The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1919-10-04
By n. W. Harllee

The corner stone of the Saint John
Baptist Institution was laid Sunday
afternoon with imposing ceremony
in the presence OF thousands OF per-
sons both out Of the city and In the
city. Long before the exercise pro
grained to be carried out began the
thousands gathered ON the streets
lining up the whole block and more
with buggies and autoes. and on foot,
waiting with eager eyes and anxious
hearts to witness a scene that rarely
takes place in the dedication of an
institution church such as the one
which actually took place in this
city among our people and which
set the pace OF human progress and
the wisdom of far seeming man
whose vision and fond passion for
humanity lead him to think OF others,
to plan for others, TO sweat and
toll for others, to build for others,
not for the others who need not the
balm and gilead, but for the unfort-
innate not that he loved the fortu-
nate less but that he loved the de-
crepit more. For these he saw in
his God-like vision, for these the an
I ECl vi uODGN tlB manu-
of God directed and the congregation
of the great Saint John Baptist
church upheld his right hand in the
building this humanitarian temple,
the one institution that is already a
monument TO the Rev. c. G.. Harper
the pastor of the Saint John Bap-'
fist church who was wise enough in
Z his day and generation to organized
his splendid congregation and carry
forward the work that has crystal
ized In actual cement, brick and
stone, that one institution that has
been already hallowed not only by
the laying OF a corner stone, but
by the greater thought. the greater
deed, but by that greater purpose
that under lies all, the thought, the
purpose to reach the other man, the
man that is further down, to extend
to him the proffered hand, TO extend
to him the invitation to stand up and
be man. although you are you seem
to be without friends, without means,
and II you wish after you have striv-
en-, after you have done your best
to stand and have stood and II you
have acted the mainly part. and have
lost. come to Saint John Baptist In
stitution and be made whole as be-
fore.
Not only this the young people OF
our city may have a place where
they may go and read. for there will
be books and periodicals that will be
for their information, where they
may read and ponder, place where
our young women and our young
men may have those higher Incentives
laid before them, where the hope OF
inspiration may touch their inner
souls and urge them on to that goal
that Is set for the young. to fire their
fondest ambition and highest expecta-
ton, for such is the lofty aim Of this
Institutional church, whose doors
shall soon stand ajar, whose lofty
purpose is soor to be realized, and
the dream, the lofty vision, the whis-
pered breath, the spoken word, the
cherished and fond hope and the toll
of the members Of that church shall
be consumated in one thought, Thou
hast wrought we'll"
But we must speak OF the unus-
ual thing that occurred at the dedi-
cation exercises in the financial part
and the financial efforts. Here every
denomination rallied and We'd each
other in raising money fro the com
pletion of the Institutional church,
working and striving as though It
was their own church institution,
seeming for once to forget that what
we need is unit Of purpose. unity
eff effort, they seemed to see success
and hail II In uniting as one church.
one people, one cause. the great
cause OF self help that is 80 much
needed in people who are after
all must learn to help themselves
and do for themselves what others
can not do for them.
When the roll of churches was
called, each church, each denomina-
ton came up TO the expectation, came
with the cash. came with a free good
will, and laid the cash on the table
and for once the Negroes OF Dallas
had things In common as In the DAYS
OF old when all sold their possess ION
and ate bread from house to house.
We certainly learned lesson at
this corner stone laying that will
be OF much use to all for many
months to come, a Lesson that has
waited long TO be taught and utili-
zed for the best, for in unity of
actions there is power.
But the secret fraternities were
in evidence, here they too We'd with
each other in bringing the cash to
complete this great institution, they
laid the actual money on the table.
and counted It out and handed IL to
the treasure Of the church institute
and babe them God speed in It's COM
pletion. When the cash was counted.
1t was found that In round numbers.
the amount stood around the two
thousand dollar mark. Five hundred
dollars for the noble purpose was
encouraging alike to all. We only
wished that it could have been five
Thousand instead OF five hundred.
After the collection, and financial
struggle had closed, DR.. Horton de-
livered the principal address at the
editorial exercises, in which he
paid the highest compliment to the
the faithful members OF the Saint
Rev. DR.. Harper and his trustees and
st. John. who for years had stood
with the pastor through self denial
and devotion to realize building OF
the Institutional church, which now
stands with the walls nearing COM
pIetion. The address was full of food