Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-22
REFORMS QUARTER CENTURY.

A Discourse on the Objects of the National
Conference Grave Predictions Made
by Rev. Or. McAllIster.
twenty-five Years of National Reform"
was the subject of the afternoon sermon at
the Eighth Street Reformed Presbyterian
Church yesterday afternoon by the pastor,
Rev. d. McAllister, d. D., LID. His
topic was suggested bv the approach of the
National Reform Quarter Centennial Con-
ference, of which he is one of the officers,
which is booked for Old City Hall, begin
ming tomorrow and continuing through
Thursday evening, with christian Princi-
pies of Civil Government" as its motto. DR..
McAllister's text was from the seventy-sec-
ond Psalm: 81 will remember the years
Of the right hand of the Most High" He be-
lieved the first 25 years of this reform move
ment had been such fright hand' years.
and predicted great things for the next quar-
ter of a century.
Among the more interesting statements
made by the speaker was the one that $780,
600 had been contributed and expended
already in this work of national reform,
though it had very feeble beginning. He
could recollect how, 25 years ago, little
handful of men over in Allegheny had Or
ganized this National Reform Association,
and how, 20 years ago, DR.. McAllister him.
self seemed to be the only representative of
that movement travelling about the country
trying to enlist cooperation.
AS one of the leading judicial officers of
Pittsburg had said, the programme for this
coming conference certainly was a strong
one. 1t embraced, from its own high
standard, the rights of the immigrant, the
family, the men wrestling with the labor
problem, the Indian, other nations, the
public schools, the Chinese, for
eign missions, etc., with such men
to discuss these rights as Rev.
I. P. Stevenson, of Philadelphia;
Rev. A. Rittenhouse, of Dickenson College;
Rev. 1. n. Hays, D. D.. of Allegheny; Rev.
Bible Society; Rev. George K. Morris, ID.
D., of Philadelphia; President Charles A.
Blanchard, of Wheaton, ILL., Rev. Jonathan
Edwards, D. D., of Meadville; Mrs. Mary
A. Woodbridge, Secretary of the Worlds
w. c. 7. O.; Rev. j. G. Butler, D. D.,
Chaplain of the United States Senate; Rev.
Arthur T. Pierson, d D., of Philadelphia;
Drs. McFall and Crafts, DR.. McAllister
himself, Rev. DR.. Herrick johnson, of Chi
cago, and others. Concluding, DIR. Nc
Allister said:
To this reform movement and its progress.
believe, can be traced very largely the growth
of higher and purer patriotism among the
American people. True. we have had noble
army of patriots in the past: but we have
higher development now. The motto with our
patriots used to be: "Our country, right or
wrong" Now it is growing to be, more and
more, 'our country right" That is the true,
pure patriotism we seek to foster.
1 believe the hand of God is going to work
out great problems in America. The princi-
Piles of this reform movement may not triumph
until great crisis comes to us. That crisis
may be furnished by the Roman Catholic
Church, in its assault upon our free schools or
it may come through the final or forcible ef
question, which is even now agitating so many
downtrodden workers. But, in some way, this
crisis will come when we shall all call upon the
God of our fathers.