The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-13
GROWTH OF THE SOCIETY
Nearly29, 900 Companies Enrolled
lin the United States Alone.
Annual Report of Secretary Baer and
Address of President Clark-The Lat
ter's Remarks on Good Citizenship.

n ~ aPiS u t&A "1~
crowded to the doors this morning at the
opening exercises of the great interna-
tionaI Christian Endeavor convention 1t is
estimated that twenty thousand strangers
are in the city this morning. and since
the partial resumption of railroad traffic
the numbers are increasing. every incom-
ing train bringing in large crowds. The ex-
erciSes to-day consisted Of two mass meet
ings. One was held in Saengerfest Hall and
the other in a big tent in the eastern part
of the city. The tent has a seating ca
pacity of ten thousand. The address of
welcome was delivered by Governor Nc
Kinley. The Governor was very cordially
received, and his words were applauded
vigorously.
In the absence of President Clark, who
was unable to be here on account of ill
ness, Rev. Chas. T. Dickinson, of Boston,
presided over the principal meeting at
Saengerfest Hall. After vocal exercises by
1900 trained voices and short addresses by
prominent members and leaders of the So
ciety, Secretary Baer read his annual re-
port. 1t showed the society to be in a very
fourishing condition and with an ever in
creasing membership almost phenomenal in
proportions. 1.-The commanding officer" the
Secretary said, finds that this host is not a
mere wave OF IOdmy, yOutn1ul enthusiasm,
a part Of it cast up on the shores OF Lake
Erie. On the contrary, it is an army as
strong as steel and as flexible as ribbon.
1t is a God-given, God-protected, God-ad-
vanced army. The growth of the society
during the past twelve months has been
the largest since it was organized, thirteen
years ago. During that period f,135 COM
panies have been added to the ranks,
against a gain of 5,526 companies added to
the rolls during the previous year. England
has now 1,453 regularly enrolled companies
including fifty-eight in Scotland and thir-
ty-eight in Ireland, or a total of seventy
five thousand. individual members. The
Japan, Turkey, China, France, Spain, Mex
leo and other foreign countries. The total
Canada at present is 1850. In all there
are 2S, 696 companies enrolled in the United
States, and the total individual member
ship throughout the world is over two mil
lion. Thirty evangelical denominations are
represented in the society, the Presbyteri-
ans still leading with 6,652 companies the
Congregationalists, the Baptists, Disciples,
Methodists and Lutherans follow In the
order named"
At the several overflow meetings held in
the big tent and nearby churches fully
fifteen thousand people were In attendance.
All of the principal speeches delivered at
s=aengerfest Hall W. We're ho r repeated e at the
The great meetings held in Saengerfest
Hall and in the tent this morning were du-
Cleveland people joining with the delegates
in making up the attendance. Secretary
Baer SAYS that the opening meetings. were
larger by one-third than those of any pre-
vio1s convention. Both of the evening
meetings were opened with a praise and
prayer service. Rev. Henry T. McEwen. of
New York, presided in the tent, and Rev.
Charles F. Thwing, president of the West
ern Reserve University, in the hall. AT the
opening of both meetings the trustees made
the announcement of the meeting. places in
1885 and 1896. San Francisco will get the
convention next. year, and the one two
poltfpoOrp VNnChiOOtnO and AShlrV Park
were the only places which had asked for it.
FATHER CLARK'S ADDRESS.
The annual address of President Francis
e. Clark was read at both of the evening
meetings, he being unable to be in attend
ance on account of illness. The address
reviews the growth of the society, and APP
peals to Endeavorers to continue the good
work they have begun. Following are ex-
tracts:
Again, Christian Endeavorers, strike
once more for good citizenship. Right no
bly, nave you rallied around this standard
during the past year. From East and West,
and North and South has come the good
news-Christian Endeavor stands for the
election of good men, for the enactment of
good laws, for sturdy ana steady opposi-
ton to the saloon, the gambling hell. the
lottery, the violation of the Sabbath.
1T stands by such men as Charles II.
Parkhurst, and every kindred spirit in
every political party that seeks TO purify
DOlllCS ut 10 fHdhC lnlS = ldiiO-
Il congratulate you that none of you have
been cajoled into making our organization
the tail of any political kite. To be a
Christian Endeavorer does not mean that
one is necessarily a Republican, or a DEM
ocrat. or a Populist. or a third party man,
a Blue or a Grit a Tory Sec or "a, liberal J eoo NJ
citizen, and that he will exert every ounce
of his influence, to whichever sex he be
longs Of the young men will excuse the
generic pronoun), for the right.
while Tammany flourishes in New York:
and open gambling in Chisago, and Licensed
prostitution in New Orleans, and the Louis
| lana lottery has moved only across the
street TO Honduras, the outlook is dark.
1t is dark, but not hopeless. This last year
and Brooklyn redeemed. 1t has seen Croker
fly TO Europe. 1t has heard Woolley speak
in Chicago and indianapolis, and Murphy
i'm Boston, and has witnessed a score OF
other good-citizenship campaigns. 1t has
seen thousands of Endeavorers go TO the
primaries who never went before: 1t has
the saloon in Canada, a verdict that En-
deavorers have made emphatic in a hum
THANK God for the years work. But
you have only struck once, Endeavorers
Strike again, and again. and again, until u
York. or Toronto, or San Francisco, ht
would find clean streets, and clean city
halls. and clean men in them. with never e
brotReI or a dive to pollute the air that ht
For missions, too. more has been done
That eloquent roll of honor tells us tina
tens of thousands of dollars have beer
given. The missionary extension course
with that son of thunder at its head, hai
kindled a genuine missionary prairie fir,
wherever il has swept-through Illinois
into Indiana. and Wisconsin. and Kansas
south into Tennessee and east into New
York. But il is q kindled nation, and no
merely blazing patches OF missionary en-
thusiasm, that we desire to see. and Chris
tan Endeavor bears the torch that cal
kindle this fire. Millions should be givel
where now are given thousands. 4 yer,
active Christian Endeavorers at $50, 600, 90
for the last twelve months. One-tenth o
that. $500 900, would be nearly twice a
much as all the Christians of Americ;
gave to home and foreign missions within
There is no North or South in Christian
Fndeavor. Thank God that, however on
fathers have been divided the hearts o
a multitude of young Christians on botl
sides of Mason and Dixon'S line are JONES
i'm Christian Endeavor. OF what incalcula
bile benefit may such conventions as thi
prove in promoting true patriotism am,
national unityi Ours Is no fratricidal con
test. our enemy Is the enemy OF all right
eousness. . Why should ali young peopl
not be united against him? Has not tn
time come for "A still longer stride?
The suggestion has come from Aus
tralia. and has been seconded by England
and China, and India. and japan, Of Z
worlds Christian Endeavor union. mad,
M of individuals In all lands that believe
in the Endeavor ideas and will stand with
us on the broad platform of Endeavoi
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