The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-09-06
J. D. HUFHAM ON
MASSEE INCIDENT
Preachers Should Let Current
Events and Politics Alone.
DR.. MASStE'SSTATEMEN
Says He Read the Proof Huriedly and His
Meaning In the Matter is Misin-
terpreted and Msun-
ders!ood.

terpreted and Mlsun-
ders!ood.
Rev. DR.. j. D. Hufham, the beloved
Baptist divine who is known throughout
the length and breadth of the State, was
in the city yesterday.
Dr. Hufham had heard of The incident
which is being widely discussed concern
ing the utterances of Rev. j. c.. Massee
pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist church in
relation to the negro. Being asked his
opinion of the affair by News and OBJ
server reporter DR.. Huffman said:
''It is just what ordinarily happens to
a man when he goes outside of his mission
TIC preach the gospel and stick to it. His
mission Is to preach the gospel of Jesus
Christ and not to discuss current events
That has been the custom in the South
with Baptist preachers.
During the four years of the Civil War
l never heard one of our preachers dis
Cussing the Yankees or the war They
preached the gospel and such men as
DR.. Pritchard, DR.. Wingate, Dr. McDon-
comfort and peace to families all over
North Carolina, and during the wretched
days of reconstruction, which were worse
than the war, they pursued the same
course.
1t has not been our custom to discuss
current events or current politics. III our
sermons, and the mistake of DR.. Massee
was probably natural coming as he does
from Ohio, where they anow a large
latitude in these things. He, like many
other men of that section, think they
have an off hand method of settling the
question of the races in the South. Later
he will find he is mistaken
THE best men and the best women
are gravely and prayerfully studying the
question of the races and are earnestly
seeking to do that which to them seems
to be right
MR. MASSEE'S STATEMENT.
The following from Rev. ]. c. Massee,
defining his position appeared in the Times
yesterday afternoon and at the request
of Mr.. Massee is published in these col
umns.
TO the Editor OF The Times:
The sensational account in yester-
day afternoons and this mornings pa
pers concerning some utterances of
mine at my Thursday evening prayer
meeting have done me serious injus-
tice. If were simply a private citi-
zen l should keep silent and bear the
misunderstanding But for the sake
of the work in which I am engaged,
and which must suffer from that pub.
LEGATION, | desire to submit to the pub
lie this statement of the case. am
fully aware that public speaker is
always responsible for his public ut
terances, and l am perfectly willing
to abide by any and all of mine, when
ly quoted, and rightly interpre.
But my work surely should not
uired to suffer for wrong inter.
ion of the things | said, and a
representation of the intent
which they were said. l have
both misinterpreted and mis-
sented in the sensational man
as been presented to the public
Concerning the statement that
and approved the article in the
IS" That approval needs to
qualified as follows: The
ter came to me Friday morn
skiing for statement of my criti
cisf of "The One Woman" | refused
to give him one word, and asked him
not to make any mention of it, as
wished to review the book over my
own signature in one of our religious
weeklies. Nothing was said at that
time, about my words concerning the
race problem.
He went away and after an hour OF
two returned saying that he had a
rumored report of my criticism of the
book, and intended having it publish
ed whether | wished it or not. Then
SO that l might not be misquoted die
tated to him the same criticism OF
THE One Woman" that appeared in
the Times" Still he did not mention
the negro matter to me. Between two
and three o'clock in the afternoon he
returned to my home, had me awaked
from my afternoon sleep and submit
ted to me the proof of the copy.
read it, and approved it-having in
mind only the book criticism.
My purpose in the negro matter had
been so far from what has been at
tributed to me, and my remarks about
the negro, seemed to me to be so fal
from the sensational that it did moi
occur to me that they would occasion
any reader a second thought. The re
porter led me to believe that only &
very short and modest notice would
be made of it. And | now insist that
the only sensation connected with my
utterances is the sensation that the
A
Tc nm 1uhicI ic LAT.