The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1910-05-27
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Cen
eral Topics from
the Capital.

May al, 1910.
The capital Of the United States is
this week the scene of the greatest Sun
day School Convention, so it is said
which has ever assembled. 1t is esti.
mated that there are present ten thou.
sand delegates, representing all of the
countries of the world These, with the
interested visitors, make throne upon
the streets of pedestrians and sight.
Seers in automobile vans and other We
hicles that are suggestive of the crowds
that flock here once in four years to wit
ness the Inauguration Of President and
the military pageantry of the occasion.
President Taft addressed the convention
on Thursday, as also did John Wanna
maker and other distinguished men.
Unfortunately the race question has
come up with all Of its usual bitterness,
and race clash is the result. 1t was the
expectation of the colored ministers and
church-goers of the city to have a promi-
nent part in the convention. Negro
Sunday School children 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 notified by the
Chairman in charge that there would be
no reservation made in the line of march
tor colored Sunday School children.
The barring of the Colored children from
the parade, of course raised a storm of
protest from the pastors of the many
colored churches for it must be remem-
bered that Washington has the largest
colored population of any city in the
world.
The Rev. Milton Waldron, who is the
pastor of the largest colored church in
the city, although he has such a slight
admlxture of colored blood that no one
would class him with the negroes, has
published an open letter to the conven-
ton. He says:
The object of the sixth Worlds Sun
day School Convention is to carry for
ward the work of God in the spirit of
Christ among all nations. We know how
completely the Lord eliminated race and
national prejudice from His social prac-
tice 1t is unfortunate that any one who
bears His name should at this time,
when the evangelization of the world in
this generation, is the WatChword OF
millions, resort to such offensive methods
of race prejudice as the local committee
OF Washington has done in completely,
SO far as it is concerned, eliminating the
colored people from any part in the
sixth Worlds Sunday School Conven-
ton. 1t is difficult TO see how any one
can pray or hope for the evangeization
OF the world, when one refuses TO fellow
ship with his neighbor next door because
of race and color
President Taft's address to the conven-
ton was received with great applause
and he was visibly impressed with the
enthusiasm of his audience Mrs Taft
was ON the stand with him and she was
not permitted 10 remain in secluson.
The President escorted her to the pulpit,
and then in his or craracteristic way he
said: This is the real President of the
United States' He began, 1t is a
great honor to welcome TO Washington,
the City Beautiful a Worlds Conven-
ton at the time that the city IS most
beautiful. From all parts of the world
we welcome here the representatives of
one OF the two or three great instrument
talities for making the world better, more
moral, and more religious" John Wan
namaker addressed the audience on be-
half of the Sunday Schools of North
America. He said: The nations of the
world believe in America and England.
They hear and heed them and they are
needing Theodore Roosevelt. When
President Taft has completed his present
term of Office and the next one, he will
be the worlds missionary for righteous
laws. can Justly call him the Attorney
North America. The Sunday School
idea has a new vision and its improve
ments and enlargements are marching
on. Like the tariff, it has been revised
upward
Much interest is felt in diplomatic
circles here with regard to Secretary
KnoX's role as peace maker amid the
troubled conditions in South America,
Central America and China. 1t is
thought that if Secretary Knox's proffer
to China has actually been sent to Pekin
and accepted there, a remarkable situa-
ton in foreign relations will have been
established. II was a somewhat remark
able action on the part of Secretary
Knox to offer TO do everything that this
country could do in cooperation with
the Pekin government to check anti-for-
eign outbreaks. A spirit of hostility is
spreading throughout China and is
directed against all foreigners. including
the Japanese. 1t is SAID that the rioters
are cutting of their queues as an express
sion of their desire TO change the policy
and rule and perhaps the dynasty. If
Secretary Knox's plan shall receive the
approval ofthe Chinese government il IS
possible that another march to Pekin
similar to that consequent upon the
Boxer uprising may result.