Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-04-21
WHAT THEIR IDEA is.
lnterIieI With Dr.. Pitt About The Young
Peoples Washington Conference.
DEEP INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT.

Organization Shall Bear to the
Southern Convention to He Dis
cussed-The DiRerent Views Held.
| For several months the Baptist week.
lies of the South. led by the Religious
Herald Of this city. have been discuss
| ing the feasibility and the ACCESSIBILITY OF
forming some organization for fostering
the work among the young Baptists OF
the South In close organic touch with
the Southern Baptist Convention. To
consider this question a conference OF
those friendly to the young peoples move
ment has been called to meet In Wash
| ington on Thursday. May 9Th. at 1920
| A. NJ. Knowing that DR.. r. Fl. Pitt. one
| OF the editors OF the Herald, has been
| greatly interested In the discussion,
I representative Of the Dispatch sought him
| out and obtained his views upon the SUBJ
| ject.
How did this agitation begin" DR..
Pitt was asked
| 1T is well known" he replied, that
| one Of the most marvellous religious de-
| velopments Of the last decade Is the ex-
| traordinary activity among our Christian
| young people. This first found expression
| IN the Christian Endeavor Society, one
OF the most phenomenal OF modern Chris
tan movements. The Christian Endeavor
Society as everybody knows, Is inter-
L in uh
Of normal development. came the Epworth
League among the Methodists, and the
| Baptist Young Peoples Union As
| sociation among the Baptists. This last
covers the whole OF North America. and
| It's annual sessions have been full OF re-
| ligious enthusiasm and power. Last year
they met in Toronto. and this year they
will meet in Baltimore. The proposition
| now under discussion Is the organization
of body In fraternal relations with the
International Union and auxiliary to the
| Southern Baptist Convention. which shall
| annually canvass the work and foster II
in the territory of the convention. 1t is
TO consider and discuss this matter that
the conference OF friends Of this move
ment IL to be held in the national capital"
FACT AND FICTION MIXED.
"One OF the press associations has re-
Gently sent out a dispatch to the eff ct
| that you and DIR. Gambrel, OF Georgia.
have signed a call urging each church In
| the Southern Baptist Association, which
1 embraces everything south OF Mason *
Dlxons line, to send delegates to meet
| ing to be held in Washington, ID. c.,
| on May 9th,' and the telegram has been
4, explained to mean that you are In favor
| or cutting loose from the International
Union. Are IN Sc statements accurateT
| They contain a singular mixture or
fact and fiction. The only call which has
been signed by DR.. Gambrell and myself
is that OF which I have already spoken.
| This has been published In all the south
ern Baptist weeklies. I am not in favor
! OF impairing the relation OF local unions
| to the International but am in favor OF
| a southern organization wide enough In
its scope to take in those who believe In
| the international and those who do not"
| Are there any friends OF the movement
In the South who would be unwilling
TO go into the International UnionY
| "My own impression Is that there are
a great many OF this sort. / myself am
| not to be counted among them, how
| ever. There are some features OF the
! international meetings, such as addresses
| by women to promiscuous audiences,
| which have excited opposition among
some who are otherwise very friendly.
| But the question how to organize Is one
, OF detail, and doubtless a very conserva-
tive and fraternal spirit will prevail, and
we shall find ourselves nearer together
| than we supposed. A more serious ques-
ton Is whether the movement shall be
| recognized at all or take on any organic
| shape"
| OPPOSE ANY ORGANIZATION.
Are there any who oppose every form
| OF organization?'
| yes there are some. There are al
| ways folks who obi ct. Some object be-
cause they do not know how to do any
| thing else. Others object because they
| cannot dominate 1t. But there are yet
| others, thoughtful and excellent men.
who think further organization unneces-
sary and unwise. These will not probably
be largely represented in the conference
| on May 9Th, but they will be in the con-
ventIon Immediately following, to which
| the results OF the conference will be sub
| mitted'
| 1T IL, then, your idea to submit what
ever Is done in the Young Peoples Con-
| ference to the Southern Baptist Convn-
ton for its approval?'
| "Unquestionably that ought to be done.
| II seems to me. l oannot say that 1t Will
be done. The conference on May 9Th is
| absolutely free from any pledge except
that OF friendship for the young peoples
| movement. No one man or coterie or
men can control It. 1t will make its own
rules OF order establish its own basis
OF voting and conduct its own affairs in
its own way. Speaking for myself alone.
1 should promptly abandon any agitation
| for southern union If the convention.
| after full and free discussion, disap-
prove it,
| "Wlll the attendance be very large In
| Washington
| There Is reason to believe that In spite
OF hard times the delegation to the con-
| ference and the convention will be larger
than usual. Richmond will send a very
large delegation Of young people. SO
| hear"
| HOW THE vIRGINIANS STAND.
| rs there any difference Of opinion be-
tween the Virginia young folks and your
| self?"
80 far as I have tested the sentiment
OF the Virginia Baptist young people. a
decided majority OF them prefer the closer
| organization OF the southern department
OF the International to any form OF or
ganization. They wish any organization
formed In Washington TO maintain not
| only fraternal but organic relations with
| the International This does not repre-
mt the sentiment OF all Of them by any
means; but l think II represents a de-
cided majority. On the main questions
| tHc NlISlfld young ptOpie are tnoroush.y
| In line with me, or. perhaps, l ought
rather to say am In line with them"
rs there any bitterness or bad feeling
growing out OF the discussion
Absolutely none in Virginia, so far as
] know. We are all brethren, and are
seeking the same end, and will be found
together when the time for discussion has
passed and the time for action has be-
gun. Some OF the opponents OF the whole
movement have lost their tempers and
have said ugly things. but nobody is dis
posed TO quarrel with them. and they will
doubtless in due time feel ashamed Of
themselves The Herald has led the dis
cussion, but has from the beginning de-
clared its willingness to accept with the
utmost cheerfulness whatever the breth-
ren may decide to do
DR.. Dickinson. just from the Georgia
| Baptist Convention, brings news that
that body, under the leadership Of DR..
Hawthorne. decided favorably to south
ern union.
| The Art Classes.
| Thursdav's claaa NJ the rooms NJ the