Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1934-12-21
HERE and
THERE
By w. NJ. Smith

Church a meeting was sponsored
by the Ministers Alliance in the
interest of the Scottsboro boys.
Rev. Lee w. Harris of the Pilgrim
Baptist Church was the principal
speaker. He gave, as he always
does, an interesting talk and
aroused considerable enthusiasm
on the part of his audience. But,
like many who speak without other
preparation than the selection of
text, he made a number of state
ments, which, though they evoked
much of audible approval, are sub
ject to question.
The Reverend gentleman gave
high praise to the communist, or
rather the I. L. D., for the brilliant
and militant courage shown in de-
tense of these boys, and this was
well-but, he added, that but for
its efforts the boys would now be
in their graves-and that is open
to dispute. He assailed the mo-
tives of present Negro leadership
and indicated that it was influenced
by a desire to please those white
people who furnished in large
measure the finances that permit
them to function. When l think
of Du Bots, Schuyler and a dozen
more men of prominence, l believe
the speaker takes in too much ter
ritory when he excerpts from his
scathing criticism only A. Philip
Randolph as much as l admire and
respect this fine young Negro
American.
The speaker paid his respects to
the press, declaring that Negro
newspapers no longer stirred the
people with vital messages of ex-
hortation and encouragement for
the masses of the people. When
| recall the hundreds of editorials
carried in the Defender, the Cour-
rier, the Call, the New York Age,
the New York Amsterdam News
and many more, not forgetting the
sound advice and counsel of our
local weeklies; when l remember
that these papers have printed
hundreds of columns of matter pro-
testing determinations and segre-
cations and the denying of suf-
frage rights with hundreds of other
columns devoted to a review and
clarifying of the recovery meas
ures initiated by the government
and so very vital to the welfare of
the colored people; when l know
that all of them have given col
umns and columns of space to the
activities of the churches and have
been outspoken and unafraid in
urging Negro independence in the
field of politics l am constrained to
believe that the speaker was, in
deed, sadly mistaken in his con-
illusions.
Rev. Harris declared that the
ministers were still the best lead
ers of the masses-and that should
be true-but Immediately he de-
clared that many pulpits were not
reaching the men in the street and
the masses furtherest down-and
this, if true, nullifes the value of
his praise.
The speaker said with an earn
astness that carried conviction that
if he had the money to care for his
family he would throw up his con-
nection with any particular church
and get out on the street corners
and undertake this work. Which
leads one to wonder if he has for
gotten the great apostle, Paul, who
answered the call to go into Mace
donia, who travelled through the
wilds of Asia Minor without money
or friends, and without other re-
course save his belief in the power
of God to defend and care for his
servants.
The writer believes that the
worst corners of st. Paul and Min
neannlis and MANY Sunday after