The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-07
OBJECT TO
 THE PROGRAM Protest Against Negro Participation. LIVELY EXECUTIVE MEETING Mir. Atkins of Selma Earnestly
 Protested. Objection Made to Presense of Negro on Program of the International sunday school Association.
 Dr. Hartshorn in Con-
 ference.

At the conference Monday night be- tween W. N. Hartshorn, of Boston. Mass, chairman of the National Exec utive Committee of the International Sunday School Association, and mem bers of the Alabama executive com- mittee, in the rooms of the Young Mems Christian Association, an old skeleton was pulled out of the closet which had been slumbering for about four years. This feature of the dis cussion in the conference has hitherto escaped publication.
 The skeleton out of the closet again is the participation of the negroes fin the annual international Sunday School convention. This year the convention is to be held June 1923 in Louisville. Ky In order to arouse the interest of the negro Sunday school workers in the tidal wave gath ering force every year among the whites, pr. Hartshorn and other members of the National Executive Committee agreed upon put ting Booker T. Washington on the pro- gram this year.
 Only the tentative program for the convention has been arranged and this carries the name of Washington for q place among the white speakers on one of the five days, The Topic to Be Announced"
 It was rather an embarrassing posi- tion for Dr. Hartshorn when his at tention was called to the Washington incident. The matter was mentioned as one of the first things under discus sion Monday night at sa,n. the con, active Sunday School worker and mem Der of the executive committee of the Alabama Sunday Shool Association. made strenuous objections, It is un- derstood, to the placing of Booker washington's name on the program for Louisville.
 The meeting was executive but 1t Is said that short addresses were also made on this delicate problem by Gov ernor B. B. Conner who was present.. and by Armstead Brown and J. B. Green, of Montgomery, and Opelika respectively. It Is said there was more tolerance in the address of the Gov ernor and others on the subject than characterized the remarks of Mir. At- kins.
 Just as he stood on the proposition in Atlanta several years ago. 1t is un- derstood Mir. Atkins stands now on the mixing of negroes and whites on the program of the international conven- tion or any other program. The negro question was strongly injected into the Atlanta gathering a few years ago and threatened to stampede the great organization. But by his timely ad> dress on that occasion, it was Mir. Att ktns himself who saved the convention from rather precipitate action. The thing was partially smoothed over ana 1t was thought the skeleton had been laid away for good perhaps
 The real objection to Washington, 1t seems, was not on account of his race or policies. but rather because he has not had any prominent connection with Sunday School work. It was contend ed that If 1t was necessary to have speaker at all to represent the Afro
 1f fIao -nn # would be proper to select some one of the race more identified with Sun dav School interests. One speaker made the declaration that there are a hundred other negroes more suited to a place on the program than Booker Washington. Atlxins at the conference Monday night. If was decided that the thing had ad- vanced too far now for correction. pr. Hartshorn was as obllging as could be. it Is understood, and offered to do anything in his power to rectify the mistake If one had been made. His motive. he said, was not to disturb the tranquility of the South on the negro question. as applied in Sunday School work. He was only working in the interest of religion and humanity common to all.
 The conference wound up. however, hv leaving the matter to rest in statu quo. Booker Washington had already been invited to address the convention in Louisville and there would perhaps be an unwarranted awkwardness in now asking him to withdraw his &C., cpetance of the invitation.
 As to whether aiI present at the con ference with Dr. Hartshorn were full Iy satisfied with the policy of inaction in the matter has no. been learned It all happened so softly and quietly that little could be learned about the pos stble sequences of the meeting.