The record-union., 1891-02-24

organization to which I belong and to
which many of you belong is doing,
please remember that there are many
! other similar organizations doing a SINH
lar work
Not only Christian citizens, but large
number who are not, take hearty inter-
est in education. Indeed, many of these
go so far as to regard education rs the
cure-all for the evils existing in our land.
| Then to all, whether Christian citizens or
not, the work being done by one church
| IN planting and manning and sustaining
academies and colleges, should commend
itself. Every academy or college is a
radiating center of light in the COM
munity where it exists.
The more excellent its instruction and
| the greater its ability to accommodate all
who come the wider is its light radiated.
During the last seven years our Pres
| byterian Church has planted and is sus-
! tanning seventeen academies and ten
colleges.
| is west of the Mississippi River One is
in Minnesota, one in each of the Dakotas,
two in Nebraska, two in Kansas. one in
| Colorado, one in Montana, and the only
one east OF the Mississippi River in In
| diana.
! Does any one ask why these are all
planted so far West? Because we had
!
| leges before there was demand for them
in the West.
There is scarcely a State east of the
Mississippi River that does not have
one or more Presbyterian colleges. 1
think of two i'll Illinois, one in Indiana,
two in Ohio, two III Pennsylvania, one in
New Jersey and one in New York There
are many others, but it is not necessary
TO name them.
Some OF those seventeen academies will
doubtless grow up into colleges.
1t takes money to put up the buildings,
to pay the teachers, and in every way
! provide for these schools of learning.
| Take single case with which / am per-
| Sonally familiar: The attempt had been
made TO establish and carry on purely
! secular institution of higher learning at
Deer Lodge, Mont. About S25,0(9O had
! been expended in the attempt, and il
| proved a failure.
The Trustees offered to pass it over TO
the Presbyterian Church if we would as
sume a debt of 5000. The offer was ac-
cepted ana now, after several Years, we
have built two additional buildings cost
ing $4,000 each. and have a property
| there now worth $1,000
That college is blessing to that young
State OF Montana. 1t is a blessing not
only in point of education and morals,
| but in Il wealth point OF view. 1t is q
/
communinity. 1t is Il credit to the State
and offers an inducement for people to
| settle i'll Montana.
And what is true in this particular case
! is true i'll the case Of every college and
academy planted.
Is it nothing that our church alone has
given million dollars in the last seven
years III planning these institutions OF
| learning in the new growing West, TO
say nothing of other millions given to
the institutions already planted?
Can any tair-lninded man face the fact
that these organizations began with the
very beginning OF our country to plant
| these centers OF learning, and have gone
on keeping pace with its growth in plant
ing them as needed? Can any ir-mind-
ed man, | ask, fail TO acknowledge that
our country owes debt of gratitude to
| the organizations that have given their
money and efforts and thought TO doing
this unselfish work?
! But every church is a teaching center
Whatever it may be besides, it is school.
! 1t not only has its school for the education
Of the young in the history and geogra-
! ply and biography and teachings Of the
! Bible, but its pulpit is a center of edGca-
| ton, all reflections to the contrary not
withstanding. / have no hesitancy in
saying that however much the ministry
may be lacking, they can still stand side
in the depth of their thought in the
breadth OF their learning and in their log
! ical power.
Now this voluntary organization erects
| church buildings and supports men
whose whole time can be devoted to the
education of the people. Our Presby-
terian church in its various departments
of work an this land laid down thirteen
millions OF dollars (Sl3, ,000G00) last year.
Does not that express interest in the
welfare OF this country III a most emphatic
way?
Is any non-religious organization ex-
pressing its interest in the country in any
such substantial manner?
There are communities where the peo-
! pie cannot put up a church building by
! themselves, especially in new, growing
districts, where the people are struggling
to get homes for themselves. In such
instances the church at large steps in
and gives them a lift. Our Board of
Church Erection helped to build ia
church buildings last year.
Then these communities can not by
themselves sustain minister, and in our
church the Board Of Home Missions
steps in and says we will help you. This
board sustained in whole or part .7OI
ministers in our country last year
And when these churches get strong
enough to go alone, then they must turn
dDOuG anu ne1p OlnSrS. Leu me give YOU
very fine example. The First Presby-
terian Church of Portland, Or, in its in
fancy was helped by the Board of Home
Missions for four years at cost of 81. 100
1t has paid back into the treasury of this
board S92 $40, besides raising for local
purposes Sl66, ,434.
Just at this point permit me to call your
attention to coincidence. 1t so happens
that just the same number OF men are be-
ing sustained in California and Mime
sota-just 81 in each-by our Board of
Home Missions. But while Californians
paid back into the treasury of the Home
Board S3,62S, Minnesotans paid back
49, 1872, OF nearly three dollars to one.
But some one will say there must be
more Presbyterians in Minnesota than
California. California has over three
thousand more Presbyterians than Min
nesota. No Californian will admit that
Minnesota has more wealth than Califor-
MIA, so we must put the shoe on and let it
pinch.
1t were well for Californians to recog-
nize more the help which comes to the
State from great voluntary organizations
that are devoting their money and their
efforts toward the prevention of evil and
the intellectual and moral elevation of the
people. The churches should receive
more words of commentator and SYM
pathy and fewer of disparagement.
WHERE IS JOHN ELLIOTT?