Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-11-26
A. M. e. CONFERENCE

The fiftieth annual session or the
South Carolina conference OF the
African Methodist Episcopal Zion
church, convened in Clinton Chapel
Yorkville, Wednesday at noon, with
Rt. Rev. A. ]. Warner, D. D., presiding
bishop.
The first days session included the
opening exercises, announcements, re-
ports Of committees, opening sermon
welcome by the local church and re-
sponse on behalf Of the conference.
Yesterdays work of the conference
was a continuation Of reports and
routine business. The feature OF the
session last night was an official well
come Of the conference to Yorkyille by
Mayor Wilborn in behalf OF the town.
Rev. Henry Stokes was on the pro-
gramme to extend a welcome In be-
half Of the local white churches; but
as he was away at the meeting OF the
Upper South Carolina conference, there
was no welcome address from repre-
sentative Of the white churches.
Bishop Warner was called on by the
Rev. Crockett to introduce the mayor.
The bishop began his remarks by say
ing that the occasion reminded him OF
the time when the people Of Montgom-
cry and Alabama gave President JET
ferson Davis reception at the state
capitol when Mr.. Davis was not far
away from his death. The ex-presi-
dent arose and looking over his vast
audience, visibly affected, said II
hardly know what to say" An old
veteran away back in the crowd hol-
Tered to Mr.. Davis and said: JEFF,
Just say what you please" Il am just
that way, hardly know what to say
said the bishop. Voices all over the
church saw the point and told him to
"say what you please" "All right re-
piled the bishop.
Then for about thirty minutes the
bishop kept his audience in contin-
uous uproar as he told anecdote after
anecdote to illustrate some point he
wished to make. He said that the
mayor told him that he was born In
North Carolina, and that as he lived
in North Carolina he would like TO
claim kin with him; but he couldn't
do It on that ground. He said his wife
was born in North Carolina and by
reason of that fact he might possibly
squeeze in claim to kinship: but he
had a stronger claim than that. he
said. He was born in Kentucky, 40
miles from the birthplace Of Henry
Clay, and as the mayor was named
for Henry Clay he was going to claim
kinship on the strength Of his having
been born in the state that gave birth
to the man from whom the mayor was
named. The bishop said that he was
glad that he was a southern born man.
The best friends he had were south
ern men, ''and l want to tell you peo-
pie here that the best friend you have
l. x.vIt i0
harm to be black-it is inconvenient
sometimes. but then there Is no harm
in being black. The Jim Crow car Is
not so bad. If you are in a Jim Crow
car you get there first, and II you are
crossing a river you get over first
You white people have been here
the longest, you brought us here, but
you can't take us back. The white
people were the earliest settlers, they
fought and fought hard for every
thing they got. 1t Is theirs and they
have a right to it, said the bishop. All
1 ask Of you is that if you have any
thing you don't want, why just give 1t
TO us. We were with you when you
had the ox-cart, and we walked be-
hind; when you got the wagon we
took the ox-cart; when you got the
spring wagon we took the road wag-
on; when you got the carriage we took
the spring wagon; when you got the
automobile we took the carriage, and
now you have the flying machine and
we will take the automobile. 1 never
heard of but one negro who tried the
flying machine. He bet a man that
he could fly He never said he could
light. The white man went up and
came down beautifully; but the ne
gros machine didn't have any stop
ping levers, and when he went up he
sailed right off and hasn't come down
yet.
1--WE love the white people," con-
tinued the bishop. 1--WE don't ask you
to love us-that might be presump-
ton, but we love you just the same.
We stuck to you during the civil war.
We guarded your wives and children
during those trying times, and II 1t
should become necessary as an out
growth of this great European war
that the white folks Of the south have
to go to defend their country, we will
be here to stand as armed sentinels
to faithfully guard your wives and
families again."
Mayor Wilborn thanked the bishop
for the fine sentiments that he had
expressed toward the white people OF
the south, and acknowledged the kim
ship that existed between himself and
the bishops wife, because both of
them were Tarheels. He was glad of
the privilege to welcome the African
Methodist Zion conference to York
vile on behalf Of the Christian citizen
ship Of the town, and especially was