Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1907-12-12
STATEMENT FROM
Committee.

In Regard to Entertainment
of the Baptist COnVen-
.tiOn.
DF. Hdle'S Attitude Defended And
Committee ReiterateS Certain POr-
ton of The ChargeS---EXpIanatiOn
Of The Part Taken by The Baptist
Minister.
The ARGUS is requested by the COM
mittee below to publish the following
from today's Wilmington Messenger:
Sin closing up the controversy con-
nected with the entertainment of the
State Baptist Convention in. this city
and in correcting some i'm
p~ressions concerning the part our pas
tor, DIR. Hale, took in the matter, we
desire to say:
"First: The charge is not true that
DIR. Hale is responsible for sending out
the telegram. We sent it out through
his nameb because all the correspondence
of the convention had been directed to
him. After this we re-canvassed the
city, going into practically every home
in the central residence portion of the
city. Still there was a deficit in the
number of homes needed. W. then
accepted the offer of the mayor for as
sistance and his committee secured
homes, and raised money sufficient to
entertain the remainder of our guests.
There were only 297 delegates enter
tanned during the convention. Above
$50 persons had sem in their applica-
lions for entertainment.
Second: The charge is not tru that
DR.. Hale was appealed to by business
men, or anybody else, to withhold the
telegram until a further convas could
be made. The only man to speak to
him on hat subject, phoned him at
O'Clock at night. DR.. Hale replied that
he would submit the matter to the COM
mittee. He did SO, and after a thor
ough second canvass, b mayors help
was accepted and his committee turn
ed in homes for % delegates. and mon
ey sufficient to board 80 others at 6
hotel. This, with the number we had
secured, was sufficient to entertain the
comparatively small number who at
tended this convention, 1O8 less thar
u,oro optortoipod loct war
Third: 1t is true that bad blood gen.
Grated in the prohibition campaign had
much to do in the matter of our failure
to secure homes for our guests. 1t il
true, also, that homes were much more
readily secured after the excitement
had arisen over the sending of the tele
gram. The entertainment for those
who came was royal, but we should
have been swamped had not the tele
gram been sent, even with our SECOND
thorough canvass, had not additional
homes and money been secured by thu
mayors committee.
Fourth: It is not true, as charged
that DR.. Hale misrepresented the facts
in saying that high pressure methods
had to be used in getting the chamber
of to carry out their par
of the contract to secur homes tOl
the guests in entertaining the Southern
Baptist convention in 1897. A mes
sage from DIR. Oliver today states tina
he did appear before the chamber o
and stimulated them to fur
the effort by announcing to them tina
the convention would be cancelled, 81
far as Wilmington was concerned, un
less more homes were secured. This
is confirmed by one of the member
of our committee (Leftwich) who wa
q member of the chamber of commerce,
at that time.
GEO. E. LEFTWICH,
"W. G. PETERSON,
Sc. G. BROWN,
Committee on Hospitality, Baptis
State Convention, First Baptis
Church"
C0V noUOna MIMI If JInDADV