The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1910-02-24
FACE CRISIS ON ACCOUNT OF
COLOR QUESTION IN CON-
-..,. TEST FOR BISHOPS, o
Blacks VS. MuIattOeS
Former are in the Majority and are
Likely to Carry the Point Which
Dean OF the Bishops Thinks Ruin
GUS to the Church.
(HOrace D. Slater }

Dut because they have been kept out
because they are black" This state
ment in p letter written by Bishop
Charles Henry Phillips D. D.. of
Nashville, Tenn, to William Craw-
ford, in which Crawford was asked to
read it to the board Of officers, re-
moves the cloak Of secrecy from the
working OF the color line that has
been going on for several years in
the Colored Methods Episcopal
church.
1T was not so very long ago that
Bishop Phillips entered suit or made
strong complaint against the Pull
man Car Company, because on &C
count of color prejudice he was eject
ed trom'a sleeping car at Hopkinsville
hy' NOW, 1t is his avowed intention,
to get down in the filth and mire OF
factional politics in his church and
work to the election Of two black
men On the bench Of bishops.
It is an easy matter to appeal to
the prejudices Of men in the church
on that score because it happens that
all the bishops on the bench are mu-
lattoes save Phillips. It does not mat
ter at all that there have been black
men on the, bench before, who have
long since gone to their reward. This
+eeohefang-p put-him- on=th the-bench
eight years ago in Nashville, and he
means to use it to place others there
OF MS element as he is pleased to
call the black men in the church.
~~Inere Is no. getting around the
1act that there are just as good
Dlack men IN the church, or anywhere
else IN our race of life as men Of any
other hue. None Of US would be good
Nesroes II We did not believe 50, Or at
1east confess 1t. Anyone Of the black
men mel. II IN prominence before the Goler4
ssel'a 'aaSse eaefi istr Episcopal church would
perhaps make a good bishop. There
a'e other asplrants, however, who
happeh not to be so fortunate as to
pe nldch' VINO think they have a claim
W pioAerAlellI' and although to all
out""iu appearances have some au-
nilAture or white blood, are as ire
vocdpiy hnked with the destinies of
'ie negro race as the blacklist man
a'ioils Chen'
NS 4 inatter OF course the black
"en aLe hunlercally the stronger
ana 'he yelloW nlggers" are placed
u'i'o'HlolC ~ Cdoly on the defensive when
lnls matter IS put up as basis of
= Iuent III the church. The color
i,ne III Negro church surely strikes
sto 1aynian as the most foolhardy
Sutns NesroeS nave yet attempted to
w, ai'u no one can yet Vouchsafe an
Ih'i'on IllaC IN the end 1t may not
10 as dangerous as it is foolhardy.
me statement beginning this story
anu cieu1Ceu TO Bishop Phillips was
."hoh rom letter equally as re-
ii"i - iNaoie throughout. 1t referred to
~ cne ineh'al coholtlon of one Rev. C.
". ~" "sIoh' VINO from all appearances
was ueieated TOR delegate to the
~ "a Noiiefence through Bishop
niii'p" ''lnuehce. Bishop Phillips
,i''i''a 'eb as much In the letter when
Nv says l wanted no man elected
WY ""olo AQC 1olloW after our fore
III leply 10 the statement that
DoU"u'c Ul HIS ueteat' and the conse-
" ueAG I'LL lAehceS would haze upon
MS chahces Tor. the Bishopric, Rev.
'"" 1''oll was rapidly losing his
''I, vii anu 1eaSoh' blshop Phillips
~ up'1Io' - e'ecI mat dod was atfllct-
2r,' t|'|,otol N,,f' ana not the Blshop.
oo,, "I "i 'e,'@" 1noeN' the omclal Or
gan OF the Colored Methodist Episco-
i,,a -; 49, w, ooi,''inS practlcalIy moth
@ aae, ;!;4. 80 '1ooe uayS Oh pre-con1erence
~. I"". ooes not elther tend TO
tho4 49, h 1o'r " 'no oCher sloe' or
~. 'Io',1 - ~ l. blo"h.
,r,,,' I" l nfo"h' oy the way, the
" 'no '"u0N' Is olSlop Fhllllps