Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-08-24
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out. Hence, what some regard as a
blundcr OF the Alexandria meeting
can be turned to splendid advantage
by tho Little Rock meeting and also
the st. Louis meeting.
The Alexandria Executive Board
meeting needed not fear TO endorse
the annullmcnt Of the charter com
pact because Of any fear that tho
charter would not be annullcd, for
the Convention whose brethren got
out the charter would no doubt DC,
glad to annul Il thing that they are
not rcaping any good from because
of its present status.
Then there could be no sense in
continuing the lawsuit, If the own
ership and the control OF the property
OF the Convention be acknowledged
by the united body and Board. The
only thing that the Alexandria Board
needed to fear was that some on its
side may not be willing to acknowl-
edge the ownership and the control
by the Convention Of the property
held for the Convention by the sew
cral Boards.
That is the point, for which the
Morris Convention has been waiting
three years, and it is certain that
they would be glad to wait one year
longer, if it can be assured by the
Little Rock meeting that this ac-
acknowledgement is forthcoming. The
time Of the annullmcnt Of the Wash
ington charter, the withdrawal OF
the suit and the distinction made
and agreed upon between denomina-
tional ownership and Convention
ownership were the three main
points, apparently, that the Alexan-
dria Board dcmurred to.
True. exception was taken by it to
the article in the compact OF the
Commission providing for a standing
Commission OF the Southern Baptist
Convention to confer with the
United National Baptist Convention
upon most difficult matters that
might arise during the progress of
the united body.
This it seems, is minor point and
can easily be settled, even if all par
ties had to agree that the work of
the Commission appointed by our
white brethren BIO confined to the
Seminary project Surely the white
brethren would prefer to limit the
work Of their Commission to the
L llltth " lSI a.
division of tho Negro Baptist con-
tinue on this account, supposing an
agreement could be reached on every
other point.
A final word, a suggestion. AS
intimatcd before in this article,
whether or not there will eventually
be a united National Baptist Con-
ycntiQn must depend mainly upon
the attitude Of the Presidents Of the
divided body; and their attitude must
depend upon their spirit. If they
confuse personalities with principles
and take the one for the other, there
will not be much getting together.
II they hold on to a non-essential as
if it were an essential, there will not
be much getting together.
The rule for these chief officers
should be: "In non-essentials, char
ity; in essentials, tolerance; in all
things unity"
SO far, the National Baptist Con-
vention Incorporated, through it's
officials, have lived up to every point
of the compact agreed upon by the
Commission at Memphis, for which
we all should rejoice. Let us be
careful not to spoil 1t all at st. Louis.
One Of our Baptist papers sometime
ago limited that there is danger OF
condoning too much. True, but we
have not yet reached the danger limo
in this matter. We can we'll afford