Evening star., 1938-07-13
THE EVENING WASHINGTON, c.,
Happy Am The Story Of Elder Miehsux
BY BLAIR BOLLES.

Michaux'S war on the devil Is his war
on Republicans. The pArson sits deep
in the Democratic camp, where, until
1892, . colored person was as rare as
Turk in Turkish bath. "The COL
ored man has paid his respects to
Abraham Lincoln" the elder says In
explaining his detection. Now he
wants bread"
The elder still Is faithful to Lincoln,
however, Is Christian might be
faithful to Moses. He doesn't heed his
doctrine but he venerates his memory,
In the Michaux history book Lincoln
Is one Of the three great emanci-
pators" of all time. from the birth Of
Adam, from whom Fundamentals
Michaux insists he Is descended, until
1898.
Trfumvirate in Oils. ..
The members Of this Michaux tri-
umvirate meet in oil painting, 20 feet
by 20 feet, which the elder displayed
in 1896 at Madison Square Garden
rally in New York. Some persons con-
sidered this demonstration . political
meeting to promote the Rooseveltian
cause during his campaign for re-
election. The elder contends that the
meeting was definitely a spiritual ses-
sion. II it aided Mr. Roosevelt, 1t was
because Elder Michaux Is on Roose.
velt's side and it ia wise for the COL
ored man-all men, indeed, the elder
feels-to support him.
In the center of the painting stands
Christ, "Emancipator from sim"
Kneeling at the left Is Lincoln, "emsn-
cipator from bondage" Kneeling at
the right is Franklin d. Roosevelt.
'emancipator of America from social
injustice" He is also the emanci-
pator of the colored man from Repub-
lican allegiance.
One fitful night in 1893 the elder
had dream Of three eagles This
nocturnal working of the Michaux
subconscious gives a sharp picture of
exactly where the famous radio pastor
stands on the political question. The
eagles were red. and their wings were
spread above letterings close related
to the legends used by Hugh johnson
beneath his N. r. A. eagle. Indeed,
they were all N. r. A. eagles of a sort.
The first eagle stood for the Ma
tional Revolution Administrat
managed by the Reds" whom Mi
chaux hates, and its slogan was: War
Declared on Society,""
The second eagle apostrophized the
National Revival Administration, whose
aim was War on the Devil, the Daddy
of the Depression" waged by Elder
Michaux
Eagle Number Three.
Eagle No. hailed the more IA.
miliar National Recovery Administra-
ton, War Declared on the Depres-
sion, Child of the Devil" by Presi-
dent Roosevelt. Clearly the dream
meant that Roosevelt and Michaux
were to join forces behind their eagles
to rid the country of the first eagle
and the discomfort on which it feeds.
The elder is faithful to the admonition
Of his dream.
The elder finds in President Roose-
velt an exemplification of the love
your neighbor" note which dominates
the Michaux religious teaching. He
works for Roosevelt votes because he
| feels that Roosevelt helps the colored
man, and he works so successfully
that in 1896 most Of the colored per-
sons who went to the polls in the
presidential election supported the
Democratic choice
The course of events which put
| Elder Michaux behind the Democratic
banner begins with q speech made by
President Herbert Hoover in the mid
die OF his term at Fortress Monroe
Va, not far from Newport News. Mi
chaux's home, and still the headquar-
ters Of his Church of God and the
Gospel Spreading Association, the
church's business agent.
Mr.. Hoover asked Am my BROTH
er's keeper?" and made friendly ref
erence to good neighborliness. The
alert Elder Michaux was struck by
the last two words as catchy phrase
which would attract followers and
make clear his aim.
He organized the Good Neighbor
1OdSuC WlllSh AL lIS lASU OdyS was
only q vehicle for feeding, housing
and clothing the depression-poor. But
it was scarcely a year old when Elder
Michaux repudia ted its inspirer and
gave it a political tinge.
Falls Out With Hoover.
Hoover and Michaux fell out over
the bonus marchers Of 1892. The
hapless veterans who established them
selves in tents and tin shacks on Ana
costa Flats appealed to the elder ~
the perfect beneficiaries for his league.
The league fed the men, printed .
newspaper for them and arranged to
have prayer said for the successful out
come of their petition to Congress for
approval Of immediate bonus payment.
When President Hoover agreed to driv-
ing the marchers away from their
camp he drove Michaux and many
other colored men to the party Of JET
ferson. When Mr. Roosevelt was in
augurated Michaux, to . throng IN the
old Auditorium-to . crowd 80 large
that the elder had to enter by the
fire escape-prayed in Thanksgiving
for his arrival in the White House.
The elder was moved to prophecy:
IF we reject the New Deal offered
us by God through Franklin Delano
Roosevelt, there Is nothing left for US
but chaos"
The dream Of the three eagles
served to introduce President Roose-
velt and Elder Michaux to each other
as persons. The elder told Hugh
johnson about the eagles, and john
son arranged = White House meeting
between the President and the dream
er who seemed to have something
valuable up his sleeve.
The two war-makers subsequently
saw each other infrequently, but the
President marked well the worth Of