The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1910-06-09

The following letter from Rev r.
K. Downs, pastor Of st. Paul African =
Methodist Episcopal church, this city.
Whlch appeared last week in the New
YORK Age will excite more than pass-
Ing interest in this locality: ~.
NO one is in better position to
testify as to the tyranny of the Bish-
ops of his church than is Rev. Downs.
Begore coming to Charleston he riaa.
tored IN turn the st. Paul church In
Columbus. Aliens Temple at Cincin-
natl, at Washington, Pa, ,and Wheel
ing. ....A >#
It was while at Cincinnati that
Kew. Downs incurred the displeasure
or his superiors by questioning their
methods. He was gradually reduced i
from best -salaried church es TN the
diocese to the charge here where on
salary less than twenty-five dollarsst
month, he Is hard put to make both
ends meet .s-,S,,- ~ :.
The letter follows: ...'.>l - s.E.'
I, After preaching In continuous
pastorate since 1878, in the most
prominent charges Of the church,
/ am honored. with a small mission
OF membership Of thirty. The
case or Rev. Morgan, who waskex-,
PEELED for preferring' charges against
Bishop Gaines, Is not .unusual..5 - He
has simply met the fate that any.
minister who Is 80 reckless as, TO I
question the acts Of a bishop Is sure
to meet-either tied out in the
woods and left to die Or an ecelesi.=
astical DEATH -. {5>1 !
Says Bishop Gaines Is Not AfOness :
Bishop Gaines is not alone, jThef8
are others more heartless, doulsneSra
iRs, arrogant and relentless. Cur
church CHI rch papers ARE fefbidd EN- to? tfssals-S
|iisaf OIL
wants. No man can hope for Ii f8ffs!
Just. impartial hearing against d s
bishop. 1t is an objectionable SIN to-
seriously question the infa1libifffy. Of
the bishops for "the General Com
ference has never made mistake in ,
the election Of bishops" HOW can,
any church send forth manly lead
ers, inspire the young and preach
the gospel with boldhess when they.
can be subjected made to crouch and
crihge, humiliated and lynched by
such instrumental characters as A.
l.. Murry?" ...z.,a..
'In. my opinion, that man is capa-
bic Of doing anything. from the rap
ing of baby to the scuttling Of a
ship. The graft business Is Old. It u
is no new thing. 1t is now an almost
perfected science, engineered by plf-,
ant, Judas-like presiding elders"
81 wrote an article on the subject,
published in The Southern Christian
Recorder, prior to the last session Of
our Norfolk General Conference. I
am truly glad to see that the COM,
science Of the colored press has been
touched and aroused. | am glad to
know that voice Is to be heard cry
ing in the Wilderness , .@y
Loves A. Nj. r. Church. 49,.
81 love the A, Nj. E. Church, 1t
Is my churchrthe church of my =
choice l am too far gone now to
think Of changing my sphere Of min
isterial activity. But I do want to
see the return to the old generation,
and Misunderstanding prin-
ciples of Payne, Campbell, Shorter.
Ward and others Of twenty-five years
ago. want to see the present man (
destroying machine annihilated! This
contemplate counterfeit OF
Neroism crushed. There are some;
who, by their conduct and covetous
practices declare that the church ex-'
lists for the bishops, instead OF the
bishops existing for the church. The
church must be for the neople, ana
not the people for the church" "=&
What do some of the bishops care
for law Are they not safe? Have
they not, gathered close at their feet:
a lot Of cringing, crouching slaves to
do their majestic bidding! They send
forth their fat marked, In flaming
red bold-faced type, Imperative
want to say with you that the
Negro church Is q necessity for the
Negro race; and, the African Meth
odist Episcopal Church is too great,
too useful an institution to be de-
graded and foiled in its high pur-
pose by a few men whose egottsm
and moral sparseness have led them
into nothing else but criminal prac-
tees to swell private bank account;
to satisfy their lust for greed!"
""To The New York Age say: Go :
on with your ministry! YOU are do
ing commendable work and do not