Salt Lake Tribune | 1904-05-22 | Page 6 | A Race Stalwart

A RACE STALWART. The Rev. H. M. Turner, senior bishop of the African Methodist church, is a stalwart on the race question. He declares de-clares that God never made a white man, but In the beginning all men wero black; some have become bleached, an unnatural pallor talcing the place of their original blackness, "but that is no reason why they should look with contempt con-tempt and Indifference ofton with prejudice pre-judice and hatred, upon their brothers, the negroes, who have retained the color that God gave them." This idea that man was originally created black Is by no means new. We remember a negro speaker many years ago urging the same view. His argument argu-ment was that in making the supreme masterpiece of creation, God would naturally tako the very best earth that he could find, a rich, black loam; and that the product of this, made into man, must naturally be black. His view did not receive much favor: no doubt it was old even then; but the revival of it shows how naturalistic views of this sort will persist. It Is pathetic to see how, even while attempting to assert a superiority for the black race, Bishop Turner really believes nothing of the sort. His plea for a racial literature was a lament that such did1 not exist; his insistence on more education was a confession of comparative lack; his suggestion for scientific treaties "in harmony with our color and our race," was a significant sign that he himself is utterly lacking ,jjo. the true pcientlflo spirit, for. thU takes no account of race or color, but seeks only the truth. When, however. Bishop Turner specified speci-fied a "song" that he would not tolerate toler-ate sung in his presence, he came very close to heresy. To speak of tho sub-llmo sub-llmo Psalm LI. as "a song," not to be heard or tolerated, because of the seventh sev-enth verse, he verged closely upon the suggestion (not a new one, either, by tho way.) thnt the black man needs a new Bible of his own, "hi harmony with his color nnd his race." Bishop Turner is a robust adherent of the negro race, as It Is natural and' proper that he should be; but ho seems to lack judgment or thoroughness In his advocacy, and certainly while holding hold-ing up the Bible as an inspired book, he is ont of order when he demands that one of its mo9t beautiful and glorious glo-rious chapters shall bo eliminated lo serve a race prejudice.