The Denver star., 1917-09-15

Host Of It's Supporters Ready to De-
fend Thrifty Institution For Women
and Girls Under the Able and Sue
cessful Management Of Miss Mamie
Helen Burroughs.
The property Of the National Baptist
convention will quite likely be the cen
ter of interest during sessions Of the
convention, which began at Muskogee.
Okla. Thursday. Sept. 6.
Powerful interests are at work, SOW
ing distrust and pointing at petty tech
nicalities in the management. IN order
that grave and sweeping changes might
be accomplished, the i'll effects of which
may be felt for years to come.
The National Training school at Lin
coin heights, Washington. is rounding
out its sixth year with a record of
which a much older institution might
be justly proud. The bulletin on Ne
gro education. compiled by the Unit
ed States bureau of education. on page
154, refers to this school as one OF the
best managed schools in the country.
The record of the work accomplished
by its graduates is a credit to the race
and an honor to the denomination. The
following shows concisely how abso-
lutely this work is united with the Ma
tional Baptist convention. Article OF
the bylaws reads: $50 long as the
Women's auxiliary and the National
Baptist convention shall foster the in
stitution the executive staff of both
conventions and the secretaries of the
boards shall always be members of the
board of trustees. At their first meet
ing the trustees shall divide themselves
into classes by alphabetical arrange
ment of states as nearly equal as posi-
ble these classes to serve one. two or
three years respectively. but all trus'
| tees to continue In their offices until
their successors have been elected and
signified acceptance thereof. Subse-
| Quent elections shall be for the term
| of three years unless in the case OF va
! cancies, which shall be filed for the
unexpired term OF the class In which
they occur"
Can anything be more cooperative
than this? The National Training
school has reached its high degree of
efficiency under the able direction Of
Miss Mamie Fl. Burroughs. Loyalty as
sisted by the faithful women of the
auxiliary and others. The National
Baptist convention as represented by
the men has been sadly barren Of re-
suits. For twenty years it has been
building a seminary for the youth Of
! our country, and still this is but a fig
ment Of the fertile imaginations Of our
strong men. While men dreamed
dreams and had visions. the women
under God have presented a living re-
ality. visible monument and source
| Of inspiration. God forbid that their
wonderful work should inspire teal-
ousy. incite envy or breed avarice.
T! The National convention as such has
contributed but little, If anything, to-
i ward the financial support of this
work. There seems to be a deep laid
plan to depose Miss Burroughs and
| place her in the worst possible light
before the Baptists Of the country.
In 1916, when Miss Burroughs made
an effort to promote peace in the con-
vention her efforts were seized upon
and distorted to give color to the idea
that she was seeking to spit the wo-
mems auxiliary. At the session OF
the convention held at Savannah Dr.
NJ. NJ. Rogers. the accountant Of the
convention. made most misleading
report. in which he made thirteen
proved errors. In one instance he re-
ported Miss Burroughs had received
| $1,000 when she had received only
$500.
Following this. Recommendation
was offered that the national conven-
tion assume direct charge Of the Ma
tional Training school, Despite the
seriousness Of the report and its effect
upon the work of the school. Miss Bur
roughs was howled down when she
sought to set them right This COM
ports but i'll with the spirit Of justice
and fair play.
| To protect the interests of all parties
| concerned, the trustees in their June
meeting voted to employ the public
accountant OF the District Of Columbia
Ia government expert. an impartial
and disinterested party. to audit the
books OF the training school. The
board in so doing proved its absolute
| unSeltiShness.
| The success Of the work has been
obtained through the excellent spirit
of cooperation existing between tts
members. 1t will be interesting to
note how well they will stand together
under this strong attack.
| 1t will be interesting to note who
| will be found true to the race and
right when the attack is made against
this lone woman. who has never falter-
ed or failed where sacrifice was need
! ed or when hard work would forward
Il cause.
The trustees have 1t within their
power to decide this matter. II they
stand up all Is we'll II they fail the
work OF years will become the center