The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-09-02
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.
Closing Meeting of the Convention and
: Election of Officers.

with young people for short prayer meet
ing. CA. Dunlap, president of the Y r.
S. at Second Parish church, led the
meeting and was very earnest in his
opening words.
The last session of the convention came
to order shortly after 9 o'clock, with the
singngs of Coronation. President Foss
spoke in fitting words of the railroad
disaster at Chester and the death OF
Portland's honored citizen, John e. De-
Witt.
Rev. G. E. Cate led in prayer in behalf OF
the afflicted family. and friends OF the
deceased.
The announcement was then made that
fully 1000 delegates had been in regular
attendance on the meetings of the con-
vention.
The first morning address was on the
subject of "Amusements," delivered by
Rev. G D. Lindsay of the Congress street
Methodist Episcopal church of this city.
Mr.. Lindsay said: you cannot put an
old head on young shoulders. Youth and
vigorous animal spirits will show them
selves. Some one with pious air has
said, We never read anywhere in the New
Testament that Jesus laughed With
Just as much reverence and more sense
it might be said, we have no record that
he sneezed. The Christianity that is
going to be injured by good hearty
laugh isn't worth carrying around.
Individual conscience must be respected.
What condemns men may not condemn
you. Abstinencessfrom all amusements
may indicate diseased mind, diseased
soul, while relish for all amusements
could point to carnal mind and suggest
unacquaintance with Jesus Christ. 1
don't want to be narrow. Young people
must be amused. There is a natural
craving for the bright and jolly, and the
pre- eminence of the Y. P. S. CT E. thrusts
upon us the responsibility OF giving
direction and satisfaction to that natu.a
craving. The impression has gained
abridgement of the enjoyments OF this
life We maintain that that is an error.
Further we are to impress and influence
those who are without. 1t goes without
saying that the nature of our amuse-
ments must be vigilantly guarded. Jesus
Christ coupled watchfulness with
prayer. The prayer meeting COM
mittee should be selected cautiously, but
better make mistake there than in your
social committee. You place the reputa-
ton of your society in the hands of your
social committee. Are there not avenues
can blend innocence with pleasure, and
enjoy physical and mental relaxation
without questionable associations? Is it
necessary that we should walk on slip
perry paths when safe ones are in reach?
Doubtless the prophecy that gone forth
that this Question of amusements is the
rock on which our organization shall be
dashed in pieces. We believe better
things. Let us aim in all of our amuse
ments to ennoble the mind, improve the
heart and increase the usefulness. "Come
out from the ungodly and touch not the
unclean thing"
The second topic for consideration was
announced as Temperance, and Mrs. L.
MN. Stevens of the W CT. u, was in
PRODUCED as the first speaker.
At the close of Mrs. Stevens's remarks
Gen. Neal Dow was introduced and re-
ceived by the whole audience with the
Chautauqua salute, with applauding,
waving of handkeroheifs and more APP
plauding. Gen. Dow spoke in his char
acteristic manner with great earnestness
in behalf of the great temperance move
ment.
Rev. S. Williamson had for his theme
the great subject of "Social Problems"
In the State of Massachusetts,, he said,
the average income of the laboring man
is $500 per year. The laboring man comes
asks for shorter hours. What do we tell
him? We say no, for fear he will spend
it in the saloon. A man must work
until he is tired in order keep out of
mischief. Is that right? One man we
have recently read about in the papers is
to spend a million dollars to build a
home, while in New York alone are 80, 900
hungry men. Another man IS to take a
year to sail around the world in his fine
boat to collect curios to adorn his home,
while in Alabama the entire amount
used for public education is less than
that trip will cost Is this right? We
have preached to the poor, the degraded,
but not to the rich. Is it not time that
the Christian church went to these people
and showed them their position and ap-
piled the remedy before the anachist and
the bomb thrower come and destroy the
land? The system cannot be right which
enables one man to hoard up his millions
in a lifetime while hundreds are hungry.
Shall not the Christian church take a
hand and through the religion of Jesus
Christ assist in solving this great prob
lem OF capital and labor?
The temperance question has been
spoken of here today and the saloon warn
edagainst = Is not the home one of the
great factors in this problem? If man
has poor home, poor food and such
things is there much wonder that the
man seeks the saloon? Make the home
better, elevate them by Christianity The
women should stay in the homes and
build them up within Christian nurture.
II women go into the industrial world
and compete with men, surely it will be
at the peril of the homes and this prob
lem will be growing worse all the time.
The last address Of the convention was
delivered by Rev. W. S. Ayres of this city
on Practical Work with our Bibles J"
Mr.. Ayres's remarks were of very practi-