The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-12
second Days session.

After devotional exercises the
Texas Baptist state convention was
regularly organized in it's nineteenth
annual session yesterday morning by
the election of w. r. Howell, of Dial
las, president; Revs. &. c. Chaplin,
&. W. Rogers and M. Eastland, Esq,
vice-presidents: Pinckney Hawkins,
recording secretary; and Rev. M. Y.
Smith, corresponding secretary,
The regular order of business ac-
cording to programme was suspended.
The preaching of the annual sermon
was postponed, an the matter referred
to the committee on preaching.
A committee on credentials was APP
pointed, composed of j. 2. Boone, l..
b. Lake and Ben McGaffey.
The programme committeereported,
and DIR. W. G, Crane opened the dis
cussion on the relation of Sunday
school education to common school
education. He was followed by DR..
j. IL. Luther.
MIR. Crane said: They have no dis
tinct organic connection. They sus-
tain no relation to each other. The
SUNDAY schools underta to do what
the public schools will not do. There
is no true education without religion.
Education, civil government and hui
man life are failure without religion.
The present school system of Texas,
if L understand it, neither recognizes
the bible or religion, yet l do not
quarrel about it. But the nation is
not afraid to recognize religion. The
Sunday school is the grandest factor
in this state to do what the common
school does not do, i. e. prepare the
citizen for the solemnity of the judi
cial oath. This ought to be taught
somewhere, and where can it be done
better than in the Sunday school,
where father and mother both may be
teachers 2"
Prof. Ii. G. Allan said he had been
connected with Che public schools in
Texas three years and never neglected
to open school with reading the bible
and prayer, and if there should be q
law against this we should obey God
rather than man.
Convention then sung "All hail the
power of Jesus name"
DR.. Howard opened the discussion
on the question, ''Our colportage
work and it's claims upon this con-
vention." He said: "Colportage work
means the selling and gratuitous dis
tribution, as far as the means OF this
convention will justify, first, the BIZ
BILE, and second, UNCONVENTIONAL liter
allure; but this latter does not mean
story books.
"Who can estimate the influence of
infdel and trashy book-Writers ? We
need to counteract this influence by
spreading healthy literature. We
need colportage to inform the people
as to our UNCONVENTIONAL tenets, and
to teach them to obey the bible"
Rev, j. 3. Link said: "From one
point of view there is relation.
We hold that the state should not
adopt any religion a. that we should
leave this whole question out. We
can't put the bible in, because Catho-
lies and Jews do not believe it, and
we should cut them off. This makes
it necessary to teach religion in the
family and in the sunday school, be-
cause the corner stone of our govern
ment rests upon the foundation of
religion. Broad and deep should be
laid the foundation of instruction.
1t cont mplates the employment of
men to traveiin in this work"
DIR. Law followed: "Some have
been impressed that the time has
come for us to take up this work,
and it must be viewed in two aspects:
/. The colporteur should be q good
man; a preacher or layman. If he be
a preacher let him preach to the
people; if not preacher he should be
able to exhort and pray for the peo-
pie. You want men who, as they
pass through community, will leave
an influence for good.''
The convention adjourned for din
ner.
Benediction by Rev. S. A. Hayden.
by Prof. I. II. Storts.
Report of the board of managers
was read and adopted, as follows:
The executive board of the Texas
baptist Sunday school and colportage
committee to the convention, begs to
make the following report:
At the first meeting of this board,
| Immediately after the convention at
Bryan, Rev. Kit Williams was contin-
ued as the missionary of the conven-
ton, at the same salary. He, upon
the advice of some individuals,
changed the plan of missionary work
so as to hold Institutes, hoping thus
to reach more of the Sunday school
workers. We refer you to his report
for an account of the work done dur
ing the past conventional year.
A committee was appointed to Sc
| cure the services of another mis-
sionary, which failed, and at our JAN
uary meeting was discharged, the
board think it advisable not to APP
point another at that time.
Your board has held three meet
ings during the year. Respectfully
submitted,
w. r. HOWARD, President.
PINCKNEY HAWKINS, Sec'ry.
After DR.. Law had made few per-
tinent and forcible remarks, Rev. Kit
/ Williams developed his idea of the
plan of having one general superin-
tendent and missionary in every as
ISOLATION, to act with Sunday school