The Africo - American
Presbyterian.
Established in 1879.
consolidated with
THE SOUTHERN EVANGELIST.
RpvTH. L McCROREY. D. D., LL. D.,
Editor.
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Rpv. C. P. PITCHFORD.
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THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 19*28
A PECULIAR COINCIDENCE
IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
Henry Olney in the National
Republic calls attention to the
fact that beginning with the
year 1840 every President of the
United States elected each suc
ceeding twenty years, has died in
office, namely, William Henry
Harrison, Abraham Lincoln,
James A. Garfield, William Mc
Kinley and Warren G. Harding.
While the unusual coincidence is
no proof that the man elected
to the Presidency of the United
States in 1940, the begining of
the next twenty year period,
will die in office, it is neverthe
less calculated to arouse a bit
of curiosity in the minds of
many regarding the President
elected at that time, not to the
extent, however, as to cause a
dearth . of candidates for the
presidential chair.
HONOR DR. MATTHEW AN
DERSON.
April 17th Memorial services
were held in Philadelphia for the
late Dr. Matthew Anderson,
founder of the Berean institu
tions of that city—the Berean
church, the Berean school and
the Berean Building & Loan As
sociation. Mr. Arthur Huff
Fauset presided. Among those
who met to do honor to the la
mented founder were Dr. John
R. Logan, Attorney Raymond
P. Alexander, Rev. Robt. S. Jack
son, Dr. John Grant Newman,
Dr. H. K. Heebner, Mrs. G. E.
Dickerson, Dr. Walter B. Green
way, Miss H. Frances Jones, Dr.
N. F. Mossell, Dr. Edward Yates
Hill, and Dr. John W. Lee.
This week the Alpha Phi Al
pha College fraternity is con
ducting its annual Go-to-High
School-Go-to-College Campaign
throughout the country. In fur
therance of this movement, the
fraternity chapter of Johnson C.
Smith University will render an
educational program Sunday
evening at Seventh Street Pres
byterian church.
Commissioners and others in
terested should read carefully
Dr. I. H. Russell’s letter in re
gard to transportation to the
General Assembly and act
promptly.
NOTICE.
Catawba Presbyterial will
convene in Seventh Street Pres
byterian church, Charlotte, N.
C., 8:00 P. M., May 10th, 1928.
All persons planning to attend
this meeting will please notify
Mrs. Z. Alexander, 415 E. Stone
wall Street, Charlotte.
A WORTHY RECOGNITION
AN ADDRESS BY DR. H. B. TAYLOR PUT IN THE CON
GRESSIONAL RECORD.
The insertion in the Congres
| sional Record of an address
made by the Rev. Halley B.
| Taylor, D. D., an alumnus of
Johnson C. Smith University,
and pastor of the Fifteenth
Street Presbyterian church,
Washington, D. C., at the fun
eral of Aaron Russell, who had,
been an employee of the House
of Representatives for 58 years,
was a signal recognition of the
merits of the address which was
couched in choice English and
peculiarly fitted to the occasion.
The address which follows
speaks for itself:
Dr. Taylor’s Address
“When Joseph had caused his
father, Jacob, to be brought
down into the land of Egypt dur
ing the days of the great famine,
recorded in the Book of Genesis,
he led him into the presence of
the then-reigning Pharaoh in
order that the father might
meet the monarch in whose
sight he had found so great fa
vor, and that the monarch might
behold the father whose off
spring had saved from death
both himself and his people.
“While they thus confronted
each other Pharaoh, manifesting
a kindly interest in the old man
before him, asked the friendly
question, “How old art thou?”
And the patriarch, mindful of
the everfasting covenant made
by the Almighty with Abraham,
Isaac and himself, made answer
in these significant words, “The
days of the years of my pil
grimage are an hundred and
thirty years.” Jacob, in thus re.
plying, enunciated a hope that is
easily understood by us, but the
universal applicability of the
truth inferred too often escapes
our serious consideration be
cause of the insistent character
of the demands made upon us
by the conditions of modem life.
“In speaking of the days of
pilgrimage he acknowledged
himself a pilgrim. For 130
years he had. been journeying,
Changing times and scenes and
conditions had convinced him
that he had not permanent
dwelling place. He saw himself
a traveling stranger with no
hope of perfect rest ^until he
had at last entered the blessed
confines of the Land of Prom
“We, like Jacob, should bear
in mind that we, one and all,
are but pilgrims; that we have
here no continuing city and that
each dawning day finds us still
strangers, ever passing through
the world, revealing our real
spiritual worth to our fellow
tavelers by our responses to the
things that touch our lives and
by our constant endeavor to
bring forth as realities the
dreams that stir our souls.
‘Thought of, then, in the
light of the foregoing facts,
what manner of man was this
our departed brother, Aaron
Russell, whose still form before
us proclaims the end of his pil
grimage ?
“Mr. Aaron Russell during the
days of his pilgrimage saw the
coming and going of 87 years.
For 67 years he was cheered on
the way by the wife of his
youth, who less than four
months ago preceded him to
the better world. To-day their
children, responsible and re
spected members of society,
unitedly lift their voices in grate
ful praise to him because of un
flagging faithfulness to his fam
ily. Men covet the plaudits of
the multitude, the encomiums of
the eloquent, and the distin
guished marks of honor received
at the hands of the mighty; but
we believe that in the light of
truth all such testimonials pale
into insignificance when com
pared with the simple tribute,
flowing from the hearts and lips
of sons and daughters, testifying
to the faithfulness of a parent
who dealt kindly and lovingly
with those in his power within
the sacred precincts of his home,
away from the sight of men.
“These children reverently
pay such a tribute to their fath
er, and we would urge you who
hear, that as pilgrims you seek
to cultivate the confidence^ and
love of those nearest you in or
der that they may sing your
praises 'when your day is done,
even as these find pleasure in
declaring the fidelity of their
father, our brother, to his fam
ily.
“Through another set of ac
tions we get a glimpse of the
real Aaron Russell and realize
that to a most remarkable de
gree he was generous to his
friends. There is a studied and
ostentatious generosity often
shown by men who evidently in
tend that it shall inure to their
immediate benefit or serve to fa
cilitate the progress of their
plans in the near future; but, in
the generosity of our departed
brother, no such ends could have
been had in mind. While yet of
a sound and alert mind, he called
his son and ordered the produc
tion and destruction of all his
personal papers that had to
do with the material indebted
ness of his friends to him in
order that discomfiture might
not befall them because of his
departure. Certainly this was a
most remarkable demonstration
of unalloyed generosity. As a
pilgrim he set the example tl\at
teaches that in passing on our
way we should strew the path
way over which our fellows
must follow with the gladsome
flowers of kindness instead of
the pricking thorns of anguish.
His decision harmonized with
the petition, ‘Forgive us our
debts as we forgive our debt
ors.’
“By the hasty judgment of
casual friends Aaron Russell
was characterized as pugnacious,
but to the eyes of sympathetic
friends his so-called pugnacity
stood discovered as a fixed
principle to stand firmly by his
honest convictions. What
seemed to have been a fault we
must regard as a virtue. Instead
of condemning him for his ob
stinacy we should pray God that
all of us might be more deter
mined to stand stubbornly by
our heart’s convictions, yielding
only to the clear voices of reas
on, justice, and truth.
“If Americans would stand
firmly by their convictions as to
tne undeniable meaning of our
Constitution for which these
Stall, and Stripes stand instead
of the existing turmoil, misery,
and woe which afflict our land^
we should see our country con
verted into a veritable paradise
within the space of a year. May
we so li^ that men may say of
each of us that during the days
of our pilgrimage we were ever
willing to go down with the
things in which we believed. We
should praise our brother for his
positive teaching of so salutary
a lesson.
“How did this pilgrim respond
to the call to cooperate in ren
dering service with and for his
fellowmen ?
“We are informed in the brief
sketch of his life, as just read,
that he entered the service of
our Government in 1861, and
that he served continuously,
faithfully, and efficiently until
his retirement a Very short time
ago. The very1 fact that he ren
dered cheerful service for three
score years without noteworthy
advancement or hope of signifi
cant promotion reveals him as a
man of rare parts. To look for
a generation upon the procession
of men moving from stations of
inferiority to stations of supe
riority, and frequently helping
them from posts below to posts
him, and to realize that
the accident of color was the ef
rtttive barrier against his own
advancement, notwithstanding
his merit and efficiency, and
continue to render cheerful ser
vice, must convince us that this
man was a prince in the midst
of his nominal superiors if pa
tient endurance be counted a
virtue.
“In our scramble to pay hom
age to men made great by men
we often thoughtlessly trample
upon men made great by God. I
personally believe that there is
not a village or hamlet that has
not this year laid away among
its dead a man who, according
to his real merit in the sight of
God, was worth more than the
most widely known political po
tentate in our public life. So do
we believe that this pilgrim was
one of nature’s noblemen and
that in enduring patiently and
loyally such conditions as would
have provoked others to rebel
lion he evinced a spirit that well
might rebuke the impatient, and
ennoble, through genuine humil
ity, the proud.
me most important thing
that we can say on this occasion
with reference to pilgrim Aaron
Russell is that, like Jacob of old,
he knew the God of his fathers
and for nearly 50 years tried
to follow His Son Jesus Christ.
For nearly a half century he
was a member of the" Fifteenth
Street Prebyterian church and
for many years served efficiently
in official capacity. Because of
physical disabilities he had not
been able to take an active part
in the work of the church since
my arrival upon the field, but
his abiding interest in the
church and its affairs manifested
itself upon our meeting togeth
er in his home. Here in his
room we have often lifted up our
voices together in prayer. When
his weakened physical condition
compelled him to deny himself
the company of his friends,
upon the advice of his physi
cian, he had it distinctly under
stood that the restriction must
not apply to his minister.
“How unwise we should be to
proceed farther with breathless
uncertainty on our journey, to
go gropingly into the midst of
the imminent dangers that each
new hour disposes about our
pathway; to risk plunging into
the chasm of unutterable disas
ter along the brink of which we
ignorantly walk; to jeopardize,
by an ill-timed step, both our
temporal well-being and our eter
nal happiness, when stretched
out toward us is the hand of the
infinite God who guarantees us
safe conduct if we are but will
ing to acknowledge our own need
and accept His proffered aid.
May we wisely own that we are
pilgrims, and trust in thevguid
ance of Him who sent us forth
upon our journey and who will
lead us safely through life,
through death and into the land
of promise without the loss of a
single faithful follower.
“His pilgrimage is over. He
was faithful to his family; gen
erous in dealing with his friends;
firm in his convictions; faithful
and patient in his duties; and
loyal to his church and to the
cause of his Lord, the Christ.
Our pilgrimage is yet to end.
May we bless our fellow men
through following our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ, and enter
at last into our eternal home,
the fatherland of our souls.”
TRIBUTE TO REV. FULLER.
Rev. L. H. Fuller, our beloved
shepherd and pastor, who had
been with us so many years,
departed this life, April 17. He
was an honorarble, worthwhile
Christian gentlman. It will be
hard to fill his place. He was
loved by the community. Our
hearts are in deep grief over the
loss of our esteemed pastor. No
one knows the silent heart
aches; only those who have lost
can tell of the grief that is
borne in silence for the one we
loved so well. We shall long
remember him for the work he
did.
MRS. MAGGIE McLEAN.
First Presbyterian church,
Vineland, N. C.
LUCIUS B. COOPER.
We have received a copy of
the program of the closing exer
cises of the Lodabar Union
School at New Zion, S. C., Prof.
Lucius B. Cooper, Principal. The
exercises ran through three
days—April 15, 16 and 17— and
provided both indoor and outdoor
features. The annual sermon
was preached by the Rev. J. B.
Brogdon, of Manning, and the
annual literary address was de
livered by Rev. W. F. Bruton,
of Winnsboro. Prof. Cooper
is well remembered for his va
rious activities while a student
at Johnson C. Smith University.
He is a veteran of the Spanish
American War and saw service
in the Philippine Islands. He
takes great pride in this fact.
We are therefore especially in
terested to note that one of the
attractions listed in the closing
exercises of his school was an
“outdoor military show.”
REV. J. P. FOSTER RESIGNS.
-- " ■■*;*£*'
The affairs of Sumler Second
Presbyterian curch have about
reached the point of a complete
adjustment. Because of the
dissatisfaction which arose be
tween the congregation and the
pastor, Rev. J. P. Foster ten
dered his resignation to the
Presbytery of Fairfield at its
meeting in Winnnsboro, S. C.,
March 28th, 1928. The official
dissolution services of the
pastor’s and church’s relation
ship was held in Sumter Second
Presbyterian church on Sunday
A. M., April 15th, despite the
inclement weather.
The committee appointed by
the Presbytery to conduct these
services was on hand at the ap
pointed hour. The committee
was composed of three very ef
ficientjninisters, namely^Drs. I.
D. Davis, G. W. Long and G. T.
Dillard. On account of other
pressing ecclesiastical business
Dr. Dillard was not present.
After the usual preliminary
service Dr. Long took his text
which was found in the 14th
chapter and the 13th verse of
Exodus, “And the Lord said
unto Moses, Wherefore criest
thou unto me? speak unto the
children of Israel that they go
forward.” He preached a very
instructive and uplifting ser
mon.
Our pulpit having been de
clared vacant, the elders, under
the direction of Presbytery,
have begun to look for a pastor.
Realizing the importance of the
work, we, the eiders of this
church, are begging God for His
guidance and ffking all connect
ed therewith to continue to pray
with us that we may be success
ful in getting the right man for
the work. We are ready to
march to the command of the
text, “Go forward.”
A. R. DONNELLY,
Clerk of Session.
Sumter, S. C.
CHICAGO ALUMNI CHAPTER
HOLDS MONTHLY MEET
ING.
The monthly meeting of the
local chapter of Alumni and
former students of Johnson C.
Smith (formerly Biddle) Uni
versity met, April 15th, at the
residence of the Rev. 0. W.
Wingfield, 4600 Vincennes Ave.
The chapter concerned itself
with some vital issues pertaining
to the welfare and uplift of its
members and the furtherance of
its Alma Mater. Dr. L. A. Hay
wood, successful dentist here in
Chicago, and Attorney L. H.
Brewer, of Gary, Indiana, con
nected with the chapter at this
meeting. These are staunch and
successful Alumni and the chap
ter is further prestiged by their
presence. They both expressed
the satisfaction that is theirs
in uniting with the boys of this
group.
After the completion of the
routine 'business on the chap
ter’s docket for the evening, the
chapter was delightfully enter
tained in the serving of delicious
cakes and punch by Mrs. Wing
field and sister, Miss Walls.
Prof. Liston expressed in beau
tiful words, on behalf of the
members of the chapter, appre
ciation to Rev. and Mrs. Wing
field and sister for the fine hos
pitality and enjoyable evening
at their home.
Visitors present were Prof,
Sims of the city, and Mr. Lind
say, of Jamica, W. I. These
gentlemen were accorded seats
as corresponding members and
gave very fine remarks to the
body. Rev. Mr. Prince, Presi
dent and founder, expressed
very happily the great spirit
possessing the motives and ac
tions of the chapter and the
great opportunity for the accom
plishment of constructive deeds
for the chapter. The chapter
adjourned with prayer by its
chaplain, Rev. A. E. Sephas, tc
meet May 20th, at the residence
of the Vice-President, Dr. Har
old S. Partee.
The chapter is still anxious tc
, have all alumni and former stu
dents in Chicago or vicinity tc
ally, themselves with this organ
ization, and those who are plan
ning to visit the city should
make it known by dropping the
Secretary, Dr. Joseph M. Moore,
4703 Indiana Avenue, a card,
1 that you may be welcomed.
Tulsa, Okla., May 24, 1928.
Commissioners to the General
Assembly, Presbyterian Church,
U. S. A.
Dear brethren: Knowing that
you will no doubt attend the
above General Assembly and
that you will want the very best
conveniences and accommoda
tions on the trip, and that we
will all have better service and
a better trip by going in a body
to this Assembly, I am writing
to ask you to accept the invi
tation of the Southern Railway
and the Frisco Lines, which
have agreed to give us a through
sleeping car from Charlotte,
leaving on Southern Railway
train No. 35 at 10:3d P. M., May
19, arriving Atlanta at 5:20 A.
M. , May 20; leaving Atlanta at
7 :10 A. M., May 20, arriving
Birmingham 12:10 P. M., South
ern Railway; leaving Birming
ham 12:30 P. M., via Frisco
Lines, and arriving at Tulsa at
1:50 P. M., May 21.
Parties leaving Raleigh at
3:30 P. M., and Durham at 4:20
P. M., will arrive at Greensboro
at 6:20 P. M., connecting there
with train No. 35, which will
pick up the sleeper at Charlotte.
Delegates from Virginia can
board the train at Danville at
6:00 P. M., and delegates from
Greensboro can board the train
at Greensboro at 7:22 P. M.
This route gives us the very
best possible way to go to Tulsa,
and the very best of trains, and
this through sleeping car will
run from Charlotte to Tulsa
without change of cars. As you
know it will be necessary for us
all to travel together in order
to get this through sleeping car.
The Pullman fare for lower
berth from Charlotte through to ,
Tulsa will be $13.50; upper,
$10.80, and two people can occu- J
py either of the berths for the /
price of one. I will be very glad f
indeed if you win, mini n *** m
H. Graham. Division "Passenger
Agent of the Southern Railway,
237 West Trade St., Charlotte,
N. C., what Pullman reserva
tions will be desired, bearing in
mind that this must be done
promptly so that Mr. Graham
will have sufficient time to order
the Pullman car and get it to
Charlotte for our accommoda
tion.
Yours very truly,
I. H. RUSSELL.
Durham, N. C., April 21.
NOTICE—CATAWBA PRES
BYTERIAL.
At a recent meeting of the
Executive Committee of the Ca
tawba Presbyterial Society it
was decided to hold the Annual
meeting at Seventh St. church,
Charlotte, May 10th and 11th,
1928.
The meeting will be opened at
8 o’clock, Thursday night, and
will close Friday afternoon.
Two reasons are. given for the
change. First, Catawba Presby
terial is the only one holding its
Annual Meeting in the Summer,
when it is impossible to have
anyone from the Woman’s Board
to meet with it.
Just at this period of our de
velopment into a stronger and
more efficient organization, it
will be very helpful for us to
have close personal contact, at
least once a year, with some
member of the Woman’s Board.
Miss Barr, whom we all know, is
to be with us in our meeting this
Spring._^J3he will also visit
churches m > different parts of
our Presbytery, so as to meet
interested groups of our people.
The second reason is: some
think that a presentation of the
year’s work to the members of
the Presbyterial Society, as a
unit, at the beginning of the
fiscal year, will be an improve
ment upon our former method.
We are asking the full support
and co-operation of each and
every society in Catawba Pres
byterial in this forward move
ment in our work.
Any further information con
cerning this change may be ob
tained from the President or
Corresponding Secretary.
MRS. M. G. DAVIS, President.
MRS. P. W. RUSSELL, Cor. Sec.