The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1912-10-11
NEGRO PTISTS
INDIGNANT
POLITICAL TRICK PUT OVER ON
THE NATIONAL CONVENTION.
Libelus Circular Issued Says conyen
ton Endorsed Taft-Hish Official
Brand Ghe Circular as False
hood-Matter Was Pre-
sented by Or. Fisher, Of
chicago-Ruled Out.

Indignation among the Negro Bap
fists of the city and the state ovel
what is purported to have been {
shrewd political trick played upoT
the denomination, it is feared by
some men who are high up in the
councils of the denomination, grow,
worse instead of better. 1t appears
that the politics and number of the
political ministers who never lose ar
opportunity to get their party and
their men before any large organiza
ton in their effort to turn these or
ganizations from we'll beaten paths
were not asleep at the Houston meet
ing of the National Baptist Conven
tion Early last week there reached
Nashville from the political head
quarters of New York and Washing
ton circulars stating in bold type
"Baptists for Taft" This letter was
sent to an energetic young man OF
the city who at once displayed ii
among the big guns of the Baptist
forces, as they had always claimed
their conventions and gatherings took
no active part in politics, but that
the sessions of their state and annual
organizations we're devoted almost en-
tirely to the work of religious up.
lift in the race. Each man, however,
they claim, reserves the right to vote
as he sees fit.
The contents of the circular declare
that by an overwhelming majority
the delegates advise the AfrO-Ameri-
cans of the country to vote the Re-
publican ticket straight" 1t states
further that these delegates represent
a constituency of two and half mil
lion Baptists. Then comes the reso-
luton which sets forth in political
style the whereas and resolves.
There is not a scintilla of truth in
it," said DR.. R, H. Boyd, who was
present at the National Baptist Con-
vention. 1T is positively false" de-
clared DR.. G. H. Clark, who is chair
man of one of the Boards. at is an
outrage upon the dignity of the Ma
tional Baptist Convention" asserted
Rev. W. S, Ellington, pastor of the
First Baptist Church, who was also at
the National Baptist Convention
"Our Convention is not in politics"
said the Rev. John Slaughter How
ever, the matter remained undenied
officially until the following message
was received by a Globe representa-
tive from the Secretary of the Nation
al Baptist Convention:
Selma, Ala, Oct. Z.
mo, the Convention did not in
dorse Mr.. Taft, his administration or
anyone else. The records of the
proceedings of the meeting on this
are as follows: DR.. e. J. Fisher. of
Chicago, ILL.,, was recognized to offer
a resolution. The resolution had re-
ference to politics and was declared
out of order
"R. B. HUDSON,
Secretary National Baptist Con-
vention."
This frank denial coming from the
records of the National Baptist Con-
vention will in all probability throw
the matter out of the minds of the
people, but does not allay the rumor
current throughout the United States
that men connected with the Conven-
tion have from time to time flirted
with one political party and then an
other for favors, using the Conven-
tion as an inducement of recognition
from the individual.
In the course of investigation by
the Globe reporter it develops that
a rumor had already reached Nash
vile that a big Baptist pastor in one
of the large cities of the United States
had offered to press representative
So to have a similar resolution ap-
pear in the papers as having been
passed by the Convention. This is
said to have taken place during the
sessions of the Convention at Hous-
ton. But the emphatic denial and
The vigorous protest by the leaders of
the denomination in this city, who
still assert that their rights as citi-
zens to vote as they please and alb
solutely refuse to carry politics into
their Conventions, together with the .
assertion showing that the presiding |
officer ruled the matter out of order, /
are calculated to serve as a founda-
tion upon which the denial can be
made by all the Baptist papers.
The circular, while sent out from
New York City, shows that it was
printed by some union printing Office
IN Washington, D. c., and that it per-
laps found its way to the Republican
in New York, from
where it was dispensed as campaign
literature.
The editor of the Union-Review,
he official organ of the denomination
published in the city, said: "The
whole thing is information to me. Our
would not so forget it.
ielf as to leave off the affairs of the
with the great work of
he Boards to endorse any political
)arty. There are enough political
in the United States held
and from time to time to
get all the Negroes to endorse who
,ver they like best Our Convention
Continued on Page A.