People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-05-26
THE PRESBYTERIANS.


Report of the Various Church Boards to
the General Assembly-A Call Upon the
President.
WASHINGTON, May 9O-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 a vast national exhibition Of the
trampling down Of law.
The establishment by congress of an
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 stepping stone toward
general prohibition. Among all the
reports of presbyteries the license sys-
TEN has no advocate or apologist. The
report emphasizes the statement that
the church is not political organiza-
ton, but owes IT 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 24,24O
copies. The receipts of all the boards
during the year amounted to 81, 1862,
an increase over 1892 of Sis, 765.
The report of the board of church
erection funds shows that during the
year there were 500 applications for as
sistance upon which grants were made
aggregating s1O5,SS1 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
Sl5, 400 and the sums paid out aggre-
gate S6S, $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 Sl93, OO2 while the receipts
were S17S,319. Under this board there
are 1872 ordained ministers and 259
churches with a membership of 1928
and 1912 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-tive of the number being
over so. The total appropriation for
this work was 1852, 492.
The missionary department has or
ganized 1872 schools and reorganized
800, but of this total 255 have ceased to
exist. Into these about $1,000 teachers
and scholars are now gathered.
The publication department has dis
tributed more than 100000 pages of
tracts and periodicals and $4,000 vol
umes of Chinese literature. The year
closed with balance of S44,S15 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 a 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 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 Dr. Bartlett and to Mrs.
NKrs