Cayton's weekly. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1916-1921, 1920-05-29

that said, 'the American people love to be
humbugged,' and he told no lie.
Last Sunday afternoon I attended the
corner stone laying Of the Mt Zion Baptist
church and I am of the opinion I saw the
largest church congregation, so far as the
colored citizens are concerned, that [ had
ever seen assembled in Seattle and barring
the rawness of the atmosphere the pre-ar-
ranged program was run off like record on
a graphophone. Each part and parcel
was played so well that I fear I would do
some one performer a gross injustice should
| try to recount to you how we'll each one
of them did. 1t was simply a magnificent
rendition of a magnificent program, and if
the Rev. Carter, way down in his heart, did
not feel proud of the work he had done,
then he is lacking in those qualifications that
make one better human being, but I do
not believe he is. AS I have already init
mated, there was a great concourse of per-
sons there from in and out Of the city, but it
seems to me there was painful absence of
members from the other coored churches of
the city in attendance and I truly wondered
why. | trust it was not due to the fact that
the green eyed monster jealousy played so
well it's part
Some weeks ago I said in an issue hereof
that the white citizens of Seattle never turn
ed out to listen to colored lectures, even
when they advertise to lecture on the all
absorbing trace question: of this country,
and that too in spite of the reputation of
the speaker Now there were those Of my
friends in the city who did not believe the
statement and so when the committee began
to make preparations for place for Mr.
oIhN TO
get a down town location that would attract
white as well as colored citizens, and to
that end the use of the First NJ E. church,
located in the heart of the city, was secured
at an expense of 1928, which was almost moth
ing, and at the lecture I do not believe there
were more than dozen white persons in the
audience. Just as much would have been
accomplished had the meeting been held at
the First A. M. b. church, Fourteenth and
Pine. In Tacoma and Portland the white
citizens seem more deeply interested in the
uplift Of their colored citizens than in Seat
tle
Perhaps there will yet come colored
speaker to Seattle who will address our citi-
zens as though he was a philosopher or an
educator rather than as a carping critic or
as relator Of such woes as we are subjected
MIR. Barbour was for the purpose of raw
hiding and bloody bonning all colored per-
sons into becoming members of the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored
People, it was meet and proper, but he took
as his subject, "A Scattered Nation," which
ne neither discussed or did he hold out the
ASSOCIATION as panacea of our ills and COM
plants, but he did talk at length about
divided people, and while I have no quarrel
with HIM as to the divided black folks of this
country, yet that subject has been rehashed
so often that it is thoroughly thread bear
and want some cOlored speaker to talk to
us as did DIR. Suzzzalo a few evenings ago,
that we may at least for the time forget our
troubles and complications on account of our
compilations. If you cannot bring us a hope
full message then bring to us an amusing
one, If not that then bring to us anything
Lord except tale of VICE.