Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-08-02
EDITORIALS
AN OPEN LETTER TO DIR. |. X. WILLIAMS

Reverend L. X. Williams, D. D.,
President, National Baptist Conven-
ton, Chicago, Ill.
My dear DR.. Williams:
| want TO congratulate you on the
approaching Golden Jubilee of the
National Batist Convention to be
celebrated next August in the city
of Chicago. Surely fifty years of
consecutive organized Christian en-
deavor represents an accomplish
ment unsurpassed within the re-
ligious life of the Negro race. There
have been gathered under the Bap-
fist banner two thirds of the record
ed church membership. Especially
do | wish to congratulate you upon
the growth and expansion of the or
ganization under your administra-
ton.
The rising tide of Northern mi
grafton has been COPIED with by an
adequate religious craftsmanship.
Baptist churches have grown up and
thriven like David's green bay tree.
Without any disparagement of other
denomination, it is only accurate
to say that while they have remain
ed comparatively stationary, the
Northern cities have been baptised
in the onswelling Baptist flood. One
cannot help, noting the comparison
in Washington, Baltimore, Philadel-
phia, New York, as well as in the
great centers of the middle West
and South Western sections. We
must welcome the suggestion of the
organic union of the several more
numerous branches of the Method
numerous branches of the Method
list Church which would form who le-
some and healthy rivalry in these 2
great divisions of the Christian
Army The smaller and less numer-
Gus denominations would retain
their useful function of holding
out other types of worship for
those who might not prefer the Bap-
list or Methodist theological tenets
OF cefemOuldl 1OI ms.
Our age is crassly irreligious. In
spite of the growing church men,
bership godlesness is rapidly on the
gain. The better educated of our
youth, especially in the cities, are
turning away from the religion OF
their fathers and mothers. The pull
pit md places of moral and spirit
uarl authority are not being re-
cruited from the cultured and the
colleges bred. Few also, too few, OF
the graduates of our schools and
COLLEGES are entering the sacred call
ing of the ministry. If this tendency
is allowed to continue, the lament
able future of the Negro church is
easy to predict. AS you stand at the
head of the largest body of Negro
Christians in the world, the respon-
sibility of the correcting this I'M
fortunate tendency rests heavily
upon the shoulders of your denom-
nation.
But my dear DR.. Williams, I did
not start out to indite homily up
on the evil tendency of the times,
nor to dim the Qualification Of your
approaching jubilee with gloomy
forebodings. My purpose in this
communication is both simple and
single. l want to urge that the
great Baptist denomination at this
Golden Jubilee put itself on record
in hehalf of prohibition. A ringing
resolution in this behalf issuing
from your influential body at this
critical time would revererate a.
round the world. 1t would convince
the Christian world that the Negro
BaptiSts abound in their moral en-
ergy or spiritual courage. 1t is need
less to point out the havoc which
the liquor evil is working within
the Negro race. The weaker vessel,
the group with least power of inhi-
bition, necessarily suffers most
from any evil practice. Clever mind
ed youth are selling their soul to
the Devil for the i'll gotten gain
through bootlegging and violation
of law. Let me forstall the argument
of comparison l know that the
white man has his full quota of sin.
But your concern aand mine is
mainly with the evil doors on our
side of the color line.
The weak race should never strive
to rival the stronger in relative
wrongdoing. l would be glad to con-
cede to the white race monopoly Of
the vices. The minority group should
never array itself against the law
of the land unless such laws are en-
acted in curtailment of its moral