Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-06-20

|
from Schools at Boone 2.25
| M. f. S. S. at
| Webster City 1.5C
1876 2s
Expenses of last Con-. .$l240O
officers. a. 63.a
Printing bills. ...... 1925
II G Cleland for reports $500
Postage, Expenses, Tcle-
grams etc. -. l5,4S
Stationery and copying 7,6O
Balance in Treasury $29,7l
Referred to tho Auditing COM
mittee.
| r.. ii. Gilmore then read his report
as Secretary, which created much
merriment and placed the audience
in highly good humor, as follows:
IOWA IN SABBATH SCHOOL WORK.
Once upon time large boy was
seen castigating smaller boy, much
to the annoyance of the latter, but no
doubt greatly for his benefit. At
length bystandcr remarked, 81
should think you would take boy Of
your size."
"You would, hey? Do you think
ia go for big boy and git all
pounded up?'
The application is that in exercising
wise discretion, one should be eau
tious not to attempt boys or subjects,
so large that the effort may result in
his personal discontinue and injure
the cause he wishes to prosper.
The contrary course might display
more courage, but less wisdom. This
is my excuse for not paying my re-
spects to a class of people and subjects
deserving special consideration, but
which trust will receive careful at
tention from distinguished brethren
selected on purpose to unravel knot
typoints and illuminate dark subjects.
We think they are equal to the emer-
gency. That he may not overshadow,
this Secretary will limit his eloquence
on their account.
| Every emigrant ship from the Ger
man ocean passes the inspection of
quarantines, yet, thoroughly infected
with the contagion of rationalism
and infidelity; every mail from Great
Britain, though forbidden to be the We
hicle of pernicious literature, comes
packed with volumes of Darwinism
and the dogma of an impersonal God.
The sclf-stylcd prisoner of the Vat
ical, with his counselors and assis-
tants---there and herein secret, is
planning to plant the seeds of Roman
ism in the hearts of our youth, by con-
trolling or breaking down the Amer
lean system of education.
Infidelity is taking the place of the
miasma of the praries, while Darwin
ism and Romanism are contending for
mastery in the larger cities. Never,
in the religious education of youth,
was the demand greater for the union
of consecrated talent and sanctified
influence from all the churches to op-
pose these forces and to forward the
principles of our common religion,
While the tendency of the times is
toward unity Of effort in reaching
unconverted adults, there seems to
be counter tendency of unconcern
in reference to youth which il
like some poisonous breezes OF
the desert, which lulls the victim into
stupid indifference to all the sur.
roundings except themselves.
There is vast field in Iowa not
cultivated by denominational enter.
prise, which can be thoroughly elm
proved" with proper encouragement,
by the union of the best efforts of all
the sects. Such union is the
IOWA SABBATH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION.
the only organization which aspirel
to be the instrument in the hands Of
God for planting schools for bible in
struction in every neglected part O.
our cities, and on every section of thu
prairies where they. can be sustained
In this effort the Association ha
lacked in moral, financial, and aanaer
,cal support from the Christian pub
lie of our State.
We are, however, by no means +,
F.: people wanting sympathy. The traml
has been generously clothed ant
: sumptuously Jared every day. w
have loaned our money freely t,
, those in distress, whenever they coult
give abundant security. We hav,
! always bridged over the grasshoppe
victims till after they could "harves
their sod corn.' With our mouths W.
have "gushed." and with our resolu
, tions we have bled for every specie
of benevolence, except feeding tn
: spiritually starved of our State
y When placed on duty for guardin,
, the spiritual interests of the children
the average Christian will sleep OF
: his post.
During the past year, diseas
! which the learned designate as spirit
ual inertia, but which the vnlga
Q call laziness, has had very bad run
Its first attack is usually upon tn
' head of the family. Whole neigh
q borhoods have suffered. Sometime
it has run by counties, and it is be
lieved, Judging by the reports an,
h statistics, that all the counties Of som
Sabbath School Districts have bee
thus fearfully afflicted. A peculiar
> ity of it is the way the victims us
J the children. The emergency de
manded special "heroic treatment.
!. The officers of this Association, as tn
: result of long experience, advised
l specific called
n LOCAL CONVENTIONS,
which, when tried, were ATTENDED
with many very gratifying results
The time selected for this treatment
was generally Saturday evening, ant
8 after rest during the night, it was re
: sumed with yig0r about nine o'clocl
Sunday morning, continuing perse
4 veringly, except for two hours abou
8 noon, and the same interval just be
fore dark, until nine or ten o'clocl
the same night. The objection o
a some pastors, especially those il
whom the symptoms of the disease
1 as manifested in the treatment o
a children. were conspicuously apparen
4 was the chief difficulty. They wer,
= often unwilling for day to suspend
: the regular constitutional treatment
All the pastors, churches an(
schools uniting, such convention
q reach the great body ofsluggish chris
tians and produce results not to b.
: : appreciated till experienced. Fore
: of habit and an absence of sccula
employment brings together on Sun
day, the people who do not attent
: County District or State Conventions
When wisely conducted, and aided b,
judicions service of song, nothing We
. tried has been able to take their place
except where the pastors of tn
a churches are themselves sabbatl
i school men, and where their infuenc
in getting older christians in tn
school is both felt and appreciated.
o There is apparently a decreasing
q interest III some parts Of the State i
n COUNTY CONVENTIONS.
= DIR. Holland once said 'thcre is
n great deal of human nature in hos
y or a great deal of hog in human ma
d ture.' Feed hog well and he Wi
Q come again for another supply. Dele
# gates to Sabbath School Convention
: if well fed, will go home anxious
II return next year for another feas
d Yet unlike swine they require ffes
II food. well prepared and seasoned
And they want TO know something {
Is the bill of fare before they come
The mistake is sometimes made {
}. putting on the bill viands not in tn
l. market or which the managers havn