National Republican., 1883-03-19

so Drlct period nave we Deeu compelled TO
give up four such honored and efficient help
ers as were Frederick Marquand, Robert l..
Stuart William E. Dodge, and Edwin ID.
Morgan and with these names that of, Mar
shall Jewell, also member of the society
and q liberal donor.
The report for the year shows the addition
of seventy-four new publications. of which
thirty-one were volumes. Six of the issues
were in German and one in Spanish. At for
eign missions stations, also, twenty-eight new
publications were added TO those printed by
aid of the society.
OF the seven periodicals, including the H.
ltStrdted Christian Weekly Deutcher VolIsfTeund,
american Messenger Botschdfter, Childs Paper,
Morning Bright and Appies of Gold nearly
100000 copies were issued, making total
Of 10,30i,4S0 copies Of books, tracts, and pa
pers.
The total receipts, with the small balance
in the treasury (S570.3S), amounted to S373,-
22119, ofwhich the sum of $780, 0i.S3 was in
donations and legacies. New England gave
$3S,55717, and New York, New Jersey, and
Pennsylvania $43,0O335. Total expenditures,
1865, ,09723.
The benevolent expenditures for colportage
were 3l,346.22; foreign appropriations, ST.
02009; legal expenses, &C., $3963.05; the
grants of publication, $37,537S1. This, with
$3691 30 specially designated and return of
$120,600, excess of benevolent expenditure in
the preceding year, left the sum OF $6,3i4.9l to
the credit of the benevolent department. for
the succeeding year. Nopart of these benevo-
lent receipts are used to pay the expenses OF
administration or collections.
Tho gratuitous distribution of tracts
amounted to 56,614000 pages colportago em-
ployed, 159 men, who made 141,54S family
visits, held $500 religious meetings, and cir
culated by sale or grant 143,09S volumes OF
saving truth.
RAT statistics conyo,y n xorxy sI;ob, imnres-
sion Of the work accomplished. II is prose
cuted with clear conviction of the unity of
the whole church Of Christ aud therefore can
not be antagonistic to any of the evangelical
denominations. 1t takes the truths of the
Bible, which all hold in common, and by its
imprint, as by the seal of the common church,
sets it apart as that which is to be believed by
all men everywhere In this it becomes a
common bond between all the divided por-
tions of the Christian church. To each and
all, too, it is positively allied, and especially
helpful. In the foreign field the mis-
sionary is compelled to create a Chris
tian literature, and often has he been
the first to reduce the spoken language to
written form. As the influence of the preach
ing of the reformers that proceeded Luther
in great measure ended with their lives,
and Luthers was perpetuated by the newly
found power of the press, so all foreign mis-
sion work, to be permanently established, must
dialects. 1t is obvious that what is most
needed and most preached are these common
doctrines. 1t is also clear that ii has been
wise use of funds that has led the various
churches to avail themselves of this common
auxiliary rather than to print individually
and at great expense.
1t is no less an auxiliary to the home mis-
sions. In aggressive work usually it is ex-
pedient to invite men elsewhere rather than
to the church. For this purpose tracts with
the general imprint are preferred to those
issued in the name Of denomination. In
view Of this fact the society grants from 5000
to 1000 pages of tracts annually to every
home missionary applying, and in special
cases 1t gives an additional supply
Further aid is also rendered by the copor-
teurs who visit the interlying and outlying
population and prepare the way for the com
ing of the ordained missionaries and the organ
ization of churches or bring the people into
connection with the several missionaries and
the churches that have been already estab-
lished.
But there is further field which in Christs
name We are commanded to occupy; but in
which for various reasons we can work only
unitedly. Such are the army, the navy, the
charitable, and penal institutions under state
control, stock raisers, miners, 1umbermen,
scattered settlers in communities in which no
single denominational element predominates
organization of a separate church.
Such, too, are the immigrants that have
within the last three years added over 2O0a,-
600 souls to our population. While heretofore
this immigration has added largely to the
strength of the Roman Catholic Body, it is
now mainly Protestant; but it is also in
considerable measure atheistic. While sew
eral Of the denominations have with COM
mendable zeal striven to supply living min
istry for these strangers, it is clearly impos-
sible for our American churches to give preach
ers to the 100000 Germans, and 10000 Scan
dinavians who came in the last two years, or
to the $4,000 Bohemians now among us.
Nor truly is it expedient that such people
should crystalize into permanent communi-
ties, and should each Sabbath sit down in
German or Scandinavian atmosphere, in all
respects as far as practicable like the one left
in the fatherland. We would do nothing to |
impede their entire assimilation with our |
people. Such churches would be an obstacle |
to the progress toward the general welfare of |
the nation. There is a period of from three |
to five years in which the language is usually |
acquired, during which some such churches |
are needed, but here the common basis of the |
society and its many languages makes il es- |
pecally efficient
By supplying the immigrant with reading |
on his passage to this country, by meeting |
him in Castle Garden as he lands with col |
by seeking his home in tho west through
other colpolteurs, who hold religious services,
organize Sabbath schools, and leave, by sale |
or grants, religious books in their several
languages, Christian life, where il exists, may
be kept alive and the seeds of gospel truth
sown, where otherwise noxious and pernicious
weeds soon cover the soil.
Samuel Goldstein, Mt Castle Garden, has
done humane as we'll as u spiritual work.
frequently sec him going about among the
motley crowd speaking his word of Christian
counsel or sympathy, or assisting to relieve |
tho unfortunate. One has lost baggage,
another is separted from friends, another is |
too thinly clad for the severe winter, and for
all such over and above the bounteous pro-
vision of the state or general government,
there need of the help of such u ministry,
just as beyond the medical and hospital pro-
vision, there was need of the Christian and
sanitary commission in the war.
An illustration of coportage following these
people to their western homes is found in the
case of Frederic Blohm, of Utah. Some wears
ago superintendent Of public schools in one
of our western cities gave up his home work
to live in his wagon as n colporteur among the
Mormons. Some of his conversations and the
books and tracts circulated were the means of
awakening Mr. Blohm He, Norwegian, had
been sent missionary to the Scandinavian
countries TO make proselytes for the
church of the Latter Day Saints. Now,
he was subsequently brought to
the light and admitted into nna nf our homo I