 'all the