The Washington bee., 1897-10-16
BAPTIST MINISTER'S CHANGE
THEIR MINDS.

TRUSTEES BROWN AND RICHARDSON
! 1NDoRSED-THEY NEVER DID OP-
POSE THE NEW TRUSTEES-MEN OF
HIGH MORAL CHARACTER.
The BEE reporter was present at the
session Of the Baptist ministerial meet
ing last Monday, and we are thus ena-
! ble TO give our readers the proceed
ings. The session lasted from II a. m.
to1p. m. The time from I. 80 to was
spent in wrestling with the problem OF
whether or not they sh ould indorse the
selection of Rev. Sterling Brown and
DR.. Geo. H. Richardson as trustees of
the public schools.
Brother Lee started the ball rolling
bv calling up the resolution offered at
their previous meeting by DIR. w.
Bishop Johnson indorSing the selection
of the trustees. This brought Brother
TAYLOR, of Shiloh, to his feet, who had
greatly Calmned down, and was as
gentle as a lamb, but still insisted that
there must have been some trick
played in making the appointments.
Brothers Lee and Bishop Johnson
agreed with the speaker.
The speaker found that a wonderful
change had come over the brethren
since its last meeting and since the
BEE had pointed out certain facts to
its readers, for many of them declared
that the church had nothing to do with
the matter anyhow. While Brother
Howard, of South Washington, de-
Clared that his 2, 900 members stood by
the appointment of DR.. Richardson,
many others declared that DIR. Rich
ardson had been one of the most &C
tive workers in all the churches IN pro-
noting the lyceums throughout the
city, and was one of the best members
ever named. Whereupon, a brother
moved that the meeting indorse his
appointment, when BTotherLee sprang
in the arena and championed the cause
of Rev Sterling Brown, and declared
that his lamb Brother Brown should
not be slaughtered; said Brother
Brown was one of the pureSt and best
men in the Christian ministry, and the
one should not be indorsed without the
other.
Mr.. Geo. C. Smith being present,
was introduced and invited to address
the meeting, which be did.
He declared that all this talk about
deal and University Park Temple
was without foundation in fact, that
not a single member of that church
had anything to do with the selection;
that another gentleman and himself
had presented the names OF DR.. Rlch-
ardson and Rev. Sterling Brown to
Mr.. Ross more than two years ago,
long before Park Temple was dreamed
of, and that since that time other IN
dorsements had followed, until they
had so piled up that they were the best
indorsed men ever presented to the
Commissioners, and not single MEM
Der of Park Temple had gone forward
in the matter.
This seemed to satisfy everyone ex-
cept Brother Taylor. Brother Bishop
Johnson declared that Mr.. Smith would
not make such a statement If it were
not true Whereupon Brother Bishop
Johnson's resolution inGorSing the two
trustees was called up and passed
without a dissenting voice.
When Brother Taylor saw that the
entire clergy had deserted him, he
begged them not to make him the
laughing stock of this community. So
to please him, they added qualifying
clause, saying they did not indorse the
method" while declaring that they
did not believe there had been any
method" That while they had fileG
Brother Lees name more than two
years ago for the position of trustee,
they had slept, and while they slept
the friends of Dr. Richardson and Rev.
Brown had worked and landed their
and they must blame them
selves for their slotnfulness.