Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-02-22
III COIOlsED PEOPLE DON'T HEAR
SUNDAY, THEIR PASTORS ARE
TO BLAME, COMMITTEE'S
STATEMENT.


STATEMENT.
Chairman Of Local Arrangements
Writes Nows Leader OF Onors That
Wore Made, All OF Which Wcro
Declined.
(Richmond Ncws Loader, Feb. 49,
AS chairman Of tho Evangelist
Sunday campaign committee, DR..
Russell Cecil today made a statement
to Tho Nows Leader relating to dis
cussions as to tho participation of
the colorcd people In tho Sunday
meetings, tho concluding sentence OF
which reads: "If tho co,orod people
fail to enjoy tho privileges OF Mr.
Sundays preaching, tho responsibility
for that failure must rest upon tho
pastors Of the colored churches" The
statement details fruitlcss efforts Of
the committee to reach an agree
mont with tho colorcd pastors.
Following is DR.. Cecils statement:
"IIditor News Leader:
Touching the attitude Of tho
Sunday meetings to tho colored peo-
pic Of our city, I feel that n plain
statement Of the facts should be
~ "dc for the information OF the pub.
hc. n tho very beginning OF the
navement, some four or five years
ago, to invite Mr.. Sunday to hold
meetings in Richmond. T. was de-
signed to offer the colorcd population
II tho city the privileges OF attend
iEg his services.
"At every meeting OF the commit
ice Of invitation, the personnel OF
= itch h"a been changed from time
~ time, this matter has been die.
cuSscd and various measures havc
hcen SUGGESTED ~ to The host way
10 meet the difficulties in tho way Of
providing accommodations fnr both
white and colCrCd people in such Il
SnricS of meetings. At eVcry visit
m"do to Mr. Sunday previous to his
coming tho question was discussed
'"'th him and no always expressed
himself as earnestly desiring to
pre>ch to tho uolored people while In
our city
con account Of the war, the pur-
pose to erect Il tabernacle for Mr..
'"'''"" h"d 10 I've re inqnishcd, and
whom he agreed to come IL we could
i rye end improve tho seating ca
NHcity Of the city auditorium, wo
wcro confronted with tho cmbarrass-
mcnt Of limited accomm 0dations, but
the committee never for single
moment had any thought of cEclud-
ing the colorcd people and have nev-
CT tal-en any action to that effect
after til" Sunday party reached
Richmond, Mr.. Sunday himself was
corsnltcd about the matter, and n
committee, consisting Of II. II. Pit
ger, of the Sunday party; s. X Mckee
and Russell Cecil, met with the Min
isterial Alliance of the colored people
Monday, January OF, and offered
them section in the auditorium and
Hlso some snccial meetings at night,
In which the colored people might
have use Of the entire building. At
this meeting Of the committee with
the colored alliance, all dcnomina-
tons in the city were represented
eXcc"t the co'ored Baptist churches.
"The colorcd ministers present re,
ceivnd TIL" committee very courteous
ly. but said in substance that they
S"lt they had been Disseminated
'gainst In not being invited at tho
beginning to unite with the Minister
II Union in tho invitation to Mr..
Sunday and In not being asked to
hare the expense Of the meetings,
and that after the meetings began
=" Of the colored ministers had been
refused admission to the auditorium,
and they therefore, courteously but
very positively declined to accept tho
privileges offered to them by the
committee.
''They were assured that no action
had been taken by the committee
excluding them from the service. and
that no order had been given by tho
committee that colored people should
not be admitted, and that the COM
mittee was In no sense responsible
for tho incident that had occurred.
"This committee reported back to
the general committee In charge Of
the Sunday camnaign, and after full
consideration Of the matter at a met
ing held February 3. the committee
passed the following resolution which
w"s introduced by DR.. George w.
"n""iel, pastor Of the First Baptist
Church:
'Rcsnlut;on - Entertaining the
most fraternal regard for our colnred
brethren in Christ, and desiring that
thov shall enjoy the BLESSINGS Of tho
Sunday meetings we instruct that
TWO tickets be issued to each of the
cn'nred pastors Gf they desire them)
admitting them to seats in the north
cost section Of the main floor. and,
Furthermore, We EXPRESS our sincere
REGRET that the seating capacity Of
the auditorium is Inadequate to seat
more Of our colored peop'e, and we
cHnrcss the hone and purpose to
arr"npe for special services in tho
auditorium where large numbers
may hear Mr.. Sunday
"The following committee was
appointed to present this resolution
to the crlored pastors. who were
invited to meet with them In the Y.
NJ. G. A. h"lldirs at Grace and Sev.
e"th Streets: George w Mcdaniel,
Iacoh umlauf. Wade G Smith, Rus
sell Cecil and II. II. Pitzer. This