Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-02-05

Before answering the letter. which
appeared in the Richmond PLANET,
January 20 1898, over the signature of
Rev. u. d. Lewis. b. d., 1 wish to ask
that gentleman a few questions.
1st. II the District Convention.
which was recently organized by Bap
tist ministers from several of tn
states, was not created with a view O
supplanting the National Baptist Con
vention is it not NEw BURDEN to be
borne by the churches? Something
NEW to be entertained and cared for at
the expense of the people; something
NEW, for which the churches must pay
the travelling expenses of delegates
over railway and steam boat lines
something NKw, for which the churches
will be asked TO contribute for print
ing of minutes, for clerk hire, for the
publishing OF a missionary paper, and
for the travelling expenses of the
board something NKw. TO take at least
third of all the money, which the
churches of Virginia shall give, to pay
the salary of the District Secretary
alone, while the little money, given by
the other churches of the District, will
Of that officer for travelling expenses,
stationary, printing, postage and the
like7
WAS 1T INTENDED TO sUPPLANT2
I'd. If, on the other hand, the Dis
trict Convention vas organized to sup
plant the National Baptist Convention,
and, therefore, not to be a new burden
on the churches, has IL not come into
being, uttering a deliberate fslsehood
in that, it declared, after listening to
my speech, and after my withdrawal
frOm-the preliminary conference. that
''IJ is net the purpose of the District
Convention to oppose the work of the
National Baptist Convention? Which
horn OF this dilemma will Rev. z ID
Lewis and company take7
DRIVING THE QUERIES HOME.
Sd. If the National Baptist Conven-
ton is indeed "a wildcat" institu-
tion, q ''mobocratic convention - if it'
proceedings deserve to be character
lied by the EXPIRE ssion 1.-The hypocracl
of the convention :" il it is, as Rev u
D. Lewis says, a mere ''So-called Ma
tional Convention" is this new crea
ture, "ths District Convention, which
Rev. P. f Morris and company organ
lied in Washington few weeks since
District Convention of this very so
called National Convention
4th. II, however, the District Cor
vention does not sustain any organi
relation to the Nations Baptist Con
Vention, and does not intend to be Al
auxiliary of that body, have not its or
Ranizers themselves played the hypo
critic by ealing it DISTRICT CoNvEN
TIoN, without declaring its National re
latiOn2
Is 1T HONEST AND RIGHT2
9TH. If the churches of Virginia, an
other states, have given thousands {
dollars for the cause of Christ in AFR
ca, with the hope of helping the mil
sionAries, who III that cOnntry, repre-
sent the colored Baptists of Amerlc
is it honest aud right in their minister
and public leaders or as Baptist assI
ciatiors aud state conventions,
hoard, loan and otherwise divert tb
money frSm the cause for which 1t WI
given, and from the particular person
whom it was intended TO benefit. D.
cause, forsoCth, it costs as much to g
dollar to Africa now as it did wht
the Board of the Baptist Foreign Mi
sion Convention of the United Stat
was located in RichmOnd2
PROMISE FOR THE FUTURE.
/ assure my distinguished brothe
that an unequIvoeal answer to each
the above questions will call forth fro
me a reply to his letter of recent dat
Yours for Baptist Union and q
right,
WALTER H. Brooks