The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1883-02-01
IN. Y. independently
'|Take The Accused Thing From Among
YOU.3

40u."
IF the Methodist Episcopal Church
surrenders, as some Of it's men in the
South have done, to the claims of
caste, it's apostacy will be as deep and
damnable as that of Judas. This is
strong language, but not too strong to
apply to the crime committed at Bir-
mingham, Ala. Our readers will re-
member that we denounced it, under
the title of the Alabama Leprosy";
but let us restate the ugly fact. The
Northern Methodist minister station
ed in that town published card in a
local paper, in which he said:
"The First Methodist Church in
this city, Of which I am pastor, is for
white persons exclusively, and colored
people are not invited or expected to
attend"
Revival meetings were being held,
and colored people were attending
them in considerable numbers, and
the plea of Mr.. King is that they were
breaking up the ''white work" Of
course, if Mr.. Kings revival was for
white souls only, black souls, even if
they were sinners. needing a Saviour,
were sadly in the way. If they de-
sired to meet Christ and Christ de-
sired to meet them, the meeting must
be held in another place. In this
church Christ could only be permitted
to meet white persons
We supposed that Mr. King, in this
act, represented only himself, and that
he would be sternly rebuked and re-
moved, as utterly unfit to dispense the
bread of life even to whites" " The
church press did generally denounce
his card; but, strangely enough, this
man has had defenders or apologists
in the North and in the South. The
organ of the Northern Church in At
lanta, the Methodist Aduocate. has
sought to defend the course of King,
declaring that the Conference in the
South ''need at least twenty men ike
him" What has been done in Biz
then, ought, according to
this putative organ of Northern SEN
timent, to be done elsewhere; and the
color line, which this same paper
helped to draw in 1876, ought to be
drawn more strictly than it ever was
drawn, in the days of slavery. by
Southern Churches. Can the North
ern church fight caste in the South
effectively while one of it's organs in
the South is thus betraying the cause
to the enemy? This Atlanta Advo-
cate stated in its issue Of December
18th that. at the Alabama Conference,
T. R. Parker, Mr. Kings presiding
elder, Sustained the church and pas
tor at Birmingham" :" This made US
fear that the leprosy had spread more
than we had suspected; but, if this re-
port be true, Mr.. Parker has two
widely different views, for, in pub
lished letter written previously, he
surprise at Mr. Kings ac-
ton and said he must explain it, if:
indeed. it could be explained. 'Even," "
he said, "our brethren of the 'Metho-
dist Episcopal Church. South, are not
80 rigorous with the people of color
And he adds:
"While there have been occasional
exhibitions of caste in some portions
of our work in the South. though of
a much milder type than this, we re-
ioice to note an almost universal mod
ification Of Southern sentiment in
this regard. and that within the
bounds of Alabama Conference this
case at Birmingham forms an excep-
tion."
We are glad to have this assurance
from Mr.. Parker. We are 10th to be-
lieve that the ministers Of the North
ern Church in the South are pre- ach-
ing gospel of caste and trucking to
the element in Southern society which
pours obloquy on ''Nigger" (mixed)
churches and ostracizes their pastors
We are slow to believe that Church
which has so great an opportunity to
declare and exemplify the brother
hood of man and to elevate the Negro
has become discouraged, and is ready
to confess that prejudice is stronger
than right. We most earnestly hope
that the sentiment of the church will
stand as firm as IA rock against further
concession. The consent of the Gen
eral Conference to the division of the
annual conferences on the color line
was most grievous mistake. 1t has
wrought much mischief; we fear it is
destined to work more 1t has made
possible the Birmingham affair. 1t
has given the friends of caste a great
advantage. Men like DR.. Daniel Cur
ry (who confesses that color prejudice
is an unpleasant fact), accepting this
surrender, say that the maintenance
of the color line is working policy"
of the Church and prepare themselves
to submit quietly to the inevitable.
DR.. Curry may well be excused from
girding himself for another conflict.
The ''old war-horse of Methodism"
has served his age and his Church
grandly This is fight for Younger
men. 1t is a fight that must be fought.
If the Methodist Episcopal Church, in
the forefront of the battle, proposes
to strike the flag, there will arise
force which will fight the Methodist
Episcopal Church. What if there is
prejudice in the North, as DIR. Curry
argues, against color? Does that
make caste in the South right? Most
men have in some measure such pref
udice, Just as they have tendency to
sin; but they fight it and overcome it.
1t is weak and wicked to surrender
to it.
The next step. and it is logical
conclusion Of the series OF concessions
ending with the Birmingham affair,