The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-03
NosEcTIONAL sOUTH. y
II. II. Edmond-' Advice to the baptis'
Young Peoples Union.
Editors Religious Herald

Editors Religious Herald:
believe that God never before gave 10
any denomination such wonderful op-
portunitv as the Baptists Of the South
or rather the Baptists OF the entire coun-
try-now have.
The development Of the West Is to be
far more than duplicated in the sou'h.
Here nature has given comDihauo" "a
advantages nowhere else equalled on the
face of the globe. Here are found coal,
iron. timber. cOtton-the foundation OF
nearly all manufacturing wealth-ailu no-
where else are these four Iouho III 'hc
same region. The wealth OF Ne" t.hbian"
and Great Britain, created out or COTTON
manufacturing; the wealth OF fehHaS va
MIA. made ont of coal and iron, and the
wealth q. tho Northwest, made from
lumber are all to be duplicated and con-
centrafed In the South. Add to this posi-
bilities I'm agriculture that guarantee that
this section can produce out OF the soil
more than the farm interests OF the en-
tire country now yield: that this favored
climate will be worth millions In annual
increment of wealth because OF the thou
sands-and soon 10 be hundreds Of thou
sands-who seek the South in winter for
health and pleasure, and we can possibly
form some faint idea OF what VIII pe
seen during the next quarter OF cen
fury. The whole trend. OF population is
now southwark. Thousands OF northern
and western farmers are moving this way
Scarcely "A day passes without the sale
somewhere I'm the South of large tract
of land for colonization purposes TX
Governor Northen. Of Georgia, lately sold
10 q western company 10000 acres OF land
in one body, which will be settled with
over 1000 families, or from 1000 10 $1,000
people Many others are doing the same
thing i'm nearly every southern State
The great railroad kings-like st. John,
Baldwin, Reinhart, and others-who We're
the leading factors in carrying population
westward are now operating in the South
and are preparing TO do for this section
what they did for the Northwest. This
great inflow Of population is coming. We
could not stop II n we would. People the
South with sayages. or let it be without
an inhabitant, and the resistiess move
ment which has started southwark would
yet sweep over the land. The West has
Tor the time being been over-populated,
economic changes beyond the control OF
man are forcing manufacturing interests
TO the raw material. the South Is the
most inviting field i'm the world TO the
agricuturist, and II has the raw materials
FOR Industrial pursuits in greater album
dance and more cheaply utilized than any
other equal area on earth All these
things are uniting to inaugurate a change
in the South, which will be worldwide
in It's effect.
1t is a God-given opportunity, and, as
with every new opportunity there comes a
new responsibility, il behooves the Bap-
lists OF the South to fully realize that to
whom much is given of them shall much
be required.
The South can no longer live apart ana
be "A country unto itself Henceforth II
will add 10 its population from outside
sources 10000 10 100000 people year. II
we do not educate our Baptist people 10
meet them in the broadest spirit OF fra
ternity. to avoid whatever looks like an
adherence 10 sectional lines 81 care not
how much nor how truly We disclaim the
spirit of sectiOnalism), We shall lose our
opportunity and God will give 10 some
other denomination the broadness of Wis
ion 10 see how TO utilize the opportunity
10 do his work.
IL Is because Of these facts, and because
] am firmly convinced that the OrganiZa-
ton OF a separate Southern b. Y. 4. T..
would cause us TO lose our opportunity.
and would bring into the Southern Baptist
Convention discord where there ought 10
be harmony. and eventually lead to a dis
indignation OF the convention by driving
many churches out OF IT, that 1 have op-
posed the movement for a southern b..
Y. =. l.. RICHARD II. EDMONDS.
Baltimore. Md.