Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-05-25
THE PRESRYTERiANS.

Report OF the Various Church Boards ts
the General Assembly-AC Call Upon ths
President.
WASHINGTON, May 20-The annual 70
ports of the various church boards made
public to-day, to be taken up by the
Presbyterian assembly from time te
time, show encouraging results in every
branch of the work. The report of the
permanent committee on temperance
referring to the worlds fair, says:
We cannot contemplate except with feelings
OF shame the proposed spectacle to be placed
before all the world Of vast national groe
trampling down of law.
The esta blishment by congress of ar
impartial commission of inquiry con
corning the liquor traffic is favored
Local option is not regarded as the best
and ultimate solution of the liquor
problem. but most of the presbyteries
favor it as a stepping stone toward
general prohibition Among all the
reports of presbyteries the license sys-
tenn has no advocate or apologist. The
report emphasizes the statement that
the church is not political organiza-
ton, but owes 1t to God and humanity
to give unequivocal utterance on such
moral questions. The institution OF
the army canteen, in which it claims
soldiers are detailed as saloon keepers,
is protested against.
The report of the special committee
on systematic benefcence shows that
the Christian Standard has attained an
average monthly circulation of 4,a4O
copies. The receipts of all the boards
during the year amounted to 81, 900, $50,
an increase over 1892 of SITS, 765.
The report of the board of church
erection funds shows that during the
year there were 800 applications for as
sistance upon which grants We're made
aggregating S1O5, 3S1 and loans Sol, 1872.
This total exceeds any previous year in
| the history of the board. More than
one half the churches on the roll do not
contribute to this fund and the board
begins the new year with an empty
treasury and many pressing demands.
The results of tue board of aid for
colleges has not proved a disappoint-
| ment to the expectations of the church.
During the year the receipts have been
| SIS, AGO and the sums paid out aggre-
| gate 500, $50. Forty institutions have
been assisted and twenty states occu-
| pied. The aggregate enrolment OF
| students is 1902, of whom 2, 795 are en-
| gagged in systematic Bible study.
The report of the board in charge of
| the missions for freemen shows that
nearly 100000 annually is being ex-
pended in this direction with good re-
suits. The expenditures last year
| amounted to 1898, COZ while the receipts
were S17S,313. Under this board Their
are 152 ordained ministers and 259
| churches with a membership of is, 800
| and 10. 47o Sunday school scholars.
During the year the report of the
| board of relief shows that 722 persons
were afforded assistance. ninety-four
| new names being placed upon the rolls.
| There are seventy-SiX ministers over 20
| years of age retired, the oldest being
| "a and thirty-five of the number being
over so. The total appropriation for
| this work was 1852, 492.
The missionary department has or
| ganized 992 schools and reorganized
| 299, but of this total 255 have ceased to
! exist. Into these about 45 600 teachers
| and scholars are now gathered.
The publication department has dis
| tributed more than 17,O00,O0 pages of
tracts and periodicals and $4,000 vol
umes of Chinese literature. The year
| closed with balance of SASS on
| hand.
| CALLED ON THE PRESIDENT.
WASHINGTON, May 2o.-After listen
| ing to the reports of numerous commit
tees the general assembly of the Pres
| byterian church, now in session here,
| adjourned yesterday afternoon and
| proceeded in body to the White house
| to call upon the president. President
| and Mrs. Cleveland received the visitors
| in the East room Mrs Cleveland wore
gray gown of soft. clinging material
trimmed with black velvet, and looked
| the embodiment of good health.
| DIR. Craig, the moderator, was pre-
sented to the president by Dr.. Bartlett
! chairman of the committee of arrange
ments, and made brief. felicitous ad
| dress, to which the president responded
in pleasant style. The visitors were
| formally presented by name to Mr..
| Cleveland by DIR. Bartlett and to Mrs.
| Cleveland nv Col II NJ Wilson