Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-22
A VERY WARM DEBATE
Is Had by the Presbyterians on the
Publication Question.
DIR. AGNEW ON THE DEFENSIVE.
Home Missions, With Suggestions About
Meeting the Deficit.
STATE COMMERCE AND TEMPERANCE
Flfly.Third ANIMAL Report Of Foreign Missionary
Work.

The Presbyterian General Assembly re-
sumed lis sessions yesterday morning at
Saratoga. Addresses were made by promi-
nent divines on the home mission subject.
The report OF the special Committee on
Publication called forth earnest and lengthy
remarks.
SARATOGA, N. Y, May 21.-In the
Presbyterian General Assembly, to-day, q
resolution urging Congress to pass the bill
now before 1t for an investigation Of the
ehecm OF intoxicating liquors was adopted,
after remarks by DR.. Patterson, of Phila-
delphia. A resolution asking Congress to
poss an amendment to tho Interstate COM
mercc bill that will enable the States to
prohibit or restrict the liquor traffic was re-
ferred to the Committee on Temperance.
Rev. Howard Crosby, DID, offered q reso-
luton iavoring cooperation between weak
Presbyterian and other churches In New
England, New York and New Jersey.
The ffty-third annual report OF the Board
of Foreign Missions was read sy DR.. David
j. Burrill, OF Minneapolis. The board Ia
ments an unusual number of deaths among
its members.
THE STATISTICAL REPORT.
The total receipts Of the board during the
year have been S794, ,066 A from churches,
S29l ,791 from Sabbath schools, S36, ,062 from
woman's boards, $3.50, 2S5 from legacies, and
from miscellaneous sources S73, 120. There
was decrease Of S58, ,749 as compared with
last year. Thirteen less churches con-
tributed. There is present deficit OF $780,
275.
There was sent out during the year to
Mexico 3 missionaries, to Colombia 4, to
Brazil 8, to Syria 9, to Persia 13, to Laos 3,
to Corea 8, to China 90, to Japan 10, to
Guatemala 2, to Africa and to India 16;
total, 1906 Beside out STATIONS there are In
the Indian Mission 6 stations, In the Nexi-
can 3. in Guatemala /, in the Brazilian 8, In
the Colombian 3, in the Chilian 4, in the
African II, In India 10, In the Siamese 3, In
the Chinese IL, in the japanese 3, in the
Corean /, in the Persian and in the Syrian
8, making total of9S.
REQUESTED TO STUDY THE REPORT.
An urgent appeal was made to the As
sembly to study the report carefully, and
then say why the great falling off in the
receipts occurred. This is the second fall
ing off year. The strong Synods have not
done as we'll in proportion as the weaker
ones. 1t only makes matters worse that
our other boards are, rs rule, in the same
situation.
The cause is becoming more and more de-
pendent on the benevolence of the dead and
activity of living women and Sunday school
scholars, while the churches are falling of.
We must and can make up these deficits in
the receipts of our boards. Our denomina-
tlon, perhaps the richest in the world, gives
only 1-16 of per cent Of its income for send
ing the gospel to the heathen." Rev. DIR.
Ellinwopd, secretary Of the board, advised a
system OF weekly subscriptions as is done by
the Free Church Of Scotland and by the
PresbyteTians Of Canada.
DIR. ALEXANDER SPEAKS.
The Rev. Dr. Alexander said that al
though there is a great deficit. there is no
debt. There will be, however, before the
snow flies, unless God opens the windows in
heaven. We want better ideas and methods
of giving. He went over the fields OF the
board, and asked where 1t would be possible
without disaster to restrict the work. He
deprecated the effect Of restriction upon the
great number of young people coming for |
ward who will be compelled to 20 out under |
the auspices OF other denominations.
1--WE were lately almost constrained to re-
ject - choice young men. We have 10 |
draw heavily on the permanent funds to |
prevent debt 10 individuals but this re-
source will not last six months longer.
THE DISEASE Is NOT LA GRIPPE.
"This Is a more pressing matter than the
questions Of organic law and methods now
before us, just as lie Is greater than the
organic which II builds up and uses. The
disease is not In grippe, but the far more
dangerous grip on the purse"
Rev. Samuel Jessup, Of Syria, spoke OF
the pressure on the secretaries OF the board
from the concentration in their Office OF 80
many kinds OF work that here ut home are
distributed among many boards. A physi-
clan lately said that there is more done In
these rooms than any men have a right to
undertake. A heavy part of this is the
pairing down In the different fields because
of the lack Of money. He drew q vivid
picture of the distress this means all over
the field, as we'll as in the mission rooms
here.
WHAT 1T WILL COST.
The Rev. Archibald Mccullough, D. D.,
OF Brooklyn, showed that it is quite in the
power, of the Church to bring the gospel to
the knowledge of every human being
within ten years. Seven hundred and fifty
millions Of dollars, less than the yearly
drink bill of the United States, would do
this.
The Rev. Mr.. Mott, chairman of the
committee of the missionary movement
among college and seminary students, said
!, 200 students have signed paper signify
ing their willingness to 60 abroad. Twenty
seven per cent of these are Presbyterians,
and IS per cent are Congregationalists.
Forty denominations are represented in this
Tho dat of
board was adopted.
AND SUNDAY scHooIwoRK
When the report of the special Commit
tee on the Publication Board and Sunday
School Work was called at the afternoon
session. DIR. Agnew, having the floor, said
he was going to keep sweet under very ag-
gravating circumstances, owing to a misun-
derstanding on the part of the special COM
mittee as to the books of the board, and
what is necessary for carrying on its busi-
ness.
He said: "The first meeting that was
called by the special committee for US to
meet with them was on the 11th of April.
Three members only of our committee could
be present at that meeting. Your special
sat as an inquistion, and refused |
to give us the data on which they based
their charges, which were necessary if q
Joint report was to be made. We had no
quorum of the Business Committee.
NOT MEANT FOR THE PUBLIC.
Eleven months from appointment we had
the first real meeting. A stenographer was
brought in because we expected that so
many facts and figures would be brought up
that a stenographer would be necessary.
The stenographic report was not meant for
the public. Both committees have copies.
It contains, however, nothing but dis