At Jersey City I entered upon my work with a fine body of workers associated with me. Bros. A. S. Taper, W. H. Dougherty, J. Stokes, Edward Holmes; sisters, Hannah Stokes, Mamie Taper, Hattie Dougherty, Louisa Holmes, Anna Burk, Annie Dowers, and a host of other workers were standing around me in this great field. They did all that they could to make African Methodism a strong fort of the Lord Jesus Christ and were bent on having a building that would be an honor to the denomination.
A Mr. Beach became very much interested in the work, he was our trusted treasurer and gave of his own money and influenced others to help us. I made my home with Mr. John Smith and his wife. They did a great deal to help the work along. While here we paid $500 on the church debt, and left the lumber and brick for a new church on the lot which belonged to the church and added over one hundred members to the church.
On April 12, 1905, I met the thirty-third session of the New Jersey Conference at the St. James A. M. E. Church, Atlantic City, N. J. Rev. B. W. Arnett, D.D., LL.D., was the presiding bishop.
The report of the presiding elders was indeed very encouraging, showing that great revivals had been in the districts of the several presiding elders, and that the church in all its departments of labor and enterprise had made encouraging advancement. This Conference as a great spiritual revival. There was great rejoicing on every hand. The secretaries brought in fine reports of their departments of work. We were made to feel that the church was getting back on the solid ground of Methodism, the Old Time Religion which our fathers enjoyed. I sometimes think that in our church work we have so much machinery and so many schemes and plans, and are so bent on the money or material side of the church and its life, that we have lost our spiritual power. We need a great change in this respect. We must get back to the thought that God is our all in all and that they labor in vain who would build the house unless the Lord Himself build it.
During this meeting of the Conference some valuable statistics were submitted on the Race which I submit for careful study. Of course these will soon be supplanted by the U. S. Census Report, but many will not have access to this report, so I give them here: The Negro population of the U. S. in 1900 was 9,204,531; seventy per cent. work on 746,000 farms; 21,000 carpenters; 20,000 barbers, and one-fourth as many doctors; 10,000 ordained preachers; 15,000 masons; 12,000 dress makers; 10,000 engineers; 5,000 shoemakers; 1,000 lawyers; 4,000 musicians; 2,000 actors; since 1890 the illiteracy of the race has been reduced from 57 per cent. to 44.5 per cent. These reports mentioned Mr. Roosevelt as standing shoulder to shoulder with the immortal Lincoln as the friend of the Race.
These facts and figures are a great inspiration to my people and I hope that they will be inspired to take fresh courage and go ahead in the great work and battle of life. My only purpose in putting into print the record of my own life is to encourage the young men and women to do something more to help themselves.
The doors of great schools are now open to the young men of the Race and if they do not improve their opportunities, it is their own fault and their own loss. The time has come when the people should not tolerate ignorance and its shames in any of the professions. From a personal acquaintance, I can most heartily recommend three great men who will do all in their power for the young Colored men of this country—Rev. Isaac N. Rendall, D.D., of Lincoln University, Rev. Dr. Scarbourough, of Wilberforce University, Ohio, and Rev. Samuel G. Miller. D.D., of the Bible College, of Philadelphia, Pa. These men have made their reputation and are among the great instructors of the Race and they stand in readiness to do what they can for the young people of my Race. The three men mentioned stand for the higher education of the people. They believe that what is good for the White man is equally good for the Black man. On the other hand, if young men and women are seeking to be educated along practical lines, I recommend them to the great institution at Tuskegee, Ala., Dr. Booker T. Washington’s school. With these great men and the advantages which have been supplied by them, no young person can have an excuse for not rising to a high degree of scholarship and efficiency in any line of work.
At the Conference at Long Branch I was appointed at Bordentown, N. J. I had a pleasant reception here. Rev. J. H. Morgan was the retiring pastor. He called on me and gave me some valuable advice as to the work. I found that the church was divided by factions, but under God’s blessing these were united and all worked together in perfect harmony. We painted and paid for the parsonage and considerable was paid on the church debt. Dr. Roundtree, the Presiding Elder of this district, was of great assistance to me in my work.
Prof. James Gregory, principal of the Industrial School at this place, an institution supported by the State of New Jersey, was also a very valuable aid in the work of the church. He and his students were always present at the Sunday services and helped very materially in all the work of the church.
