Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1910-05-27
NO33
S. S. CONVENTION
Largest Ever Assembled
Met in Washington
The Race Question
is Injected.

The capitol of the United States
was last week, the scene OF the
greatest Sunday. school Convention.
so it is said, ever assembled. It is
estimated that there were present
ten thousand delegates representing
all the countries Of the world. These.
with interested visitors, made a
thrcng upon the streets pedestrians
and sight seers in automobile vans
and other vehicles that were sugges.
tive of the crowds that flock here
once in four years to witness the in
auguration of president and the
military pagesntIy Of the occasion.
President Taft addressed the Conven-
ton Thursday, as also did John
Wanamaker and other distinguished
men.
Unfortunately, the race question
came up with its usual bitterness and
a race clash was the result. 1t was
the expectation of she cclored minis
ters and church. goers of the city to
have a prominent part in the Con.
vention. Negro Sunday. school child
reu of Washington, it was expected,
would be allowed to participate in
the great parade which was held on
the evening of the goth, but negro
ministers of the Gospel who had
made preparations for the Sunday
school children of their churches to
take part in the line of march were
netified by the chairman in charge
that there would be no reservation
made in the limo of march for coli
ored Sunday school pupils. The bar
ring Of the oolored children from the
parade Of course raised a storm Of
protest from the pastors Of the many
colored churches, for it must be re-
membered that Washington has the
largest colored population OF any
city in the world.
The Rev. Milton Waldron, who is
pastor of the largest colored church
in the city, although he has such a
slight admixture of colored blood
that no one from appearance would
class him with the negros, has pub
lished an open letter to the Conven-
zion. He says:
"The objsct of the sixth worlds
Sundsy-school Convention is to carry
forward the work OF God in the
spirit Of Christ among all nations.
We know how completely the Lord
eliminated race and national preju.
dice from His social practice. 1t is
unfortunate that any one who bears
His name should at this time, when
the evangelizstion Of the world in
this generation is the watch. word of
millions, resort to such offensive
forms Of race prejudice as the local
committee Of Washington has done
in completely, so far ss 1t is con-
cerned, eliminating the eolored peo-
pie from any part in the sixth worlds
Sunday school Convention. 1t is
difficult to see how any one can pray
or hope for the evangelization of the
world when one refuses to fellow
ship his neighbOr next door because
of race and color"
President Taft's address TO the
Convention was received with great
applause and he was visihly Inn
pressed with the enthusiasm of his
audience. Mrs. Taft was on the
stand with him and she was not per-
mitted 10 remain in seclusion. The
President escorted her to the pulpit,
then in his characteristic way he
said: fThis is the real President of
the United States7 he began, lit
is a great honor to welcome to Wash
ington, the City Beautiful, a worlds
Convention at time when the city
is most beautiful. From all parts OF
the world we welcome here the rep
lresentatives Of one of the two or
thres ins rumentali;ifs for making
the world better. more moral, more
religious" john Wanamaker ad-
dressed the audience in behalf Of the
Suuday- schools Of North America.
He said: "The nations of the world
believe in America aud Eaglsnd.
They hear aud heed them and they
are hearing The0dnre Roosevelt.
, When President Taft has completed
his present term Of Office and the
next one. he will be the worlds mis-
sionary for righteous laws. can
justly call him the attorney-general
for ths Sunday schools Of North
America. The Sunday-schOol idea
has new vision ard its improve
ments ar d enlarRemeEts are march
ing on. Like the tariff, 1t has been
; revised upward"