Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-05-27
OTHER BRANCHES OF
CHURCH MAY UNITE
Negro Preachers Caused Ripple OF
MGTriment by Unconscious HUI
NOR in Their Speeches. Figures
of Speech We're Very Apt
and Equally Amusing.

Kansas City, Mo. May 27.-The
foreign missionary work was reported
on and dismissed at the general as
sembly of the Presbyterian church in
the United States of America today.
The report of the board of foreign
missions showed that great progress
had been made. A committee was
appointed to devise a shorter cate
chism and report at the neXt general
assembly
Concerning the union of the United
Presbyterian church with others Of
the Presbyterian denomination, Rev.
j. ID. Sands of the board of publiCa-
ton said today that he did not con-
template an organic union except
along certain lines common to the
two denominations.
The philosophy of cheerfulness so
dominant in the negro race, even in
the most trying circums anceS, was
displayed to good advantage in the
speeches of negro preachers, who
spoke to the Presbyterian general as
sembly. Without, perhaps, intending
to Start laughter among 500 commits
Sioners these southern ministers OF
people who are striving for better
things punctuated their extempora-
ueous talks with so many humorous
references, so many homely illustra-
lions, 50 much logic that the assem- bly,
roared with merriment time after
time and clapped its hands i'm appre-
citation.
The first speaker was the Rev. Eli
Matthew Clark of Birmingham, Ala
He Is large man, very black, very
good natured. His language was as
carefully chosen as that of any speak
er in the assembly and as free from
accent to indicate African descent.
Born in Him, as Slavery Was.
once there was negro who sat
on load of cotton seed when it was
weighed" Mr.. Clark said. Someone
asked him why he stayed there, on
the scales, and he replied that he sup
posed he went with the seed
We'll, when the Cumberland
church went over to the Northern
body | was in the presbytery of Ten
nessee and | sat there and stayed be-
cause ! supposed I went with it, and
here | am"
Some men, the negro speaker said
amid roar of laughter. would sooner
be boss of a peanut sand than be
Janitor for king, but he was willing
to take the janitor's job in the Kind
dom Of Christ.
Il am not a made" PRESBYTERIAN. :"
he said. "Tm a Presbyterian of the
blue kind, The man who owned my
father who entered the land on
which l was born, came, a Presbyter-
ian, from Scotland. 1t was born in
me just as slavery was born in me.
I've outgrown the slavery idea"
If Negroes Would Pull Together.
The Rev. o. A. Williams, negro,
from Oklahoma, said that in a bic
meeting once upon a time, a negro
brother was in doubt about the mean
ing of the word "whomsoever. Some
enc told him it meant "You and me
and everyone or anyone"
And" the speaker said. with a
touch Of pathos in his voice, when
you adopted resolution that minis
ters should be paid not less than
$1,000 a year | wondered If you
meant 'whomsoever,' and II ! would
be included for | and all OF Us coll
ored brethren sure need your help in
the work were trying to do. | wish
you'd turn your eyes our way and
come over into Macedonia and help
US"
The Rev, a. b, Mccoy a young
negro, said one trouble was the lack
Of united effort among negroes by the
negroes themselves.
Il went 10 a sldesh6w not long
ago" he said. "Yes, l went to a
show. A man said he had something
we'd never seen. He showed US seven
big negroes pulling on a rope, and
when we stared in wonder he Inquired
X we'd ever seen that many negroes
pulling together. And we had to ad-
init it was a strange sight"