The Twin City star., 1916-09-23
hoary past.
God Given Rights Are Sacred Trusts.

Soo N'Von nI9nSS are SaSroo ruoSo.
MAY that day never come In the his
tory Of this nations life when the priv
ilege to think and act as God gives and
imparts light shall be denied the hum
blest citizen. Better defy an army Of
enemies Of a million men bent on con.
quest than a hundred determined Bap-
tist preachers whose lives are dedi-
Gated in maintaining one Lord, one
faith and one baptism. To adjourn q
convention Of Baptists. a majority to
the contrary notwithstanding, 10 a ia.
grant usurpation Of power that In the
end will make the trembling and quak-
ing Of Belshazzar Insignificant and in
consequential to the condemnation that
must follow such course.
"This was the very signal of a heated
Imagination that rent in twain the
mighty brotherhood. Lest you might
forget the issue ! again urge that you
recall that in the face Of the fact that
the convention had gone on record
more than once in condemning the pro
curing Of charter that illegal and un.
authorized efforts did on May II, 1915,
In the city Of Washington succeed and
make Of record the incorporating Of
the National Baptist Convention Of the
United States Of America.
Document Born Of Malice and Envy.
II do not need here to tell you that
the provisions encOuched within that
unbearable and disgusting measure
scent unto the heavens and enviously
seek to control and manipulate and
with malice aforethought assassinate
that industry for which we have
striven for many years. 1t is acknowl-
edged that the only purpose for which
these unnecessary and strange innOva-
tiOns had their origin was selfish and
ambitious, and they were absolutely
void Of the warmth Of the Christian
spirit, but cold and barefaced in the
attempt to reap where they had not
sown.
"Our publishing plant at Nashville is
the greatest Of its kind owned aid op-
Grated by black men throughout the
my own native state, gave birth to our
own DR.. r. H. Boyd, whose industrious
eye and honest business capacity add
hster to this convention and our great
denomination. He has done for us and
our children's children that which no
Negro Of this century has achieved.
1t was his opportunity; God gave him
the light. He went forth in the face
Of Encouragement and q thousand
other besetments; caught q vision as
If by inspiration and founded an insti
tuition which today employs your SONS
and daughters and makes possible
their advancement.
Personnel Of the Publishing Board.
1.-THE publishing board is composed
Of brethren well prepared for their du-
ties, and they hold in trust for you
and for me and for every Negro Bap-
tist in this nation this property about
which more calamitous fairy tales
have been told than could be recorded
by thousand scribes in a thousand
years. 1t appears to me that this con.
vention is absolutely competent to un-
derstand that II any defects existed
legislation and not destruction would
be the remedy.
ITO the maintenance Of the national
Baptist publishing board as now con-
stituted and this the national Baptist
convention Of the United States Of
America have dedicated the past
twelve months Of my life, and as take
a retrospectiOn | am none the less will
ing to continue In my feeble way the
defense Of these fundamentals which
underlie not only the very future of
the church. but to combat that which
would turn back tie pages Of the Ne
groes' progress for the next quarter
Of q century.
"Others may subscribe and give
their hand, voice and vote to upset and
disgrace that which we have vouch-
safed these last twenty years, but un-
til fiery revelations from Gods heav
ems. like stars at midnight. shall pic
ture the irregularity and unreasonable.
ness Of my course l shall go forward.
that whithersoever l 90 he
who guideth the destiny Of man will
lead me on"