^S6m6M
THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OFTHE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH
NUMBER THIRTY-TWO
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA. THURSDAY. AUGUST 10, 1922.
VOLUME FORTY-SIX.
Churches Taking Up
Inter-Racial Problems
Stadj Cearses Prepared for Thous
ands of Groups.
Nashville, Tenn., August. (Spe
cial).—What many consider the most
hopeful development in the realm
of race relations in America is the
fact that all the great Protestant
denominations, with a membership
of nearly thirty millions, are uniting
in the study of the problem with the
view of finding a Christian solution.
The Federal Council of Churches
has appointed a commission on the
Church and Inter-Racial Relations,
which is actively at work seeking to
promote the cooperation of all church
groups in the effort to bring about
better conditions. In addition, the
question will be studied this year tin
many thousands of missionary groups
and study classes, with an aggregate
membership running probably into
millions. To this end the Missionary
Education Movement, the Council of
Women for Home Missions and the
Central Committee for Mission Study
have united in issuing a series of
graded text-books on race relations,
with a number of others recommended
for supplementary work. Most of the
missionary organizations have pro
vided also for the creation in each
local society of, a committee to give
especial attention to this matter.
** It i* significant that nearly all the
text books were prepared by south
erners and that the executive offi
cers of the Federal Council Commis
sion are all southern men, indicating
that the south is leading in the effort
to find a thoroughly Christian basis
for the future relations of the races.
WORLD IS FOLLOWING SOUTH
LAND’S LEAD.
America* Inter-Racial Plan Adopted
m Africa, Commission is Told in
Amal Meeting.
Bine Ridge, N. C., August. (Spe
cial):—That the plan of conference
and cooperation now being worked
out in the south as a means of solving
inter-racial problems is destined to
lead the world in this field was the
statement of Dr. Thomas Jesse
Jones, noted sociologist, before the
annual meeting of the Commission
on Inter-Racial Cooperation, in ses
sion here last week. Dr. Jones, re
cently returned from a trip to En
gland and a tour of Africa, stated
that the greatest interest was every
where expressed in the Commission’s
method of dealing with race rela
tions, and that General Smuts, of
South Africa, on learning about it im
mediately took steps to apply the
method to the acute race problem
faced by the British in South Afri
/ ca.
The meeting of the commission was
• attended by more than fifty out
standing southern leaders, men and
women, and was presided over by
John J. Eagan, of Atlanta, prom
inent manufacturer/ Dr. Will W.
Alexander, director of the Commis
sion, pointed out in the opening ad
dress that it has no program of race
relationships to put over on any sec
tion or community, but that it only
suggests a simple, effective plan by
whieh the best people of each state
or community may solve their
own problems by the method of frank
conference and cooperation.
Reports of state secretaries indi
cated that effective work is being
done in every state in the south but
^ gad in hundreds \of communities,
resulting in better understanding
between the races, Tnoh prevention,
health improvement/ better scl oois.
and safer conditions generally. Wom
en leaders of various great denomi
national and club groups reported
E LAND OF
RAGRAPHIC
MEN AND
-THE GEN,
IHOOL CONI
iftg of the lit
irch. Every
School work
ention, illumi
It was a great
erary lights of the
phase of the Suii
was given specific
ECHOES FROM
THE SKY. —
COMMENTS O
MEASURES, E
ERAL SUNDAY
YENTION.
By Rev. E. M. Argyle, B. D.
' Bishop P. A. Wallace, A. M., D. DPresident of the Connectional
Council meeting this week at Chattanooga.
that a vast deal of work is being
done through these agencies toward
securing better educational, religious
, and home conditions for Negroes.
eating addresses, full of thought,
erudite and replete with evidence of
research and careful preparation, and
every one seemed to be held in enrapt
I
Bishop John W. Wood, retiring President of the Connectional Coun
cil. ■
Dr. J. W. Perry, of Nashville,
Tenn., Home Mission Secretary of the
M. E / Church, South, Prof 1 L. M.
' Favrot, director of > rural schools
(Continued to page 8)
i
attention from the beginning of one
session to another. The harmony oi
expressions on all sides—whilt
something new under the sun—
(Continued to page 8)
HISTORY OF THE' BROWN’S
CHAPEL A. M. E. ZION CHURCH.
A little more than 22 years ago
the A. M. E. Zion mission was
started in the dale. Rev.
Nelson Davis, better known as
Pap Davis visited Myersdale in the
interest of the A. M. E. Zion con
nection and organized a mission,
placing Rev. Robt. Brown as pastor.
At that time we were holding servic
es in the homes. A little later we
rented a planing mill office. Next
we held our services in Brills’ Hall.
From there we moved to the Merrill
building on South Side,. We were
later successful in getting the church
on the South Side until our home
was completed. Rev. Brown, during
his ten years of free and faithful
service, made many attempts to get
the interest of the people centered
in the buying of a piece of property,
on which to build a church. His
struggle was a hard one. After an
unsuccessful attempt to buy a lot
from the late Dr. Meyer, a delegate
was sent to conference in the person
of Miss Emily Scott. The aid of the
annual conference was spontaneous
and $175.00 was obtained. Rev.
Brown bore all expenses of the con
ference trip. At - lcist the way was
clear to buy the long needed lot,
which was purchased from Oliver
Keys, of Bedford, for $135.00.
The ground was cleared by Mr.
William Thomas, who led and in
d the volunteer church workers
voidable expenses; Mrfc. Arthur Scott
solicited among the community and
received $50.00 from Mr. John
Hocking. This was in the fall of
1901.
The following year ,on May 5>,
1902, the Rev. McIntosh, of Bedford,
Pa., preached the dedication sermon,
Miss Nannie Hickman, of Scotsdale.
presiding at thei organ. Many of that
memorable choir are still Sin Jthei
dale.
__3
AltCl lllC tumpiC V/iuu aim
of the church Rev. Brown resigned
and was succeeded by Rev. Trimble,
the first appointee assigned by the
annual conference, his salary being
fixed at $25 per month. Our first
trustee board was composed of Mr.
D. R. Shepard, A. Scott, S. C.
Sprigg, Joe Ford, J. W. Johnson
and Wm. Scott. The first steward
ess board included Mrs. James Scott,
Josephine Shepard, Annie Capjiitol,
Mrs. Wm. Thomas and Lizzie Keys.
The work of those noble women will
always be a monument of Christian
endeavor. '**' .
Under the administration of Rev.
Trimble the membership of the church
had a notable increase, and'grew in
confidence and regard of the? con
ference. This is shown by the fact
that Meyersdale was chosen as the
seat of the annual Sabbath School
convention, which was held at Reich’s
Hall. During the same year the Mey
ersdale church received its first visit
by a bishop in the person of Rt.
Rev. J. IL Small. During the1 same
pastorate the church was served by
the following presiding elders: Revs.
Pringle, Randolph and Kell.
, An outstanding feature of Rev.
Pringle’s pastorate was the enthu
siastic co-operation he enjoyed at
the hands of the members of this
church, especially in connection with
the completion of the new building.
In this connection the sdcierty of
Willing Wqpkers placed the bell in
the tower, concrete steps being do
nated by the same organization. Two
young women of the church, Misses
Emily Scott and Rosa Allen, gath
ered the funds for the purchase of
«.' < itinued to page 8)
f ■
The Senate Judiciary
Committee Reports
Dyer Bill Favorably
The final step before debate and
a vote on the Dyer anti-lynching bilf
on the floor of the United States
Senate was taken on July 28 when
Senator Samuel M. Shortrbdge, el
California, filed a favorable majority
report for the judiciary Committee
on the bill, according to a staffement
released today by the National As
sociation for the Advancement of
Colored People through its secretary,
James Weldon Johnson. The report
is an exhaustive one, taking ap as it
does the constitutional objections in
detail and answering each objection.
The bulk of the report is given over
to the report of the House Judiciary
Committee prepared by \l4r. Dyer,
and to briefs on the constitutionality '
of the measure, prepared and sub
mitted by Moorfield Storey, President
of the N. A. (A. C. P. and Herbert
K. Stockton, of New York, of the
firm of Haight, Smith, Griffin and
Deming, and member of the Legal
Committee of the N. A. A. C. P.
The Senate Judiciary Committee
in reporting the bill recommended
one change from the form as passed
by the House. Briefly this change
provides that it shall be charged in
the indictment of persons accused, of
lynching that the state authorities
'lid aot exercise sufficient ^ —
the lynchers. The change great
strengthens the bill and also removes
doubt as to its constitutionality..
In rendering its report the Judi
ciary Committee made the following
strong declaration:
The committee has devoted much
time and earnest thought to th$
consideration of this bill and has
reached the conclusion that as
amended the bill is constitutional
and should pass. That conclusion is
reached by different processes of
reasoning and by reliance on differ
ent provisions of the constitution;
but whatever process of reasoning is
adopted or whatever provisions of
the Constitution are relied on we
hold that the proposed legislation is
“appropriate legislation” to cure or
prevent the evil of lynehing wher
ever in the United States and sub
ject to the jurisdiction thereof that
evil exists or is committed.
White or black “all persons bora
or naturalized in the United States
and subject to the jurisdiction there
of are citizens of the United States,”
and no state may by affirmative, legis
lative, judicial or executive I action, or
by failure, neglect or refusal to act,
deprive any person of life, liberty or
property without due process of law,
or deny to any^oerson within its ju
risdiction the equ^f protection of the
laws. • " jSSB
a careiui ana aispassionate stuey
of the provisions of this biljfc aai
amended will, the committee thinks,
convince Senators that it is “ap
propriate legislation,” within the
competency of Congress to enact, to
safeguard and protect these lights
to life, liberty, and property which
are guaranteed by the Constitution
of the United States. ,
The proposed legislation is not, and
should not be considered, hi any sense
sectional. The evil it is designed to
cure is not confined to any particular
section or state, north or sooth, east
or west. This monstrous evil, which
is a disgrace to the Nation, we should
strive to wipe out by a firm and
just exercise of every legitimate
power conferred upon and residing
(Continued to page
ill