Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-14

l Sionaren IN the Held" He told OF th<
scores of cody young men who are
ready 70 enter foreign fields. drew pic.
ture OF the pathetic appeals being made
Tor more missionaries. urged greater sys.
tenn and more determined efforts In the
churches, and closed with tender and
touching plea for sending the Light u
the dark lands OF heathendom. The
speech was tender and effective and a
great argument for more business
methods In the Affairs OF missions. Al
It's close the report was adopted.
| WORK IN PAGAN FIELDS.
| The report OF the Committee on Pagan
Ffelcs. which was under discussion al
adjournment Saturday night. was taken
up now. as the next branch OF foreign
mission work. and In connection with II
Rev. II. II. Graves. missionary to Canton,
made a half-hour's talk. which was heard
with interest. DIR. Graves has been In
the foreign field some forty years. and has
grown both gray and bald in the SER
vice. He told In an interesting CONVEX
sational way about the progress Of mis-
sion work. how objections and supersti-
| lions have been overcome, and the eager
ness OF the people TO hear the Word OF
| God end be led TO salvation. DIR. Graves
| said he came over with the hope OF car
! rying back four missionaries. He ard
| his associates had undertaken to cover
I territory over 200 miles In two directions
| from Canton. and fifty miles to the south.
| The speaker laid special stress on the
| power OF prayer. and urged his hearers
| TO pray every Saturday afternoon from
| now TO July LIST. that the board may have
| the money to pay of fits debt and carry
on the work. He made the suggestion
| that at every communion service the
| church members be asked TO give nickel
| each to foreign missions. He was salts
| fed that large fund could be raised
| In this way. With earnest united prayer
| there would be no trouble about raising
| money. THE Lord" he said, has given
| us blank check signed by His own
| hand, and He will I'll II out through us II
| we will ask Him"
| Dr. Graves was followed by Rev. T. c.
| Britton, who brought words OF greeting
| and an appeal for more laborers In the
Masters vineyard in Central China.
There is. he said. a great field for work.
He asked the prayers OF the people for
tho missionaries and their work. and
urged that at least one family be sent
to Chinkiang. China.
This report was adopted. and by way
OF giving information. DR.. Willingham
stated that during its fifty years existence
the convention had sent out 80 mis-,
HOME-MISSION WORK.
Dr. Waterman submitted the report OF the
committee appointed TO consider the re-
port OF the treasurer of the Home Mis-
sion Board. The figures given In Satur-
days Dispatch, showing what the Home
Mission Board accomplished during the
year, are again presented In compact FORM
and the great work OF the board heartily
commended. over 5000 more was spent
in the erection of church buildings than
the year before. and 900 was raised In
excess OF current expenses, thus reducins
the boards debt to about $1,000. The re-
port was highly gratifying, ana was
adopted without discussion.
Or. Kerfoot. from the committee ap-
pointed a year ago to reply to frater-
nal communication from the Disciples. re-
ported that the reply had been presented
at the Disciples Convention in Rich-
mond. but that no answer had been re-
ceived. He had heard privately That ac-
ton was deferred by the Disciples on
the paper. which. Dispatch readers Will
remember. was presented TO their conveh-
ton last year by DR.. Hatcher.
OUR FOREIGN POPULATION.
DR.. Christian, from the committee TO
which was referred so much OF the home
Mission Boards report as relates TO Tor
sign population. including Cubans and IN
SLAMS. presented a report Of more inter-
est perhaps than any other paper submit
ted to the convention. 1t dealt directly
with immigration and atheism. and did
not mince matters at all Attention was
called to the fact that of the 81. 62225O in
habitants OF the United States s.l2l,S5'
were born on foreign soil. and 11,5O3.6l5
were born of foreign parentage, or one
IN three, and that the influx OF foreign
population is increasing. These foreign
ers," the report continues. "are accumu-
lating in our cities. and hence our cities
are the storm centres of the nation. one
hundred years ago per cent. OF the
population lived In cities: in 1895 "a per
cent. are found in cities; five cities have
one sixth-the controlling sixth of the en-
tire population of the United States.
Every great city Of our country Is domi-
mated by foreigners. But the great mis-
fortune Of all this is that these foreigners
bring along with them anarchy and want
of morals. We must evangelize them or
they will oyerwhelm us. l am glad to
say that our board has been able to do
something In this direction: but every dol
lar that is given to the Home Board
could prof1tably be spent in work among
the Germans alone not to mention other
We believe that the Gospel
of Jesus Christ will solve every difficulty
and overcome every obstacle. We would
therefore urge that the Gospel shall be
preached TO foreigners and that mission
schools and churches be formed among
them"
The report refers briefly to the Cuban
work. and concludes: I'VE find that in
the Indian Territory there exists an
anomalous state of affairs The Territory
must soon be opened for homes to the
whites; indeed, the white population al
ready exceeds that of the Indians two 10
one But the whites are not allowed 10
own lands, not even enough to build
houses for schools. while the Indians
have the largest school fund per capita
of any nation on earth. This state OF
affairs Is already giving much trouble
Though to-day this matter IL cloud no
bigger than a mans hand. IL holds within
its bosom the tornados might that can
mar alike the Armada's pride and spells
OF Trafalgar. In view Of this situation
the fact that the Territory must soon be-
come "A State. the large and Increasing
number of whites who are rushing into
this Territory, and the necessity OF hav-
ing strong and active missionaries on the
ground to pre-empt as far as possible the
growing towns, we would advise our board
to aggressively push the work as far as
means will allow In the Indian Terri
tory"
SPEECH BY DIR. DIAS
The discussion of this subject extended
up 10 the adjournment at dinner. DR..
Christian made a very strong speech along
the line OF the report, and urged the Inn
portance OF the subject. He then asked
that Rev. Mr.. Richmond. OF Baltimore,
and DR.. A. j. Dias, 1.-The Apostle 10 the
Cubans,' be heard. and such was the
pleasure OF the convention.
Mr. Richmond is pastor of a German
Baptist church In Baltimore. and is doing
"A fine work He is also the agent Of a
steamship line. with which the Baptists
have transportation contract, and II
was amusing to hear him tell with leu
tonic accent how he divides his commits
sions with the Church for benevolence.
His address was fun of interest.
DIR. Dias was heard with great interest
on his fine work In Cuba. He is the most
successful missionary the Church has ever
had. His broken English is rather at
tractive, and his earnestness impresses
all who hear him. He drew a vivid con-
trast between the death OF an unbeiever
and that OF his own venerable father,
who passed away in the full triumph OF
the Christian faith. His account shows
the Cuban work TO be in good shape, and
that there is steady advancement despite
the disturbing influences OF the revolu-
tons.