The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-11-28
A! NEGRO BISHOP
SPRUNG SURPR RISE
No InteiIi eft Negro Objects TO
Constitutions Qualification if a. /.
OPPOSES WISE MOVEMENT
Discrimination on Account of CoIcr ard
Prejudice. Not Property d e uca~
tonsl Q ua.f1c.uon. are Objected
to-O,her Views OF Interest.

Special Dispatch TO The Times,

Especial Dispatch to The Tines
NORFOLK. VA. November 27.-Eishop
Matters, of Jersey City. to-day sprung
sensation at the session OF the African
Methodist Episcopal Zion Church of Vir-
Giiia when he declared that no intelli-
gent black man objected to an education.
al and property qualification in the new
Constitution, provided it affected the
black and white man alike. The Bishop
ssi1 the negro objected to- discrimination
or account Of color. and that character
md intelligence should be the passports
Of political rights. and not color Bishop
Walters. declaration is directly opposed
to the move of John S. Wise and his
Tegro associates, Bishlop Walters said
in part:
There Is widespread encouragement
over the disfranchisement of Our people.
While deeply regret the enactment of
laws which discriminate against any race,
and especially our own. still I see no
need of sitting still and repnins. No In
stclisent black man should object to an
educational and property qualiiica ton.
provided 1t affects white and black men
alike. What we do object to is discriml-
nation on account of our color. Charac-
ter and intelligence should be the pass
ports to political rights. and not color.
No man Is responsible for his color Then
why discriminate against him on that
account? Color prejudice is the most I'M
reasonable of all prejudices. There is no
prejudice against black hat, dress. 4
horse or dog. In many instances they are
preferred, and why this prejudice against
a black man? We should make no mis-
take in the object of our attack. We
should not attack the educational nor the
property quaiiiica items but the thing that
is behind all of this discriminating preju-
dice MY reason for endorsing the effort
being made in this State (Nirgnia) to
lest the Constitution is that it will give
the coored people an opportunity to
strike this hydra-headed monster a blow
thu. may wound him to his death. In the
ma tier of the suffrage all we ask is a
fair chance.
'of all the States which have enacted I
special election laws in the South. Nlr-
GINA has given us the fairest laws. |
an OF the opinion that the educational,
property and old soldiers tests have come
to stay. The ahins on our part to do is
10 prepare to meet them. and what We
csk Of our white friends is that they
administer the law fairy.
I'VE must see#that ourachildren are edu-
Gated; s. parents should consider no sacrl-
Zee too great in order that their children
may be educated and prerared to eNer-
else the franchise inteiligenty. Our min
listers teachers and other leaders should
continue TO urge our people TO secure
zrroDa,iy and become Taxpayers. We
should persuade them to spend less Tor
foplishness and more for the substantial
things of life. Some plan must be de- ].
yised to eliminate the HroWdylsI1 ana loud 81
less of the young negro. we must put
forth greater effort than ever before 10
keep them out of the saloons. the jaiisHS
and pcnitentiares. The better element !,
must control the baser element OF ne
r1,ces on the other hand the white man
shonld keen faith with US. When we
meet the tests we oughtto be allowed to 4
rass. The law Should not be made#a SUBJ
terfusc to keep the negro down outs serve
as a means for his further elevation
,etl,-@2we must make the best of our
condition and seek to Improve it by all
hUnora bic means.
TELEPHONE WAR SUSPENDED.
The order OF Judge Waddill. Of the 1
United States District Court. has been
obeyed by the Hampton Telephone Com
pany. The connection. which mad heen
broken between the Hampton Company
and the Southern states Telephone COM
many of Norfolk was resumed this morn
ir,e. The Southern States has been rely
ing on the Hampton Company for its
service to Ola Point Comfort Newport
News, and FOR ali communication on
that side of#the3 Roads from here. This
service was stopped. and the attorneys
of the Southern States fled bill and
obtained an order from Judge Waddll
late Yesterday afternoon. erect. that the
Hampton Telephone COMPANY shall re-
sumo the service that existed prior to
November 18th with the Southern States
Telephone Company. The case willsbe ar
cued before Judge Na6dill as to whether
or not the order shall be permanent
Meantime the service Is to continue. It
is stated that the service was stopped 4
when the Bell Telephone Company ac-
CURED the Hampton Telephone Com
pany's property. Then the cable was cut,
and the service stopped.
THANKSGIVING DAY.
Thanksgiving was more generally OBJ
serFed in this city ana section to-day
than for many years. and the day was
general holiday. It being a national
holiday, all of the government buildings
were closed This included the navy
yard. postofT1ce, custon-lorse and
weather bureau. Under the statute all
clerks Offices are compelled to remain
oper but there was little business trans
acted. Services were held in many Of
The churches. but the event Of the day
was the foot-ball game. which thousands
Of citizens attended. Both theatres had
large crowds at matinees.
Norfolk received two car loads of an
thracite# coal to-day. the first that has
hssn received here since the big strike
at the mines. The forty-tous vii he dis
tihuted among the firms regular Gus
toners in haif ton lots. as long as it
lasts. Tee price. il Is said. viii be in the
ncishborhoo5 of 81 or STD per ton.
While crossing the Main Street track
of the Norfolk Railway and Lig.t# Com
rany on hi. bicycle this afternoon. +. Q.
Burgess was run into by a street car.
What caused the accident cannot be
stated. The fender of the car caught both
man and wheel ard carried them for sew
eral yards. No damage was done other
tlsar crushing the rear wheel of the
hicrc'e Rtt Mr.. Burgess was in peril
ous condition.
MAY RE WEALTHY