National Republican., 1881-02-21
SILENT PREACHERS.
THE AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY.
Annual Meeting at the Memorial Churci-Big
Publication BusineSs-Work Of CO!DOrtaSe
Finances of the COncerl-Spreai-
ing the Gospel BIZ the Press.

The annual meeting of the American
Tract Society in the Memorial Lutheran Church
yesterday afternoon was largely attended. Rev.
DIR. Bullock, chaplain OF the Senate, and Rev. Dr.
Rankin conducted the devotional exercises Mt
Justice Strong, president of the society, occupied
the chair, and said that these meetings, composed
OF persons from all parts of the country, were the
means of diffuSing very widely knowledge OF the
Societys work sketchcd the growth OF the IN
stitution as compared with the increase OF our
population and showed the necessity for en-
larging its operations, in order to possess the
rapidly extending settlements in the West
Rev. George L. Shearer one of the societys sccrc-
taries, presented the report for the year. Ihe
deaths Of four vice presidents, Rev. William
Adams, D. D., Rev. ". S. Plumer, ID. D.. Apollos K,
Wetmore, and Valentine G.. Hall, esq, were Eoted,
and of two members of the board OF directors,
Bishop D. S. Doggett, D. D., OF Richmond, ana
Hon. Nathan Bishop, LL.D of New York; also
that of Hon. Secretary Rev. W. y. Hallock, d. D.,
to whom, under God more than to any other indi-
vidual, the society owes its existence and eff
cheney. During the last year 292 new publications
were added to the catalogue, of which 100 were
volumes. They are of varied character, Deyo-
tional Edifying" " Bible Helps" Narratives for
the Young" &c. On heathen soil %
new publications were issued, and the
printing in 1i6 languages abroad was continued.
Of the periodicals. two-the Illustrated Christian
HceHy and the DeutScber IOk9feund-were
weeklies, and five-thc AEsericaR Messenger, Bots
cheEcr, Guilds Paper, Morning Light, and Apptes o.
GOd-are monthies and fall about 1000 900 copies
were issued. The rcceips for the year were $685.
1903, of which the sum of S267, ,l15.69 was from
sales 2,51S73 from rents. and S79,12i6i from do
nations and legaces The balance i'll the treasury
and some temporary loans made the total avail
able funds SIS, ,2SG. i. The total expenditures
We're S3IS $3.50. 0fthe benevolent receipts q por-
ton specially designated, leaving about S73,-
000 foruse in the ordinary charitable work. The eX-
pcnditures for colporage, the foreign cash appro-
pratons, and grants of publications exceeded ST.
000 an excess over the receipts .for this purpose
Gratuitous distributOnw was made oft 100000 pages
tracts valued at $40 7+l5l without expense 10 the
society Through chapiains, pastors, home and
foreign missionaries, and other Christian workers.
including the colporteuTs, agents, members, and
directors of the society The cash grants for print
ing at foreign mission stations were $1,000. The
committee recommend that this amount be
largely increased as soon as the resources of the
society will allow. Union missionary colpOrtage
has been hopefully and successfully carried for
ward. The report characterzes it as seeking men
in the highways and hedges" and shows how it
is auxiliary to the home missions of all
denominations in the districts lying between and
VI SeIulSSiOndI1eS.
During the last year thecewere in service ODD men,
in - States of the Union and i'll Ontario They
made 1881 family visits, of which 1l2 T67
accompanied b. prayer and personal religious
conversation. They found SO, al Protestant fami
lies who attend gospel service, and S,226 of the
church ofRome; 17,044 destitute OfrelgiOus books,
and 9,9l4 without the Bible. They circulated 155,-
251 volumes, and addressed 7,261 social or public
religious meetings. This work was performed in
S51 months and - days of continuous labor. Hon.
D. c. Hashell, of Kansas described the beginning
of Christian work in the West as he had seen it;
compared the use of the press for evangelization
with that made of it in political campaigns; told
of the separate power of tracts, books aud papers,
and that of the personal appeal, and also of their
combined power; told of his personal observation
Ofthe work of these colporteurs and missionaries
in giving religious character to the new COM
munitieS. and cOrrOborated the statements of the
society of the usefulness of these efforts, and
pressed the conviction that in his judgment there
was no more efficient agency by which the work
of holding up Christ asthe Savionrofthe world can
be accomplished. The meeting adjourne with
the doXology and benediction.