Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-18
BAPTISTS ARE
PROTESTINGO ON
GENERALIZATION
BY REV. ALEX w. BEALER
snac{aJ C0rreSn0ndenk The ,Y0Yr1, a

special correspondent The journal.
WASHINGTON, D. c., May ID
lists will go down in history as "the
curbstone convention" There have
been more delegates hobnobbing on
the sidewalks outside the place of
meeting than were gathered on the
inside. The comment they are MAX
ing is to protest against the grow
ing tendency of the body to drift
away from democratic practices and
fall into the Capitalization Of the
Republicans.
1t is more apparent at this meet
In than ever before: 1 do not know
whether or not it is caused by the
atmosphere that flows out from the
Republican majority in congress, but
delegates. among them the leading
men of the body. One of them, a
very conservative man, said to me
today that the tendency of the con-
vention was to fall into the hands
They are being appointed on most OF
the important committees, and are
being looked upon as the men who
announce the policy of the state thev
convention.
Secretaries in Control
There has been growing tenden-
cy to let the secretaries of the con
Nent1on be in control of it's business
NO longer are there any open discus
sions on important questions. Com.
mlttee reports are directed by the
secretaries and they select the men
who are to speak upon them. AL
ways there are several speakers Sc
cut-and-dried speeches upon cut-and-
dried reports; small amount of
time is sometimes given for free dis
cusslon at the close of the order on
any subject, but only the boldest
involved, have the nerve to butt into
the cut-and-dried program. There is
a widespread clamor for a return to
the democratic practices of the past,
aI1In ain some are saying that this
mas grown so large. The idea has
taken firm hold of the brethren that
the whole convention should not he
run in the interests Of any boards
Or institutions.
Then for the last year Or two the
west has climbed into the saddle and
mas ridden over the rights of the
other sections.
The president Of the convention is
a western man and the chairman of
the $75,OOO,OO0 commission is a west
ern man. The director general of
the campaign was western man and
the superintendent of publicity is a
western man and 1t is interesting to
note that all of these are from Texas.
At the Saturday morning session Of
the body the committee on the next
place Of meeting recommend Chatta-
nooga. 1t looked as if it might take
that direction but DR.. W. L. Pickard,
formerly of Georgia, made an elo-
quent speech to let the south have
something now and then. A place
tinually lodging the clubs of police
men as has been the case in Wash
iington. Following this speech, the
BODY voted unanimously to go to
Chattanooga.
I realize that I will be soundly
criticized for this story but it is
written at the request of a number of
leading men and it expresses the SEN
timent of a large number of Bap-
lists all over the country. It is writ
ten in no unktnd spirit, but with a
desire to stop dangerous tendency
on the part of the convention. The
committee appointed to consider all
matters pertaining to the convention
meetings will consider this matter,
but will hardly report upon it uAttl
the next session.
The business Of the body has been
practically concluded today. Many
Georgfans will preach in Washin gton
pulpits tomorrow and then on Mon
day the odds and ends will be dis
posed and then the meeting will adj
There is probability that the
headquarters of the Woman's Mis-
s1onary union will be moved from
Baltimore to Atlanta. At the conven-
ton of the women, a committee re-
ported recommending that the head
quarters be moved either to Atlanta,
Birmingham or Nashville. on account
of the distance of Baltimore from the
territory in which the women are at
work. It was decided to let the diff
ferent states vote on the question
and come to a final decision next
year.
The committee on the next place of
meeting today decided on Chattanoo-
ga, and this will be ratified by the
convention on Saturday.
I mentioned Thursday that a great
southern Baptist daily paper would
doubtless be started in the near fu-
ture. Friday, a leading monied
man In the convention offered to put
$4,000 in a southern Baptist weekly
to be published in Atlanta, paper
free from the control of denomina-
tional agencies. This man is ready
to put his money into daily with
the same purpose in view, and others
are ready to join him. 1t will prob
ably cost half million dollars to
start such paper. The sentiment is
that it should be started, and it will
probably be done within the near
f11t1Ira