Cayton's Weekly

State Library Cayton's Weekly PRICE FIVE CENTS CAYTON'S WEEKLY Published every Saturday at Seattle, Washington, U. S. A. In the interest of equal rights and equal justice to all men and for "all men up." A publication of general information, but in the main voicing the sentiments of the Colored Citizens. It is open to the towns and communities of the state of Washington to air their public grievances. Social and church notices are solicited for publication and will be handled according to the rules of journalism. Subscription $2 per year in advance. Special rates made to clubs and societies. HORACE ROSCOE CAYTON..Editor and Publisher TELEPHONE: BEACON 1910 A CREEPING ADDER Talk about the Beast of Berlin, but the beast in Wilson, North Carolina, J. D. Reid by name, and principal of the graded colored school of that city, who stood by and permitted the superintendent of the city schools (white) to slap one of the colored lady teachers under Reid because she took issue with the superintendent, which he construed to disputing his word, is too low and despicable to even be classed a beast. He not only did not resent the vicious assault, but smiled his approval. Killing such a brute would be far too generous and we hope he will meet the same fate as the Wandering Jew and never again look into a sympathetic eye. The colored citizens of Wilson, despite the fact they are in the South, made the town so warm for Reid that he left the city between hours for parts unknown and they are appealing to the fair-minded white citizens to see to it that the superintendent be discharged and prosecuted in the courts for assault. Of course this latter proposition will not be done and if it were it would be but a roaring farce, but the superintendent should be immediately discharged. Colored men and women all over this land and country are loyal patriotic citizens and merit better treatment at the hands of the white citizens than such brutal attacks as recorded above. The colored man, whether in the South, North, East or West, that will smile his approval of a white man slapping a colored woman because she takes issue with him or disputes his words or even calls him a liar is neither a man, brute nor beast, but a dirty creeping snake in the grass. Let "Prof." Reid be known as a marked man and be told by the colored citizens, wherever he shows up to move on. Death is a thousand times preferable to living and not defending your own. Any man that slaps a woman is himself a cowardly cur and we would do our best to do him great bodily harm if he struck a woman in our presence whether she be black, white, red or yellow. We often pray for such an opportunity. UNITED METHODIST CHURCH There is a well-laid plan on foot to bring about a consolidation of the African M. E. Church, the A. E. Zion and the Colored Methodist Churches in one strong central organization with a fair probability of the colored members of the Methodist Episcopal Church also joining the consolidation. In as much as this is an age of church consolidation this move on the part of the colored Methodists is highly commendable and it will show great wisdom if the con- solidation is accomplished within the next two years. Methodism among the white citizens have about completed plans to consolidate and if there be too much colorphobia among them to consolidate with the various branches of Methodism among the colored folks then it will be the part of wisdom if the colored folks get together. Religion should be broad enough to include all races, colors and creeds and it is if the people themselves were sufficiently broad, but they do not seem to be and no probability of them being within the next century, hence, it is for the good of all that as few denominations and creeds be in existence as possible. With all branches of Methodism combined the colored folk of the United States would operate one of the largest religious bodies in the world. It is our hope that the consolidation be accomplished and it is our hope that the colored contingent of the M. E. Church withdraw in a body therefrom if the consolidation of the M. P. Churches North and South in any way disturbs the present status of the colored contingents of the M. E. Church North. The following interview has been given out by those working on the consolidation: The possibility of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and the Colored Methodist Church uniting organically into one body under the denominational title of "The United Methodist Episcopal Church" is not a remote possibility. Already articles of agreement have been drawn up by a committee appointed by the Tri-Council of Bishops touching the subject. In February the question of uniting the three churches was discussed at the Tri-Council of Bishops at Louisville, which plan met with general favor, so much so that a committee was appointed to minutely discuss the subject. The committee, composed of prominent churchmen from each church, recently met in Birmingham and worked out a plan of unification which is to be submitted to the general conferences of the three denominations. The C. M. E. Church will hold its general conference at Chicago in May of this year, the A. M. E. Church will meet at St. Louis in May, 1920, and the A. M. E. Zion Church will hold its general conference at Knoxville, Tenn., in May, 1920. Should the three denominations at their quadrennial meetings approve and raitfy the recommendations, then they are to be sent for ratification to the annual conferences of the three churches. Copies of these recommendations are to be carried by each presiding elder and pastor from the annual conference to the districts or charges, and each pastor is to inform his members that on a certain date, allowing at least thirty days' notice, and not later than ninety days thereafter, that they are to vote upon the resolution touching organic union. Three-Fourths Vote Necessary Should three-fourths of the members of the annual conference present and voting, and a majority of the members of each local church or congregation present and voting, vote for the resolution it shall be declared adopted. If it is found that the number of conferences and congregations necessary for ratification have voted for approval and the measure passes, the recommendations provide VOL.2, No.47 that the three bodies shall be called to convene at such time and place as shall be determined by the joint commission to be named by the respective general conferences, to be known as the United General Conference, which will be the same as any legislative body. It is provided in the recommendations that nothing fundamental to Methodism in the way of doctrinal tenets and constitutions shall be changed; that an agreement be reached to share alike the benefits and liabilities of each connection that is a party to the union and that the titles of all properties now held in the name of each separate organization be transferred to the United Methodist Episcopal Church. The Bishops in office at the time of the approval of the articles in the three churches shall continue in accordance with the laws and regulations covering the official tenure of Bishops in their respective churches. During the period of organic negotiations the committee recommends that the spirit and plan of federation as outlined in the Bishops' Louisville address be encouraged and in all cases the closest bonds of association and fellowship be maintained between the members of the three churches; that there be an exchange of pulpits whenever possible among the ministers; that there be an exchange of ministers to serve as pastors, each pastor to have the same standing in the church to which he is sent as was held in the church from which he was sent. An exchange of fraternal messengers to annual and district conferences, Sunday school conventions and women's missionary meetings is also suggested, and Bishops are to invite Bishops of either denomination to sit and counsel with them at annual conferences. The commissioners who drew up the plan of unification to be submitted to the members of the three churches for ratification were: Bishops L. J. Coppin, W. W. Beckett, H. B. Parks, Elders J. W. Walker, John Harmon, W. S. Carpenter, Laymen J. R. Hawkins, E. P. Lykes and Green Jackson of the A. M. E. Church; Bishops C. W. Clinton, J. S. Caldwell, G. C. Clements, Elders E. D. Jones, J. M. Martin, W. W. Slade, Laymen S. G. Atkins, W. J. Trent and Oscar W. Adams of the A. M. E. Zion Church; Bishops R. S. Williams, R. A. Carter, J. W. Cleaves, Elders J. W. Gilbert, R. S. Stoute, J. A. Bray, Layment J. F. Lane, J. A. Lester, and W. A. Bell, representing the C. M. E. Church. TENNESSEE HUNS SOW DISCORD It begins to look as if the Law and Order League, recently organized in Tennessee with the view of putting a stop to the wholesale lynchings of that state, which league is made up of the leading white citizens, has addressed the following open letter to Gov. Rye of that state: The lynching of Berry Noyes at Lexington, Tennessee, April 22, cannot but sow disunion among our people, undermine the morale of our Negro troops, and lessen the effectiveness of our propaganda among colored people for food production and conservation. It will therefore tend to prolong the war and increase the price in dead and wounded we have to pay for victory. I have --- WOULD FISH SUNDAYS When Elder Brown held a "tracted effort," as said the colored folks of Mississippi, referring of course to a religious revival of a more or less protracted nature, his efforts were always gratifyingly successful. After the crops had all been "laid by"—that is, needed no more cultivating, and only wanted time to ripen for the harvesting to begin—which was not later than the 20th of July, the most of the farm hands were given a semi-vacation from their strenuous labors for almost one month. During these semi-idle days they visited their friends, five and ten and occasionally twenty miles from home, which of course made them look forward to this season with a great many happy anticipations. The state of Mississippi, it is safe to say, has about 20 percent more colored than white citizens and in some of the river counties the colored population is about eight to one over the white population and this great excess of colored population is largely responsible for there being about 20 to 1 colored preachers over the white preachers, but the most of the colored preachers are pastoring large congregations and, some of them as high as four congregations, and he serves these by alternating his services from one to four every Sunday, from whence he gets the cognomen, circuit rider. The above is true of both the Methodist and Baptist divines, who are "powerful preachers." These semi-vacation periods affords these preachers splendid opportunities to increase the membership of their respective churches from among the "worldly people" and they are by no means slow in taking advantage of the opportunity, and so they begin to lay their plans for "our traced effort" as soon as the March winds are lulled to sleep by the soothing April suns, Brother preachers living twenty or more miles away are invited to assist in the coming "vival" and the pastor never loses an opportunity to impress upon his congregation the soul-stirring qualities in the pulpit, of the brother or brethren who are expected to assist him in his summer "tracted meeting." Now the crucifixion horror had been thrashed over so often that Elder Brown, the hero of this storyett, came to the conclusion that sinners would no longer fall for it and so he reasoned with himself and concluded something must be sprung, if in the coming 'tracted effort the church got its former harvest of sinners and back-sliders. Not wanting to fal short of adding his usua. number of summer Christians to his church roll he set his think box to working overtime. Large numbers of colored persons, when the preaching and praying were unusually exciting, were converted in the summer and almost an equally large number back-slided in the winter when the nights were long and the music soul-stirring and dancing in order, from which they acquired the sobriquet of summer Christians and winter devils. There, however, were always less winter back-sliders than summer Christians, which accounted for the superhuman efforts of the preachers to take as many as possible at the "tracted effort." The two forms of sin that worried the preachers most were winter dancing and springtime Sunday fishing. Who fished on Sunday committed an almost unpardonable sin and for a Christian to partake of fish knowingly, caught on Sunday, was as sacrilegious as for a sinner to drink the wine left over from Sacramental services. One of Elder Brown's churches was located near Pearl river and fishing in that stream is always good and some of the deacons and members of this church would steal away Sundays and fish all day and the sinners of the community would go fishing on Sunday and boast about it and with sin and satin stalking about the land like that and as he thought of the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah he would tremble in his heart lest that community too be destroyed with fire and brimstone reigned down from heaven on account of the intense wickedness of his brethren. He took one of the faithful into his confidence, so goes the story, and they laid their plans to gain souls for Christ. First they dug a hole on the river bank large enough for a man to stand in comfortably and deep enough for a man to stand up in and leave only his neck and head out, then he filled it up with water by an underground pipe very cunningly laid and arranged and a fountain of red paint was placed at the bottom of the hole that kept the water red. At the psychological moment a second brother was taken into the scheme and consented to be submerged in the hole of water and he was to have his fishing tackle in the position of fishing. In this awkward position the pastor and his flock were to find him, which would not be unusual as there was to be a baptism on that particular day and in order to thoroughly cleanse the convert of his or her sins, running streams of water were used if they had to go five miles to get to one. Thus did the pastor and the whole community find this Sunday fishing brother in a hole of water and blood and praying for relief. Strong men rushed forward to pull him out, but he cried with pain and implored them to not touch him. Buckets were then procured to bail the water out, but it rose as fast as they could dip it out and the red paint continued to do its work well. The preacher and the brethren prayed and sung, shouted and moaned until the angel of the Lord through the mouth of the unfortunate fisherman bade them go home and leave him but be sure to tell other Sunday fishermen of his fate. All departed and as they earnestly thought, sadder but wiser men and women. The news spread like wild fire and though the deception was fully exposed the next day, yet the story was told all over the state as the gospel truth and the man, who had the nerve to go fishing on Sunday was a curiosity. Elder Brown led all the rest that season in rescuing souls hanging over hell by strands of their hair though hundreds of other preachers for a hundred miles away profited by, what the most of us would now define as a camouflage. Of course the writer never fished on Sunday, but he frequently set his trot line Saturday night and "jest pulled it out of the water Sunday morning and took the fish off it and then had them for breakfast Monday morning. TOWN TOPICKS More barbers is the crying need of Seattle just now and with little or no hope of relief. Even the Seattle blood tester now realizes that Burr Williams is a buster from way back. Do the city officials plan to make a priest out of. Oscar Collins when they have thoroughly purified his blood? Club rooms have been put on the toboggan by Chief Warren. Let's hope that that order means club rooms and not colored club rooms. Garner and Palmers New Way Cafe is doing so much business that the proprietors do not get time to have their grand opening. Automobile speeding in Seattle has been licensed by a supreme court decree. May perhaps the members thereof are a bit fond of the sport their ownselves. Physicians declare that not one man in one hundred could stand the blood test. In other words, any man could be held in prison the balance of his life on account of impure blood. The report that Earnest Moore was dead was an absolute mistake as he is rapidly recovering and the day he was reported dead he was down town. Mr. and Mrs. Moore, Earnest's parents are quite hopeful now of his complete restoration to health. In the marriage of Miss Doloris James and Mr. Alonzo Laning, two young folks of rare qualities have begun the long voyage of life as one, which it is hoped will end only when death do them part. Both are well and favorably known in the com- munity. Mr. Laning is at present working at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, but is subject to draft and may be called for army duties at most any moment. Young Laning has been a cheerful as well as bountiful provider for his mother for many years and, if he is half as kind to his wife as he has been to his mother, he will prove to be an ideal husband. The three-year-old daughter of Mrs. S. E. Buxton was buried last Sunday and the pallbearers for the occasion were a number of young boys all about fifteen years of age. --- A. Miles is seriously ill and is being looked after by his many friends. Mr. Miles is one of the many unique characters that have come to Seattle from the East after a successful as well as unsuccessful career. At one time he was easily worth a half million dollars and was a personal friend of the late James J. Hill, but things went wrong with him and his financial failure in Duluth and Chicago caused him to seek new fields and he chose Seattle for a new beginning. In Seattle he has only been able to keep the wolf from the door and dream of seeing better days. It is truly hoped that he will soon be his former self and the sunlight of prosperity will again shine in his door. When mechanics refuse to work for $5.20 per day at their trade and prefer to work at the oil docks there must be more than a mere fad in getting a job cutting oil on the docks. Recently a Mr. Making came to Seattle from the State of Montana and took quarters at the Woodson. He is a splendid painter and paperhanger and can get enough work at his trade to keep him busy seven days in a week at $5.20 per, but he prefers to work at the dock and only does his kind of work when there is no boat in. The number of colored men employed at the oil dock is steadily on the increase and there are nearer one hundred there at present than seventy as reported last week. That dock work is truly a financial harvest for colored men and if they do not reap the reward they have only themselves to blame. "No we did not get our alloted 160 new members in the recent drive, but we did get 45 with fair prospects of doubling that number," said President Stone of the Seattle Branch of the National Association at its regular bi-monthly meeting last Monday, and of the above number President Stone has the credit of having gotten thirty-one and Mrs. Woods ten, with Mrs. Graves and Mr. H. Chandler getting the rest. Both the local as well as the national branch of this association were badly handicapped for funds and this increase of membership will do much toward relieving the financial situation. But money is not the sole object of an increased membership, as here and everywhere there is much work to be done for the uplift of colored people, and it is to reason together that new members are wanted in the local branch. It is rather remarkable that the leading colored citizens of this community if members at all are only nominally so and do nothing for the good of the order. After weeks of pain and suffering Miss Myrtle Shockley died last Tuesday. She was in her sixteenth year and matriculated in the Franklin High School last September, but fell ill a few months thereafter and has been bed-confined until her death. Mr. and Mrs. Shockley have the sympathy of their friends and acquaintances in their sad bereavement. Aside from being a very charming young miss she gave great evidence of developing into a strong and useful woman. But few of the colored children ALHAMBRA CASH GROCERY