The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1911-03-16
APPEARS AMONG NAPIER BAN
CUTTERS WHO WERE FIGHT
ING AMONG THEMSELVES.
Popular Rule Ring
And "dicty" class decide, at last
moment, they must get together
Or the Napier "fced" Would be II
failure and an everlasting dis
credit.
Especial to the Advocate.

MetllplS, enn., Mar. l5.-"WhO shall
be the Greatest?' is a question always
bothering man. 1T has been so as cv-
crybody knows. from time immemorial.
IT is still SO in some parts of Tennessee
to great degree, and particularly so
in Nashville where the colorcd "deni-
Zens' have been having a merry time
OIL BECAUSE they could not get to-
gethcr in their mutua: desire and zeal
70 spread Joy table, for James G.. Ma
pier and his wife Their ambition has
unfoided an interesting chapter in the
history Of the Nashvillians who would
shine out like bright stars in the cap
ltal city realm of intelligence. Here
it is:
Thcy all seem to like notoriety. The
attraction of The Limelight" is a DOW
erful thing to any ambitious Afro
American in his cramped position as q
citizen. Nashville Negroes are not to
be blamed for that. 1t is true cyery-
where Of the race in general. But
Where historic Fisk University spreads
its intelligence and culture, the col
cred folk seem to get "honor mad"
sometimes. Then they are ready to
fight and fall out with each other on
the slightest preteXt Just as James c..
Napier and Dr.. Robert F.. Boyd are
said to have been ready to do when
the "Tuskegee Wizard", Booker r.
hi t,,;,>
Tennessee that was looked upon as
i Booster tor napier" in his ambi-
ton to get the place of VcrnC.l in the
Treasury Department. 1t is not re-
ported that Boyd and Napier kissed"
each other then but they did make
up again" as sweethearts do. Boyd
was inclined to seek little too much
of the limelight on that occasion. He
disarranged the plans of Napier. That
caused the dispute and "near- fight
They are both said to be some "scrap-
pers"
Now the "Popnlar Rule Crowd" and
"The Dicity Glass" were fighting over
the Napier banquet not so much to
do Napier honor but to have suprema-
cy in running the "town of Nash
vile" for the best interests of those
concerned. They went at each othr
with hammer and tOngS last Decem-
Der when Preston Taylor, Undertaken
and Embalmer, and some others sclt
forth an cdict taxing every citizen they
thought worthy and able to dig deep
down in their pockets and fork up five
dollars to "feed" Napier and eat with
him. The Gents receiving the Tax
Assessors notice cried out, Holy
Smoke!' and called a mass meeting
at the Undertaking Parlors Of A. N
Johnson, the old Alabama politician
and successful business man, who set
tied in Nashville four years ago and
Immediately began to make great big
hole in the business and profits Of Pres
ton Taylor who used to be the whole
show in the Nashville Undertaking
field Johnson is some undertaken, too
the best in the country among Ne
groes-and he conducts a high class
business likely to please the most fas-
tidious has the best and newest
Of everything. The Nashville people
saw it and like all people who want
to get the best when spending their
money they patronized Johnson and
this stirred the dander of Preston Tay-
1or who, it is said, seems to feel that
previous residence in a city gives a
man the right to the largest share OF
the business Of the people whether he
has the goods and gives the service or
not. The rivalry between the two has
emphasized factional stl ifc among the
Nashville colored business men and it
shows itself in every public enterprise
touched by the influence Of a. \. John-
son and Preston Taylor.
Johnson is tho real leader Of the
popular Rule Ring" and Preston Tay-
lor is supposed to lead "The Dickty
Class" when Napier necds~a substitute.
He needed one on this occasion, for 1T
would have been improper for man
to arrange his own banquet but he can
act wise and CCltrol it by keeping it
in the hands Of his man. TO continue
both sides have bank. The One Cent
Savings Bank is supposed to be the
bank Of the ,"dickty class. It is run
by J. c.. Napier. Preston Taylor and
r. II. Boyd are the other men who are
mot fgurcdhcads in the enterprise. Al
any rate nearly ali the officers Of the
One Cent Enterprise arc looked upon ae
belonging to the "Napicr or Dic'tty
Class Ring. The new Register o. The
u. S. Treasury is supposed to be always
in the background directing the moves
Of the dickty ones.
X. f Boyd and Taylor Ewing used