North Carolina Newspapers

THE WEST AFRICAN MISSION CONFERENCE By Rev. J. W. Holley, D. D. (Dr Holley and Hon. Charles W. Williams are the Negro mem. bers of the delegation appointed to represent the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. at the Missionary Conference that was held at Leopoldville, Belgian Congo, Africa, beginning Au gust 15th. Dr. Holley has fa vored this paper with several letters covering his experiences and observations preparatory to leaxing~ this country and after his embarkation, and we shall give our readers one of the let ters weekly until all have been published. We are sure these letters will be of absorbing in terest to all who are interested in mission work in Africa and in the future of that continent.— Editor). Letter I I have been asked to send a few letters concerning our trip, so here goes the first. The initial trip concerning a trip of this nature is to secure a passport which is issued by the State Department at Wash ington. Special visas for the country you wish to visit must also be secured. When I crossed the Atlantic in 1913 the matter of securing a passport was so simple that 1 do not even recall my method of procedure to se cure one or what became of it. When I applied for this one trou. ble began and 1 have since won dered how Marcus Garvey would evfer have been able to secure passports for the twelve million Negroes he wishes to take to his followers to use the kind he used on his return to his native land. Our greatest difficulty was in securing' a birth certificate. But when I came into the world no certificate was granted to my parents nor was any special mention made of my arrival. Therefore, it was necessary for me to get two prominent men to swear to the fact that they had known me for twenty-five years and that I was of American par entage, and with _ affidavits to this effect I went to the State Department at Washington and in a few hours the passport was issued. It was necessary to go to New York to secure visas from the agents of all the for eign governments in whose ter ritory I wished to travel. After two days of hard work we suc ceeded in getting visas for Eng land and English possessions, France and French Possessions and Liberia. But the most im portant and most difficult of all to secure was the visa for Bel gium and the Belgian Congo. These papers were not secured until the very last moment even though Dr. Henri Anet, of Belgi um, had been written long be fore and asked to secure these most needed papers. Dr. Anet told me that the government was very reluctant to grant Negroes from America pass ports for the Belgian Congo. Dr. Anet finally made the govern ment realize that delegates to the West African Conference were not of the Marcus Garvey type. The Hon. Chas. W. Williams, of New York, joined us in New York on the morning of August 15th and by noon Friday, Au gust 16th, we were ready to sail. The ship was scheduled to sail at 1 A. M., August 17th. At 1:15 A. M., the liner weighed anchor and set sail for the trip across the Atlantic, the first lap of the eleven thousand miles to Leopoldville, Congo. The trip across was unevent ful, and, on the whole, very pleasant. Our steamer, the Lapland, is a well appointed ship and has a displacement of 18,500 tons and is one of the largest and most popular ships of Red Star Line. There were scarcely 200 passengers aboard as it was out of season. The Purser told us that the same ship was booked to carry nearly 2,000 passengers on its return trip. We arrived in Antwerp at 11 o’clock on the morning of August 20th after making p stop at Ply. mouth, England, and Cherbourg, France. The afternoon in An twerp was spent in purchasing supplies for the tropics which consisted of cotton suits, hel mets, leggins, mosquito nets, mosquito boots and a large sup ply of quinine. The time re mained after having made our purchases was spent in sight seeing. Antwerp is a beautiful city and one of the largest ship ping points in the world. It' will be remembered that the Ger mans took Antwerp early in the world war and held it for four years. The visitor to Belgium is greatly impressed, first of all, with the politeness and courtesy of the people. This especially noticed in the stores. Every clerk seems more than eager to serve you and they never seem to tire of saying as you pass (along “Sil vons plait, messieur,” (If you please, Mr.) If a pur chase is made again the shop girl smiles most graciously and says when handing the purchaser his purchase, “Sil vous plait, mes sieur, merci.” (If you please, Mr., I thank you.) The greatest de ference is shown to women in private as wejl as in public life. ' Th* visitor ts also impressed with the amount of drinking among the people. All over the entire city there are to be found blocks and blocks of saloons. In front of practically every store in the business section are to be found beer gardens with men and women drinking far in to the night. We can scarcely enter a hotel, for these numerous tables almost block one’s pas sage. The man who does not order drinks at his meals is re garded as a curiosity. When a person sees so much drinking he feels very thankful that he lives in a country where the liquor trade has been abolished. And here is hopnig that Hoover and the prohibition forces will win a decisive victory in America this fall, and that the day will soon come when prohibition will be as fully realized indeed as it is in name. GIVING By Frank L. Hammer Most of us have the wrong perspective on giving. We look at it from the wrong angle. We consider it a painful or disagree able duty that must at times be done. We consider it a nuisance and we do not want too many demands made upon us. The joy of doing without, so a needy soul may be clothed and fed, is a pleasure known to few. Giving helps no one as much as the giver. The balance is by no means equal. Immediately we feel a sense of upliftment and the kind thoughts of the person helped, hover about us as a halo of protection and love. We should consider giving a privilege and not a duty. We should be grateful to have the opportunity of rendering service, not expect to be thanked when we have helped ourselves to a higher understanding of life and its duties. In the final analysis there is no sacrifice; nothing is ever lost. The bread cast upon the waters does return many fold. When we leave this earth all we take with us is what we (Continued on page 4) THE SYNOD OF ATLANTIC By Rev. W. L. Metz, D. D. Stated Clerk ... i - The Synod of Atlantic con vened in its fifty-ninth annual session with Carmel Presbyteri an church, Cheser, S. C., Octo ber 24, at 7:30 P. M., the open ing sermon having been preached by retiring Moderator Rev. Os car M. McAdams from Malachi 3:6 and Hebrews 13:8. The theme of his scholarly discourse was “The Unchanging Father, Son and Spirit.” The sermon was scriptural, profound, and showed evidence of careful and scholarly research, and was de livered without the slightest difficulty of speech and gesticu lations. Pursuant to the sermon^ the Synod was constituted with prayer by Rev. Dr. G. T. Dillard; and after other business follow ing this item of business, the Rev. S. H. Scott, of John’s Island, S. C., was chosen Mod erator; and after a brief discus sion Rev. John H. Toatley, of Due West, S. C., was elected to the office of Permanent Clerk, having served in the capacity of temporary clerk since October, 1926. Words of welcome were ex tended to the Synod by His Hon or, Mayor Carter, of Chester; having been introduced by Pas tor Rev. J. W. Manoney. His words of welcome to Atlantic Synod in behalf of the city of Chester were delivered in a man. ner that was pleasing and in a spirit of sympathy, co-operation, of hope for better things arid of repudiation of “the idea that the Negro cannot rise above a hew riT wood and dwrtter of wa ter.” After an offering of twenty dollars, Synod closed its opening session with prayer by Rev. W. L. Metz. Thursday Morning Session, Oct. 25th. Rev. S. Q. Mitchell, Chairman of the Board of Pension Plan, made a brief, though a compre hensive report; and pending its recommendations, Rev. Dr. Lockwood, representative of the Pension Plan, and who was in troduced by Rev. Mitchell, spoke with emphasis to the report and related the status of the Board of Pensions and how it works. The report of the Board of National Missions was made through its Chairman, Rev. Geo. T. Dillard, D. D. During the continuance of this report, Rev. Samuel T. Redd spoke on the Division of Missions for Colored People. Dr. J. M. Gaston spoke at length on the work and needs of the Board of National Mis sions. Rev. W. R. Booth, a represen tative of the Publication De partment under the Board of Christian Education, was intro duced. He spoke in the interest of this Department and was fol lowed by Dr. A. B. McCoy. Thursday Evening Session Thursday evening was given over for the Women’s Synodical. At 8 o’clock the attention of the Synod and of an attractive and interested audience was attract ed by an opening part of the popular meeting by the young people in a pageant under the direction of Miss Helen Jones. After this pageant, the Presi dent, Mrs. Mary E. Jones, took charge of the meeting and in troduced Mrs. T. W. Mitchell, a returned missionary to Hunan, China. Mrs. Mitchell spoke with interest of the people and existing conditions in China. Mrs. H. L. McCrorey spoke in terestingly of a greater and larg. er work of the Church yet to be accomplished and our part in its consummation. Friday Morning Session Permission was granted the Presbyteries of Fairfield, Knox and McClelland to hold briel Meetings on the floor of the Synod. Dr. I; D. Davis, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Mis sions, submitted his report, Which was comprehensive but brief. Pending the adoption of the, recommendations of this re port, Rev. J. F. Miller, D. D., Representative of the Board of Foreign Missions, was intro duced and spoke on missions in Africa. Drs. Long, Frasier and Redd spoke on African Missions. • Report of the Committee on Program and Field Activities #as made through its chairman, Dr. G. W, Long. To this report the Presbyterial chairmen of the different Presbyteries of Atlan tic Synod spoke and reminded the Synod of the obligations resting upon it to carry out the entire program of the Church. The hour having arrived for memorial services, Rev. A. A. Jones, Chairman of the Commit, tpe bn Necrology, conducted fit ting services in memory of Revs. W. R. Coles, D. D., Elias Gar den, E. W. Williams, D. D., J. As Tillman, D. D„ and David S. Collier, D. D., our comrades in the cause, who have fallen in the rugged and upward march since the meeting of the last Synod. Rev. John H. Toatley spoke of the life and work of Rev. Dr. Coles; Rev. J. R. Pearson, D. D., spoke of Rev. Elias Garden as one of the first colored Presbyte rian ministers, who labored in Charleston and was born in ^parleston. Dr. I. D. Davis ‘fftefre'BFlefly of theHfeandwor k of Dr. Jacob A. Tillman, who succeeded Dr. Davis when Dr. Davis resigned our church at Winnsboro, S. C., and took charge of our large congrega tion, Goodwill, in Sumter Coun ty, S. C., over a third of a cen tury ago. Dr. H. L. McCrorey spoke of his classmate, Dr David S. Col lier, a pious, dean Christian and most earnest gentleman of the old school. Dr. A. B. McCoy spoke of the life of Dr. Emory Williams. Following the memorial ser vices Revs. T. A. Thompson and E. J. Gregg, D. D., took charge of the Holy Communion. The elders assisting were Prof. A. P. Butler and Elders J. B. Brewer, M. C. Brown and E. D. Belton. Friday Afternoon Session Through Rev. W. T. Frasier, D. D., the report of the Com mittee on Christian Education was submitteed, the Chairman, Dr. J. W. Holley, being absent. Corresponding Members. Wednesday night the follow ing were introduced and accord ed seats of corresponding mem bers: Revs. R. L. Moore and N. Bell, of Catawba Synod; Rev. P. A. Flack, of East Tennessee Synod; Revs. W. M. Byrd and J. W. Black, of the A. M. E. Zion Conference of South Carolina; and Revs. T. F. Sims, G. A. Pratt, and W. L. Baxter, of Sandy River Baptist Associa tion. Thursday morning the fol lowing were introduced and ac corded seats of corresponding members: Rev. W. P. Lockwood, D. D., of the Synod of Indiana, and Rev. W. R. Booth, D. D., of the Synod of Illinois; Rev. J. M. Gaston, D. D., LL. D., of the Synod of Pennsylvania, and Rev. J. F. Miller, D. D., of the Synod of -Kentucky. Thursday afternoon the fol lowing were introduced and ac ceded seats of corrensponding nlunbers: Revs. R. P. Wyche DA\D., H. L. McCrorey, D. D. LL D., P. W. Russell, D. D. c7u. Shute, D. D., L. B. West D. lix, W. R. Mayberry, J. H Ward, A. H. Erince and 0. E Sanders, of Catawba Synod. Drs Wyche and McCrorey made briei remarks touching the interest of the work. A fine spirit of benevolence was exhibited Thursday night at the Women’s Popular mutiny when, through simple appeals, the Synod and visiting friends contributed fifty-three dollars to the women’s work. On Friday night at the Men’s Popular meeting, Dr. A. B. Mc Coy said in his practical address that the colored people a*»d white people are held together by Christian principles lived up to; and Dr. McCrorey said, in speaking of Christian Educa tion, that education does not account for success for any pace without moral and spiritual val ues. Dr. J. F. Miller spoke of the crisis in the Church. He was followed by Dr. G. W. Long, who spoke and emphasized the Church’s program. Thus closed one of the most interesting, most largely at tended meetings as witnessed by some older members who have been taking note of things pertaining to Atlantic Synod for thirty years. On to St. Augustine, Fla., the fourth Wednesday in October, 1929. Brother Cooper will have to wake up and stretch every nerve and press With vigor on if he thinks she can even equal Rev. Manoney and his people at Chester in entertaining our Synod next October. A crowd is planning to be with Brother Cooper. Notes Seeing the laudable efforts that were in evidence in the beautiful, modern, new pews re cently purchased by Carmel Congregation, the brethren of the Synod, before adjourning Friday afternoon* collected-<$76 among themselves and gave $25 from the treasury of the Synod, which aggregated $100 towards assisting in paying for the pews. Dr. J. D. Martin, President of Brainerd Institute, extended a most cordial invitation to the Synod to hear Mrs. Johnson C. Smith, the benefactress, the true child of God, whose wealth is unlimited, and who has saved Biddle in her struggle for life, from a monument of humiliation and disappointment, to her faithful sons and friends. It was quite refreshing Thurs day afternoon to return from la bor to refreshments of. a formal reception given at Brainerd In stitute by the good women of the Missionary Society of Carmel church. The Synod paused at 3:30 Thursday afternoon to show gratitude to Mrs. Johnson C. Smith who has given so liber ally of her consecrated wealth lor tne iostermg oi unnstian education at our beloved John son C. Smith University and dear old Scotia Seminary, which still holds her own, but needs help to keep pace with or in sight of her brother in Char lotte and other reputable schools. The Synod arose and remained standing as Mrs. John, son C. Smith, Dr. Gaston and party from Pittsburgh entered the church in the midst of spon taneous applause. The honor of representing the Synod in expressing the appre ciation of the presence of Mrs. Smith was thrust upon the Stat ed Clerk, who was introduced by the Moderator, to perform the task of reviewing the back ground and setting of Biddle, and expressing to Mrs. Smith the Synod’s pleasure and appre ciation of her presence and its gratitude for what she is now doing in a most substantial way in the Synod of Catawba, in the State of North Carolina. “Bless be the tie that binds, our hearts in Christian love” was sung and the presence ol Mrs. Smith and the party from Pittsburgh was history. On The Campus of Brainerd An old Biddle student is sadly reminded of those early days in Biddle. While at Synod, I with ray wife, youngest son, and younger daughter were the grateful guests of Dr. and Mm J. D. Martin, the real heads of Brainerd Institute. While there I was reminded of my college days in what was known as Bid dle. The 6 o’clock bell was a warning to rise, the clicking sound in the steam radiators by the turning on of steani heat, then the ringing of the smaller bell for breakfast, then 'he rush to the dining hall. This routine of school life carried Mrs, Metz back to her days in Claflin Uni versity, when Claflin, was con nected with the State schools of South Carolina by ^Governor Wade Hampton in 1878* The instructors of Brainerd are products of our old schools: Biddle of old, Johnson C. Smith, Lincoln, Howard, Scotia and Barber. They underscore those Christian principles that should be outstanding in all Christian institutions in order to produce a leadership that is Christian— altogether safe and sound. Dr. Martin is one of those school men that makes no effort to make a show, is easy of ap proach, makes friends with the publican up the tree, the wom an at the well, the beggars on the Jericho national highway as quickly and as substantially as he does with those of his group. He is known by those who sat at his feet in Biddle years ago and more recently—from Octo ber, 1892, to June, 1928—as “A Christian and lovely gentleman who knows his stuff.” In a large class—all white but Dr. Martin—in Columbia Uni versity in the summer of 1928, Dr. Martin was the highest av erage grade “A” for the entire course. That is a -part -efr the record of that famous schodb Mrs. Martin is of the class of ’89 of Claflin University, and a product, like her husband, of one of the best families of Sumter County. They, of course, work together, think alike, and are open for inspection by the most critical and pessimistic. Rev. and Mrs. Manoney, my predecessors in historic and aristocratic Edisto Island, are likewise products of Sumter. Rev. Manoney is of Howard Uni versity and he despises superfi cial work and scorns the fellow who insist on being a fool. His father helped to build the breast-works in Charleston and on James Island as a defense against the Union soldiers dur ing the Civil War. He was one of the most intelligent and best informed elders of his group in the law and polity of his Church up to his death, about 14 years ago. He was one of the plain men in a class by himself when it came to thrift, Christian in tegrity, loyalty to home and Church. He rejoiced in the fact that he was Calvinistic in doc trine; and he knew the law cf his Church, which he absorbed by association wit a Scotch-Irish. owner in Williamsburg County, South Carolina, in the days of slavery. Mrs. Manoney is a product of the Old Immanuel Training school that was under the su pervision of the late Dr. W. E. Coles. She is gifted in handi craft of the finest kind; and, like her husband, is thoroughly in earnest in matters of busi ness. The Popular meeting Sunday afternoon at 3:30 brought many citizens of Chester to Carmel to hear Drs. Thom and Dillard, who spoke respectively on the subjects: “A Look at Life,” and “The Finest Work.” Dr. Thom said that in our look at life we should consider our economic fife; value of bodies; make proper choice of recrea tion for the body; consider as sociation of life; ethical life; the intellectual life; character life; and religious life. (Continued on page 4)