New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-20
BISHOPS BLAME BALLOT
FOR WOES OF NEGRO
Giving of Suffrage Immediately
After Emancipation Great
BIunder, Says Nelson.
1000 HEAR ADDRESSES
DR.. Williams and G. F. Peabody
Among Speakers at Meet
ing Under Auspices OF
Church Institute.

| Both Bishop Nelson OF AtidH'd, anu
Bishop Caller. of Tennessee. in speaking
last night to a congregation OF 1000. two
thirds OF them negroes in the Cathedral
of st. John the Divine, blamed the race
woes of the South largely on the negro
possession OF tho ballot. Bishop Nelson
considered giving the vote to the negro
Immediately after his emancipation as great
a bunder as II would have been for Moses
TO set up a republic among the Jewish
rabble" after crossing the Red Sea-
Bishop Greer presided at the service
which was held under the auspices OF
the American Church Institute for Ne
groes, as part Of the programme OF the
general convention. He also made orief
address.
Besides the three bishops Or. Talcott
| Williams, director of the Columbia Schooi
of journalism and George Foster yea
body. a trustee of the institute. also
spoke All complimented the negro on the
progress made since the Civil War. All
called upon the white man to give him
square deal by providing him with men
tai and particularly moral education.
| The different schools connected with
the Church Institute" said Bishop Greer
have a larger number OF colored pupils
taken altogether, than either Tushegee OF
| Hampton. Few realize this. The lnsu-
tute is not their rival or competitor how
ever, but their co-worker"
| DR.. williams spoke Of the negro prop
lem in the North as a city problem ana
called upon all white men TO use their IN
fuence in obtaining for the negro the IN
dustrial freedom which he does not now
enjoy. Both he and Mr.. Peabody appealed
for a more substantial support OF the
| Church Institute Mr. Peabody said on
this point
The institute instead OF the 10000 a
year Il now receives. should have SNo'o"
| year. | suppose II we could go into the
vaults OF the great jewellers and safeN
deposlt companies OF this city. Of Phila-
/ delphia and Boston and Chicago and the
other cities and get the jewelry and Sill
verware belonging to members OF thls
| Church which haven't been taken out IN
ten years we should indeed think that
God had boun,ifully provided for us
Bishop Nelson said
should any one OF you who are inter
!
the negro desire to study his past and his
present his needs and opportunities MS
deficiencies and his capacities, recon-
mend YOU 10 take twenty-five-year
course I'm local observation, AZ follows :
Ten years in the North. ten years In the
! south and Ave years In the border sec
ITO, q, MARYLAND and the District Of Co
lurhjs ore of two results would follow
either utter detestation or the Southern
Christian mans position. unless there DC
a third attitude. which I have found IN
sonne cases-utter failure 10 understand
the negro.
| "I have had this education. with some
fy. wears OF additional study on the two
SIDES: starting from kindly feeHns
which In all the changes have never lost
but have studiously endeavored TO eShlpi'
by word and deed. as by sufficient testl-
mony can prove.
"a nations blunder Is the cause and
nations neglect Il the occasion Tor the
Church OF God doing all in her power 10
redeem the time misspent in relation to
these fellow citizens and fellow children
Of God
/
when the ballot was given to people I'M
trained for citizenship. As policy IL was
as foolish and as dangerous as II woulo
have been for Moses TO have organized the
Hebrew rabble into a democratic republic
Immediately after crossing the Red Sea
T distinctly charge that when freedom
and franchise were given the negro ne
then became the ward Of the nation. as
he was no longer either chattel or an
accountable relation Of any kind In the
land where he lived
"If any Of you are very urgent ABOUT
the ballot, I would impress upon you mat
there are many things which the negro
needs much more than A vote He needs'
,r, needs. 10 be fitted for citizenship. He
needs a vitalizing religion. He needs an
appreciation of character even above IN
,e,,,rence He needs education. but not so
much OF the sort which some have peeh
irving 10 give him-the arts and sciences,
the classics and Romance languages ana
music and theology.
"He needs instruction In honor
Righteousness. thrift, truth and purity
more than he needs the ballot. and. above
ALL he neens " 1uicheho' o'" ~ =.
ened conscience, such az can be imparteu
IN him in no other way but by the re-
Iicion OF Christ truly taught. truly re-
ceived and truly followed
Bishop Gailor said. In part:
1--WE are all aware OF the strange UNI
precedented condition which has been
created by the sudden enfranchisement OF
several millions OF black people who were
utterly unprepared to exercise the. right
Of suffrage with intelligence and EN-
cheney. They were a host OF unframed
children set TO work operating the dell
cate machinery OF government, and no
wonder that the results have proved dis
astrous and exasperating.
But. after all our troubles-troubles for
which the negro was not so much to
blame as the vicious white men. who put
him in n wrong position, We are beginning
to see daylight The Southern white peo-
pie OF the upper classes-the old slave
holding whites-have never entertained
any but the kindest feelings toward the
negroes, and II is due mainly to this wide
/ spread feeling OF good will on the part OF
that class that the Southern states, with
out protest, have spent sl65, 900. 900 during
| the last forty years for negro education.
And 1t must be said for the negro that
his progress has justified all that has
been done for him."