The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-28

| CnrlStlanS we VIII raise IHIS Hloii0S'
a more creditable report should have
Been made"
Mr.. 2. A. H. Gwynn, of Steel Creek,
made a string expression in asking
what can the Synod do?" He said
the popular conception of cOlored
evangel zation is confounded SO that
it is difficult for the public to separ-
ate this work from the political and
social status of the negro. He main
tanned that eff Characterization will
not solve this problem there is moth
ing else to do with the black man. y
Two wonderful speeches followed
the above remarks, the second ad-
dress being the more unusual. Both
were eXtemporaneouS.
Currie on the Race Problem.
Elder ]. H. Currie of Cumberland
county, an ex-Confederate soldier
wearing upon his breast the cross OF
honor, was agitated, and assembled the
platform to speak so the audience,
which crowded the vast auditorium
could hear him. He asserted that
the negro race presented the most mo
mentoHs rrobIeEl that confronted CIV
ilization, but could be solved by Pres
byterianism, and should not be balk-
cd at by the Synod. Mr. Currie said
in part:
THE negro is an inferior race and
knows it, The Anglo-SaXon has, and
will rule him for ever Whether here
or in Africa and when he is placed
back in the position of servitude,
not of slavery, but must be voluntary
on his part, and elective with him,
he ana. we vii! be better off. The
culture and refinement of the white
men of the South before the war
were never surpassed by any people.
nor by us since.
The negro is here 20 stay. He is
the best servant we ever had or eV-
err will have. and that was what he
was made for. We have lost a quarter
of a century so far as the negro is
concerned, and are just now taking UP
a work that should have been begun
i'm 1865. We are the best friends of
40 'rogro. and the South is his home.
AS an evidence of this there is not
4 Southern State that would emulate
the example of the Illinois Governor
who would have ordered out the State
militia to prevent negro strike break
ers from entering that State. Inc
Presbyterians who have always stood
in the forefront of civilization can
solve this question. hope this Sy-
nod will do unanimously all It can for
the elevation. education and Christian
ization Of the negro"
Rev. Cornelius Miller. of Dallas.
said that the effort of the church was
not to establish the relation. between
the races but the policy of the church
Was to Chrlstanize the negroes, ana
as far as the Synod was concerned it
was the support and maintenance of
negro ministers and the preparation
of colored students fo~ the ministry.
All the Synod could do. he said,
was 70 support the movement more
literally and he pleaded that the
money needed should be raised.
DR.. G. G.. VardeH president of the
Southern Presbyterian College and
Conservatory of Music, delveF ID the
most striking address He has done
more for the black man in this COM
mum ty than any other ana is emil
,nently respected and loved by the
colered population of this county
Dr. Vardell began by saying that he
believed practical things should be
told the negro and facts gwen them
that they could appreciate. He said
that two years ago he made speech
TO a negro congregation and that ne
made q very plain speech and did
not expect to ever be invited to adj
dress them again. But since that
time. he continued, he had been so
flooded with requests to address the
negroes that he could not respond
to the many calls. DIR. Vardell said
in part:
when 1 spoke to those negroes l
told them that / was going to say
simple truths, which they could I'M
1ore+and and should know, l said to
them. "You negroes try to believe
.ou re nettor than the white
man because of sltvery," and l told
u ,hv 49, o. /. ..nu you know t.
Efforts have been made to instill into
your hearts hatred for the white
man because of slavery" and l told
them. continued DR.. Vardell. that
they owe all they have been, and
Ire t. 80 to God and the Southern
VIII to en-. told them that they were
far below the moral standard and
that their state of morals was SIM
ply abhOrcnt. l told them they were
Jars, but we were truthful men,
told them they were dishonest but
that we were honest and | told them
that we were virtuous but they were
not. l told them that if they listen
to what their negro speakers tell
them they will get into trouble, but
that if they listened to what the
white people said to them they would
keep out Of trouble
The negroes will hear practical
talk ii you are in earnest and SIN
cere. The negroes remind me OF the
monkeys in one of Rudyard Klpllng
books. He tells how these monkeys
gathered together and told each other
how good they were, that they were
better than any other animal me
monkeys believed il and then because
Of their fOolishness no other animals
liked them. The negroes are like the
monkeys"
DR.. Vardell concluded by express
ms his goou VIII 10 the black man
Rev. d. I. Claig said that the Wnlte
minister must teach the negroes put
that the custom OF permitting the
negroes 20 attend the white man
church is abolished forever ana thdt
the negro must learn that there Is an
insurmountabe barrier before the
white man which the colored man can
never pass. He said an overture
must be made and the Whlte PfeSoy-
terrain minister must make II.
DR.. Lilly declared that the niue
amount of work the church had dohe
was a reproach upon the denohllna-
ton and had a collection taken Wnlch
amounted TO 1910, Just $llo more
than was needed. When the amount
was announced there was genera re-
ioicing, and a few minutes latef the
telegram from Mr.. W. w. Fuller an
nonncino mo Gift of $4,000 was re-