The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-08-21
REV. MATTHEWS MAKES DENIAL.

Editor The Bamberg Herald:-l
ask space in your columns to emphat-
ically deny some red hot lies of the
blacklist hue circulated against me
a little over week ago in the town
of Bamberg and perhaps in the vicini-
ty. I wish to state that it is now 80
years last March since I started to
preach the gospel of peace to both
white and colored people, and l am
doing the same yet. l do not wait
to go in the pulpit, but every chance
I have l preach in the hedges and
byways.
The first lie I heard was that l
told some colored people some time
and somewhere that they must not
pick cotton for less than $3.50 per
100 pounds. This / assert as lie No.
1 from hell to heaven and back from
heaven to hell.
Lie No. is equivalent to the lie
the devil told in the Garden of Eden,
and that was that I had sent to Mid
way, S. c., coffin filled with guns
and pistols to the negroes to have
an insurrection with the white peo-
pie. I am sure his excellency. r. A.
Cooper, did not think of doing any
thing like that, and neither have I.
There is no man of color and there is
wants and works for peace, good will
and harmony between the two races
more than H. H. Matthews. I am
glad to say that I have stood for
good will and respect between the
races since I was boy, and no
white man or black man shall change
me from this attitude. Cod helping
me. Of course. this No. 2 lie out
ranks the one the devil told in the
Garden of Eden, and the devil him
self is ashamed of it. Mr.. Editor.
do not believe that a single sane
white man or colored man believes
it.
Lie No. 3 was circulated last Sun
dav morning one week ago. that the
Mt. Carmel NJ. E. church bell rang to
call out the colored men to raise a
riot with the white people. I have
been knowing the present pastor.
Rev. R. A. Cottinsham. for fully Sc
years. and everywhere he has gone
he, like myself. has endeavored to
preach the gospel of peace to his
race and encourage friendly relations
between the races, and anv who doubt
this statement have simply to call on
DR.. Cottingham and read what the
white people have said about him
and who they believed he was. The
bell was rung for what is known
generally among the Methodist peo
pie as "the Sunday morning sunrise
PRAYER meeting service" There are
some hypocrites in both races who
are no friends to either. who wish
to see fuses and riots between white
and colored people, but the better
elements of both races, God helping
them, intend to keep down such
things. for fuses and riots do not
help either race, but good will and
esteem for each other will go long
way.
The devils imps must surely be
ashamed of this No. 9 lie. Rev. Cot
tingham raised over s400 last year
from one of his churches for the Red
Cross cause and work in unsion with
the white people. just as 7 have done
in Bamberg county. All T had was
swept away by fire on the 31st Of
January of this year. T thank all
who came to my rescue. and the ma
jority who aided me in Bamberg city
or county were white people. An
migrate is one of the worst things in
the world. 7 thank God 7 am not an
migrate. and 7 brand all that was said
about me as finished lies.
H. H. MATTHEWS.
Bamberg, S. c., Aug. 10, 1919
adv.