Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-10-20
WHERE ARE THE FUNDS!

BusToN. MASS, oct l9.-Thc Rev.
Leonard Woolsey Bacon has thrown a
bomhshCll into the convention vi tie
American board Of commissioners of
foreign missions in the shape Of u letter
addressed TO tue members In the open
ing paragraph he refers 10 his in
ability to attend the convention be-
cause of i'll health lie says: Il Is
highly improbable that any discussion of
vital importance to him would be per-
mittcd, for the ANNUAL meeting has been
so captured by the executive officers that
no discussion can take place except by
their permission. \ proposition unwcl
come TO the executive can hope for no
discussion, except by speakers whom
they permit and designate. They mean To
use their official advantage and control OF
the treasury to maintain that grin upon
the arrangements for the annual meeting
by which for so many years they have de-
fcatcd every effort for IN impartial re-
view OF their administration by the body
20 which they are legally responsible. If
the executive shrink from an annual re-
view of their doings, unless IL Is sub
ieCt TO their own control, direction,
and limitation from beginning to end, ii
Is well TO know the fact. but in assisting
the demand for fall annual meeting they
ought to have been Scrupulously candid
and Ingenious In this city they have
failed. In former uttcranccs on this sub
ioct have said, with MI sincerity, that
had no suspicion OF actual abuses already
resulting from their irresponsible admin
isuution OF the board must now
modify this statement have grave
reasons to believe that some
thing wrong is hidden in these
wcll'kcpt secrets OF the mission rooms,
which have no right to be secret. Among
complaints of grievance and abuse that
have come to me from many quarters. |
can speak OF only one or two. 4 pastor
high in influence and honor, a friend of
the board, a member of the board, has in
vain sought information concerning the
disposition OF certain large sums of
money, Of which no adequate nc
count has been rendered; he has
been unable 20 get this matter
before the meeting of the board IL is
simply probable that the reason for
crowdug this matter out OF hearing, by
special papers, aud sulutatory and his
tOrcal and obituary addresses is that
there /, something i'm il which the cyccu-
tive wish 10 keep dark. The way to clear
~ NN III lAtN NNtit - illttlfA hIj-Hl~ lltt
by an cN parc statement from sccrc-
aiy, referred TO committee OF the Sec
rctaiy'S picking, discussed by speakers
OF the Secretary's inviting, and hurried
to vote in order to make time Tor an
eloquent prayer by Il distinguished pulpit
orator.
"AnOthcr abuse that has been generated
and H. concealed from view 10y the defeat
OF the liberty OF the annual meeting is
worse thau the peyogsion OF the funds
| mean jEe breaking OF the boards
plightcd faith toward its missionaries,
\, this hour there are many honest, rod
ly men, the peers OF any of the
boards officers in every moral
quality, who were once enlisted as
missionaries under solemn con-
tract on the part Of the board that IN ease
of dismissal by the prudential committee,
the individual so dismissed shall have
the privilege of submitting his case to
the revision of the board at ~ annual
meeting, and who are bitterly feeling
that this solemn covenant has been
broken, in letter and in spirit or has
been kept to the ear and perfdiously
broken to the hope; that the only appeal
allowed them has been virtually from the
prudential committee to the prudential
committee"