The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-12-09
COLORED CAMPS DENOUNCED
Presiding Elders Of the A. M. e. and H. q.
Churches Say They are Disgrac.
To the Christian Church.

The camp meetings OF the colored peo
pie as now conducted got black eye ut q
meeting of the.board lof Presiding Elders
Of the A. M. II. and M. E. Church met at
Dover yesterday. Tho meeting was for the
purpose of reforming the present condition
Whatcoat M. Il. Church. 1t was presided
over by Rev. J. r. Waters Of this city who
stated tho object Of the meeting.
Tho question was discussed with much
force and power by Rev, Il. Il Parker, Pre-
siding Elder of tho Delaware Conference
w. II. Dons, Presiding Elder of the Phila.
delphia A. NJ. Il. Church Conferonce j.
II. Scott, Presiding Elder of the Delaware
NJ. II, Conference; DE-. Sampson, Presid-
A. NJ. u. Church; Rev. Mr.. Buckner. Of
tho A. M II. Church and Presiding Elder
Waters, OF the Delaware M. j. Conference.
These rules on the subject were presented
and unanimously adopted:
q solved, That the campimeoting season
shall be from the last Sunday in July TO
the first Sunday III September of each year
inclusive.
That 10 camp meeting shall continue
longer than Il period including two Sun.
days.
That the ground shall be sufficiently on
closed.
That fec of five ccnts from each person
shal be collected at the gate as substitute
for other collections
rLatall confectionery, ice cream, melons
soft drinks and barber shop stands shall
be closed from 80 O'Clock Saturday night
until 1879 Monday morning.
That all places OF selling, whether for
board or otherwise, shall be closed during
the hours Of preaching each day.
That no person under the influence of
liquor shall DC admitted to the grounds
undor any circumstance
That the above rules shall apply to
woods, village or church camps or any
meeting of u similar character.
No person shall DO allowed to sing or
sell any ballad on camp ground.
Tho elders also resolved That camp
meetings recently hold by some colored
people Of Delaware, Maryland and Penn
sylyana were disgrace to the christian
church
The Lords Day at these gatherings is
desecrated by buying and selling things
unnecessary, and by other conduct unbe.
coming religious meeting The churches
have been abandoned, tho Sunday schools
neglected and the people at night go
frolicing on the Sabbath during the
summer season. Many of them instead Of
Christianity remind stranger of the
heather festivals. Wo count these meet
ings as.now conducted MS .demoralizing to
our race As Presiding Elders of tho A.
M. L. and NJ IT, Churches we do earnestly
protest against them and declare our de-
termination to uso all our influence aud
power to rid our people Of these evils.
1--WE call upon all pastors Of our people
to preach on sabbath observance and ex.
ert their Influence to reform these meet
ings:
1--WE appeal to the quarterly conferen COS
of all our churches to help in this matter
by regulating all thes, meetings SO they
will not conflict with Gods law. The res.
olution concluded with recommendation
that the foregoing adopted rules be OBJ
served ut all colored camp meetings
The Bank Tax.
The national banks of this city are try
Ing to discover whether or not they are ia.
bio to tax on their stock under the pro.
visions of tho Adams Tax law, which leyies
Il tax upon Investments. Tho tax was
supposed to go into effect on December |,
but there is much confuse in the minds
OF the collectors and assessors and in the
mind OF those who are supposed to BIO In
line for the special tax.
The banks sought an opinion from Will
lard salisbury and Lewis G. Vandegrift
with the result that they have secured an
opinion that does not make the situation
any clearer than it was before. Under an
Wtl IuHSel III louo lut Nlile lNVlpu u LAX on
bank stock. The legality Of that tax was
tested in the United States Courts before
Judge McKonnan, who decided that state
had II right to tax whatever it saw fit. Act.
ing upon that decision the banks begun,
and have always continued to pay tho
tax in bulk, the stockholders having moth.
ing to do in the matter.
1t Is now said that II the point had been
raised that the State had no right to dis.
eliminate against the banks in levying tho
TAX Of 1863, an adverse decision would
have been rendered. Tho only question
asked was whether tho State could levy
tax. The Court said yes II the Court
had been asked If the State could legally
in the levying of a tax tho
answer might have been no.
The Clcnring.House Association will
discuss the matter at its next meeting. II
the tax Of 1869 stands, SO it is held, the tax
of 1897 cannot be added. If the banks \
ready pay u tax to the State on their stock
another tav cannot DO added II the new
tax is Levied it is possible that the legality
of the discriminating act of 1863, will be
Tested,