The semi-weekly messenger., 1898-08-30
An EXPLANATION
The Ministerial Union Explains-Is fo r
Virtue, but Don't Condemn the
Records Attack.
A. LEALER,
Ex-Superintendent.

Inc KEY. j. A. bonner, cOIOTSQ, pas
tor OF Chestnut Street Presbyterian
church, and the Rev. F. c.. Ragland,
pastor of Christ Congregational
church, handed us yesterday the fol-
lowing preamble and resolutions adopt
ed at a meeting of the Ministerial In
ion, composed of colored ministers,
held on Friday:
Whereas, The resolutions passed by
the Ministerial Union, expressing sym
pathy for the Daily Record. are being
misinterpreted, and the spirit and in
tent of said resolutions are subject to
extreme and hostile construction, we
deem it our duty to declare our posi-
ton.
l. We stand for peace, justice and
righteousness.
2. We earnestly desire, counsel and
labor for amicable relations between
the races.
3. We deplore whatever is intended
or has a tendency to produce friction
and bring about hostility.
4. We have such a regard for virtue
and true womanhOOd that we do de-
nounce and repudiate any and all ut
terances which assail virtue and as
sault the pure womanhood of any
race. AS business enterprise of and
for the race, we endorsed The Record
We did not, and do not endorse any
attack on the integrity and fair name
of noble womanhOod.
THE RESOLUTIONS.
Resolved, That the Ministerial I'm
ion is in hearty sympathy with the
efforts of The Daily Record in defend
ing the rights of the race and that
each minister inform his congregation
of the present situation, and endeavor
to sustain the paper, by swelling its
subscription list and urging prompt
payment.
The word sympathy in the resolu-
tiOns meant that as the life of the
paper, as a medium of communication
for the race, was threatened, we de-
sired to see it live, hence the resolu-
tions.
Your for truth peace and purity,
MINISTERIAL UNION.
We give the Ministerial Union the
benefit of its explanation, but our
readers may draw their own conclu-
sions from these facts. The in
famous article, attacking the honor
of white women, appeared in The
Daily Record on August 18th. II
was published and commented upon
EXCLUSIVELY by The Messenger in
its Sunday issue of the 21st. On We'd
nesday, the oath, as we are informed
by one of its members, the Ministerial
endorsing the Daily Record. This, in
face of the notoriety given the article
and the Indignation over it prevalent
at the time. Then. in our issue of Au-
gust 25th. we published the resolu-
tions drafted by candidate Jockey for
political purposes. and passed by the
republican executive committee, 70,
the like purpose contrasting at the
time the resolutions of the Ministerial
-nin -;,,Cr IL,
Jockey should, to be consistent, de-
nOunce the members of that union as
mischief making simpletOnS, But
that was asking too much. The uniOr
itself rises in the endeavor to explain
and relieve candidate Jockey and his
committee from further resoluting it
self into an awkward position. Then
too, in our editorial columns of yes
| terday we severely criticized the fine
preachers they are of the Gospel OF
peace and reconciliation, which, We
| may remark, was the occasion, as We
are Informed, of the above resolutions
| being passed yesterday by the union
| The hand is the hand of the union, bu
| the voice is the voice of Jockey, sing
| ing thoublously to the sad refrar
| of what will Moses do, for "politica
| purposes when the light of judicia
| expectancy goes out! But this Ministe
| ria Unions explanation does not eX
plain, after ALL how Immediately upOr
| the publication of The Records arti
| Gle, when Indignation was aroused an(
| threats were made to withdraw sup
port, they found it convenient to stanC
| by The Record. Nor does the Ministe
| rial Union, while attempting to ex
| plain, because their article is misin
| terpreted, they say, and that means
| construed as an endorsement of Tn
| Records article, have any word in tn
| above resolutions of disapproval or re
| pudiation of the particular article pub
| lished by The Record attacking tn
| virtue of white women. Platitude
| about peace, justice, virtue and amica
| BILE relations count for nothing whel
| the Ministerial Union fails to positivel.
| diSavow the infamous article. We di'
| not, and do not endorse any attacl
| on the integrity and fair name of no
| BILE womanhood.' No: but does tn
| Ministerial Union endorse that article
| 1t do not disavOw it in this explana
| ton. Perhaps they do not interpret
| as an attack upon the fair name o
| noble womanhOod."