Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-23

had to endure temperature o. lis degrees in
the shade. The man who was nearest the north
POLE within the arctic circle. telling the story of
the cross was missionary OF their board and
ne had to live a part of the year under
ground to escape the fierce polar blasts.
Speaking of the allegation sometimes made
that the home mission board did not always use
good judgment in planting churches. He
thought the presumption should be In favor of
the board, as there were on it some well-bel-
anced ministers and several laymen of good
hard sense who would not be wasteful of the
money Of the church. He spoke Of the diff
culties OF multiplying churches unnecessarily in
new communities, but. through understandings
with other denominations, it was believed the
evil would be reduced to minimum. Speak
ing of the treasury. he spoke of the fact that
the contributions for the year had lacked only
So, 900 Of a round million, but this sum had
been mad up in Il large measure by requests
and gifts from men.
He went into the matter Of the finances of the
board at some length. The board. he said, was
compelled to borrow from $1,000 to 81, 500
every working day for seven months of the
year. and he was happy to say that they had
made such arrangements as to enable them to
pay their missionaries promptly whether they
had money In the treasury or not. They did not
borrow because thew wanted to- but because the
churches by Withholding their contributions
compelled them TO, and they believed it better
that they should borrow the money in New
York at a low rate of interest than that the
missionary in the field should be compelled to
borrow in the field at a high rate.
THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM.
He spoke of the problem presented by the
constant How of immigrants to the country
many of whom were without religious re-
straints. Was immigration, he asked. fraught
with peril? He asked the question not with
reference to the duty of the government, but
to awake the church to do its duty. Another
danger was the rapid growth OF population in
cities. There was danger in growth that was
abnormal. There were attracted to the cities
the worst parts of the immi grant population.
The last danger that threatened the land was
the deterioration Of the people i'll the older
states. The removal from New England of
great numbers Of strong and good men, who
had taken their places in the west, had left in
New England gap which had not been filled
by men Of the same kind. He gave a picture
of the condition of affairs, as it appeared to
him, when Romanism and illiteracy were, as he
claimed. gaining strength.
DIR. Roberts address was vigorously ap-
plauded-
sELF-sUsTAINING SYNOD.
Rev. James Williamson Of Thornton, Ind,
following, said he believed that the synods
should adopt system of characterization. and
in that way they could help the board In
their synod they had adopted such u system,
and they made an assessment of twenty-five
cents a member. In this way they raised SlO-
OOO, which was spent at home Instead of
drawing from the board more than they gave
to 1t, as they had previously done, thew gave to
the board $4,000. They had accomplished
this with ease. In the synod of Indianapolis it
was their former history that not more than half
OF the churches gave to this cause. They