The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1893-05-26
THE PRESBYTERiANS
Report of the Various Church Boards to
the General Assembly-A Call Upon the
President,

Report OF the various Chureh Boards TO
the General Assembly-A Call Upon the
President.
WASHINGTON, May 2o-The annual re-
ports of the various church boards made
public to-day, to be taken up by the
Presbyterian assembly from time to
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 grog
shop and vast national exhibition OF the
trampllng down of law.
The establishment by congress of an
impartial commission of inquiry con-
cerning 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-
tion, 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 24,240
copies. The receipts of all the boards
during the year amounted to 50, 900, $50,
an increase over 1892 of $17S, 765.
The report of the board of church
erection funds shows that during the
year there were 329 applications for as
sistance upon which grants were made
aggregating sos, ,381 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 disappoint
ment to the expectat tions of the church.
During the year the receipts have been
SIS, ,460 and the sums paid out aggre-
gate $63, ,530 Forty institutions have
been assisted and twenty states occu-
pied. The aggregate enrolment of
students is 4,OO2, 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 s2OO,O annually is being ex-
pended in this direction with good re-
suits. The expenditures last year
amounted to SI93, ,OO2 while the receipts
-
are 152 ordained ministers and $50
churches with membership of 6,293
and 49, 472 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 70
years of age retired, the oldest being
81 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, 900 teachers
and scholars are now gathered.
The publication department has dis
tributed mere than II, 900, 900 pages of
tracts and periodicals and $4,000 vol
umes of Chinese literature. The year
closed with balance of s44,815 on
hand.
CALLED ON THE PRESIDENT.
WASHINGTON, May 20.-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 |
a gray gown of soft, clinging material |
trimmed with black velvet, and looked |
the embodiment of good health.
DR.. Craig, the moderator, was pre-
sented to the president by DIR. Bartlett, |
chairman of the committee of arrange |
ments, and made brief, felicitous adj |
dress, to which the president responded |
in pleasant style. The visitors were |
formally presented by nalne to Mr.. |
Cleveland by DIR. Bartlett and to Mrs. |
Cleveland by Col. j. NJ Wilson.