Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-21
RACE ISSUE CAUSE
OF HEATED DEBATE
Two Reports on Segregation
Made to Protestant Epis-
copaI Convention.
WILL TAKE FINAL ACTION
TOMORROW AFTERNOON
Report on Sunday Schools Shows
Decrease in the Number
of Pupils.

Il
NEW YORK, October 21.--A heated de-
bate over the negro question in the south
enlivened the deliberations of the house
of deputies of the Protestant Episcopal
Church at today's session of the general
convention. A majority report by the
committee on racial episcopate. with rec
concentrations against the proposal to
establish separate churches, dioceses.
clergy and bishops for southern negroes
was presented. A minority report advo-
eating the separation of the races and
| the appointment Of negro bishops, to sit
| In the house of bishops with powers
equal to the whites. also was presented.
Substance of the Reports.
The proposal is a radical violation
of the principles and customs of dio-
cesan union," asserts the majority re-
port read by the Rev. G. D. Bryan of
North Carolina. with the utmost
| friendship for our negro brethren and
with the desire to advance the work
of the church among them we still
cannot believe that as a race they are
prepared for an Independent eccleSias-
| teal administration"
| To this declaration the minority, con-
sisting of Bishop Kinsolv!ng of Texas.
/ Bishop Cheshire of North Carolina and
| the Rev. DR.. j. Mex, Pittinger of Raj
eigh. N. c., took sharp exceptions.
| The white people and the negro peO-
| pie Of the south, said the minority re-
| port. cannot be dealt with by the church
without sharp and positive separation
and distinction between the two. in
worship and i'll all corporate, ecclesiasti-
cal activities. as we'll as in social life.
This separation is plain and unin:s-
taxable in every southern diocese. In
some d!oceSes the colored clergy and
laity are positively excluded from ahy
membership or participation in the dio-
cesan convention or councils. In others
the negroes are allowed representation
occasional participation in the diocesan
councils.
I'm some dioceses no distinction is made
in the constitution and canons between
white and black: but even in these the
subtle and irresistible influence of public
feeling, within and without the church.
makes it practically impossible for the
colored members of the church to have
that free and sympathetic participation In
the responsibilities and activities OF the
diocese which they need.
Such being the situation. We feel that
something shoul6 be done by the general
convention to give the eoioreQ members
lin the south a. status ana an opportunity
which in our judgment they do not and
cannot enjoy under our present methods
and organizations"
Amid a storm of discussion the house
finally made consideration of both re
ports the order of business for the after
noon session tomorrow, limiting debate
on each side to ha.f an hour.
Report on Sunday Schools.
y loss of more than 10000 pupils with.
in the last three years from the Sunday
schools of the Protestant Episcopa
Church in the United States was reported
to the general convention today by tn,
committee on the state of the church.
The report asserted that the Sunday
schools throughout the country had on
their rolls today fever names than they
had IN 1910
'-pparently there is loss Of 926 in
the number confirmed since 1870" the
report continued. There are also fewer
children IN parochial schools. We must
check this wasting of the body OF Christ.
We must follow up and hold these num-
Gers. We must conserve our resources.
The new church policy of confirmation
as advocated by the committee urged
he tracing of members who leave the
C ty for another as that they may be
new homes Making the Sunday schools
more attractive was another recommen-
1at.on.
While there has been a loss in the Sun
day schoo.s- the report added, there has
Dcen u gain In commandments.
Four Missionary Bishops Elected.
| Four missionary bishops of the Prot
estant Episcopal Church were elected
yesterday afternoon by the house of
| bishops. They are Bishop of North Da-
| kota, Hugh Burleson Of New York city;
| Bishop of Spokane W. B. Capers of CO.
iumb.a, Tenn; Bishop of Cuba. Milo H.
Gates of New York city; Bishop of New
Mexico, F. c. Howden of Georgetown.
ID. C.
| The action of the house OF bishops
must be ratified by the house of deputies
| before the new bishops are appointed.
| but IL is practically certain that the
| choice made by the former body VIII
/ be allowed to stand.
| DR.. Burieson. chosen for Bishop of
| North Dakota. is secretary OF the church
this city. DIR. Capers is. principal of
the Columbia Institute for Girls at CO.
| lumba, Tenn. DR.. Milo III. Gates Is
| vicar of the Chapel OF the Intercession
| of New York. DIR. Howden is rector Of
St Johns Church at Georgetown.
| The Very Rev. Charles Blany Colmore,
dean of the cathedral, Havana Cuba
was selected by the house of bishops as
l Il shop OF Porto Rico- InlS HhSSiohdiS
| district includes Haiti and San Domingo.
| Guests at Sewanee Dinner.
1 y dinner in honor OF the southern
bishops, clergynen and lay delegates who
lare attending the convention was given
last night by the Sewauee Association of
| the University of the South.
| Under the auspices of the general board
| OF religious education a mass meeting
| was held last night in the Cathedral of
| St John the Divine The Rt. Rev.
| Daniel sylvester Tuttle, Bishop of Mis-
| souri,, and presiding bishop of the church.
conducted the services ana there were
addresses on the general topic Religious
| education and the Church.
Rt Rev. DIR. Charles Fl. Brent. bishop
of the missionary district of the Philip
p.ne Islands, arraigned the public school
| TO religious training. He said the effort
| TO start the teaching OF sex hygiene in
the schools was a recognition that there
is and has been In our publ schools and
his her Institutions of learning O moral
failure beyond degree that should be
| expected"
He. however. condemned the science of
eugencs as generally taught and said
that the church should be cautious abous
allowing children to be taught by any
men. no matter how clever, on such
subjects These are things" sa.d he.
/ 10 be taught by the Parents, truths to
be learned from the holy lips of q mother
and in the sanetity Of the home" :