The national forum., 1910-10-22

| llaHCe, Dy NeV. IN Nelll IlalllS ,
from the A. M. L. Church, by Rev.
c. I'll. Stepteau, p. E., and Rev. O.
c. Clement presented memorial
from the congregation of Grace
Church, N. c., the last pastorate
held by Bishop Smith prior to his
elevation to the bench, and read an
affecting message from Bishop J..
w. Hood of Fayetteville, N. c., the
senior prelate of the connection,
who was unable on account of poor
health to come. "The City Of
Dreams" an original poem by
Bishop Smith, was sung by the
choir by request, and Miss Nettie
Murray rendered Nearer, My God,
to Thee" one of the deceased's
favorite hymns.
The eulogy pronounced by Bishop
Alexander Walters was a magnifi-
cent tribute to the worth and work
of Bishop. Smith. 1t told of the
generous and magnanilnous char
acter of the man, Of his sturdiness
as an expounder of the faith and
his ability as a defender Of the Zion
Church; extolled him as a true lead
er of his race, exemplary head of a
family and his contention for a
clean ministry and higher ground
for the Church of God. The vast
congregation was visibly affected by
the stirring sermon of Bishop Wal
tiers, and many hearty "Amens"
were heard. Following a prayer by
Rev. Logan johnson, there were
6ve-minute talks by Mr. John G.
Dancy and Drs. Swain, Ross,
Grimke, Waldron, Norman, Mason,
Ray, Levy, Hazel, Clair and others,
concluding with a graceful tribute
by Bishop Clinton. 1t was an
nounced that Until the meeting Of
the Bishops Council in January, the
Florida conference would be cared
for by Bishop Alstork the Virginia
conference by Bishop Clinton, and
the Philadelphia and Baltimore con-
ference by Bishop Walters. These
were the conferences presided over
by the late Bishop Smith.
The altar was banked with choice
flowers. Among the principal
pieces were large harp, given by
the Metropolitan A. M. E. Zion
Church; a massive cross by the
Ministers Alliance; an anchor by
the Western New York Conference /;
broken wheel by the Woman's
Home and Foreign Missionary So
ciety; wreaths by Miss Nellie John
son, Mr.. and Mrs. r. w. Thomp-
kins, and others, and a pillow by
the National Negro Protective As
sociation, Of which Miss Marie A.
D. Madre is president and Attorney
J. H. Hayes is secretary.
The funeral party proceeded I'M
mediately from the church to the
station, preparatory to leaving for
Carlisle, Pa, where the interment
is to take place today. Bishop Smith
is survived by a widow, father, sis
ter and many distant relatives. He
was a native of North Carolina, and
was born in Fayetteville in 1862.
He was ordained into the ministry
in 1880. He has served success
fully as pastor of churches in New
Haven, Conn. Baltimore, Md. Har-
l
risburg and Carlisle, Pa, Louisville,
KY; Washington, d, C., and Char
lotte, N. C. In 1896, at Mobile,
Ala, he was elected editor of the
Star of Zion, and served with great
credit for eight years. In 1904, at
st. Louis, Mo-, he was elevated to
the Bench of Bishops, and was at
the time Of his death enjoying the
unusual honor of being the pre-
siding officer Of the Board, a posi-
ton generally held by the senior
member of the Episcopal Bench. In
the passing of John Wesley Smith
the Zion Church, the nation and the
| Negro race loses a valued helper
Much sympathy is expressed for
the widow, Mrs. Ida V. Smith, who
|