Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-04-03
ALEX AaDsssA Bible SOCIETY.
Annua: Mceting-Speeches Of Drs.
s:ced and Edwards-'The SOuthe, II
d'hu. Gilman and the State Society
"fh0w the Honey Goes''-EiectIOn
of Officers. &c.

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"fhow the Money Goes''-EiectiOn
Of Officers. &c.
The annual Injecting Of tie Alexandra. Bible
Society was held in the Second Pres yterian
Church, in his city, last night, Eimund L.
Wilmer, in The chair, and j. j. Jameson, in
the absence Of the regular Secretary, James
EntwlsIc, jr, Secretary pro tenn.
The meeting was opeued by the reading Of
u portion Of the Scriptures by Rev. DR.. Bull
Lick, pastor OF the Church, aud prayer By
Rev Mr.. Waugh, OF the NJ. E. Church South.
The first business was the reading of the re-
port of the Treasurer, George Ii. Robinson,
esq, showing the total receipts the past year
from Churches aud private persons tU have
been $500. %, which mad been expended and
paid over to the parent society.
Rev }. .. Rowe, Agent, then read his
report for the past two years, showing that
there are in the State 5000 families destitute
of Bibles and that ) 200 families have been
supplied.
Mr. Wilmer referred to the statement pub
shed III reference to the cost OF distribution ul
Bibles, and said that lie mad been request
ed by Mr.. Sprlgg, author Of the charge, to
say that lie was unable to be present, on &C
count Of services in his own church, but thai
, if 1t required ~ per ct. OF the COLLECTIONS to
operate the machinery of the AS ,ciatiou, and
Only left 30 per ct. 10 purchase Bibles, the So
cety migat expect very little aid from the
churches here. Mr.. w. then introduced TO
the meeting
DR.. Reed, of the Grace Street Presbyterian
Church, Of Richmond, WIN delivered chastc
and appropriate address, pretaclug his remark Is
? with brief but complimentary notice OF the
managers OF the Society, and thru proceeded
TO examplify the graat benefits TO arise troul a
thorough Discrimination OF the Bible and a
diffusion OF its teachings, and the operation OF
> Gods laws ,-Whlch Instead OF belGg severe,
were most :euicnt-the sohiact OF winch Is to
bring the mind and will OF Gnd TO bear upon
the mind aud vii. OF man-a CONTAMINATION more
to be desired than all the riches of all the
world. Dollars aud ceuts he did DOT think Dug ut
70 be taken into acc1uUt when the salvation OF
the sou. was at stake He then referred to the
charge made in the Southern Churchnau about
the amount it cost 20 distribute Bibles by the
Society, aud said hat Instead of ccstlHg IS. 60,
as asserted. it did not cost more than thirty
cents. He knew OF no work SO ccOnumicalN
carried on. The speaker Concluded By intro
! uucipg TO the meeting
! Dr. Edwards. of the NJ. L. Church, South,
OF Richmond, who began his remarks by as
: sertng that it was the uhquestiOned intention
that the Bible should be distributed broad cast
in order that ca:culabic benefits might follow
abuses and vice be corrected, and that 1t Was
carrying the ark into the household OF every
family. The cost OF putting the Bible into a
poor mans family should not be considered; II
was beyond price He referred To the Bible
Society OF luia, where it had been Determined
that the work should not cease until Blbc
had bccu pat lu every house, and wondered II
any press there would be found to count the
I est. The managers of this Society, he SAID,
L. COMPRISED the best talent, ability and Integrity
to DC found in Richmoud and he felt humlIlal-
ed at having to stand before an Alexandria au-
+ dicpce to defend them from the attacks OF re-
Iigious press From an iuhdel press he would
nave looked for nothing half SO potent for evil.
Til, Society was organized even before the
American Bible Society, and WAS looked upon
as one OF the best conducted IN the country.
He said that if 4 famine existed 10 Tdlstrlct OF
our country, aud the other portions sent ala
O and had agents to distribute the food to the
starving, although it would cost more to deliver
the com to these distressed people, yet who
would withhold charity because in the parts
where there was no tamluc, food could be pur-
chased cheaper or who would set down to cal
cuate the cost of delivering this food to the
Saving people He denied that it cost $3.50,
: as alleged, to distribute the Bibles, but said
t,at even if it cost So what was that sum IN
cJmparison to the good to be done by giving a
s;arviug soul spiritual food? The speaker read
the extract trom the Southern Churchman, III
which it is stated that - to Is the cost OF de-
liveriug Bible by the Society that can be
J., bought in any book store for 80 cents and Sc
g yerciy commented upon it. He said that in
stead of 500 Bibles being distributed so OUU
worth, or about 5000 had been given away,
and that it did not cost GO cents to dis
) tribute them. The colporture OF Lynchbu@g
only got $50 a month, aud had distributed
h 400 Bibles but owing to this aricIt his cocc-
tons had fallen of to SIS ceuts. Everywhere
!, they met his paragraph, and the people would
not give. The general agcut, Mr.. Staples, was
q govd nan-jus such one as was wanted,
i. and his services were poorly compensated.
:, When he had seen this article in which he was
- alluded to, he had rendered his res gnarlon.
but at the earnest solicitation Of the managers,
:. had consented to serve again lie rIdIcncd
: the idea of paying man $50 for distributing
800 Bibles, and said he could 90 on the
), streets and pick up fifty in SO many minutes
r who would take the job, but were they the sort
of men that were wautcd? He desired to vim,
dictate Bishop White AMI like men from such
' an attack as that made BY the editor OF the
Churchman. Tie hau no pallcEcc Win inau
: who would calculate how ruuch each sermon
would cost, and thought such an one ought to
be down on his knees asking forgiveness. lhls
!, article must be crushed Or II would crush the
society," and he intended to crush the article.
. This Calculation Of the cost OF discriminating
I the word Of God put him in mind OF the luna
tic who was always calculating problem,
which, when it reached certain SUN, lnvarl-
ably fell short of what it should be, when the
man would rub out and begin alresh, but it
/, never came out right. He was sorry he had
9 not the same charitable feelings towards all lu-
patcs He would rather have demon follow
ing him always than have this three doilars aud
siciv cents thrown up to him everywhere. Ii
soul 10 the depths Of pcrdItou looked up and
saw the keys OF the gates Of Paradise hanging
Just in reach, a voice would be heard crying
out-betorc he stretched out lis hand -tjuee
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