lY, JUNE 3, 1926.
VOL. XLVm.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS
(From The General Assembly Daily News.)
(Rev. William Oxley Thomp
son, D. D., LL. D., was elected
Moderator of the 138th General
Assemlby of the Presbyterian
Church in the United States of
America which convened in Bal
timore, Thursday afternoon,
May 27.
The total ballots cast were
917. Dr. Thompson received
535 votes, whiie 882 votes were
cast for Rev. Lapsley A. McAfee,
D. D., LL. D.
; The nominating speech for
/ Dr. Thompson was made by Rev.
Roy E. Va!<0). D., LL. D., of
Oak Park, 1U. Dr. Vale spoke
of Dr. Thompson as represent
ing the Church as a whole. He
said that he-was born in a home
of poverty K%orked his way
through colft&e and seminary, as
a farm hand! ■ as a janitor in col
lege hallo d otherwise.
' Dr. Thu-upson had been a
home missionary for ten years.
For more than 25 years he had
. been President of Ohio State
University, which he had built
up from ^ college in the corn
fields to th sixth largest insti
tution of uigher learning in
America. He had transmitted
his personality through students
into every state and territory.
For six years he had been Pres
ident of the Ohio Sunday -school
Association for eight years
had been President of the Liter
national Sunday-school Associa
tion. He had been a remarkable
pastor, not only in particular
churches, but also over the
young people in the university,
who had totaled over 12,000 the
past'year. He wasnet only a
great Presbyterian preacher, but
he was also a great patriot. He
would fight for the United States
Constitution and for the Prohi
bition Law. There would be no
dodging and no evasion. He was
loyal to the faith. William Jen
nings Bryan had wanted Dr.
Thompson to be a candidate for*
Moderator last year because
Mr. Bryan knew that the Chris
tian gospel would be safe in his
hands.
Dr. Clarence Edward Macart
ney, of Philadelphia, former
Moderator, nominated Dr. Mc
Afee as a candidate for a just
and sacred cause, the preserva
tion of the government and puri
ty of the Presbyterian Church.
Dr. Macartney said that grave
issues confronted the whole
Protestant communion. There
were differences which put the
whole Church as a witnessing
Church in jeopardy. Dr. Mc
Afee stood four-square for the
historic standards and blood
bought doctrines of the Pres
byterian Church. Dr. McAfee
did not represent any coalition
of men whose views were di
vergent and irreconcilable. Dr.
McAfee did not ask for votes
on any basis of compromise. He
was a man of toleration. He had
not brought any buoy knife of
his own, nor had he asked for
the loan'of Dr. Macartney’s. His
father founded Park College, and
his son was a missionary in
China.
me nomination oi or. mciuee
was seconded by Dr. George F.
Sevier of Denver, Col., who
sounded a personal note based
on his warm and long friend
ship.
The seconding speech for Dr.
Thompson wag made by Elder
Edward D Duffield, of South
Orange, N. J., President of the
Prudential Life Insurance Com
pany, Mr. Duffield supported
Dr. Thompson as a national can
didate and as one who would set
the lives of the young poeple
ie This was not a question
logy. There would be no
of the historic stand
Dr. Thompson was a man
liency. Efficiency meant
It needed a man of Dr.
Vs experience and force
to be at the head of an organi
zation as great as the Presbyte
rian Church. Dr. Thompson as
Moderator would aid in the so
lution for which the world was
praying. Under such an admin
istrator the large business of
the Church would progress. He
would correct criticism. As a
business man, said Mr. Duffield,
he urged the election of Dr.
Thompson as tried and proven
for efficiency of administration.
Dr. Thompson would support ab
solutely both the Constitution
of the Presbyterian Church and
the Constitution of the United
States.
j After the vote was announced,
Dr. Thompson was escorted to
the platform by Dr. Vale and
Mr. Duffield.
The retiring Moderator, Dr.
Charles R. Erdman, said that
a year previously a reporter, de
scribing the escorting of Dr.
Erdman to the platform, had
said : “Then the grizzled veteran
was led to the platform.” He
welcomed Dr. Thompson as “a
younger and a stronger and a
better man.”
Dr. Erdman said to Moderator
Thompson that while he “deep
ly regretted the necessity of re
siging this office/’ there was no
man he would raiher transfer it
to than Dr. Thompson. He said
that Dr. Thompson had been
striving through the year to
promote the purity, unity, peace
and progress of the Church, He
knew that the Moderatorship
was safe in the hands of a Unit
adopted by us.” He knew also'
that the Church was safe in the
hands of a man who had a sense
oi numor ana wno was aosoiuie
ly loyal to the standards of the
Church. In conclusion, Dr. Erd
man said to Dr. Thompson:
“Your election is a sign of pro
gress, because you have been
elected to succeed me.”
In accepting the gavel from
Dr. Erdman, Moderator Thomp
son congratulated Dr. Erdman
and the Church on the splendid
leadership of the past year. He
said that it would be many a
long year before any Moderator
would parallel the splendid spir
it and achievements of Modera
tor Erdman.
Moderator Thompson said
that more than 40 years ago as
a Presbyterian preacher he took
the vows to support the purity
and peace of the Church. He
had never violated his vows, and
before God he never would. He
said: “I am an unquestioned
Presbyterian, whatever that
may be.” He said that he had
been true to the standards, and
he now took new testimony and
a solemn covenant to stand true
to the historic Presbyterianism
represented by this Assembly.
Moderator Thompson pledged
the same kind of obedience to
the Constitution of the United
States as to the Church of
Christ. As he took office his
first official utterance was to
proclaim to the world sympathy
with and support of the Eight
eenth Amendment and the Vol
stead Act for its enforcement.
At this the Commissioners'
sprang to their feet and with
much cheering and waving of
handkerchiefs gave Moderator
Thompson an ovation.
Dr. George W. Fender, of Tex
arkana, Texas, Moderator of the
Permanent Judicial Commission,
reported that the Commission
had been in session since Wed
nesday t May 26, at 10 A. M.,
with a* full attendance.
National Board Helps to Finance
"242 Buildings
Rev. David G. Wylie, D. D., of
the Board of National Missions
of the Presbyterian Church in
the U. S. A., gives the following
report in regard to building op
erations of the Board:
During .the past year the
Board of National Missions has
assisted in financing the building
of 242 churches, manses, chap
els and community houses in the
United States, Alaska, Guba and
Porto Rico, by grants, loans
without interest^ and loans with
interest. Grants were made for
the building of 70 churches and
manses, aggregating $127,94$?
grants were made for the build
ing of 91 churches aggregating
$169t900; and loans with inter
est to 48 churches aggregating
$303,500, a total of $712,971.
The Board is aided in its work
by the revolving loan funds,
which are loaned to churches us
ually for 10 years, sometimes
without interest and sometimes
with interest, and when re
turned are again loaned out to
other churches.
In addition to this, Dr. Wylie
said, buildings have been erect-,
ed for carrying forward work
among colored people, and for
the school and hospital work
conducted by the Division of
Schools and Hospitals of the,
National Board. In addition to
this, the Department of Build
ing Fund Campaigns has secured
between $3,000,000 and $4,000,
000 for the erection of new
church edifices.
Including the work done the
past year, the Presbyterian
Church, through its established
agencies, has aided in the past
80 years in assisting to finance
between 12,000 and 13,000
church edifices, chapels and!
manses. -
The headquarters of . the
TSidllions are at 15^~l?ifth, New
York, N. Y.
Increase for Year In Member
ship and Contributions.
Rev. C. H. Weber, statistician
of the General Council, from
preliminary reports from 91 per
cent, of the churches, gives the
following estimated figures for
the year 1925-1926.
Membership increased from
1,873 859 to 1,910,000.
Additions on confession—
last year, 107,691; this year,
110,000.
Sunday school enrollment,
about the same as last year.
Contributions to all purposes,
including self-support and mis
sionary and benevolent objects:
increase from $57,382,988 last
year to $61,000,000 this year—
between three and four million
dollars.
Contributions toward congre
gational expenses, increase from
forty-one million dollars last
year to forty-four millions this
year.
Benevolent and missionary
contributions, including miscel
laneous, an increase of three
and a quarter million dollars
over last year.
New Treasurer For Board of
National Missions.
At this General Assembly the
Board of National Missions in
troduces its new Treasurer, Rev.
E. Graham Wilson. Mr. Wilson
came to the Board in February
from the West Side Y. M. C. A.
New York City, where he had
been since his graduation from
Hartford Theological Seminary
in 1910, first as Director of Re
ligious Work and then as Execu
tive Secretary.
He brings to the office of
Treasurer an experienced lead
ership not only in dealing with
men, but also in financing the
work of a large organization
both in connection with the West
Side Branch and the Internation
al Committee in the nation-wide
campaigns. For his services
during the war, Lafayette, his
alma mater, conferred the de
gree of M. *A. upon him. Mr.
Wilson is a member of the Pres
bytery of Westchester, New
York.
THE WHY OF STATE PRO
GRESS
But after all neither natural
advantages nor wise leadership
accounts for North Carolina’s
growth. The credit must go
largely to the “get-together
spirit of a people 99 per cent
native bom. The average Tar
peel owns his little farm, ‘‘lives
t home and boards at the same
North Carolina’s devel
opment is the triumph of a vig
orous middle class. The State
er had the aristocratic tra
fcions of either Virginia or South
Carolina. To be sure, it had its
planter class, the members of
which cherished their escutch
eons and family trees as the Vir
ginia and South Carolina gran
dees cherished theirs; but this
favored company never estab
lished itself so firmly in a holy
bf holies as its blood brethren
to the north and south. It was
closer to the ground, and when
the big smash came the aura
*hich had surrounded it was dis.
lipated more quickly.
| The more complete dominance
|of an upper class in Virginia had
||s advantage. It was favorable
to leisure for a privileged few,
i$nd that leisure in turn was fa
vorable to the growth of culture.
jNo unbiased observer of the life
bf these two neighbors, no stu
dent of their history, can fail
to find that North Carolina has
been behind Virginia in polish,
In the amenities of intercourse,
jand in devotion to things liter
ary and artistic.
The lesser gap between high
and low in North Carolina in
ante-bellum days has been re
id in a greater readiness to
l&tauiie new ideas,.aJaclc ptreyr
erence for old allegiances and
preconceptions. True, the dead"
hand of the past seemed to have
as firm a grip here as elsewhere
in the first quarter of a century
after Appomattox, but more re
cent events have proved that
this was not so...........
While South Carolina and
Georgia have been worshipping
at the altars of such gods as
Blease and Tom Watson, North
Carolina has been heeding the
advice of Aycock, Mclver, Al
derman, and others with a pas
sion for real democracy and
democratic eduction.—Robert
W. Winston in These United
States.
SESQUFS SPECTACULAR
OPENING
Philadelphia, Pa., May 26.—
Everywhere on the Exposition
grounds you will see Negroes at
work, from laborers to contrac
tors. The scene presents a huge
bee hive with every one execut
ing all his man-power to get the
grounds and buildings in shape
for the grand opening on June
1st. All races, creeds and col
ors are employed in the prep
aration to celebrate the 160th
anniversary of the birth of inde
pendence.
Conventions Coming
The Afro-American League
of America which will convene
here August 10th-18th inclusive
is to be one of the greatest meet
ings of the race. Questions of
interest will be discussed by
prominent men and women of
the country. It is planned to en
tertain the Association of Negro
Musicians from July 27th-29th
inclusive and the National Med
ical Association from August
23rd-August 27th inclusive. The
National Negro Press Associa
tion will bring here men and wo
men representing at least one
hundred and ten Negro newspa
pers. All of the latest art in
newscraft will be displayed. Au
thors and writers of note will
visit the exposition while the
works of our historical writers
will be seen among the educa
tional exhibit. The State Fed
eration of Colored Women’s
Clubs will be held July 12th-19th
inclusive.
Negroes In AD Choral Features
Besides having their own Folk
Songs, choruses and Hiawatha
the race will appear with other
groups in all the festival cho
ruses. Franklin W. Hoxter>
chairman, of the Committee on
ifusic, has been assured of the
learty cooperation of Sesqui of
ficials to this end.
Rooms For AD
The housing commission un
ier the direction of John Till
man has secured ample accom
modations for visitors. Special
jare is being exercised to select
good homes where protection
and comfort are first considered.
A RECORD WORTH WHILE
(From The Detroit Indepen
dent)
The annual report of the N.
A. A. C, P. just issued ©y the
New York office is one that
should inspire new hope and
courage in every Negro heart.
The Association is achieving
real tangible results, and in the
face of heavy odds and, air times,
much unjust criticism, it is slow
ly but surely pushing forward in
its fight for the advancement and
protection of our group. Through
the masterly skill of its officials
and legal representatives,
backed by the steadily increas
ing support of the masses of our
people, the N. A. A. C. P. is dai
iy naramenng ana 11 win go on
until the last barrier is battered
down.
The direct work and activity
of the Association for 1925, as
stated in the report, dealt with
the following questions: Segre
gation, Legal Defense, Lynch
ing, Disfranchisement, Discrim
ination» .-Release of former mem
bers of the 24th Infantry, Mis
cellaneous Cases, the Annual
Conference, Organization Fi
nances, Branch Organization,
Publicity, Cultural and artistic
development of the Negro.
The Association has among its
field representatives some of the
most gifted and scholarly lead
ers of the race, also noted white
representatives; including R.
W. Bagnall, Wm. Pickens, Wal
ter White, J. W. Johnson, H. J.
Seligman. Mary W. Ovington,
and others. These representa
tives addressed a total of 488
meetings during the year, visit
ed 31 States, and covered a total
mileage of 79, 403 miles. Twen
ty new branches were organized
and eight revived. Surely this
is a splendid record of achieve
ment.
The cynical query, “What has
the N. A. A. C. P. done?” is be
ing changed into the proud ac
clamation: “What the N. A. A.
C. P. has done!” Since the As
sociation has achieved so much
during the past year with lim
ited funds and membership of
not more than 100,000 persons,
its friends rejoice and its oppo
nents tremble to think how
much more it will achieve when
its financial strength increases
and its membership is multiplied
into a million.
Three cheers for the N. A. A.
C. P. and the cause it cham
pions! The Independent hopes
the time may soon come when
the Association will reach the
million mark in money and in
membership.
FIGHT PROVINCIAL SAV
AGERY.
(From The Kansas City Call,
Kansas City, Mo.)
Residential segregation has
come to Kansas City. Actual
segregation has long been a
condition here, but at last there
is a case in the courts in which
the power of the State is sought
in support of private contract
restricting property against Ne
gro ownership and occupation.
Now, what is Kansas City going
to do about it?
It is characteristic of our
group that we learn late, very
late. We see foresight in others,
but for ourselves we trust to
luck. Dr. Sweet, who is being
tried because he defended his
Detroit home against a mob, at
the time was not not a member
of the organization which has
enlisted Clarence Darrow in his
defense, and which has raised
money everywhere to see that
the case is fought to the last
ditch. And you whose home is
now being jeopardized by this
case in the Circuit Court, are
not a member either! Only six
hundred members of the Na
tional Association for the Ad
vancement of Colored People in
Kansas City, is proof that the
forty thousand of us here are
sooner or later going to be ask
ing the Association to safe
guard rights though we are too
stingy and too foolish to help
ourselves. We Negroes in Kan
sas City have little to boast of
so long as we neglect the one
proved agent of our uplift.
There will come a day when
we of Kansas City will have to
give our money, hundreds of dol
lars of it at a time, for the de
fense of our homes. Too bad
we do not have foresight' now
and give a dollar for the growth
of the Association so that in
time its publicity will educate
the American people out of their
provincial savagery.
ARKADELPHIA ACADEMY.
Although several weeks have
elapsed since the closing exer
cises of Arkadelphia Academy,
yet we do not think it is too late
to make mention of them add
the good work the school has
done.
The exercises were
‘-Mt
pared and well delivered orations
by members of the eighth grade
we had the high privilege of ad
dressing the members of said
grade. Each speaker reflected
credit on the training which was
received from the late Dr. Feim
ster, together with the training
received from his co-tachers,
sag*
who continued the work after
his death, with Mrs. Feimster
as the head.
To listen to the speakers
would make any one conclude
that a man’s work lives after
him. Dr. W. D. Feaster has
gone to his reward, but his work
speaks in the life and character
of the young people who came
in touch with him while he
lived. .
The school in this part of the
moral vineyard stands as a
monument of the good work ■
which has been done in the last
twenty years by Dr. Feaster.
May the good work be contin
ued ; and the beacon light which
is shining, shine brighter in fu
ture years. This can be done by
the school having at its head
another man of vision and abil
ity to carry it on to higher
heights of service, and we do not
doubt that such a man can be
found; for God has a Joshua in
reserve always to carry on his
good work begun. It is His will
that the march to Canaan be
completed. The Jordan must be
crossed, the walls of Jericho
must fall, the dty must be tak
en, and the promised land must
be possessed.
Hence, He will give this man
a vision of His glory and power
and purity and will. Also, He
will give him seraphic zeal(
touch his lips with the live coal)
as it were, and fit him for the
great work which is awaiting
him.
The patrons and friends of
the school are hoping that the
good work will be continued.
This was manifested by the large
attendance at the school closing,
and the interest they expressed.
The school facilities are good.
The President’s cottage was
built just before the death of
Dr. Feaster, with modern con
veniences, also there is a dormi
tory for boys, and one for girls >
(Continued on page 4)