The Africo - American
Presbyterian,
Established in 1879.
CONSOLIDATED WITH
THE SOUTHERN EVANGELIST.
Rev. H. L. McCROREY, D. D.. LL. D.,
Editor.
W. E. HILL, Associate Editor.
Rev. C. P. PITCHPORD,
Business Manager.
Devoted to the Educational, Mace'
rial, Moral and Religious interests
of our people in the South, and puo*
lished at Charlotte. N. C., 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 end from the Gb^tb
at large. There is carefully seh*:.
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
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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—t' whom a
'iberai commission will Ik yaid.
Send all money by ’ . O. Money
Order, Registered Letter or Bank
Check, otherwise ir might ?et lost
and the sender alon* wi’l be respon
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Entereu at the Postoffice at Char
iotte, N. C., as second class matter.
NEGROES SEEKING BUS
LINE ACCOMMODATIONS.
It is not wise for those work
in? to secure for the Negroes
of this country equal rights as
American citizens to attempt
more things at one time than
can receive the necessary
thought and attention for their
accomplishment. It is far better
to tackle at a time only one or
toy* things, and concentrate, all
aSRfcfar; onrilteslb -uhtil they |re
carried to' a finish, if possible,
before undertaking others, than
to undertake so many things at
once that no one of them can re
ceive the time and attention ne
cessary for its accomplishment.
In other words, concentrated ef
forts are necessary for effective
results. Such has been the pro
cedure of the North Carolina In
terracial Commission for the
past six months in dealing with
efforts to secure for colored peo
ple accommodations on the es
tablished bus lines of the State.
The matter, after having been
tested in several ways, will now
be carried to the courts. The
following dispatch to The Char
lotte Observer of February 7th
summarizes the situation:
“Raleigh, Feb. 6.—The North
Carolina Commission for Inter
racial Co-operation will go to the
courts to determine the Negro’s
right to ride on the established
motor bus lines, following the
refusal of the State Corporation
Commission to pass upon the
question on the ground that it
was without jurisdiction.
“L. R. Varser, of Lumberton,
former justice of the Supreme
Court and attorney for the
Transportation Committee of
the Inter-racial Commission, to
day wrote the Corporation Com
mission asking it to set forth its
position in an order so that an
appeal might -be taken to the
courts.
“The move to obtain accommo
dation for Negroes on the, es
tablished bus lines, now catering
exclusively to whites, was first
made by the Inter-racial Com
mission when it met here a few
weeks ago and directed Judge
Varser to head a committee to
bring the matter to the atten
tion of the Corporation Commis
sion, which has control of bus
traffic.
“A formal complans was filed
with the State body, petitoning
it to declare the bus lines com
mon carriers, a classification
that would compel ;them to pro
vide accommodations for Ne
groes.
“The Corporation Commission,
however, took the positon that
it was without jurisdiction, set
ting Jforth:that common carrier!
designation was a legislative
master and that the legislature,
in providmg for the regulation
of the bus lines, had not' estab
lished them as such.
“Judge Varser, making a reply
to that ruling today, registered
disagreement and, asking for
the formal order, announced
that the courts would be called
upon to decide.
“The courts will be primarily
asked to say whether the Cor
poration Commission has juris
diction, but the issues will be so
framed, it was indicated, that
the question of the bus lines as
common carriers will also be de
cided.
“Eighty-one bus lines operat
ing in the State are expected to
be made defendants in the ac
tion.”
A NEW GYMNASIUM FOR
JOHNSON C. SMITH UNI
VERSITY.
' The foundation for the erec
tion of a gymnasium at Johnson
C. Smith University is now being
laid. The building which is to
be modern in every respect and
fully equipped was made possi
ble through the generosity of
Mrs. Johnson C. Smith. The
gymnasium will ‘be the seventh
building erected by Mrs. Smith
at Johnson C. Smith University
during the past seven years.
The hearts of the faculty, stu
dents and friends of Johnson C.
Smith University go out in grat
itude to Mrs. Smith for her abid
ing interest in the Institution.
DR. JAMES H. SPEER IN
charlotte.
The first of three meetings for
the promotion of our Church
work in the South was held at
Johnson C. Smith University in
Charlotte, Tuesday at 12 o’clock.
The two other meetings were
held Wednesday and Thursday
in Columbia and Raleigh. At
this time we can speak only of
the Charlotte meeting. Dr. Jas.
H. Spear, Chairman of the
General Council of the Church,
and :Dr., juewis S. :M«dg3, were
3chechilrffe|pjNlf^fitfti Wh place,
but,' o^igltirnme?§,’' t)r. Mudge
could not fill his engagements,
much to the regret of many who
know of his work as Stated
Clerk of the General Assembly
in which position he is the di
rector of a large part of the bus
iness of the Church.
But Dr. Speer was present
and was greeted warmly by a
l?rge audience composed of the
faculty and students of Smith
University and Presbyterian
ministers and laymen and others
from Charlotte and nearby
towns. President McCrorey wel
comed Dr. Speer on behalf of the
University, expressing his great
pleasure at having him there,
and then introduced Dr. C. J.
Baker, who, in a happy speech,
presented Dr. Speer to the au
dience.
Dr. Speer addressed his re
marks particularly to the stu
dents as he was expecting to
meet the workers at a later
hour. He warned the students
against being self-centered; He
said some one has observed that
the man who is wrapped up in
himself makes a very small pack
age. He reminded the students
that the way they do things now
will determine largely the way
they will be able to do them in
the years to come. Men often
live to regret the time wasted in
school. He told the story of a
little boy who got through the
elementary school by dishonest
practices and who was a mental
cripple ever afterward.
Following this address lunch
eon was served all the visitors
in the dining hall of the Univer
sityi
After dimer Dr. Speer met a
number of minsters, elders and
other workers in a Conference
on the benevolence plan and the
every member canvass. Much
good is expected to result from
the exchange of views on meth
ods of collecting Church finance
and other problems.! Dr. C. J.
Baker presided at this confer
ence.
The Seventh Street Guild
Missionary Society will meet’
with Mrs. Rosa Goodwin at her
home, 514 S. Myers Street,
Thursday evening.
No one can ever visit Haines
Normal and Industrial Institute
without being wonderfully im
pressed. Further, no one can
3peak of Haines without being
equally impressed with its
founder* Miss Lucy Laney.
Haines and Miss Laney are syn
oncmous terms. Miss Laney and
Haines have a history that is
worthy of research by any his
tory or sociology class. For
forty-two years these two have
been making a record which is
known far and near, not because
of the novelty of a woman being
at the head of the school, but
rather because of its work and
worth to the hundreds of young
men and women who have been
fortunate to come under the in
fluence of this great and good
woman. We have been im
pressed with the simplicity of
Miss Laney, but behind all of
this simplicity, one can readily
3ee firmness, ability, efficiency
ard a high degree of Christian
character. During the Work
ers’ Conference last week Miss
Laney proved her noted versa
tility. From an efficient domes
tic she became a charming hos
tess with her cultured entertain^
ment; and moving from this
beautiful strait, she became the
eloquent orator commanding at
tention and interest from all
who heard her speak. is
needless to say that the Ideals
of this noted woman permeate
both faculty and student^
Miss Laney has been our sub
ject in three addresses at dif
ferent schools this week iii' the
observing of Negro History
Week.
Boggs and Haines Quintettes
rendered fine singing, but it was
left to the Quartette composed
of girls from Coulter Academy
to carry off the laurels of the
occasion -r- laurels deservedly
won and of which nobody disa'
grees. These girls literally sang
themselves into the hearts of
the members of the Conference,
Too much praise cannot be giv
en to their very efficient music
teacher, Miss Williams, * who
showed ' her efficiency the
training of her quartette. Of
course, Dr. and Mrs. Long were
all smiles. They had a reason
to smile, and smile they did. In
fact we all smiled in apprecia
tion of their entertainment.
Coulter Academy will, no doubt,
rea^p many benefits from the
singing of its splendid quartette.
From expressions many of the
single members of the Confer
erce and schools were more im
pressed with the good looks of
the Quartette than over their
singing.
Woman’s night at the Confer
ence was highly entertaining.
Mrs. A. A. Jones, another1 pion
eer in the work, was leaded. She
told of many interesting things
which happened years ago when
missionary societies had their
beginning. Mention was tnade
by her of . how traveling was
done in the early days, to reach
he place where the Presbyte
rial meetings were held. From
the hors’e and buggy is a long
way to present day travel by
train and automobile, and in the
future, she added, “possibly by
airplane.” That possibility will
in the end be a reality. Mr.
Henry Ford will flood the coun
try with “flivver” airplanes just
as he has done with flivver cars,
in that event everybody can
rife who wishes to by air. Au
tomobiles will still be in exist
ence but to the coming genera
tions they will be too slow.
It's a constant source of
pleasure to hear of the instruc
tors at Johnson C. Smith Uni
versity getting their higher de
flrrees. Profs. T. A. Long and
S. H. Adams have thus been
honored and all Smith men are
proud.
Technicalities in deliberating
bodies often clog up the pro
ceedings of those bodies so chal
lenged, but they do not estab
lish any law that proves the
guilt or inriocency of an individ
ual. A clear conscience of doing
right or of having done right is
above all technicalities or points
of law. Too often General As
semblies, Synods, Presbyteries
and Sessions are face to face
with _. _
which, iff often barred and
dered by * technicalities
points of law which breed
engender more strife and. dis
sension. The two most absorb
ing things before the General
Assembly are the Princeton
Theological Seminary affair,
and the matter of the Virgin
Birth, etc., in some of the
Northern Presbyteries. Techni
calities bar the solution of some
of them. To a lesser degree,
mapy Synods and Presbyteries
hive problems on their hands to
which law, only, and not tech
n'calities, need to be applied.
Stumbling over matters is often
not from a lack of information
by any means, but more fre
quently because of sheer stub
bornness.
Rev. J. H. Toatley, of Due
West, S. C., seems to have
things well in hand on his field.
Rev. Mr. Toatley has the tact of
interesting the faculty and stu
dents over at Erskine College in
h m and his enterprises. He goes
to them for what he wants,
whether it is for the use of their
auditorium or for a speaker and
he is always accommodated.
That is diplomacy, so-called.
Well, it is common sense, too,
so named and is. The fine ex
perience which Rev. Mr. Toatley
received at Quogue, N. Y., serves
him a good stead in his present
work. Quogue has been a great
place in whch to get experience.
The writer knows, because he
spent a summer there, too, and
can testify to the same. Rev.
Mr. Toatley serves with credit
his Presbytery as Stated Clerk.
Along by his side is Mrs. Toat
ley, who efficiently helps him in
all of his work.
We met another old friend
from South Carolina while- geft-1
ting around last week. Our
friend of whom we speak is Dr.
J. M. Miller, Dr. Miller had the
dbtincton of being called “Big
Miller” while in college. In
size he is big and in heart he is
more so. He was every fellow’s
friend in college. Genial unto
this day he measures up to the
requirements of his work.
Rev. «L-L. Phelps^D^^D., jof
Keysville, Ga., and Principal !of
Boggs Academy, read a paper on
“Industrial Education.” The
paper was distinctly in the
“Phelpsonian” style, witty and
Humorous and loaded with plen
ty of common sense. During his
day in college he was known as
“Peter, the Onlooker” when
writing about the never-to-lbe
f crgotten debate of that time be
tween Biddle and Livingstone.
Dr. Phelps has possibly organ
ized more churches than any one
man of his day and time in his
Presbytery and possibly serves
more. He has the oversight of
as many as five.
Mrs. A. B. Snively proved
herself a pleasing and ready
speaker at the Conference. In
all of her utterances, she
made it clear that she knew of
what things she spoke. Our
General Secretary, Dr. J. M.
Gaston, has always been popu
lar since he has been i ft the
work. The conference did itself
honor by having a picture made
of him and Mrs. Larimer, with
orovision that one be made of
Mrs. Snively and the late Dr.
Cowan.
Shall we have an honor roll or
shall we not have one? is the
question that is being agitated.
This late in the season it is a
misnomer. Some gatherings
say, let it be so. Rev. A. A.
Hector, of Richmond; Va., says,
“Be gone with it,” quoting him
ndirectly. Well, let’s pay up, if
we can. Incidentally, we shall
get on the honor roll. Within
ourselves, if we have done our
best and fail to complete our
quota, it won’t affect us wheth
er we are on or off. Let us pull
for it, anyway.
Prof. J. W. Seabrook, Vice
i Principal of the State Normal
School of Fayetteville, N. C., is
well established as an educator.
Prof. Seabrook is the son of a
minister. He has a fine back
ground for his education in both
school and church. Born a
Presbyterian by faith, he still
remains a strong churchman
„ By Rev. W. R. Mayberry,
President Alumni Assoc'ation.
I believe it was my good friend
a id teacher, Dr. Yorke Jones,
who made the statement in the
presence of Mrs. Smith during
her first visit to Johnson C.
Smith University, that she had
bought a baby. Since that vis
it. and that statement was
made, I have noticed the care
Mrs. Smith has taken of the
University and have concluded
that Dr. Jones was right.
I believe no mother can have
any more love for her own flesh
and blood than Mrs: Smith has
for our great University. I do
not know anything about evolu
tion and I do not try to find
out much about it ; but if evolu
tion means a big change, that
is just what has happened to
Old Biddle. Many new and ex
pensive i, buildings have been
greeted, the campus improved
and our faculty increased. I; .try
not to be surprised at anything
[ bear these days, but I was
quite surprised the other day
when some one told me Mrs.
Smith had given the baby an
other needful article in the form
of a gymnasium. Rah! Rah l
I am sure the Alumni and
friends of the University are
thankful for the generosity of
this God-sent woman, but we
should not allow the gifts of
Mrs. Smith blind our eyes to
our personal responsibility. A
mother always appreciates a pair
of shoes or some article as a
manifestation of the great love
we sometimes say we have for
;;he child. As Johnson C. Smith
is Mrs. Smith’s baby and we
boast of our love for this baby,
to show this love, I-£eel that we
as brothers and sons should at
least give the baby a pair of
sho6s>
While the athletic field is a
very small part of bur great
University, considering the val
ue'ole grounds anil buildngs, it
‘s ver^ important within itself.
much appreciate a Stadium as a
lift for the baby. This project
has been started since early last
Fell, and many have responded
by cash-and subscriptions.
Mr. Pearson, a loyal alumnus
and member of the Athletic
Board of Control, of Johnson C.
Smith University, together with
your humble servant, has
worked hard and spent his own
personal funds in advertising
this worthy project, v^ith the
hope long ere this of seeing
something started. To date our
cash and subscriptions amount
o something less than a thou
sand dollars, a little less than
are-tenth of the desired amount.
I am especially appealing to
the Alumni. Are we satisfied to
'et this worthy project stop? As
President of the largest organ
ization of our school, !l don’t
feel that I shall have the cour
age to face the boys at the next
re union unless we have done
something definite for our Alma
Mater.
We are thanking all who have
contributed to this cause and
trust others will catch the spirit
and do likewise.
BLANDONIA CHURCH
NOTES, SANFORD.
By Mrs. N. L. Crumpton
Rev. McMillan preached a
strong spiritual sermon on Sun
day morning, February 5. His
subject was, “The Christian
World,” based upon St. Luke
16th chapter and the latter
clause of the 8th verse, and
Philippians 3:20.
He brought out in a very
-Miring manner how the men
of the underworld are organized
even in Sanford and Lee County,
the great grip they have upon
our boys and girls, continually
throwing evil influences around
them, and of how they finally
bring them to degradation and
sfhame. causing parents’s hearts
to bleed. He said the Christian
world must bestir themselves as
never before; that the weak
kneed Christians, who are afraid
to star'd up for the right cannot
fight this battle. We must take
the strong weapon of prayer
and march forward as a mighty
phalanx fighting against sin and
banner class
People's and
Dr. M. J.
Bern, is in
called to the
bedside of her mother, Mrs.
Charleston, who had to undergo
an operation. She is reported as
getting along nicely.
The pew rally given by the
M.ssionary Society on the 4th
Sunday in January was a splen
did success. More than $30.00
was realized. We are planning
a union program by the differ
ent missionary societies of the
town on the 4th Sunday in Feb
ruary. Pray for our continued
success.
SECOND PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH, OXFORD, PA.
By Crville R, Waite
The young men of Oxford
passed a delightful evening on.
January 19th at the Second
church. The trustees erf the
church gave a reception to the
young men and quite a large
number was present. Professor
Walter Wright, of Lincoln Uni
versity, delivered a very appro
priate address, stressing one of
the important points in life. His
subject was “What Are We Here
For?” The point was well devel
opend, conclusions being drawn
from Prof. Wright’s various
fields of appreciation and trav
el- ';r‘
We were also favored by brief
talks from Rev. Edward Robin
son, the pastor of the church,
pd Bex. W
__ . L Jacobs, of Allen
After this the entire body,as
sembled in the basement. Of the
church where a most delightful
repast was served. ;
I feel that I can speak, for the
group to the extent that every
), e was pleased with the speak
ers and hope that it will be our
good fortune to listen to such
worthy men again.
On the 6th of February sev
eral young men met at the home
of trustee Monroe Jones and or
ganized themselves into a club
known as “The Young Men’s So
cial Club.’’ This club will meet
every Monday evening at 8:00
o’clock. The last Monday eve
ning in the month will be used
for a social reception. The offi
cers are as follows:
President, Monroe Jones.
Secretary, John R. Grant.
Treasurer, Earl E. Gray.
The Ministers’ Aid . Society,
which is composed of the lead
ers of the church, is one of the
most active societies in the
church. In the month of No
vember they closed a rally with
more than $600. They have just
put a heater in the church that
cost something over $200 and
are now having some repair
work done to the basement of
the churich.
On the 10th of February they
will give their annual turkey
supper. They have already sold
one hundred tickets at 75 cents
each. These will not be enough
as there is a large number of
white people who look forward
to this supper every year.
APPORTIONMENT COMMIT
TEE MEETS.
The Apportionment Commit
tee of the Synod of Catawba met
at Johnson C. Smith University
last Friday to consider the budg
et' for the year 1928-1929. Mem
bers of the Committee who at
tended the meeting tarere Dr.
Clarence Dillard, of Goldsboro;
Dr. J. A. Bonner, of Winston
Salem; Mrs. E. B. Meares, of
Greensboro, and Mrs. Mamie $.
Kendricks,' of South Boston,
Va. Dr. C. J. Baker, District
Secretary, met with the Com
mittee.