Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-10-12
Edith Townsend Everett.
WITH REVERENCE.
A ExhOrter's Stirring Appeal to Color
ed People.

Fully 800 persons were singing Near
er, My God, to Thee, in 4 half hearted
way, when Rev. DR.. J. NJ. Washington
walked into the big colored camp meet
ing tent at Seventeenth and Vine
streets, the other night, says the Kan
sas City Times. He mounted the plat
form, faced the audience, and throwing
up his hands said:
''Taint no kind of use trying to sing
Nearer, My God, to Thee in a meeting
of this kind, for you'll get further away
from God the longer you sing it. Let's
lay aside our gloves and new fashioned
ways and have good old camp meet
ing hymn"
Then he started in on You'd Better
Get Religion, Sinner, and the canvas
swelled to the chorus. Then Elder
down in Kentucky away back in slav-
cry days, prayed one of the old prayers
he used to offer up in the cotton patch,
and the services were in full swing.
The revivaliSt talked a good deal to
the hypocrites and backsliders. He
said:
Il wouldn't give a cent for a dry
eyed, -mouthed, stiff-kneed, straight
backed old devil of black wretch that
can't come b meeting and cry little.
They'll tell you it's too hot to go to
church this weather. I'd like to be be-
hind 'em ard push 'em back into the
cotton patch. Some of these days
they'll want to get into heaven, and
I'd like to be there when they tried to
get in. I'd stand there and club EN-
until they couldn't rest; the old moss
backed, slab-sided, twist-kneed, cross
eyed hypocrites."
And they come here to laugh at
Gods people. In a time like this the
devil and his wife and all his grand
children come out to see the fun. Well,
you're welcome, Mr.. Devil and Mrs
Devil ana all the little devils, as long
as you behave yourselves. When you
can't dc that, go off about your bust
ness
A great part of the sermon was on
emancipation day and it's memories,
and here Mr.. Washington proved him
self an orator. He has the gift Of an
orator in swGying his hearers. When
he talked of the dark valley of trouble
and sorrow through which the black
race had come up to freedom there
was hardly dry eye in the audience,
There were as many white as colored
persons under the tent, and they
caught the infection from their colOred
neighbors, and cried, too. When he
told of the dawn Of freedom, of the
chariots and horses and the mighty
army that came from the north over
the mountains into the dark valley Of
slavery to strike the shacllles from a
race, such mighty shout went up from
the congregation as the old trees i'll
the grove never re-echOed before.
You remember" he said, "bow You
rsed to stop the mules in the furro ",
look to see if the master was coming,
and then kmeel down ard touch the telp-
graph wires to heaven. Bring me-
IDgersoll, bring me Tom Paine, bring
me I'LL the infidels that ever lived and
died and then come with me down to
that log cabin in the Georgia cotton
patch. Step out, Uncle Ned. Never
mind your Bible; he can't read a word
of it, but ask him how he got religion
He'll tell you how he heard a whisper
from heaven, how he stole off to timber
and prayed and the fire came down
and filed his SOUL