The Hawaiian gazette., 1880-04-21
Presidents Address ut the annual Meeting
ofthe Honolulu n. NJ. c. A., april 8, 1850.

1t is eleven years since this Association was
organized. II has lost some members by death,
by departure for other lands, and few by with
drawal II is doubtful whether it has ever had
such a compact thoroughly organized and effec-
tive a basis for work many societies in other
lands. Its records probably cannot furnish such
accurate statistics of work and accomplishment as
some. 1t has not such force for good it
might have; but to say that it has been failure
would not be authorized by the fact Much and
good work has been done III the past-perhapS
much as could have been expected under all the
circumstances 1t is well for us to examine our
selves, to look with critical eye upon our own
work, for only thereby can we expect or hope to
improve and do better work Ill the future.
The reports of the Secretary and Treasurer indi-
cate to some extent the accomplishments of the
past year, while we look back with a certain de-
gree of satisfaction it is also well for to cast
glance abroad and compare with our work the
cords of what others are doing
The Fourteenth Annual Report of the New York
State Y. M. c. A was recently held in Rochester.
Many of the leading men of the State were present
as delegates from the SO Associations scattered
throughout the State, and many such were present
from other States. The general result of the
stirring remarks and earnest spirit of those present
was to kindle an enthusiasm for the cause in
Rochester, that will build ample rooms for the
local society to cost about S10O,000 The particu-
lar lines of thought into which discussion was di
rected as to the best methods of Bible study,
how to reach the boys and railroad employees, of
which latter class there are at least 10000 in the
State and 100000 in the country. Working for
TINS Drancn OF efforts there are now eight general
secretaries besides many others whose duty con-
sists in personal conversation and dealing with
these men. From $4,000 to 100000 commercial
agents are constantly travelling about the country,
and cities of the size of Rochester visited
by about one hundred every day. Special work
has been commenced among them. The colleges
and high schools of the country not neglected,
and there are now seventy Y. NJ. c. A. among
them, scattered throughout the country. 1t is
asserted that the proportion of young men at col
lege, who are there converted is increasing to say
nothing of the still larger proportion who, by this
means, are kept from temptation and evil.
The Twenty-second Annual Meeting of the Chi
cago Y NJ C. A. is a surprising exhibit of we'll
applied effort Its representatives have held par
Tor conferences, so called with church people in
most of the leading cities as far as Omaha, where
by active interest has been awakened over wide
field. In Illinois, branch societies have been es-
tablished III every city of 10000 inhabitants or
over. About 10000 railroad employees enter and
leave Chicago daily. Free reading and bath rooms
for their use have been opened IN several parts of
the city. 1t does wide missior airy work-fnds
employment for young men, secures boarding
places among christians for others, Over $4,000
have enjoyed its reading room; over 1900 its
gymnasiums: over $4,000 railroad employees have
availed themselves of their reading and bath
rooms, and over 5000 periodicals have been use
fully distributed. 1t also maintains Chinese
Sunday and night Schools besides vast deal else,
and all of this at an expense of little $1,000
In the Australian colonies, and in New Zealand
there also vigorous and active Y. M. @. AS,
which seek out and find the stranger, and him
they care for and lead into good influences
1t has been the habit sometimes to decry the
church and extol these Associations. 1t is great
mistake. This organization Is a branch, an off
shoot of the church In unity there is strength,
and by co-work vastly more can be accomplished
than In the midst of suspicion or GOODNESS. There
are lines of work which can best be accomplished
by these Associations, and there is work which is
not its to perform The grand end and aim of the
Young Mems Christian Association is to lead the
young from the thousand and one temptations of
lTirar To Il
life. And in this work they entitled to stand
upon the broad basis of non-sectarianism. With
them there should be no Baptist, no Episcopal, no
Methodist. There is the one way from moral de-
graduation into pure living, and the young man
who has the true spirit of Christ will help his fell
lows by any and every method into the sweet at
mosphere of the Christ-ife The Christ-life is not
the church life. for the true church life Is the
Christ-fe. We reach up for that life, and in this
reaching out and up in this yearning for the truth
and the helping of others into that truth, there is
no church sect. The lines of work for the
Young Mems Christian Association must not be
confined to laboring with and for the individual,
however much that may in the aggregate benefit
the State or general society. There Is high and
noble work of general character, political as
well as social and religious. Whenever any great
question of Importance to the welfare of the State
arises it may be the duty of the society to engage
actively IN its canvass.
We may now turn to our own Association and
work, and ask what is there for us in the future.
A year ago, the closing address of the retiring
President earnestly and clearly presented the i'm
portance of the Chinese question. The society
had already undertaken this work. Perhaps since
then its efforts have been more particularly direc
ted that way. But the work is beyond our present
efforts The Chinese have increased very largely
during the year past. There are probably not less
than eight thousand among us at the present time
Their influence upon the future of the country
must be very important. They are constantly in
creasing and it Is not unlikely that with present
conditions they will, before many years, constitute
more than half the population.
We claim that our civilization is the best, and it
is not difficult to convince ourselves that this
claim is just, but we find quite set of argu-
ments if we attempt to convince these Orientals
They claim superior civilization to ours urging
many cogent reasons therefor. The spectacle
presented to-day In California is novel; The ideas
and civilizations of the east and west clashing.
They meet as they never have met before and we
FIND that the west would prevail, not by moral in
fiuences but by sheer brute force 1t is question
able whether the west would not otherwise have
given way before the solid but insinuating infu-
ence of events Already there are similar condi-
tions in this country. The religion and civiliza-
ton of the western nations seemed to have been
firmly established but we find that these celestias
are establishing themselves with their own ideas,
in every direction. They must change we shall
be compelled to give way. Which shall it be Is
there not enough vitalizing force In our customs
and religion to overpower the strong negative in
fuence of the Chinese? They do not preach OF
proselyte 1t is OF no importance to them whether