Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-01-27
OUR DUTY TO The
NEGRO IN SOUTH.
Bishop Pleads For Justice
TO Race.
AS Christians We Must
Help the Negro to
Better Things.

| Ohe or the features of the address
of Bishop Reese to the diocesan con-
vention of the Episcopal church yes
terday afternoon was the portion re-
ferring to the negro in the south and
the duty of the church to that race.
In this connection, the bishop said:
Must BE Just and MercifuI.
The problem of the negro we have
had with us so insistently and it is
such an immense and complicated
problem that we are tired of it. And,
indeed, it is quite impossible of solu-
tion satisfactorily and completely for
our generation. 1t is one of those is
sues, social and political, that must
work itself out, while we tinker at
it as opportunity and emergency re-
quire. But there is one thing that
We can and must do. We must be
just and merciful and openminded
without prejudice and harshness, as
far as we can, to this race of people
IN our midst. So far as in us lieth.
we must live peaceably with these
men as with all men, We must do
our duty. Just in so far as we be-
lieve ourselves a superior race, are
we responsible under God to be calm
and patient, and just and kind. No
blesse oblige.
Conditions the South Faces.
We Southern people realize, as our
Northern brethren cannot, the serious
ness and delicacy of the situation
Our contact with the negro is more
intimate, and it is more irritating. We
suffer from his limitations and infirm-
tiles. We know a great deal about
that. Our domestic life, our civic, in
dustrial and political life are all af-
fected by it and affected disastrous
ly too often. Our wives are the VIC
TINS of their unreliability and ineffi-
cheney. Our courts are the witnesses
to their evil tendencies. I am
speaking of them as a race, class
You and I know the exceptions to the
rule.
As Christians We Must Help the Negro
THE question presents itself, what
ought we, the superior and favored
race, Christian people, who are sup
posed in measure to think and feel
about people as Jesus Christ thought
and felt about them. What are we
going to do about it? The church
has been trying to do something, a
little, not very seriously, and not so
very enthusiastically, but she has not
solved the question as other religious
bodies have done, except the Roman
Catholic church, by cutting them
adrift and let them shift for them
selves. In our own diocese some
thing has been done in a small way.
and it is by contact with that and with
the individual negro clergy and people
and children in the schools that my
sympathies have been so deeply stir
red. The situation of these people
is pathetic. In some ways it is a
tragedy. Human need, poverty, ignor-
ance, weakness, must touch any man
whose heart is not steeled against
it. And among these people are all
these conditions. Make the most of it.
But surely ignorance and poverty and
weakness cannot cure themselves. We
cannot, dare not look God in the face
and say we will have nothing to do
with it or them. AS Christians and
churchmen we dare not. We must
help them. We must give them the
church's ministry and service, her
sane gospel and religion of righteous
ness. We must give to their child
rem, so many of whom are growing
up vagabonds and criminals, an edu-
cation which will not only quicken
their wits, but 'enlighten their minds,
purify their hearts and sanctify
their wills And l bear testimony,
so far as we are doing any work, we
are reaping results that are worthy
of our efforts"