The Washington bee., 1908-05-30

as well as thorough understanding OF
the intricate problems involved when
administering to a diocese embracing
a large colored population, as is the
case in Washington. Bishop-eiect
Brent's earliest parish work was at
the St. Augustine Mission in Boston,
where he achieved a phenomenal sue
cess in bringing the Negro masses
into a closer relation with the Epis-
copal Church and spread the inhu-
ence Of true Christianity in purlieus
that had not known serious mission
ary effort before His latest and
most stupendous undertaking was to
minister unto the natives of the Phil
ippine Islands, having been assigned
to the Orient in 1901 as a mission
airy bishop of the Philippines. He
has erected stately temples in the
land of the Moros and laid the foun-
dation of a Christian civilization
through faithful acknowledgment
Of the "FatherhOOd Of God and the
brotherhood of man. impressing the
common salvation Of humanity, re-
gardless of race or color. This eX-
perience gives Bishop-elect Brent a
peculiar fitness for taking hold OF
the problems that exist in the Dis
trict of Columbia, with its hundred
thousand Negro population. He thus
knows the Negro and his needs, and
the Negro is willing to trust his in
terests to the hands of a spiritual
leader who has shown the breadth OF
vision and fraternal instinct so mark
ed in the new head of this diocese.
Bishop-elect Brent'S election was
materially promoted by the advocacy
and votes of the Negro delegates in
the diocesan convention. Six col
ored clergymen and two laymen rep
resented the Episcopal churches OF
the race. They were Revs. T. J.
Brown, of St. Luke's; o. L. Mitch
ell, of St. Mary's; w. V. Tunnel,
warden of King Hall, Howard Uni
versity; F. I. A. Bennett, of St. Mat
thews; ]. c. Van Lee, of St. Moni-
cas-, and A. w. F. Collier, OF St.
Luke's. The laymen, DR.. 7. c. Nor
wood and ]. o. Bampheld, came from
St. Luke's, the single independent
parish in the District. Rector T. J.
Brown is especi1ly anxious that
Bishop Brent accept the assignment,
saying that he regards the appoint
ment as Providential, and feeling
that the new prelate is diVinely or
dained for the solution of the diff
culties that so sorely encompass the
race in this country in the present
crisis. In his opinion, the new du-
ties offered to theBishOp of thePhll-
ippines are more essential to the
peace, prosperity and happiness OF
our country than those he must lay
down, though not disposed to mini
mize the needs of the Filipinos. The
entire ten million Negroes in the land
are deeply concerned in the coming
of the new prelate, and all are anX-
ious that he accept the trust and de-
velop in this social cosmOpolis
branch of the Episcopal Church so
broad in Christian brotherhood and
so faithful to the preachments of the
Master that it shall stand as model
for every diocese in the land where
there are variations in race and col
or.
The swinging of the solid vote Of
the Negro delegates of the cOnven-
ton to Bishop Brent from the out
set is due in the largest measure to
the prompt and far-sighted urgency
of Rector T. J. Brown, of St. Luke's
Church He regards the elevation Of
Bishop Brent as the beginning Of a
new era for cOlored Episcopalian-
ism al over the land, and that the
new prelate will be especially well
come in this diocese, as his coming
will solve some problems that have
long stood in ten way of the progress
to which the Church is entitled in a
massive population like ours. The
local churchmen have sent a letter
to Bishop Brent at Manila, urging
him to accept the trust as special
favor to the colored people OF the
diocese.
The so-called social equality din
ner in Brooklyn turns out to have
been a sensational newspaper fake
A few broad-minded men and women