Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1890-02-22
AMERICAN BAPTIST PuBLIcA-
TON SOCiETY'S DILEMMA.
BETWEEN TWO FIRES.
The Secretary's Letter to the Rev
Walter II. Brooks

There has been much comment
relative to the action of the Amer
lean Baptist Publication Society in
declining to publish articles in the
Baptist Teacher written by colored
ministers who had been requested
to furnish said articles. 1t seems
that tl @ Society. publleEfed an an
nouncement for 1890 entitled "Bet-
ter and better" in which it set forth
that the following cOlored ministers
would furnish articles for the Bap-
tist Teacher: Rev. E. X. Lows,
Savannah, Ca, Rev. w. j. SIM
MONS, ID. D., Louisville, KY, Rev.
WALTER II. BROOKS, Washing
ton, ID. q. Thereupon, the South
ern press raised a howl claiming
that this WAC nothing more nor less
than Negroes teaching their chill
dren aud calling upon all to boycott
the B tptist Teacher.
They claimed also that the COL
ored men selected were especially
Objectionable as they had condemn
ed the outrage whereby colored
men. Rev Il. X. Love being one of
them had been brutally dra gged
from first class coaches in Georgia
and otherwise maitreated-and in
jured. For making speeches in the
National Baptist Convention which
met iii Indianapolis recently, vigOr
ously cOndemning these outrages,
the Southern whites demanded the
withdrawal of these minister's
names. 1t was done, another
announcement being sent out
with the same heading but with
| the cOlored mems names omitted.
Subsequently some OF their articles
were published in separate tracts.
Rev. Wal er II. Brooks not under
standing why he should be so IN
tremendously discarded received
the following letter which explains
| itself:
PnilAdelph a, d 90, 21s' 1889.
Rev. Walter h. Brooks, ID. D.,
Washington, ID Z.
My Dear BrOther:-Yo on doubtless have
| seen some wick cd and slanderOus articles
ia the Southern papers about the s Iciety' g
invitation TO you and brethren Love AND
| Simmons to write articles for the Teacher
| aud then to change them into permanent
tracts. With regard to these articles ]
need only say that they are false in their
Statements; bad in their spirit; and wick.
cd in their intent, they were doubtless
written or instigated by persons who
already have done their best to ALLEVIATE
the white Baptist of the South from the
S)ciety; anu having failed in this, they
are now surviving to affect the same re.
suits with the cOlOred Baptist. l believe
that God will over-rule such wicked
purposes.
We requested you and brethren Low,
and Simmons to write. permanent tracts
instead of articles for a single Issue of th,
Teacher, because we wanted good tracGi
tor the colOred people moro than W,
wanted articles for the Teacher. Besides
writing TO yon three, 1 also wrote TO
nine other col0red men Drs. Parrish
Perry, Brawley, and Revs. Gilbert
Griggs, De B1ptiste, Temple, CIantOn
! and Prof. Johnston TO write each tract
! that We may have one OF two packets o
first class tracts, all written by colore,
} men, and especially adapted to the want
of their own people. Does this look lik
drawing a color line against cOiOred mel
as writers for the Society!
Finding that we still would have NOR
material engaged for the Teacher 70
, 1890 than could be used, we reQueste
! i've white brethren, who had been full
, advertised as contributors 20 The Teache
D tor 1890, TO change their articles ais
y and make tracts of them for still anothe
, packet. You will see, therefore, tina