Richmond planet., 1898-02-19


come and speak to the people of Lynch
burg on the value and Importance of
the enterprise When Rev. Il. Spilier
wished to plant Negro institution OF
learning st Hampton. Va, to be con-
Quoted under cOlored management in
the interests of the Negro Baptists in
Tide Water. Va, / came at his call, and
rendered him the best service | was
capable of giving. and the work was
commenced shortly after my visit We
thought then that the Negro Baptist
should do something for his own ele-
vation. / think so still.
THS STATEMENT OF WE'LL KNOWN FAor.
These institutions were not con-
ceived and planted in opposition so the
work of the American Baptist Home
Mission Society, but in love TO the
struggling multitudes Of our own peo-
pie. When Rev. q. L z. Taliaferro
was laying his wires TO capture the
publication Board of the National Bap-
tist Convention and make the Banner
Publishing Company q great Negro
1 Baptist Publishing House to furnish
our churches and sunday Schools with
the requisite literature for Bible study
and Christian worship, was sent for
to come to Philadelphla and make my
influence felt in behalf of the under
taking. did so, because believe in
colored Baptists doing something
along this line, not in opposition 20
any other publication house, but for
the good OF our churches and sunday
Schools and to the glory of God.
TURNED THEIR COATS INSIDE OUT.
Poor me Morris, Spiller and Talia-
ferro have all turned their coats inside
out since then, and l am wearing mine
in the old way. No one charged me
with being scape- grace, because of
my attitude then. No one thought it
wrong to speak what L believed by re-
quest. But / had no request from the
National Baptist Convention to speak
at Washington. l did it because the
Lord moved me to do SO.
VILE AND wIoKED THING.
"a But of all the absurd and wick
ed things. which appeared in the Rich
mOnd PLANET, January %, 1898, over
the signature of Rev. u. ID. Lewis, the
vilest is that which gave the inn
preston, that / am not the author of
the speech, which | delivered at the
preliminary meeting of Baptist minis
ters and delegates. who assembled in
Shiloh Baptist Church, Washington, ID
c., December 16. 1897.
Well, there is not an element Of
truth in the hint. 1t is thing Of the
whole cloth.
But l wish TO state my position in re-
gard TO District Conventions.
!. In the first place it should be re-
mcmbered that in the past Negro Bap-
lists have never had any The white
Baptists of the North have never had
any The white Baptists of the South
have never had any. The undertaking
is, therefore, an experiment. to say the
least.
is FORE ORDAINED TO FAIL.
? In the second place, the new Bap-
tist District Convention must be an
expensive institution, like the Nation
al Baptist convention, b. cause it pro-
poses to cover the territory from New
Hampshire 10 North Carolina along
the Atlantic coast, and because it has
! started out by promising TO pay the
District Secretary 81 200 q year which
is more than the National Baptist Con-
vention pay their CORR spending secre-
tary. &,
oENTRE SHOT AND AN ARGUNENrAr TIVE
CLINCHER.
3. Because the District Convention
has no claim on the liberality OF the
| churches as it,has no Mission fields, no
missionaries absolutely nothing in Af-
rica. In splitting from the National
! Baptist Convention itleaves everything
behind
T. AS the leaders in this movement
have not announced their national con-
nection, no one knows what will be-
come of his money, if he becomes a
contribu tor to their funds. They have
cut loose from the National Baptist
Convention, the only Negro Baptist
organization of a national character
now engaged in doing Mission work in
| foreign lands, ard the only other ex-
/ sisting Baptist organization to which
/ they can go, are the Mis- sionary Union
or the Southern Baptist Convention
Both Of these are white. Well Well
THE QUESTION OF QUESTIONS.
Do these brethren be lieve in entire
| separation from colored people in do
ing Foreign Mission worA? II not, do
| they purpose on making collections
for the heather in Africa, and then
loan, hoard, and otherwise handle this
fund, whils they are looking around
in order to know what to do for Ma
| tional connection, and the Negro Bap-
tist Missionaries. whom we have sent
to Africa, and those whom God has
raised up as the fruit of their labors,
are crying to Americas Baptist mil
lions for needed help2
SELF EVIDENT CONCLUSION.
1t is bad thing to board train
when neither the engineer nor the
conductor knows whre it is going.
COME ANSWER MY QUESTIONS NOW.
WALTER II BROOKS,
Washington, ID. @.