The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-05-27
Reports on Sabbath Observance and on
the Publication Board ~Squabble.
United Presbyterians Adjourn After Distribute
ing Missionary Pastors-Dific ulties Ofthe
Reformed Church Of America.
PRESBYTERIAN HOME MISSIONS.
Annual Report of the Board Submitted 10 g

General Assembly this morning, after vari-
Gus overtures were referred to committees.
the order of the ~day-vacant churches and
unemployed ministers-was taken up. A
delegate opposed the proposition TO fix the
salary Of the secretary of correspondence
at $500 a year as unnecessary, because
each presbytery has a man for the work.
This money would give the gospel TO five
weak churches. An amendment TO fix the
price at 81. 200 was tabled.
Elder w. W. Hunter, of the Presbytery
of Washington. a one-armed man. thought
the price too high. Many men of great
ability work for much less" he said. IF
1T is purely a matter of correspondence
would it not DO well To have the Office in a
small place where living is cheaper. We
elders represent business men who have to
provide the money. Let Us not initiate pol
itlcians who make Offices simply TO provide
for men" Two thousand dollars. 1880 and
81 900 were proposed and $1,000 was chosen.
A committee of five was then appointed to
consider the constitutionality of the action
proposed.
The standing committee on the Board of
Home Missions reported through DIR. An
o my AlOnns vi AOAhl nv thOte
1.-The church needs a great missionary
awakening. Read the report if you want to
be convinced of this. Ii is not now as once
mainly a frontier sod dug-out' work. lie
is a vast enterprise. as one sees if he looks
over its many and great d departments" The
speaker gave a glance at the Northwest.
New England and other divisions. espe-
cially emphasizing the need of foreign pop
ulations. I'VE nave Germanies, Italics and
Bohemias in our cities and towns that are
growing fast in comparison with the rural
districts" Following is IN abstract of the
report:
The decease of nine home missionaries
calls for testimony to their falthfulness
unto death. The year opened with the
great debt of $50, 39l. II, caused by an IN
foreseen decrease in receipts in March. the
last month of the fiscal year. Missionaries
had 10 wait for hard-earned pay, es the
funds at the boards were small
and the receipts fell Oft from the average
$4,000 during the first i've months. So. al
though we spent S55.525 less than last year
and $4,000 less than the assembly author
lied, we closed with a debt of S9S.346. Still
the receipts from churches and individuals
has been S34.l22 more than last year and
more than In any year before. But the
great falling of IN legacles of almost $780,
600 left us helpless. We greatly need more
permanent 1unO5 10 serve as security 1Or
loans that Will enable us in such cases to
pay the missionaries promptly. and again
are those who contribute urged to do SO
early instead of later In the year. III they
should do so we would not have TO leave so
many missionaries IN the lurch.
AIDED BY OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
I'm New England there has been steady
progress. largely among those of Scotch
stock in the manufacturing towns. The
Congregationalists will come and help our
work for this clan. one OF their churches
giving 5000 TO help build one of ours. In
the Northern States. east of the Mississippi.
there is a strong effort towards the support
by each synod of the home missions in its
own territory. New Jersey has done il: the
others have not, In addition TO what they
have given for the general work. 1t will
pay To push things in Minnesota. which
contributed -. 393-almost three times as
much as California. which has three thou
sand more Presbyterians. The same gen.
eral features mark the work in Wisconsin.
where six new men are needed. The sup
ply has never equaled the demand IN Iowa,
where the cheering success makes work for
fifteen more men. Thirteen churches have
become self-supportiDg within the year.
and $4,000 has been raised and spent for
church buildings in Missouri, where thirty
more men are loudly called for.
In Arkansas we have three negro
churches, with educated and eloquent
pa stOTs. In the regions affected most by
the drought-InGian Territory, Oklahoma,
western Kansas. Nebraska and the Da-
kotas-Increased appropriations. which We
could not give, were greatly needed. and
even here there has been gain. perhaps in
quality more than elsewhere. In the new
mining and stOck-raising States-Montana
and I~dahO-there are great Inducements
for good workers, and IN the swiftly-grow.
ing towns OF WashiDgton there is an Imper-
80 mad "A A. lpa tnr man IN ITT.h
Wyoming and Colorado there has been
good progress. In New Mexico. INTO which
a large stream of the best American stock
has been steadily pouring of late. there Is
opportunity TO reap large harvests. in all
but four of the Southern S~tates-South
Carolina. Georgia, Mississippi and Iouisi-
nave have missionaries, but the north
ern and southern branches of our churches
cannot together supply the demand. The
great industrial development attracts
much good population. as well as some that
Is bad, but without religious institutions
of a biblical sort the progress of which We
hear SO much will not be heavenward.
MISSION WORK AMONG
City evagehzation is a new term with
a weight of meaning that increases every
year. More people are reached with q
given outlay in cities and large towns. and
churches are more quickly brought TO give
help rather than ask for il. Missionary
work Is much needed and very hopeful
among our swarmIng foreign population.
There is a very decided Presby terrain ele-
ment among the BOhemians. whose re-
formed church has always had representa-
tives in the pan-Presbyterian councils.
There are 10,OO0of thisrace IN New York city,
10000 in Baltimore, 10000 IN Chicago. $1,000
In Wisconsin. 1000 in Omaha. $4,000 In
Minnesota aud large communities OF them
IN Nebraska aud Kansas. We have four
teen churches among them. and sixteen sta
lions which are waiting for churches 10 DO
organized.
Twenty per cent. of our immigrants are
under fifteen years of age. and half under
twenty-five. Now Is the favorable time for
getting them into Sabbath-sch0ols. But
not SO good o class come now as formerly.
The hrst immigrants came mainly
FOR religious liberty. Later came
a thrifty Observation-Disclosures and farmers.
But IN late years it il the thriftless and
unemployed, aud too often the vicious.
The results are startling. In 1850 only one
IN co. OF our population was in o penal in
stitutlon; IN 1880, one IN 26s-fourfold as
great a per cent. In England. meanwhile.
there has been a decrease of o. per cent;
IN Scotland of CO per cent. and IN Ireland
OF 40 per cent. In convictions. Then we
have exceptional populations Indians,
Mexicans. Mormons. Alaskans and mount