The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-27
FOR THE fLANNER GUILD
SENATOR FAIRBANks's ELOQUENT
ADDRESS To COLORED PEOPLE.
Bishop A. Grant and Ministers Of A.
M. Z. Church at Bethel Church
Money Subscribed.

Senator Fairbanks spoke for an hour yes
terday afternoon at the Bethel A. M. z.
Church on West Vermont street in behalf
of the Flanner Guild Bishop A Grant
presided and a number Of ministers were
present in the pulpit. which was decorated
with palms and the American flag. The
church was crowded. The services were in
troduced by music from the Bethel A. NJ.
Z. choir.
Bishop Grant preceded Senator Fair
banks with a short talk on the advance
ment made by the colored race in the
United States during the last few years and
said that such institutions as the Flanner
Guild and kindred institutions organized for
the advancement of the regro, are RESPONSE
bic for the present status OF the colored
man in America. Bishop Grant told story
with a point which he applied to the
progress of the race. Tie story was OF
white man who lived IN the South ana
owned many little houses tenanted by col
ored people One of these houses was empty
and had been for many months because or
a suspicion that II was haunted. The house
had been the scene of a crime or something
thought to be equally provocative OF the
presence of ghosts and evil spirits, and be-
cause of the fears of the colored people OF
association with ghosts no one would rent
the house. The landlord. in his desperation
at losing the rental OF the house, onered
five dollars TO any man who would sleep In
the house over night and. satisfied that the
mans report the day following would quiet
the rumor of a haunt. he prevailed on
more than usually poor negro to go to the
house to sleep.
barricaded the doors and windows. and
as a further security threw the key to the
door away. Then he settled down to read
himself to Sleep and before he had read
the floor, taller and taller until IL had
reached gigantic proportions. The negro.
SCARED at the apparlton. WIS terpin S,1 wnea
said IL was surprised 70 have company.
The negro parted with IL by going through
the window and mumbling that he wouldn't
raced across the fields at his best speed,
and when thoroughly tired out seated
the specter at his Side. The specter jocu-
| larry remarked that he had been given
pretty good race but the negro, on his
feet In an instant and OF again at rapid
pace, left him behind with the parting re-
mark that the first race was nothing to
| the one coming. Bishop Grant says that
| the colored man is now beside the white
man In some branches ~ progress ana
has given him pretty, good race in the
| last forty years, but nothing like the one
| to be given in the next century.
MR.. FAIRBANKS's ADDRESS.
Senator Fairbanks took as his text.
Love thy neighbor as myself" Dwelling
upon a reference to the late President Nc
Kinley by Bishop Grant in his Introductory
remarks, the senator recalled that Satur-
day at Canton, o.. he stood at the tomb
of William Mckinley ard he paid a high
tribute TO the late Presidents great worth.
and his deep interest IN the welfare or
the colored race.
The senator related how in the early
| DAYS of the Spanish-Arlerican war Gov
| ernor Mount had written to him requesting
that he intercede with the secretary OF
| war TO secure commissions for c0lored offl-
GERS captains and Heutenants in the
companies OF colored troops. The senator
recalled that, failing at the War Depart
ment TO secure this recognition. he had
| gone to President Mckinley. who made an
order directing that the eolored officers be
| commissioned. The senator recounted the
| difficulties and delays IN forwarding the
| order, but how. finally, q had been carried
out. and he spoke of the intelligence and
| courage the colored officers had manifest
| ed throughout the late Spanish-Amerfcan
| war as they had done I'm the civil war,
which justified the confidence reposed In
| When Senator Fairbanks said that the
colored men who had enlisted I'm the war
| enlisted because IL was their country and
| their flag he awakened applause. He
| touched n responsive chord in the hearts
! OF his audience when he recalled certain
! incidents OF his boyhood when his father:
then a farmer in Union county, Ohio. and
one OF the early Abolitionists, had az
| forded shelter TO ex-slayes and had given
them employment on his farm.
|
work of the Flanner Guild He said IL was
| a noble work and had noble benefactor.
/ Ii deserved encouragement from all the
| people because its object was 10 reclaim
| the boys and the girls from the streets and
| put them TO lives OF usefulness and honor.
| in concluding he spoke Ct the great march
| of civilization and Christianity In widen
| ing the zone OF human liberty. The revo-
/ lutionary war under George Washington
had freed three million people from imperial
rule; Abraham Lincoln and the great civil
war had added four millions 20 the ranks
of free men: the Spanish-American war had
wrested from the controt Of imperial Spain
many millions more. In all more than sew
| enteen millions OF people had been added
| TO the ranks OF free men by the United
| States troops In it's wars for right and UNI
| der the influence of the American flag.
| At the conclusion OF the senator's re-
/ marks a considerable srm was raised for
the benefit of the guild. and after the COLI
ing America