“In nothing that we have said is it to be supposed that we are in wrath at their manifest success. Of course, we have no patience with the spirit of Phariseeism breathed forth in the report of the Committee on Church Work in the South. Nothing that the typical Pharisee of the New Testament said excels it; but for the work itself of these, our companions in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, we entertain the highest possible respect; begging, however, the privilege of suggesting that next year’s report be not so strenuously self-complacent. “And now we repeat what we have so often said to our brother ministers, especially of the South, where they are brought in contact with this energetic body of men: Know, once for all, that the Church possessed of the best cultured heads and the best cultured hearts, is to win. That we are infinitely stronger in numbers to-day than are the Congregationalists, argues nothing for the future. It is with churches as with everything else, the fittest survives. If African Methodism prove to be that fittest, it will survive. If not, it must inevitably pass away, and only be remembered as a thing of the past. To be the fittest, it is required that she banish all ignorance, all immorality and superstition from her midst. This must be done, let the cost be what it may. Thin out the ministry of the church until there shall not be found an ignorant man nor a bad man in the ranks. Thin out the church itself. Expel the vicious. Drive out the notoriously bad. Have a clean church. Let such steps as these be taken, and African Methodism will have a future that will be to the glory of God and the best interests of mankind. But if she draw back, let her remember that God can take no pleasure in her.” * * * * * IGNORANCE OF THE NEGRO QUESTION. From a paper read by W. N. Armstrong, Esq., before the Yale Alumni Association of New York in January, as printed in _The Present Century_: There is an astounding ignorance in the North regarding the conditions and relations of the blacks and whites of the South. The North in full control of the National Government for many years, has had before it a vast and complicated problem in statesmanship. Instead of working at it intelligently, it has lost itself in a fog of political prejudice, and is not ready at this late day to take an honest look into the matter.