Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-11-22
THE BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION.

The sixty-third session of this body com
menced yesterday at 10 o'clock, in the First
Baptist Church of Charleston. Besides an
interesting article on the subject, on the first
page of this issue, copied from the Ne'cs ana
Courier, we also take from the same paper
the following:
The Convention was formed in the City
of Columbia, on December t, 1921. Richard
Furman, then the pastor in Charleston, was
the ruling spirit in its formation. He was
it's first President and held that office fol
four years. At it's organization there were
nine delegates in all.
The Baptists of the State are divided into
twenty-eight district Associations. These
are COMPOSED of representatives from the
churches alone An Association is restrict.
ed to portion only of theState; sometimes
only one county, in other cases more than d
county.
The Convention embraces the ewhole State
1t is composed of delegates from the several
Associations, and from other religious bod
les of the Baptist connection concerned in
the promotion Of the same objects with the
Convention. Each Association is entitled
to five delegates irrespective of money con-
tributiOns, and to an additional delegate fol
each twenty dollars contributed since the
last session of the Convention to the work
of State Missions. Any Baptist Church
Sunday School, Missionary or Education
Society is entitled to representation on the
same moneyed basis.
The grand object of the Convention is the
union of the Baptists throughout the State
in efforts for the spread of the Gospel in all
lands. The special objects which the Con
vention undertakes to promote are !: Preach
ing in destitute portions of the State, the
work of cOlpOrtage, and the interests OF
foreign and domestic missions.
The Convention is in n0Wise a Legislative
or judicial body. 1t does not enact laws il
does not try cases or settle disputes; it has
no power over any individual minister
church or association; itdOes not adjust diff:
ficulties between associations or churches, OF
troubles which may arise between pastors
and their churches, or between pastors and
their felloW-pastors.
The Convention elects annually an cXecu,
tive board, consisting of twelve members
The officers of this board are, president,
vice-president, corresponding secretary and
treasurer. The executive officer OF this
board is its corresponding secretary and
treasurer. The Rev. r. II. Griffith, OF
Greenville, at present holds this Office.
This board plans and carries on all the mis-
sionary work of the Convention, and makes
its reports to that body every year.
The present officers Of the Convention
are COL b. w. Edwards, of Darlington
president; r.. p. Smith of Charleston, vice.
president; Rev. l.. Broaddus, Of Newberry
Secretary Prof. c. II. Judson, treasurer
These officers have been reelected for sew
eral years.
The Baptists have in this State 64O church
es, about 325 ministers and $500 COMMUNE
cants. They contribute annually about
50 900 for State Missions, $4,000 for Foreign
Missions and $4,000 for Domestic Missions.
They give for all benevolent purposes about
amount of about 100000. They sustain
three colleges-the Furman University, the
Greenville Female College and the Cooper
Limestone Female Institute.
The Convention has not been held in this
city since 1885. At that time w. B. John
son, ID. d., was president and Basil Manly,
D. d., secretary. Once before, in 1929, they
met in Charleston and the same officers
served. The present meeting of the Con-
vention promises to be one of great interest,
as the First Baptist Church, with which the
Convention meets, will celebrate its 2OOth
anniversary during the next meeting.
THE POLITICAL PRosECUTIoNs.-The Sc
lection of District Attorney Speer, Of Geor-
gia, to assist District Attorney Melton in the
prosecution of the South Carolina Demo
Gratis who are accused of election offences is
the direct result of his success in convicting
Democrats in Georgia. Mr.. Attorney Cen
eral Brewster thinks that what Mr.. Speer
did in Georgia he can accomplish in this
State.
There is a difference in the respective sit
uations. The Georgia offenders are accused
of acts of violence, while in South Carolina
the principal charge is that the State cleo
ton law was obeyed by the State officers
There is another difference.
The Georgia Democracy took no special
interest in the defence of the accused Geor-
gians, and left them to be defended by coun-
sci whom they paid out of their own pock-
cts. In South Carolina the Democracy un'
derstand that they are assailed, as body,
in the prosecution Of their comrades, and
that the sole object of the proceedings is tc
furnish campaign material to the Republl'
can party. Knowing the accused to be in
nocent and knowing the purpose OF the
prosecuting officers, the Democracy will
stand by the accused to the end. MIR. Speel
will make big failure oft in South Carroll
na--Np'rs o4d Co'Tier