The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-10-17
BISHOP IS FOR M'KINLEY
NO GOOD WOULD COME TO COLORED
MEN FROM EfsYAN's ELECTION.
Church, Sets at Rest Doubt as
to His Attitude.

Ever since the campaign opened there has
been a great deal OF anxiety in many quar-
ters to discover the real attitude of Bishop
Abram Grant, of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church. Rumors of the bishops
alleged disaffection towards the Republican
party have been current at various times,
but he has steadfastly refused to pay heed
TO them, relying upon his wide acquaint-
ance and established reputation in all parts
of the country to dispose of such reports
in the proper ann
The coming of Bishop Turner to this city
the latter part of the present week has,
however, occasioned fresh talk concerning
Bishop Grants political opinions, ii being
generally understood that Bishop Turner Is
supporting the candidacy of Bryan. There
is a widespread desire among the colored
people of the half-dozen States over which
Bishop Grant travels to receive from him
a direct. positive statement of his views.
The bishop is a man Of commanding force
of intellect, boundless good-fellowship and
has one of the largest followings of any
colored bishop in the United States. A
decisive utterance from such a man nat
urally carries great weight. In order. to
settle the matter beyond peradventure a
cO0A AAo ~ 1icAOP o1oAN
at his home at the end of Pennsylvania
street last night. The bishop resides in a
handsome new house, which he owns. to-
gether with the large tract of ground on
which it is situated His home is furnished
throughout in the highest degree of COM
fort. not to say luxury.
THE BISHOPS PERSONALITY.
The bishop himself is a man of most at
tractive personality. His great height and
massive, powerful frame would command
attention anywhere. Added to this, the
bishop possesses a face of distinguished
appearance and a broad. high forehead
betokening a large reserve of intellectual
ability. Although occupying a position of
rare dignity and responsibility, the bishop
displays no sign that honors have affected
his feeling of thorough good nature to his
fellow-men or his spirit of fellowship with
them. He is an interesting, fluent talker
and possesses the faculty Of expressing him.
self with remarkable clearness without any
waste of words.
There is a report to the effect that you
are contemplating the issuance of a written
declaration making denial of the rumor
that you are associated with Bishop Turner
in the support of Colonel Bryan" was sug-
gested TO Bishop Grant.
nave Decn CONSTRUCTING the auNlSdDl-
ity of making such a declaration he re-
piled, but have finally decided not to do
so, since wherever L am known through
out the country IL is perfectly understood
that am a Republican. / am opposed to
ministers being actively engaged in poll
tics and L have kept out of 1T for twenty
years and do not wish to enter now. Any
man with common sense who remembers
conditions four years ago and who notes
the prosperity which prevails at this time
who has been a Republican all his life
as j have been-would not feel like voting
the Democratic ticket now. Butt it is my can
did opinion that, If the Democratic party In
South Carolina, North Carolina, Mississippi
and Louisiana had not taken the course
they have with reference to the colored
vote in those States during the past four
years, it would have been more difficult for
Mr.. Mckinley to have defeated Mr.. Bryan
in the present campaign
LAS it is. however. the colored men in
the pivotal States are frightened at the
policy pursued in the Southern States
which L have named and they believe that
wherever the Democratic party succeeds,
DISTINGUISHING methods will be continued.
Considering the course of the Democratic
party, 1t would seem that they have no
use for the colored vote anyway"
HE WAS MISQUOTED.
In the course of the conversation Bishop
Grant alluded to the manner In which a re-
cent speech of his, made at Oxford, O., had
been misquoted. and said that he had been
deluged with letters of inquiry on the sub
ject from all parts Of the country. The
press reports of the address represented the
bishop as saying that the colored people
have a right to drive out the white people.
81 nave been grossly misrepresented,"
said the bishop. when l was trying to in
spire a spirit of self-help and independence
among my people and endeavoring to dis
courage emigration. to which 1 am opposed,
1 simply said that America is the colored
ored man in the world lives I'm America;
that the Constitution gives the colored man
man enjoys, and that We should not stand
any other man Is going TO do with us, but
selves: that as American citizens we have
Just as much right in this country as any
other people in IL. And then 1 declared
that IL would be just as reasonable for a
negro to talk about sending a white man
away as ii would for a white man to talk
about sending a negro away"
"Quite a different proposition, you see,"
continued the bishop. from the one I was
quoted as announcing. l greatly regret the
MISREPRESENTATION, because Ii is calculated
TO provoke unfavorable comment and
might do my race harm in sections of the
| country where every utterance of a colored
man in public is narrowly watched and
! seized upon, if possible. to our disadvan-
tage.'