The Sentinel=record., 1912-11-21
CONFERENCE IS
 IN SESSION HERE
TWENTY SIXTH ANNUAL SEES. SION OF A. M. E. CHURCH CON-
 FERENCE IS BEGUN.
Many Prominent Negro Church Mem Der From Arkansas and Other
 States Are Present.

The 26th annual session of the West Arkansas conference of the A. M t. church, is in session at Visitors Chapel, A. M. E church, on Church street.
 Bishop w. D. Chappelle, of Colum- bia, South Carolina, is presiding. A welcome reception was rendered the bishop and conference Tuesday night Welcome addresses were made by Rev. Forney Hutchison, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church south, Dr. C. M. Wade, Rev. J. M. Lewis, Cele- tine Wilson and Prof J. W. Stone Responses were made by Dr. J. C. Robinson, of Fort Smith, and Dr. !. M Sutton, of Magnolia, and Bishop W. D. Chappelle.
 Dr. Hutchison, said that "Only the religion of Jesus Christ will solve the vexed race question. 1 have watched the advancement made by the Negro. and I rejoice with you in the achieve ment made by you and your people.
 You must preach against Sabbath breaking and all other forms of un- godliness The trouble that exists i'll this country today between the races is brought on by the bad element n both races, and the sooner we get the bad people to accept the religion of Christ, the sooner will we have
 that peace so much desired by Us all
 One thing l want to say You are welcome to hold your sessions in this
 city because you are men of God. know no other set of men on earth whose character is publicly passed upon openly every year but Method | ist preachers. Therefore the doors
 of the people every where are open
 tc them as they Rre to no other set l of men,"
 l Dr. Wade urged the ministers to ! preach against the Rag time music.
 He said that there is no one thing
 dragging down the young negro as the practice of singing of this kind
 of music.
 | Bishop Chappelle in replying 10 | these addresses, said i'll part: We
 are not free in this country The negro can go no further, and do no
 more than the white man will allow thim to go or do The solving of the
 sc called race question is up to the
 white people. The white man has the courts. the law, and all the ramifica
 tion of our country's civilization in | their hands. The white ministers
 must rise up and preach a gospel that will eliminate prejudice, and treat tine
 negro as part of the human fam
 fly. or else God will hold him re- sponsible for the conduct of the race,
 and the country We can only go
 so far as the white man will let Us. | If the white people would demand 1t, we would have to stop this confer, ence-or rather we only can hold this conference because the white
 men do not object We, the white
 man and the black man must learn
 to love law and order, and to serve the God of our being, then will we
 be doing that which is in harmony
 with our pretended civilization Our children sing of this country as The home of the brave. and the land of the free" I want to say, to you that | do not think this is land of The free" nor will it be such until every
 man can live in it, and every crim- inal tried by a jury for whatever | crime that may be alleged against him. So long, as lynching eXists-so l long as great crowds will take one
 man and lynch him. just that long IS our singing The home of the brave,
 falsehood. l urge the ministers of l 4t.s 4g qiaqu Del and live a clean life, teach the people under your charge to be mon
 est. pay their debts, and educate their children, and get ready for the en'
 ioyment of the fullness of citizenship, which will come as surely and as fast as the white man wlll hasten that time by fair dealing, and true preach ing"
 Rev. W. L. Taylor, of McNeil and
 Rev. E. J. Lunnon, of South Hot Springs. were elected secretaries
 Rev K. w. Williams, and J. D. Pe- gees, were chosen marshals.
 The presiding elders and pastors made their financial reports, which showed large increase of monies collected for missions, education, anu other church purposes. There arg several representatives of general rep esentatives are present Dr. ]. j. Lowe. of Philadelphia; Rev J. c. Rob inson. of Fort Smith; Nora F. Taylor, of Chicago; Mary armstrong, of Lit tie Rock: H. E. Carolnia, of Little Rock. are the general agents present.
 Revs. V. M. Townsend, presiding elder of the Little Rock district, W T. Pope, of the Clarendon district; A. H. Hill, pastor of Bethel Little Rock. and many others are present as visitors. The conference will be in session until Sunday, at which time the bishop will appoint the pas