The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-06-06
MAKING \ BISHOP.

From Washington there came ia
The Advocate and a number Of othei
papers last week letter from the
Press Bureau signed by p. S. Twister
Under the caption The A. NJ. E. De
! nomination And the Coming General
Conference from a Baptist Point of
View" Mr.. Twister" puts himself to
some pains to inform the public of the
origin, organization. government, etc,
of the A. NJ, e. denomination. Very
interestingly he tells how Richard
Allen and few others in 1887 organ
lied the class from which has come q
great denomination. The organization
Of the church along the lines of our
judicial system is next shown from
the Baptist point of view" Then "Mr
Twister" WRITES in glowing terms of
the government in this denomination
the one highest illustration Of the
ability of the Negro of America to
govern himself
About this time the reader sits up
and begins to take notice. He asks
himself why ''Mr. Twister" should
gratuitously offer his views upon the
A. M. E. denomination or, in fact.
any denomination. But two para
graphs. further the cat jumps out of
the bag. Mi Twister" is the bureau
of publicity in the campaign of one
of the aspirants for the bishopric He
tells us that his candidate, viewed
from purely Baptist perspective,
would not only be an ornament to the
board Of bishops, but blessing to the
race and nations" "In him are EN-.
bodied continues "Mr Twister," ""'aIl
of the elements Of true Christian man
hood, and he combines iii his complex
nature all of the. qualifications men
toned above"
These are not, gentle reader the
strong points Of a candidate for the
republican presidential NOMINATION..
but bishop in embryo, and if, being
layman, you have asked yourself
whether the employer of this press
agent has a laundering for a bishopric
simply that he may have a broader
field and, in consequence, greater op-
portunities to fhrther his Masters
cause, or has his eye on The fat salary
connected with the lifelong job, the
doubt is natural. No one will be led
to believe that "Mr. Twister," without
the hope OF reward, sings the praises
of him, "who deserves, who towers
IN Respondent grandeur above the
rest; and who will wear the robes
after the voice of wisdom has had a
hearing"
o Temporal! O mores, To what a
pass have we come when men, in whom
are embodied all of the clements of
Christian manhood, so far forget the
humility and meekness of their Mas
ter as to adopt methods contrary to
His teachings that they may be ele
waited to high places in His chSrch
The charge has been made often
and as often denied that not to him
who seeks to elevate the church, by
living an exemplary life and bringing
souls to Christ. does the church give
her rewards, but to him who is the
shl ewdest politician and pays the
game according to modern methods
He gets the bishopric, general secre.
taryship, or the place to which he as
pires, who boosts himself or has boost
ed for him his fitness, pulls the wires
and lands the delegates. Whether this
is true or not, The Advocate is not in
position to say. for it is not given to
mere laymen TO know what goes on
in the councils Of the mighty, but we
will confess that it looks passing
strange that "Mr. Twister," whom we
can not recall among our acquaint.
ances, should be so solicitous at this
time as to our knowledge of the orig
in, organization and government Of
the A. NJ. +. church and point out the
man compared with whom all other
candidates Tor bishop are pigmieS.