The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-06-13
uNlTARiANs IN COUNCIL.
Meetings of the Maine Conference of
Churches and N. e, Branch Women's
National Alliance.


Yesterday was marked by the beginning of
the Maine Conference of Unitarian
churches, and a meeting of the New Eng
land Branch of the National Women's
Alliance, at the First Parish church in this
city. There was a good attendance in the
afternoon where the conference opened and
during the session of the Alliance.
The Maine Conference was opened at 2
p. m. The president, Hon. J. W. Symonds.
announced that the churches were in con-
vention. Prayer was offered by Rev. A. S.
Pettengill of Yarmouth. The records We're
read, a nominating committee was APP
pointed, and minor business despatched,
and the meeting adjourned until Wednesday
at 10 a. m.
The Alliance was called to order at 2.30 p.
M, the president, Mrs. Kate Gannett Wills,
of Boston, in the chair. Mrs. E. NJ. Z. Bart
lett, director of the Maine State Alliance,
gracefully welcomed the delegates, and at
the close the Lords prayer was recited and
a hymn was sung by the choir. This was
followed by the greeting to the Maine Con-
ference by Mrs. Wells, a most fellcitious adj
dress from one of New England's most
gifted.
Mrs. George S. Hale of Boston, presented
a statement of the New England Associate
Alliance. She said that an objection that
has been made to it is that it multiplies
methods and officers, but this objection is
met by the fact that the same officers are
found in the National and New England
branches. No effort is made to raise money
separate from that raised for the National
Alliance. The expense of the association
until lately has been borne by a few, and
these expenses are not heavy, being for
postage, printing, etc. She spoke highly of
the work that has been done by the Maine
branch, especially in Indian affairs. The
Alliance work was instituted not as a de-
nominational work, but as a work of
sympathy and OF kindness. Nevertheless it
has grown to be a denominational work. She
referred to tho cases where effort had been
made to prosecute members on that ac-
count, particularly in the matter OF one
neighborhood where the children had been
prosecuted by the children of the evangeli-
Cal churches, because they were Unitarians
and that of a physician who took great COM
fort in the documents circulated by the
Alliance. but requested that the towns
people should not be informed of that fact
else he would be made very uncomfortable.
The paper was discussed by Mrs. Edward
G. Jordan, Mrs Hamilton and others, and
the matter of how affairs of the association
should be selected and whether a state
should have president, or simply a direc-
tor acting also as a vice president of the
New England Alliance.
The next, paper was on the Limits of Self
| Sacrifice by Mrs. Wells, and was full of
| interest. The speaker referred to the idea
of sacrifice having pervaded the old Jewish
| and Catholic religions. and how, out of
| theology has grown women's self sacrifice.
! Mrs. Wells discussed the self sacrifice be-
| tween parent and child. husband and wife,
| brother and sister, friends, and the self
sacrifice of individuals. She thought that
| if as little children we learn and begin to
| do good in the end our self sacrifice will be-
| come automatic. 1t is coming nearer to God
| when the sunlight falls upon our work. so
| let us work always voluntarily choosing the
| best.
| Mrs. Jordan, Mrs. Burgess and others fol-
lowed, taking the views presented by Mrs.
| Wells and speaking in the highest terms of
the beauty of thought and delightful en-
abling Christianity that characterized it.
| The last paper of the afternoon was 1.-THE
| Sunday School, by Mrs. Beach. Mrs. Beach
| said her subject might be chestnut, but it
| was nevertheless a matter of vital import
ance to the Unitarian church. She went
| into the Methodist, Baptist and Uniyersalist
| Sunday schools and saw them crowded with
| children, all interested in the work and she
| was fain to regret she was a Unitarian. If
| she said, we are to have no Sunday schools
| of Importance who are to carry on the
| churches of the future. A child will feel he
can't miss his day school, but he won't
hesitate to stay away from Sunday school.
| She spoke of the numberless beautiful Sun
| day school lessons and leaflets written for
Sunday schools by Unitarians which could
not fail to do a great work as educators.
Mrs Beach was followed by Revs. Messrs
Perkins and Prescott. Mr.. Perkins, while
heart and soul in favor of the Sunday
school thought there were many who con-
| sidered there were stumbling blocks in the
| way of their success, that unless the chill
dren were interested by home training in
the church they would fail to attain it by
other methods. Mr.. Prescott said he was
called crank on this subject. He was a
strong believer in the value of the Sunday
school and that Unitarians should do all
they could to build them up. Several others
also spoke.
The congregation sang the Doxology and
the meeting adjourned The representatives
|
o'clock train.
In the evening there was sermon by Rev
John Cuckson of darlington Street church,
| Boston.
This will be today's programme:
Wednesday, 800 q. m,-Communion Con
Quoted by Rev: A: .Pettingill of Yarmouth.
1000 a. m.-Conference business.
11.00 a. m.-Paper, by Rev. Thomas Van
Ness of the Second Church of Boston. Sub
ject, Organization; how it can be better
| utilized in Unitarian churches.
| M -Co I1afI
2.0J p. m.-Conference business.
2;3o p. m.-Paper BY Rev. w., f. Lyon of
All Souls church, RoXbury. Subject, 1.-The
| Church and Social Rorfem.'
$3.50 p. m.-Paper, by Rev. j. M. Leighton
of Belfast. Subject, 1.-The Church of FL human
| Welfare
7.30 D. m.-Opening by the president Ad-
dresses will be given by Rev. E. E. Newbert
of Augusta; Rey. E. J: Prescott -ofsKenne..
bunk; Rev. Gridnall Reynolds, secretary of
the American Unitarian Association.
| Shut Down of the Electrical Zinc Com
pany Plant,
The Electrical Zinc Company's plant, on
| tho cbora of the iuner ha rh0r 11ndar MINI