Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-05-07
Annual National Reform Conyen-
nOl.

The annual meeting of the National
Reform Association was held on the 2lst
and 22d of April, in Pittsburgh. the Hon.
Felix r. Brunot, presiding. Mr.. Bru
not's opening address was defense of
the Bible in the Common Schools, as JUS
titled by the history and actual character
of the nation.
The report of the Executive Commit
tee showed that four District Secretaries
had been in the field during the year.
The report of the Corresponding Sec>
retary outlined work which had been
done in defense of the Bible in the
schools, and for the suppression of Sab
bath dissertation.
The financial reports showed total of
S5,151.S5 received during the last eleven
months, the current fiscal being not yet
complete.
Addresses were delivered before the
convention by the Rev. Wm. Weir, of
Ohio. on "The Rights of Christian Citi-
zens;" by the Rev. David McAllister,
Professor of Political Science in Geneva
College, on "The Social Compact Theory
False and PerRicious;" by the Rev. F.
NJ. Spencer, D. D., President Of Mus
kingum College, on The State and the
Sabbath" by the Rev. 1. n. Hays, D. D..
on THE United States Mail servics and
the Sabbath" by the Rev. R. J. George,
on "The Duty of the State to Christi" by
the Rev. Samuel w. Dixie, of Royalton,
Vermont, Corresponding Secretary of
the National Divorce Reform Leags. on
the work of that Association; by the
Rev. w. ]. Coleman, on "The Christian
Amendment to the National Constitu-
tion;" and by Mrs. Mary A. Woodbridge,
of Ohio, on the theme "Shall the Repub-
lie be Perpetuated."
The Rev. Mr.. Dixie, in addressing the
convention on the Divorce laws of the
country, presented startling and in
structive array of statistics, showing the
rapid increase of divorces In proportion
marriages, the increase of crimes against
chastity; and the lax and conflicting Leg
islation of the several States. The REM
edy, he thought, was to be found in a
national divorce law. 1t seems wiser to
seek the enactment of better laws on the
part of the States themselves.
Much attention was given to the ques-
tion of the National mail service and the
Sabbath. Facts and figures laid before
the Association showed that this form
of Sabbath dissertation is rapidly increas-
ing, the number of towns at which mail
is delivered and the postoffice is kept
open on the Sabbath is much greater
every year, and the postoffice is increas>
ingly resOrted to, even by Christian peo-
pie, on the Lords Day. Some hundreds
of thousands of officials and employees
are constrained by the regulations of
the postal service to labor on the Sab>
bath. 1t was resolved to direct the eff
forts of the Association very largely
in future to the. discOntinuance of the
whole mail service on the Lords day.
The constitution of the society was
amended so as to recognize existing eff
forts ''to corrupt the family" and "the
legal sanction of the liquor traffic" among
the evils which it is organized to oppose,
and needed reforms in the action of the
government touching the Sabbath, the
institution of the family, the religious
element in education, the oath and pub
lie morality as affected by the liquor
traffic, and other kindred evils" among
the specific object which it seeks to pro-
mote.
The Hon. Felix R. Brunot was re-
elected President, with list of two
hundred Vice Presidents, from nearly
every religious organization, and nearly
every State and Territory in the Union.
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