The colored American., 1903-12-19
CONSISTENCY THOU ART A
JEWEL.

Editor of The Colored American.
Sir:-Please allow me space in your
valuable columns for a word of re-
joinder to the miserable apology of
the Rev. DR.. Grimke which appeared
in your Issue of the 14th inst. in which
he attempts to excuse or explain the
unwarranted and fanatical attack
made upon reputable business men of
this community. Now | will ask, did
Dr.. Grimke tell the truth when the
statement that mo saloon men had
contributed to the fund raising the debt
Of the Fifteenth Street Presbyterian
Church" In the name of consistency,
why did not the Rev. DR.. Grimke eX-
anime and scrutinize the contribution
box every time the ushers brought it
to him to see that no dollar, dime or
penny bore the dreaded mark of the
hated saloon keeper? Not only have
the liquor men given freely, but their
families have been constant attend
ants and liberal contributors to all
funds raised for the benefit of that
church, and | take no chances in say
ing that if the venders of liquor had
not joined hands in helping to defray
this debt it would be hanging on to
this very day Take the gift of eight
thousand dollars to the Fifteenth st.
Presbyterian Church; two thousand
to DR.. Grimke, and six thousand to
the church, made by DR.. Thomas Ora
ham Dorsey, late of this city, the
largest single bequest no doubt ever
made to a colOred church by colored
man in the United States; and the
beneficiaries, one of whom was Dr..
Grimke himself, could never have
come into this valuable asset at this
early date had it not been for the
stroke of the pen made by Mr.. Geo. p.
Silence, who on or about the tim
the conveyance was made, was
dealer in malt and spiritous liquors
in Cleveland, Ohio And the present
wife of Mr.. Silence, who has contrib
uted so much, and has made so many
sacrifices for the sacred temple, how
must she have felt when she heard
that her pastor, of so many years had
raised the bars against her devoted
husband. There was jubilee, the
church was celebrating its Geliverance
from debt; all were invited to come
and make merry, but an, what of the
good lady who for more than genera
ton had cast her lot with the F'if-
teenth Street Presbyterian Church?
The church is out of debt, she cannot
receive any of the complimentary no
tices due to her years OF unurlng ef-
forts. Her first husband made the
final contribution, but her second hus-
band was a dealer in malt liquors
But perhaps the donations of the
wives of men who deal in liquor do
not count in the summing up of the
good and jealous doctor, and sup
pose that is why he overlooked the
name of Mrs. Frank Gaines, the same
as he did that of Mrs. Silence, fornel
ly Mrs. Dorsey.
further state that the property
which was sold in the City Of Ph1ladel-
phia, the proceeds of which went TO-
ward raising the debt of said church'
was bought by Mr.. J. P. O'Hara, who Is
a saloon keeper of that place and no
ted for his fine wines and liquors.
| leave it to the public to draw us
own conclusions as to whether or not
7 amiustified in my contentious that
the liquor dealers have been the larg
est contributors to the liquidation and
cancellation Of the debt which hung
for so many years like pail over the
Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church.
Again I say Consistency thou art
jewel" 60,
TT r ST N z. FRANK GAINEo-