Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-04-05
rs NEGRO QUESTION BRINGS
CHuRCHES TOGETHER
NV. DENOMINATIONS OF THE
PRESBYTERIAN ORDER IN CON.
FERENCE UPON AMALGAMA.
TON or WORK FOR BLACK
uAN-soUTHERN PREsBYTE.
sIANs IN MOVEMENT.
BY Religious Rambler.

BY heUNtOOo UANlOs0Vs
The Negro has unwittingly caused
anne great severings. and now 1t BE-
sins to look as II he may. in equal
consciousness. be the means Of D
.reat religious union: for a confer
snoe Is to be held in Philadelphia next
month looking toward the actual ANAL
,amation of all the work that is be-
Ing done, or that may be done, for
me Negroes of the South by five lead
ipe denominations of the Presbyterian
. order. This conference Is absolutely
official, bearing the authorizations Of
The respective highest church courts,
and it is openly stated that it is only
the first step toward logical larger
union.
The bodies involved are the North
ern and Southern Presbyterian
church. the Dutch Reformed and the
German Reformed churches. They
have already made considerable pro-
ress in their negotiations, and the
outlook seems good for real consoli-
dation of all mission work for the
Negro. Once the Presbyterians take
this step the Northern and Southern
Methodsts and the Northern and
Southern Baptists cannot long remain
behind in like comfy.
Where the South Comes In.
Ever since the civil war there has
been soreness in the South. over the
methods pursued by some of the
agencies at work for the Negro. A
classical education was regarded as
the panacea for all the ills of the ex.
slaves. The popularity Of Tuskeegee
Is reaction against this. The shad-
ox Of the war hung over all the mis-
sionary work done among the Ne
roes; the Northern and the United
Presbyterian boards were called
"Freedmen's boards" '- 49, '
This is naturally Objectionable to
the South. Its leaders In work for
the Negro say that the name free
man" has been outgrown; the Ne
goes Of today are not freedmen, and
there is no use in keeping old sores
open. The name proposed by the
Southern Presbyterians. and likely to
be accepted, Is "Colored Evangelical
Work" This puts the religious side
first, and implies that all educational
enterprises are only subordinate and
tributary to the ideal Of evangelical
ton.
Within the past five years the lead
ers in the Southern Presbyterian
church have been endeavoring to
bring the issue Of colored evangelical
ton to the fore. They have stressed
1t in the General Assembly and other
general church gatherings, and in the
the church press. They say that the
Negro is to peculiar degree the
charge of the Southern white man. He
is the nearest mission problem of the
Southern churches. It is a reproach
to them to leave his betterment to the
. care OF Northerners, and then to find
fault with the latter for their mis-
takes.
The common ground that all the
churches are now finding is that the
southern man knows the Negro best,
and when minded to do so, can help
MIN most effectively. That the Negro
question is really the problem Of the
white men of the South is coming to
oe the accepted conclusion. The
good Negro" of antebellum days was
mace such by his close contact with
nigh class Of Southern white peo-
PIE; the bad Negro" of today is at
MS worst in the cities of the North.
NOW the practical question is how to
erlns the Negroes once more into
4 neiplul association with those who
once felt entire responsibility for
. them.
3 Inc rather startling measure sert
ouSly proposed by some of the work
..s lor the Negro in the Northern
.uurcnes is that practically all work
lot the Negro be turned over to the
0outnen Presbyterian chunh, the
v'uer bodies continuing and increas-
-. aug 'nelr present gifts, but passing
~ela on to the Southern church to
~, This Is certainly a grace
~ and fraternal method but its basic
, ms Is not courtesy, but efficiency
n ue southern white man in work for
.ue negro can accomplish more than
.,, No''nern man. Furthermore, once
~" s immense responsibility is upon
~. tse shoulders Of the Southern church,
~. .ae whole South will rally to it. with
Characteristic. :, loyalty. The education
erect upon Southern society of
MI, move would be far-reaching.
~ ns IDEA Is already taking hold of
,n I students In Southern colleges and
t,sa 'e.sltles. The Young Mems Chris
h !. ~ association has had a secretary
,s,, "o y. among the students, who has
ths a 'ne claims Of the Negroes upon
ch,,s nearts OF the children and grand
NM aufen OF their former masters. A
AZ upon the subject is being stu.
,a su oy the thousands of copies. The
no. 49, IL that instances are being re-
nav ,eu OF white young men and wo-
N.Y. a conducting night schools for the
snn ndo cailaren; Of teaching in their
ina a' Schools, Of conducting train
( ,trnc c%sses for Negro teachers; of in.
ana a'uns them in domestic science
ni s INDUSTRIAL work. 1t is a sort of
i ested 'nary study in which the inter.
h,m u person finds his field all about
Il ws, '.osan is sounding forth that
davs vas :, tae fashion in the good old
for ~ y, inc south's unique civilization
The s,asrs and mistresses to teach
Nsiousa ,es, and to look after their re.
this us Welfare. Now for q return IN
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