The times., 1901-05-25
MORE WORK AND LESS TALK.
bishop Derrici<'s Advice to His Eel
low Colored Minister'S


HARRISBURG, Pa. May 24-At today' s
session of the Philadelphia Conference of
the African Methodist Episcopal Church,
| Rev. Fl. c. c. Astwood, pastor OF the
Bridge Street Church, Brooklyn, who was
| found guilty yesterday on a charge of mis-
| applying church funds, was expelled as a
member of the Conference and dismissed
| from further denominauonal connection.
The vote was unanimous. Astwood says
| he will begin proceedings at once against
| Bishop William b. Derrick.
The action Of the Conference in allowing
| the speech of w. J. Carter, of this city,
TO go on the minutes was rescinded after
| a lively discussion. In his address Carter
referred TO Booker T. Washington and
Frederick Douglass as being the greatest
negroes. This was objected TO by the Rev.
| j. M Henderson, who said: Il do not
| want to take any honor from Booker
| Washington, but the matter spoken of IS
not part of the record of this Confer
ence, and we should not print 1t. l, there
| fore, move that it be not printed in the
| minutes"
Rev. S. P. Hood said he agreed with DR..
Henderson, but wished his motion could
be SO amended as to include Fred Doug
lass and strike out Booker r. Washing
ton, for I do not want to do anything
that will look like endorsing Washington
in this Conference" he added
Lively scenes followed, which ended
when Bishop Derrick ordered the roll
called. The motion to strike the address
from the minutes was passed-101 to 7.
After devotional exercises this morning
Bishop William B. Derrick made second
address, during which he stirred up the
ministers by his remarks His subject was
Education" The Bishop admonished the
ministers to devote their time to study and
work, and said: 81 have no time for a
man who will get up in the pulpit and pa
rade his ignorance by saying I did not at
tend school. and I thank God for it.. If
you are fool. why thank God for that
and get up in the pulpit and talk about it.
If you don't kEow anything then go to
some one and get him to tell you This
brings me to remark that our preachers
should devote much of their time in read
ing instead of sitting around spinning
yarns.
1T has been said reading maketh a full
man, but it is all owing to how you read
and what you read. Reading promiscuous-
" and injudiciously will not make you any
more full than some of your Harrisburg
restaurants. You should adopt a system
of reading. Do not blunder by trying to
keep up iE society, when you can remain
at your homes and associate with the best
society the world has ever known With
your collection of books you can go to
Europe and perhaps return with a better
conception of things than had you gone
there in person. You are permitted to
study the life OF the Illinois rail splitter
who spent only his odd hours in reading
but wrote the, emancipation proclamation.
Read the great educators, the Ameri-
can newspapers. We cannot afford to do
without daily paper to see what the
world is doing. We must not spend too
much time in talking about this race
question, but let us do more work. Let us
train our children, teach them to be men
and women, and not beggars. I want to
see the time come when the negro will |
spend more time in doing and not so much |
talking. Your future is in your own |
hands"
Addresses were also made by the Rev. |
DR.. II. B. Parks. of New York City, Sec |
retary Of the Missionary Department; Dr. |
j. 7. Jenifer, Of Baltimore, Secretary of |
the c. P. A. DR.. w D. Chappelle. of |
Nashville, Secretary of the Sunday School |
Union; DIR. r. Fl. w. Leak, of Philadel- |
phia, general manager of the A NJ f. |
Book Concern. This evening Bishop c. |
Smith made an address at public meet |
ing.