898

Bishop Earl Cranston

Oct 19,1913

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152

Encloses a letter from Rev. G. B. Stone, presi-
dent of the Cookman Institute of Jacksonville, Flori
da, with the earnest prayer that it may have the
President's quiet consideration.

Dr. Stone, whose institution is one of the
schools of the M. E. Church, calls attention to a
law recently passed by the Florida legislature mak-
ing it a misdemeanor for white teachers to tutor
negroes or for negro teachers to tutor whites in
the State. This acts as a complete bar to the
work or evangelization and education which the
churches have been carrying on in Florida, and
Dr. Stone appeals to the President for informa-
tion from the proper authorities as to whether
the Federal government will permit this law with
its attending conditions, to stand; whether the
Christian Curch must expend, in costly litigation,
money contributed for the purpese of carrying on
this missionary work, to test so unreasonable a
measure and get a legal judgment; whether the work
of the Church must cease or be crippled beyond measure
while waiting for some legal decision to be made;
whether the authorities of religious schools in the
State must submit to the indignities that any ignor-
ant and unscrupulous deputy may show while they are
performing their regularly appointed duties?

Referred to A.G.

83572