The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-06-13
Correspondence of The Clarion.
The Kinds County Sunday School
Convention at Utica.


no cause that should interest all who
desire to see good morals and religion
prevail in our land than that of the es-
tablishment and successful maintenance
of Sunday Schools. They are the nursery
OF the church, or as Mr.. Emerson, Pres
ident of the Hinds County Sunday
School Convention, expressed it more
forcibly, 'the Military Institute to edu-
cate cadets TO lead the army of Sunday
School workers who had to fight the bat
ties of religion against her enemies
The meeting of the Kinds County
Sunday School Convention ut Utica, last
Thursday and Friday, was just such an
occasion rs it does every man good to
attend, whether professed christian or
not, and it was gratifying to spectator,
as your correspondent was, to see the
scIt-devotion, the earncStness and zeal
with which SO many active business
men, planters, and others had aban-
doned their business for the nonce to
give their time and valuable services to
the Sunday School cause and side by
slde with them wereeyer so many devoted
women who had come to Utica from all
parts of the county to lend their aid and
their encouragement to the good cause,
also. In addition to the regular dele
gates of nineteen Sabbath Schools, there
were Il good many ministers and visitors
in attendance, but it was remarked with
regret that the Presbyterian and Baptist
Sabbath Schools of Jackson had no rep
resentatives there. Mr.. w. j. Brown,
Jr., however, represented the Jackson
Methodist Sabbath School very ably
and in the absence of representatives
from the other Schools in jackson he
CALAMITY spoke for them also, and
throughout was most valuable member
of the Convention.
Mr.. +. II. Emerson, the President of
the Convention, had previously pub
lished a most admirable programme one
week ago, so that when the Convention
met the delegates knew what would be
the order of the exercises and what sub
jects were going to be discussed; the pro-
gramme was as follows;
!. Statistical reports from Sunday
schools by their representatives; these
must be written.
2. Remarks upon the condition of the
Sunday school cause throughout the
county.
i 3. What constitutes the chief elements
of success in Sunday school?
4. The work of the Sunday school and
its relation to the church.
5. The Bible, the great conservator
or agent of civilization.
s. The Sunday School, and its rela.
tion to the Missionary operations Of the
church.
7, What are the duties of parents and
guardians with respect to the Sunday
school?
8. How can we bring about a greater
zeal for this glorious cause?
In addition to the above, upon the
morning of the first day, a special com
mittee was appointed to report addition
al subjects for discussion to the Convcn
tion. This committee through its chair
man, Rev. G.. w. Boggs, reported tn,
! following questions, all of which will bt
found interesting and valuable sugges
, tions to other Sabbath School Conyen
tions still to be held in Mississippi:
/. Should we not, as christians, en-
q deavor to extend to the colored peopl,
. among us, the benefits Of the Sabbatl
!, school?
2. How can we best secure for on
Sabbath schools a sound literature?
: 3. Who ought 10 60 to Sabbath school
= 4. Some of the causes of failure il
; the Sabbath school.
5. The best means of promoting reg
:, ularity of attendance on the part 0
= teachers and pupils.
. 6. Qualifications of Sabbath schoo
! teachers
! Z. Character of Sunday schoo
: scholar.
8. Why l love my Sunday school?
: 9. Whether Sabbath schools are no
. often made attractive at the expens
= Of spirituality and usefulness?
! The discussions upon all the yariou
: questions submitted to the Convention
" were of the most interesting characte
!, upon both days, but upon no question
= was the debate more elaborate and NOR
closely contested than that upon the sui
ect of supplying Sabbath Schools TO th
colored people; while all admitted tn
necessity Of Sabbath Schools anon
i them several argued that the colore
r people wished no interference upon til
: part of the whites; that through th
! prejudice of politics the time had No
. arrived yet for white Sunday Schoc
: workers to accomplish any good anon
them, and the speakers upon that sid
gave accounts Of minute and protracte
efforts to that end made by them fc
years; but equally as pertinacious wer
l. the speakers upon the other side Of tn
! question, they contendcd that the doc
7 was now wide open and that th
u Convention should enter upon the wor
at once Finally, the question was sc
tied by adopting resolutions of symp,
thy with the colored people and Il
offer Of assistance in the Sunday Scho,
! work upon the part of the whites whel
- ever called upon, and a request that Il
! Vice Presidents Of the Convention gi'
/. the subject their attention.
= Interesting debates were had upc
some of the other questions, also. II
exercises were interpersed throughot
4. with the best OF singing, and at noC
every day the Convention partook Of
most sumptuous dinner under the loy