THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OfTHt AFRICAN
NUMBER EIGHT
CHARLOTTE. NORTH CAROIJNA THURSDAY. TOBRt*ART 21. lv*«
tOt.f'MR rtwtt
ROOSEVELT MEMO
RIAL CHURCH HAS
BIG CONVENTIONS.
DR. CORROTHERS KEEPS?
BUSY.
Newark, N. J.^Feb. - 7.-^Tih& In
dependent’ Negro Voters’ Association •
of America has issued a call for the
national convention through its pres
ident, Dr. Sylvester L.- Corrothers,
which will convene At Roosevelt Me-'
morial Zion Temple, 324-6 Washing-'
ton Street, beginning February 12/
Delegates from • practically every
state v in the Union will be at this
meeting. Subjects to be taken up
and > prominently discussed will con
sist of .“The Housing Condition
As 'it Effects- the Negro ’ in
the North,” “Migration and Its Ben
efits, to the Southern Negro Coming’
North,” National Political Situation
As -It'Effects tha Negro ” These sub
jects: will-be discussed by some of
the leading men of the race and prom
inent white men as well. Governor
Alfred E. Smith of New York has
been * invited and has expressed his
willingness to attend, as well as Gov
ernor George S. Silzer of New Jer
sey, Hon. Charles P. G’llen, com
missioner of parks and public ^prop
grtyj Hon. William J. Brennan, di
rector of public safety; Mayor Brie
denbach, Dr. George E. Cannon of
Jersey City, who is a candidate for
delegate-at-large to the national con
vention, and many other notables.
A Courier reporter interviewing the
president as to the political signifi
cance of the meeting Was informed
that the purpose of the Independent
Voters’ Association was to support
men and measures regardless of par
ty affiliations. He also stated that the
local body of independent voters
was solidly behind the candidacy of
Dr. George E- Cannon as delegate
at large and Dr. W. G. Alexander
as alternate. There has been a rumor
going around that men high up in
politics from other parts of the coun
try are coming to the convention
with one purpose in view; that is to
line hp behind the national leader
ship of Dr. S. L». Corrothers, who
has fostered an independent move
ment among the voters of the state
And the union for a number of years?
and'who/i&s alleged, > responsible
for whatever political recognition
the Negrd' in the state of New Jersey
has received so far. A number of po
litical- appointments in the city and
state can be traced to the political
influence of Dr. Corrothers, It is
claimed that no other Negro in pol
itics today can gather around them
the big men of the other race as Cor
rothers can. Special stress has been
put on the splendid work he has done
in putting over the Roosevelt Temple
proposition, a thing that was doomed
a failure by his critics when the pro
ject was begun. Corrothers organized
a citizens committee consisting of
the biggest white men politically in
New Jersey, regardless of party af
filiations and this alone has enabled
hiitfto meet all financial obligations
pertaining to the work. He is con
sidered by many to be the foremost
and most fearless political leader in
the northeast and is practically a
sure fact that' after this convention
Corrothers will be acclaimed National
leader of Negro voters everywhere.
Services at the Roosevelt Memorial
Zion Temple were very inspiring
Sunday. The Rev. Dr. Sylvester L.
Corrothers, oastor of our church,
had for his subject, “The old and new
time religion; which have you?” It
was ably and elegantly discussed by
the Doctor and much comment has
been heard in regard to the sermon
to the street. The temple is growing
more and more popular in the esti
mation of the public because of the
great program of community wort
that Is being carried on there- Bach
day large numbers of Unemployed
men find their way to the temple
where hot meals are served them
free of all charge and where the So
cial Service Bureau secures employ
ment for them. When this work was
begun it was financed wholly by l)r.
Corrothers and a few other members
of the temple congregation, but now
since seemingly it is a permanent un
dertaking, .wgich has attracted the
attention ' of. the general public, con
tributions .from different sources have
begun to come in thus relieving those
that started the work of some of the
expense. At. this community cep ter
tljere is no discrimination. Food and
clothing, thus been given both white
and black. Each day from ten to hf
teen down and ouut whites find their
way to the temple where they may
get the Bame treatment as the color
ed. -
NO NEGRO PROBLEM.
♦
By L Garland Penn.
Boston, Mass., Feb.—>- (For The
Associated. Negro Press) On the an
niversary of Lincoln’s birthday the
school of religiohs education and
social service of Boston University,
as well as the students of the uni
versity heard Dr. I. Garland Penn,
Cincinnati, Ohio, corresponding /sec
retary of the Board of Education for
Negroes, of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, deliver an address, “L'ncoln
and the Negro’’ and “The Fruits of
Fifty-six Years in the Education of
the Negro.”
Concerning ‘‘Lincoln and the Ne
gro” Dr. Penn said in part: “Mr.
Lincoln showed great statesmanship
in putting more emphasis upon sav
ing the Union rather than freeing
the slave since the emancipation of
the slave was to be a result of the
saving of the Union. There could be
no union with slavery.
I “Lynchings,’ said he, ‘‘and the vio
lation of any of the amendments to
1 the Constitution constitute a great
national disgrace now recognized by
theJ&est of citizens of the North and
South. It is not so much a question
of who is lynched, or who violates
i the law, whether it be an individual
i or a section of the country: The big
! question is shall Amer'ca be disgrac
! ed with disregard for constitutional
; law? We might well emanate the ex
j ample of Mr. Lincoln and put the
| emphasis upon Americanism and re
spect for law, which would take care
of subsidiary questions.
‘‘There also grew out of Mr. Lin
coln’s leadership the emancipation of
the slave which made possible the
transfer of Negroes from liabilities to
assets. At emancipation there was
(Continued to page 8)
METHODS OF
CHURCH WORK.
RESERVATIONS FOR
I SPECIAL EFFORTS FOR
SOUL SAVING.
By James P. Foote.
■’ In my judgment it is a fine thing
when it can be done to have one
room set apart in the church parson
age so that persons seeking spirit
ual advice might come and get in
structions from the minister. Just
one room to be exclusively used-for
the advancement of the Kingdom.
Like a lawyer or physician, have cer
tain hours for persons seeking infor
mation.
In my plans for my church work
I set apart two months in a year
(March ahd November) for protract
ed meetings with a view to the in
gathering of souls. That means that
no recitals, concerts or> entertain
ment of any kind under the auspices
of any board or club shall be held
during that period. It has proven
that such efforts are rewarded rich
ly by our Master.
Revivals or protracted meetings
(Continued to page 8)
AN OBSERVER’S
VIEW.
BISHOP CLDKNTS DIS
TRICT LEADS IN CHUBCH
BUILDING.
Rer. H. T.IWM.
Bishop* Goo. C. CImmM earn net
only bo styled •• Ml apoatla of
cation la Zion. Hit Bplpeopal DMrhl
under his adm’alattntan has aeon the
foundaton and ^mtipnal at the
Johnson High School la MWelsMppl
and the building of the madam and
commodious Boys* Dormitory at At
kinson College, Mtgssaffih, Ky At
'each of these schaals anpmeedensed
sums of money hsvt tag mlsed hy
the community eenstltaoney thrsnah
his leadership.
Bishop Clemenfi planeer and
slonary spirit shams 9 the flneet ad
vantage as he lends Ms tame lath*
ence and Bp'eeapM snppert la thus eh
buying and building. Nat In aeration
the magnificent aaaam|llsbmeat« at
Cleve’nnd. Ohio, and Chattaaaesa,
Tenn. at eeri er dates, srtthtn the
pest year he has hsaa called ggen te
dedicate nine seedy eeastmrted
churches on hf« dlitlhl at the Who
In* points: Colemhaa sad Mesa'Non.
Ohio. New Kens'agtaa. and Ceraopo
lls. Pa.: Drakeshem. Rorkport end
NortonvlMe. Ky.. Ptaaatnta City.
Tenn-, and P"pe. Mins. Brerr e«h
ference ore- r h'ch he pvnsldes desire*
the honor, and Hein of h's none and
nmerrsslve leadership through an
other quadrerntum. Irrsepoetise at
where any re-ervanfiMaat May tanve
the conference. If*J& In psisd front
the district not a few of hie pnetovn
and presiding elders express e deter
mination to follow, and serre with
him in new lields.
Young CsmidatM.
t* is noticeable now. that sb^*il
tight tenths of the asn'ranta for Bpls
ceoal resnonslbi’ity are what wa ***•
ally class as “young men** In the
Church. Seeing so many of them
aspiring to the bishopi'c, one »e led
to ask. what will be the results If
several of them are elected? Here
we can only forecast the future by
the nast. A retrr^pect over the past
of the A. M. E. Zion Church will
show she has never suffered by elec
tion of voung ageress’ve men: soim
would hold thgt the oppos te is true
in several cases.
Limited Rr>ece and knowledge forbid
our going into an .extended review as
to the age at which several of our
bishops were elected. I hear them
speak of the youthfulness of the la
mented J. J. Clinton when chosen.
They say that Alexander Walters and
Oeo. Wiley Clinton came to that sta
tion when very young. I remember
in 1912. four years prior to his elec
tion, wh?n Geo. C- Clement was
running, ihe Board of Bishops were
caBed ppcn to decide if a man in his
fortieth year was eligible. The Clin
tons, andJ Walters were churchmen,
race advdcates, and epoch makers of
national'fame end influence, and
Bishop Clement is rapidly traveling
where these “saints have trod.” Many
Said at Louisville that L. W. Kyies
was being elected too young in years,
and too/ limited in experience, but
after oily eight years, nobody says
that noy.
We ale not overlooking the fine
work accomplished and that is being
accomplished by bishops elected at a
more mfture age, but only the matter
of thosejwhose youthfuluess was ques
tioned f in consideration now. It
seems great injustice t^ both the
individ al and the denomination to
w ork i s sons in. organizing, church
build:m, preaching and soul saving
until hi ilth gives away, or until they
have pssed the acme of usefulness;
until tley have come to that age
I'hen m nkind looks backward, rath
ir than forward, until they are no
longer progressive and aggressive,
and thin throw upon their well worn
PASSING OfSDtVA
tect tfeat a prifir wK*tiH mmM
mat l| fowl at tft* lift* ft N ftp
W« warm busy nMn •! at am
at tb* MM-rwr tofttorst* ft ft* ft*M '
h*r* tft* in* Wednesday la Fftftfi
ary w* bop* to m**t am T*r*—t—ary
obilgatoos la fall, (tear* aft*th*r tor
Bridgeport, Coo*.)
Now, to lay friends scattered all |
over tft* cooo*ctloa, frofti aakbaot |
California to rock-fto«ftd Mato*, aai
from mighty Michigan to groeft-clad
Florida; to tar grand old Church to
general and to the General Confer
ence powers that be. In particular,
may I say again that I bar* cast my
hat in the ring and that your earnest
consideration is solicited.
i Continued on page S)
VIEWING THE CANDI
DATES.
THE OFFICES.
By Rev. G. W. Maize.
v The Hendersonville District is ft
part of the Blue Ridge conference.
It is made up of thirty-five churches
and miss'ons and seventeen pastors.
Most of them are real lovers of our
Zion, and are Striving against odds
to carry the banner to the highest
peak.
Notwithstanding the exodus of
our people from this section of tlfe
mountains, the few remaining are
faithful and cheerful givers.
We lost by fire the fine church
built at Rutherfordton last year by
(hose faithful members and friends
led by the Rev. E. F. Strong.
It will doubtless be rebuilt in the
very near future.
Our friends are appealed to, to as
sist us in the undertaking.
Send the donation to Rev. E. M.
strong, or Mr. W. C. Bryant, Ruth
erfordton, N. C. The brethren are
now preparing for the convocation as
per the Bishop's schedule.
Each of the district officers is put-'
ting new life into their department,
(Continued to page 6)
FLASHES FROM MT.
KENTUCKY. H
I
-Mr? tv
tton Say what jnm will « an. •
•n anagMito te thle imh «fcw*| ’•
of ottr» "Ui «" Hof ear frwlwt— 4 *
; to think for wfceace ni^Hlkr •
OodV sake loavr the oM fcrttfcw M *
home you iapfoo>d‘ to lm kerted,
bat loft the hudte itlcktw oat "Mi *
U*’* stop Ion* enough to pet lafott* ' 4
er on men lid measures. Mt tko 1
proper men bb idfocttld or at bait
those who possess the aMI!ty anil the '*
proper meA for elevation. •
If Is understood that there will be *
four* men elevated to*dpfscopel Hon- %
on. We are not together as ide *
shduld be, this near die‘General Coo* "
ference.
Bisjiop J. S- Caldwell, our aenlpr
Bishop, has a great vision of get
together. The matters must be law*.
fully and rightfully thrashed out, .if "
we are to do any good- Railroading; ^
! steam rolling will not put over our
program, neither concocted ptuns
w’U, but lawfully and rightly they ^
will work through the conference
sometimes, but when facing the field
we all see how they worh.
Let us profit by our mistakes. “Let -
us” elect men not because they hare, *
! but because they can and will. We *
I need to look ahead and not behind. ,
| Men often fail to repeal themselves. a
! We do not elevate men to build
churches and put on big rallies, yet
it is well to soma extent to speak off ♦
their labors, and notice it for -what •
they have been able to do. "Let
us” not eleyate men to; the; bishopric
as rewards for service; no! thrice •*
no. We must elevate men who are a
prepared and able from every angle
to supervise and steet the <dd ship of
Zion upon stormy seas, for, . there
lies above-ns icebergs and sat&njp sub
marines .
(9 «M 9% pmtHBueo}