National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-06
AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY
DEMlND FOR UKD6HoMIHArIoHA
II .G LITERATURH MET.

N L I u q
DEMlND FOR INTERPRETATION
T .-a.T LITERATURE MET.
PRACTICAL CHRIsTIANITY-coL7o
INFLUENCE OF BoOEs-THE FRIEND
OF THE PRISONER. MINER, INDECENT,
MORMON, AND INDIANA GOOD BOOK
A HOUSEHOLD ANGEL. a.f G.. i'll
The anniversary meeting OF the American
Tract Society, held last night q DR.. Surier-
laud's church, on Four.and-a hszf street, was
poorly attended owing TO the ereeedingly in
element state OF the weather. "
ThIs, society 10 national in Its character, and
represents union Of much OF the Christian enter
prise and energy Of all the Protestant denomins-
tions, although some Of the more prominent Of
these have societies Of their own for the dissent
nation Of religious knowledge by this sample but
effective agency Of tracts. The American So
eiety Is hold to be an embodiment OF Christian
unity.
1t was established about forty eight yesrs since
during which time It has issued 4el $40 sss copies
Of publications, Of which over twenty-six millions
were volumes. During the same period through
its colporteurs It has performed 4,77g years Of
Union Missionary colportage or homo mission
work, granted In publications ut homo and abroad
q oos, le2 and made cash appropriations for the
press abroad Of ESQ, 1874. II issues abroad 4,o4T
different publications In 1f3 languages, and at
home Ia publications, Of which GA are in Ger
man, 2sS In. Spanish, the remainder mostly Eng
nsn. Inc business department is setsustaimng,
anu uons'io s are USED only ior benevolent pur-
poses. IN us economic administration only 500
per annum Is allowed 70 It's self-saerihcing col
potteurs ior ssaary and personal expenses
The following named we'll known and esteemed
gentlemen constitute Its Official staff: President
Hon. VIM sfronv TT. n bonorarv .acra,e -J.s
Rev. VIM. A Hatiook Rev. % Eastman. CORE
spending secretary, Rev. ]. M. Stevenson; pub.
fishing secretary. Rev. w. W. Rand: financial
secretary, Rev. g. L. Shearer; assistant s.cre-
tary, S. E. Warner; treasurer, o. r. Kingsbury.
The exercises last night were begun by the
reading Of the Scriptures as contained in the eIey
enth chapter Of Isaiah and prayer by Rev W. W
Rand, the publishing secretary Of the society;
sitter which the audience united in hymn.
Messrs. Rand and Shearer, secretaries Of the
society, then read the following synopsis OF
REPORTS OF OPERATIONS
for the mast year, during which the society nub-
IIshed over 5000 distinct volumes and reproduced
900 of them at missionary stations abroad. The
society has now six periodicals-tvo weekly and
four monthly. Five hundred thousand copies of
the monthly and 900 copies of tho weekly are
Issued, beautifully illustrated, and thus art has
been made the handmade Of religion. Scrupulous
care is taken to aim high In the character of the
publications. Its good books are permanent in.
situations snd . constant worthy member Of the
household in adversely and sunshine, at all times
and under all circumstances. The society furthers
the work Of foreign missions by putting religious
literature in the languages of mission fields, and
much manuscript is now awaiting such publica-
tiOn.
THE FINANCIAL REPORT.
Secretary Shearer then submitted the following
statement Of finances for the year 1873: Receipts,
$685. 900; expenditures, 1854 900. Most Of tho re-
celpts have been from the business department.
The receipts from the benevolence fund were
$4,000 OF which Sl4 900 were for special objects;
the other SlO2,ooo were expended as follows: For
salaries Of colporteurs, SIS 900; for foreign publ
cations 81 900; and for publications for the desti
tute at home, In prisons and out door, $4,000 The
society uses the ehsplains of prisons, the agency
of the Young Mems Christian Associations of the
United States and abroad to reach the inmates o.
prisons, miners and all classes Of those neglected
| religiously. Two hundred and seventy-fVe ool
porteurs have been kept at work during the pas
year, and these lay-preachers do work which tht
| Church cannot do among the immigrants at Gas
tie Garden, where the colporteurs talk to them II
their native tongues, and distribute the Scriptures
and tracts published In these many languages.
In this work great Evangelical Alliance Of &
practical kind Is at work organizing all tho fami
lies of the land. In It Richard Baxter, Newman
Hall and others Of prominence are still calling
men to Christ and i,uinting thoh to Hrest ex
omplar II our faith by their works, which are be
coming tho members of every household ia tn
land. It's working a great temperance reform
It organizes sabbath schools and leaves them tn
sure seeds of prosperous churches.
,,,o,,o r,,, ,,o,,,o,s
sI,
80 LOS s',, seeuss ~ "ofAi "u
80 ~ ~ %nH'.,sa S,~ aot '.e Iue vet
r.Tno- - y. a. La-sos e ~
| a.. .os.-r.o.I. ~ ~. sa,.s....'-- - '.
10 ~. s,- sHooe Ate ~ vi
among tbs cbiIGrsn Of tha.a .horIoinssS T,
EIasE, airoodx si,,ht ,.hooIs =, 49, .r,,,n,,I
aacb bnve hoen esfabi,sbsJ ,nd tba Ch,oo.a :
-anIdix vioIJ,1 10 tba iuaranoo ~ oh-ia,fo, u =,
teiIIasnco,, ~ SAT-, - '-'''' -AA Al
Tbe.s f.cts sbov abor, ,rho, a., ,o,,,. =,
,no go go. 90 a. =. .
a Us, anu tta sr.. ian " 70 ny, osSe
which was ever held in this church occurred o,
q stormy night, and BY suggestion of Hon. w. E
Dodge It was deferred until two weeks aftervard
when large meeting was held, which was NOR
largely influential in establishing colporteur
than any one meeting of the society ever held
John E. Vassar q colporteur of the society o
about twenty-five years experience was then In
troduced, and said that in this work there wer,
many earnest Christian mon, and by their per
sonsl direct work he thought was accomplished
even more than by the powerful agency Of tn
books and publications OF the society, including
the Bible. These men have sought out and sup
Piled many thousand families with the "preciou
word Of God" who, being without II, have never
been willing to beg copy, and have gladly &C
cepted one as present, which has remodeled the
household.
In the personal efforts Of the colporteurs in the
| West, multitudes Of latent Christian agencie!
have been stirred up, and much has been done tc
create centres Of Christian influence. In Kan
| saS where the iamlHes i've IN then tents anC
covered wagons, many prayer-meetings have beef
held oy the speaker, and this new section oil oui
country mas special demand TOT SUCH work.
Even In New England, where civilization Is a.
old as the mountains OF this section, Is surprts
in;s to hnd how great need exists Tor colporteui
services. one earnest Christian man has distri0
uted seventeen tons OF religious literature.
THIS PERSONAL EPYoRr
L.. r. =