The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1909-05-20

:@.9 News Bureau.) ','
Washington, D. o.. May 19.--The
so-called sensational episode In the
dining room of the office building OF
the House Of Representatives, in
which Register Vernon and
Grand Master w. l.. Houston figured,
has been greatly exaggerated by the
local papers, which always appear anx-
ious to emphasize every thing that
savors OF race friction along the line
of equal accommod ation in public
Register Vernon and Grand Master
Houston went to the House office build
ing last Thursday on business with
representative and willie there de-
cided> to. take luncheon In the room,
which, when finished. will be used for
the accommodating of the employees
of the building and passing customers.
The room designed for the exclusive
use Of the members Of the House has
not yet been fitted UP. Not being
familiar with the situation and fear
ing that their divine right Of exelu-
siyeness was being infringed upon by
the presence Of two .well-groomed col
ored gentlemen, 1t Is said that a hand
ful Of f1re-eating southerners allowed
themselves to get ''an het up" over
the thought Of being compelled to eat
In the same room with the man whose
name adorns all the securities of the
government they are sworn to serve,
and with another who controls the des-
tinuies of a massive fraternal order
embracing membership Of over 400
900 souls. It is further reported that
at least two of the insulted ones
rushed peil-melI to the outer Office of
Speaker Cannon and breathlessly laid
their grievances before that polished
diplomat, Col L. White Busby, secre-
tary to the Speaker 4. MI, Bushey 40.
quainted them With the facts We have
just otitlepis ass' with The
dining room service and they con-
cluded to cool down in, the region
where Fannie wears the flchu." They
got over their alleged burning desire
to boycott the RESTAURANT keepers
business. They managed to make up
their minds not to carry their bruised
sensibilities to the Speaker, nor did
they think 1t would profit them any
thing to appeal to the. House and give
the northern and western Congress-
mon a chance to fatten their majori-
ties at the next election in the dis
trtcts where the Negro votes in large
numbers. In fact they found out
they had made asses of themselves
and took: the advice of wiser heads
that the better course would to to let
the whole thing drop. The southern
ers said to be concerned In the epi-
sode are Representatives Garner and
Dies, Of Texas; Stanley, of Kentucky;
Gambler, of Mississippi, and Sims, of
Tennessee, with Garner in the role of
the heavy villain''-
Messrs. Vernon and Houston very
sensibly refuse to discuss the affair
with local newspapers, as they are
more likely to be mtsquoted than 9TH
erWtse, and 1t seems that the least
said about the incident the better. No
body Is hurt. Colored men can go
to the restaurant whenever they
please and will he served as politely
as any one else. No manhood prin-
ciple has been on the rack, and the
episode Is vanishing as "ships that
pass In the night" has done no great
or damage than to rob the penny-a-
liners on the Washington dailies Of
some fat5 space matter, From the
statements made by Messrs. Vernon
and Houston the alleged "furore" was
simply a. bgment OF the reportorial
imagination, 4.,@.J. &c.,.
Bishop George Wylie Clinton, of the
"A. M. p; Zion church, was in the
city last Thursday; the guest of Bish-
up J. w. Smith,. He was accompanied
by Mrs. Clinton, and both had been at
tending the News jersey conference Of
Zionites, In Newark, and s. missionary
convention In New York City. Bishop
and Mrb.e Giintbn arc ~favorites in the
capital. : For Several years he pre-
sided over the conferences of this dis
trict, and the ears Of our citizens
have been frequently charmed by the
beautiful voice of his talented and
accomplished, wife.
Bishop Clinton expressed himself
as being greatly pleased with the
showing made by the ministers of
the New Jersey Conference. There
are forty churches In the state, with
about 1900 cotnmunieants, and the
pastors are, without exception, men
of earnestness and power. The recent
conference was the thirty-sixth, and
the Bishop describes it as the most
successful ever, held within the his,
tory of the connection in New Jersey.
Tt opened on the 6fth Of May and
closed on the 10th, Associated with
Pishop Clinton we're Bishop Alexander