The Savannah morning news., 1904-01-07
ON RACE PROBLEM
MINISTER'S CLASSIFIED AT UNION
PRAYER SERVICE.
~THE NEGROES CANNOT VOTE"
DECLARED REV. w. p. MCORKLE
IN COURSE OF ADDRESS.

No Law Prohibits Negroes from
VOting-Rev. MIR. McCOrIIe Elk
planned That He Referred to
White Primaries -''Win Play
He'll" He said, in Referring to
Possible Results of Continuation
of "White Primary"-Rev. Mr..
Williams Statement of His Posi-
tfOn-Rev. Mr.. McCOrkIe's State
ment.
THE white primary of Georgia Is
the consummated flower of political
trickery. 1t will result in the estab-
hshment of a political oigarchy whose
only object is to feather its own nest,
and unless they are stopped, they will
play hell"
With these words Rev. w. p. Nc
Corkle pastor of the First Presbyte-
rian Church. dismissed the subject of
his remarks on the race problem when
questioned concerning his attitude at
the union prayer meeting yesterday.
1t was during the course of his re-
marks at the meeting that he was in
terrupted by Rev. A. NJ. Williams, pas
tor of Trinity Methodist Church.
The subject of the special prayer at
the union meeting was "All Nations
and All Peoples" the people uniting
in praying that racial differences
might be settled in the light of a COM
mon redemption through Christ and
common inheritance to life eternal;
and that the brotherhood of man
might spread to all nations and all
peoples"
Rev. Mr.. McCorke was conducting
the meeting and in the course of his
remarks called attention to what he
termed the crying injustices of the
time. He summed them all up under
the common head of a denial of the
rights of men. His first point was the
denial of entrance into this country to
the Chinese characterizing it as cry
ing injustice. He then discussed the
preparations for war which are going
on throughout the civilized world, "a
preparation which will stain the skies
a deep, blood red.
He next took UP the race problem
in this country and in bitter terms
scored the attitude of the white man
toward theF black. fright here IN
Georgia" he said, the most cultured,
the best educated, the most spiritual
negro is denied the right to vote, while
given the franchise and the privilege
of selling their vote"
Rev. MIR. williams Interrupts.
At this point Rev. A M. Williams.
pastor of Trinity Church, jumped to his
feet and took exception to the state
ment If the speaker will allow me
to interrupt him." he said, 81 would
like to state that there is no law in
this state denying the right of voting
TO the negro. 1t is his full and unllmlt-
ed privilege"
In reply Rev. Mr.. McCorkle said; cit
is true that there is 10 law prohibiting
him. but the white primary practically
shuts him out from voting. 1t is
means to accomplish an end
Rev. Mr. Williams made no reply to
this last statement and the prayer
meeting proceeded without further in
terruption. At the close of the meet
ing one of the ladies who had been in
attendance remarked as she left the
church. Il intended coming to a prayer
meeting. If I had known that it was to
he a political gathering l should have
stayed away"
The meeting was attended by nearly
all the Protestant ministers of the city
and the occurrence was informally dis
cussed by them afterwards. The
consensus of opinion was expressed by
one of them as follows: 1T was I'M
fortunate that the first statement was
made regarding the race problem and
it would have been much better If 1t
had not been made. There has prob
ably, however, little or no harm been
done by the incident"
Rev. Mr.. McCOrISIe's Position.
Rev. Mr.. McCorlxle was seen last
night by a Morning News representa-
tive. When asked about his remarks
of the morning he said:
ION the matter of the race problem,
as we have come to call it, l said what
I fully and firmly believe. There is
no quarrel between Rev. Mr.. Will
liams and myself. his interruption be-
ing only the result of misunderst and
ing me. l intended striking at the
white primary for I believe that it. is
a crying iniquity.
ut is the contaminated flower of
political trickery. 1t will result in
the establishment of political dig
archy whose only object will be to
feather its own nest. Unless it is
stopped it will play hell. That sounds
like strong statement, but it is true,
for 1t is just as possible to play hell
as to play heaven. The only way we
can ever settle this race problem is
by bringing it before Our Lord in
the proper attitude"
Rev. MIR. williams Side of IL.
REV. "A. M. Williams when asked for
a statement concerning the incident at
the prayer-meeting, said:
Il interrupted the speaker simply be-
cause 1 thought, from his statement,
that he was under Misrepresentation
i understood him to mean that there
was law in Georgia prohibiting the
negro from voting. Knowing that he
was not a native Georgian / took the
opportunity of correcting him in what
j thought an erroneous statement
When he stated then that he did not
mean by law, but through the white
primary, / made no reply.
Personally 1 believe that the white
primary is a good thing and many
good and sufficient reasons can be ad-
vanced in support of it, but l saw no
reason why the point should be argued
at the meeting, and many why it
should not. The prayer meeting was
not the place for such a discussion,
and the leader certainly had the right
to express his views on the subject
There were other things in the lead
er's address with which 1 did not
agree. For instance, his statement to
the effect that the exclusion Of the Chi
nese from this country was wrong and
sinful, and also that The Hague tri-
bunal was a crying farce. I did not in
terrupt, however, until through mis-
understanding of his meaning, 1
thought that Rev. Mr.. McCorkle was
making an erroneous statement"