Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-26
EDUCATION THEIR SALVATION
Negro Delegates to Presbyterian Assembly
Make Their Plea
SAY THE RACE is INCREASING RAPIDLY
And Afarm Their Only Hope is In
Having Enlightenment Given TO
Their People Through Help
From White Brethren.


ports OF tho standing committee on Freed.
men, the special committee on education,
young peoples societies and Presbyterian
building at Occidental college. made up the
additional program of the Presbyterian
general assembly today.
Discussion of the reports submitted by
the special committees brought a wider
range OF debate than any of those thus fRr
submitted to the general assembly The
Freedman's committee report gave oppor.
tunity for all the colored commissioners to
be heard and there were ringing speeches
from these representatives OF the south.
Prospects OF a debate in the assembly
this morning brought out a large attend
ance in the galleries OF Emmanuel church.
The commissioners were all I'm attendance
and lost no time in coming to the business
before them. The report OF the Freedmen's
committee was read by DR.. C. p. Cheese
man, chairman.
DR.. Cheeseman. in commenting upon the
report said:
There has come before this assembly this
year a problem demanding our interest and
recurring our best thousht the present
black, man into slavery but the whites?
This is history. and as a result We have a
here to stay. they have a right to stay
We gave them their freedom. We must
give them edueatiGn Now ,sCo want mt to to say say
is the use Of resolving II we do not act7
the richest churches In the land give
mere pittance to this work. when they give
large sums TO other objects.
says Negroes are Increasing.
DR.. E. P. Cowan, secretary of the board
OF freedmen, said In brief:
There are In this land of ours more than
s,oOO,000 freedmen. A noted Englishman
demonstrated TO his own satisfaction that
the negro American was bound to disap-
pear On the contrary the negroes hsys
are thus here to stay. and they will stay
in the states where they were born. They
not not only % % doubled in n Numbers hunt ~ in the last
forty years. but thky have duadrupled in
9ehSs that they have S % AIDED to the social status
OF the mass of uneducated. These VIII
learn something; Is i not better that AZ. they ,
stead of shaking their thirst for education
vi Vice. s'' ''''' ' ''
Half a dozen or more colored commits
sioners were given hve minutes each in
which 10 urge the church to lend its aid
to the colored people OF the south, arguing
that education was the only solution Of
the race problem that now confronts this
government.
I'm 1856, said one colored brother, there
were 100000 OF us. now there are 1oo 900.
You have got to educate us as a matter OF
self protection"
The report of the committee was finally
adopted.
Rev C. Banks Nelson of Rochester, N.
Y, introduced a resolution, which was re-
ferred 10 the committee on bills and over
lures having for its object the appointment
OF a committee of nine commissioners to
act in arbitration Of disputes between labor
and capital
The report on the Presbyterian building
in New York. which makes a strong plea
for funds TO lift the mortgage of some
500 900 within the next year, was adopted.
DR.. James Yereance Of New York City
from the committee on sababth observ-
ance offered a resolution on the subject
OF Sunday travel by commissioners and
precIpitated \ lively debate from those
commissioners who had been obliged 70
travel on Sunday to this assembly. because
as they declared, the railroads had failed
to keep they contracts. COMMISSIONS
Yereance also introduced a resolution OK
pressing the assembly's profound regret
that the managers of the st. Louis expo
sition had seen it 20 permit Sunday work
on the exposition buildings
Another resolution approved lne oIBanl-
zation OF a California Sabbath Observance
association to have for its object the pro-
curing Of legislation in connection with
proper Sunday observance. All OF these
resolutions we're adopted.
Report on Assembly Herald.
The special committee on the Assembly
Herald. the ofhcial organ of the Presbyts-
rian church. then submitted its report. The
report showed a circulation Of SS,777 copies
a slight decrease from the previous re-
port The committee urged against the
proposition to change the Assembly Herald
from a monthly to weekly publication.
The report commended the removal OF the
business once from New York TO Phila-
delphia. The report was adopted and the
assembly took recess.
According 10 the commissioners from the
Buffalo synod. that city has already prae-
tically won the night for the next years
Rsnarai p-s.~'r,'s~-'.
selected by the committee on place Of meet
The committee will not maze iIs report
until mar fhA cIose Of the assembly