Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-11
TALKS ON RACE ISSUE
SERMON BY REV. w. BISHOP
JOHNSON YESTERDAY.
"Scourge of the Negro" His Theme
Dolores the Faults Of
the People.


preached to a large congregation at the II
O'Clock service yesterday morning on the
race question, using for his subject, THE
Scourge of the Negro" and his text, When
a mans ways please the Lord. he maketh
even his enemies to be at peace with him."
Prov. 1877.
In the congregation were nearly all of the
prominent leaders of the colored race of the
District and in general they appeared to
agree with the statements made by the pas
tor in his sermon, which was in part
calling to task of Lis brethren for what he
called their lack of manhood.
He said that Providence must have
hand in the present "scourging'' of the
black man, since after. thirty-nfne years
OF freedom, their troubles have increased
instead of diminished He drew a parallel
with the wanderings of the 1sraelites In the
wilderness, saying that like them he be-
heved the negroes were being taught les
son and were undergoing punishment for
their evil deeds In other ways he essayed
to show that the negro is a child of Provi-
dence, that before the civil war God raised
up men who aroused sentiment in favor or
the black man, and later Providence.
prompted Christian philanthropists to aid
the race in. Its progress toward a higher
state of civilization.
Cause for Scourging.
Speaking of the reasons why .''scourg-
ing has been necessary, he said:
There is notable loss of manhood
among US. We are not chivalric in our
treatment of the woma nhood of the race.
This weakness is seen in a disposition to
live by wits, to catch hold of any
makeshift in order to keep up life; to ig-
more honest labor, and to scOrn the man
whose hand is hard and horny and whose
sir envy arm is the breadwinner of the home:
If you take away from the race its manly
men you reduce that race to the worst con-
dition of poverty. 1 mean by manly men,
those who are swayed by noble principles,
honesty, industry. purity of morals, and
who are thrifty, courteous and friends OF
truth and righteousness.
THE lack of race unity-this keeps us
from being strong and mighty instruments
in the hands of God toward advancing his
Kingdom We are not getting nearer to-
gether The intelligent negro, all things
considered, is worse than his 1lliterate
brother. He should be an example to the
loss favored membef's of the race. This lack
of cohesion 1 regard as the most danger
Gus enemy to negro progress. l find no
where in history where a race has become
strong that did not stand together as unit
upon the fundamentals of race develop
ment. This lack of unity is responsible for
all our evils.
''The negroes are the only people who
murder their leaders with SANDER and mis-
representation. and then permit them to
lead as though they were paragens of pee
lection. They have allowed none to escape,
from the highest to the lowest. No people
succeed without leaders. and 1t Is SANDER
upon the race for any nah to publicly an
nounce that there is no negro good enough
to lead another negro.
Morality and Home Life.
I'VE are not careful enough about the
moral atmosphere of our homes. No race
can rise higher than its home life. We
should not exclude God and the Bible from
the home God in the home means peace
and prosperity
Mr.. johnson said among the seourgas
brought upon the negro race and permitted
by God as a punishment and lesson IS
the disfranchisement IN the SOUTH
1.-The disfranchisement of the negro, by
which he is reduced to political nonenity,
is one scourge with which God is whipping
the negro to acquire property and educa-
ton. 1t is simply making him stronger
man in the community, and, while 1t robs
him of the badge of citizenship, 1t brings
him to the point where he will find 1t to his
advantage to make himself SO thoroughly
an essential element of progress and pros
perty that an exalted public sentiment will
be created against this relic of human self
Characterization prejudice and race fegis-
lation-which will bring the south to us
senses and sweep the evil of race iegisla-
ton forever from among people whose
declaration of independence declares all
men free and equal.
A Crisis at Hand.
Mr.. johnson said he believed the crisis 20
be at hand; that the negro was started OFT
wrong when freed, but the present persecu-
ton by the white people will bring about
change for the right in his ways and soon
secure his absolute freedom from political
restriction. This matter cannot go on
much longer as it is were his words in
closing.
Rev w. Bishop Johnson has been pastor
of the Second Baptist Church for twenty
one years and has nearly all his life been
engaged in educa tional work for his race.
He has published several discourses on
the race problem and will add to the col
lection the sermon delivered yesterday.