Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-11-09
THE MINISTER'S COMPLAINT.

Rev. ~. d. Daily, pastor of the
Fifth Baptist Church is tho authority
for the statement that the ministers
of the city, that Is the colorcd minis
tcrs composing the ministerial Con-
ference expressed their gratitude to
"our news papers" for publishing the
doings OF the Conference and the
courtcsics extended, but deplorcd the
attitude of "our papers" which arc
so amicably supported by all Of our
! people in not seeking more news about
them or publishing any matter with
out pay.
We need amicablc support and fin
ancial support and not amicable sup
port without financial support.
We read this statement with IN
>tcrcst not unmixed with amusement.
The only "our papers" here, with the
exception Of n monthly religious pap
or has been according recognition and
giving space at time to the doings Of
the Ministerial Conference and the
churches. The Ministerial Conference
is right III one respect. 1t says that
, the papers are amicably supported
by all Of our people. We presume
that the Conference refers specifical
ly to the church people. Amicable sup
port is n friendly support, loving
support, but not n financial support.
You cannot publish a newspaper on
amicablc support any more than you
can feed and clothc wife and chill
dren on amicable support.
You cannot keep n pastor OF Il
church on amicable support and We
do not sec why ministers, who them
selves cannot live in their own hous-
cs, pay their own bills and support
their own families on amicablc sup
port should expect race journals to
do tho same thing. Progressive col
ored Journals are now installing limo
type machines that cost anywhere
from sixteen hundred to thirty-scven
hundred dollars and must employ men
at wages aggregating from eighteen
dollars to twenty-five dollars per
week to operate them not counting
the high price Of news-print and 9TH
er supplies, which have gone up 300
per cent, and more and then these
lanIorc 40
cause these self sacrificing publish
ers do not publish their items and
other matter without cost to them.
We do not do so for the reason
that we cannot get the work done
without cost to ourselves. We make
our contributions to the churches on
Sundays and when the begging bri
gade comes around and this Is all
that we should be expected to do i.
This journal has always been in fay
or Of high salaries for preachers and
it seems little premature that these
same people should be in favor Of no
compensation for us.
we "Oulu suggest lnaC rev. n. - :.
DAILY at the next meeting make an
enquiry as to just which of the di,
vines subscribe to and pay as much
as $500 per year fer colored news
paper and how many have been on
the free list?
Rev. A. d. DAILY is one of our
most progressive minister's lie has
made efforts to help the colored
journals by selling copies in his own
church in order to aid the work and
our references are not intended for
him. However, We are OF the opin
ion that the ministers labor under q
misapprehension, that they do not
understand the situation that ser.
want Is worthy of his hire, that tho
same rules that apply to tho pastor
of a church hold good with reference
to the publisher Of q colored
newspaper. In conclusion we faceti
ously use the words of Bud Fishers
characters, Mutt, be reasonable"