St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-25
CONGREGATIONAL COUNCIL.
Charles T. Woods Elected Presi-
dent---The Annual Meeting.

dent---The Annual Meeting.
The Minnesota Congregational club
held its tenth annual meeting
last night at Plymouth church.
Supper was had at $50, and was
followed by the bushes session.
The nominating committee presented
the following nominations for officers
to serve during the ensuing year: Pres
ident, Charles ii. Woods, Minneapolis;
first vice president, Rev. E. G. Evans,
st. Paul; second vice president, Prof.
George L. Huntington, Northfield.
Secretary, George II. Watson.
Executive committee, Chairman, X.
r. Dorr, st. Paul; Rev. +. P. Wood
bury, Charles A. j. Marsh.
Membership Committee-Rev. n. Had
den, Minneapolis; G. E. Wingate, Z. ID.
Parker, Merriam Park; n. NJ. Miller,
Charles M. Power, st. Paul.
The secretary was instructed to cast
the ballot of the club for the nominees.
1t was suggested that the secretary
be made permanent officer, as it is in
other congregational clubs, and that he
should receive remuneration. No &C
ton was taken.
The retiring president. G. B. Gilbert,
made a pleasant address, and Judge
| Woods took the chair. President
| Woods made short address, saying
that he was somewhat surprised at the
action of the club, as he was an eleventh
hour man, but as eleventh-hour men do
not decline anything except work, he
! would not decline the honor.
The following amendment to the con-
stitutiOn was adopted:
persons connected with any COngre-
gational church or society in the state of
Minnesota, or any Evangelical, indie
| pendent or Union church not connected
with other denominations, having been
| first proposed by the membership COM
mittee, may be elected to membership
| by ballot at the next succeeding meet
| ing"
Annual membership was fixed at 81.
Dr.. Samuel q. Smith was admitted to
membership.
THE TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION
were as follows: .:"Shall immigratiOnsbe
restricted? If so, to what extent, and
by what methodist" Rev. NJ. w. Mont
| gOmeTy opened the discussion. This is
question" he said, (which is affecting
political as well as Christian bodies.
| In regard to the first question | say yes.
l would keep out paupers, convicts and
anarchists and any who will hurt our
| country.
/ III JuCl lIldll blllS Will llOb ~. Ill
| the next place | would take action
against their starting by requiring them
to answer satisfactorily questions which
| the consul shall be instructed to put.
In the second place they should not be
! permitted to land without a certificate
from the consul. l would require
longer term of residence be-
| fore giving them citizenship. |
would not make it extreme.
! This is already causing good deal dis
| cussiOn. and it won't be lOngibefOre we
have another KnOwnothing party. In
| fact there has started already another
small party. Some very disagreeable
things are being said about our emf
| element. This should be stopped as
soon as possible" The speaker
read the Republican platform
on this subject in 1864.
Suitable laws governing immigration
should be passed. The class of immi-
grants is growing better. The Italians
| come here to stay short time and then
return. This class ought to be kept
| out. We have done this in the case of
| the Chinese. The relative proportion
of foreign population has remained
| about the same, Is per cent. We have
| had no trouble in taking care of
| UneH. ana dppr6neIu no udHStr,
| The children are about the same in
| number as adults. The immigration
from countries sending us desirable peO-
| pie is increasing, and decreasing from
| the countries sending undesirable peo-
| pie. The Irish have been falling off;
England has been increasing; Italy,
| Russia, Poland and Bohemia are in
| creasing, but the number is small. 1t
! is offset by the Scandinavians. On the
whole the original proposition holds good
! They give US some advantage. We
! have a chance to do foreign mission
work here at home. We are eXeTting a
| great influence OH foreign countries UNI
! consciously through letters sent by the
! immigrants to the old country, and also
through newspapers sent there. There
is no nation that is legislating without
taking into consideration America on
! account of this foreign population. God
| has given US this great opportunity.
! Why not meet them at Castle garden
/ with books in their own language, in
stead of leaving them to sharks. The
| government should establish a bureau.
| But the principal thing to do is to give
them religion. 1t is not for the chill
dren of the pilgrims to despise them,
! but to take hold and help them. Several
! others made interesting addresses.