Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-04
CLEVELAND SPEAKS.
he Addresses q Presbyterian Church
Organization In New York.
IMPORTANCE OF MISSION WORK.
Especially I'm the Newer Parts of
This Vast Country of Ours
Booker T. Washington on the
Southern Poor.
Southern Poor

gun of a big home-mission campaign was
fired tonight at Carnegie Music Hall by
the Board OF Home Missions Of the
Presbyterian Church.
The announcement that President
Cleveland was to preside at the meeting
was of itself sufficient TO draw an i'm
mense audience to the hail. The doors
were opened at 7:l5 o'clock, but long
before that time the crowd began to
gather. Five minutes after the doors
were opened every seat in the immense
hall was filed.
The audience was very enthusiastic
one, and the remarks OF the various
speakers were cheered to the echo. The
object of the rally was to stir up public
interest in the work Of home missions
and to raise funds for completing the
payments on the new building Of the
society in Fifth avenue. The meeting
tonight is the first OF a series to be
held all over the United States.
1t was exactly five minutes after
O'Clock, when President Cleveland ap-
peared on the platform. He was dressed
in black frock coat. and wore turn
down cOildr ana "a DldCk Tic.
The moment the President was seen the
immense audience rose up. and cheered
wildly for a few minutes
There was another burst of applause
when the Rev DR.. John Hall introduced
President Cleveland as the presiding Off
Ger of the meeting in brief speech
DR.. Hall, in introducing the PRESIDENT,
said: MY Christian friends, we have
with us here one who has been twice
called by the voice OF his fellow-country-
men to the highest official position in the
United States, and one who has. j under
stand, some happy family associations
with our Board OF Home Missions.
have the pleasure, therefore, by the di-
rection OF the Board of Home Missions,
and | count IL an honorable duty. to
invite the President OF the United States
to preside over our present meeting"
President Cleveland then came forward.
He was received very warmly. but the
cheering was by no means boisterous.
His remarks on the foreign miss.onaries'
sufferngs was loudly cheered. He spoke
as follows:
II desire to express my appreciation
Of the privilege of participating In this
conference and OF the opportunity thus
afforded me to testify to the value and
usefulness of the work undertaken by
the Board OF Home Missions CT the Pres
byterian Church
my interest in this subject and my
familiarity with home missionary ef-
forts are not newly acquired. They
early came 20 me in the surroundings
of a Christian Presbyterian home, and
were stimulated by fathers faithful
labors In the cause.
my early impressions are not, however,
the only basis of the testimony j give
tonight for home missions. AS your TEL
low-citizens, interested I hope In all
things that deepen the religious sentiment
Of our people and enlarge Christian
influence, l fully realize the transcend
ent Importance OF this agency III ts
operation upon the hearts Of men Tor the
salvation of their souls. The long ros-
ters Of those wh have been led into
the way of righteousness through the IN
strumentality OF our missions are rich
trophies of successful endeavor.
But IL is not only as your fellow-Hti-
zens. but as the Chief Executive OF
your government. that l desire to speak,
for | am entirely certain that | serve
well our entire people, whose servant |
am whea I here testify to the benfit
our country has received through home
missionary effort, and when / join you
I'm an attempt to extend and strengthen
that effort.
IMPORTANCE OF RELIGION.
mo one charged with the duties and
RESPONSIBILITIES which necessarily weigh
upon your Chief Executive can ran 70
appreciate the importance OF religious
teaching and Christian endeavor In the
newly-settled portions OF our vast DO
main. II Is there where hot and stubborn
warfare between the forces OF good and
evil is constantly invited. In these days,
the vanguard OF occupation In new
settlement is never without its vicious
and criminal element. Gambling-houses
and dram-shops are frequently among the
first establishments In new community.
IL must also be confessed that removal
from old homes and old associations 10
a new and more primitive home has
tendency among honest and respectable
settlers to smother scrunles, and to breed
liberation Of evil, and indifference to
ChrIstiandizing and elevating agencies.
These conditions, IL unchecked and un-
corrected fix upon the new community
by their growth and expansion char
acter and disposition which, while dan
gerous TO peace and order in the early
stages of settlement. develop into badly
regulated municipalities. corrupt and un-
safe Territories, and undesirable States.
These are serious considerations in a
country where the people, good or bad,
are its rulers because the conditions to
which I have referred would certainly
menace, within a circle constantly en-
larging, the safety and welfare Of the
entire body polite II We could not'hope
that churches and religious teaching
would from the first be on the ground
to oppose the evil influences that are
apt to pervade the beginning OF organized
communities.
"These churches and this religious
teaching were never more needed than
now on our uistant frontiers. where the
process of forming new States IL going
on so rapidly, and where newcomers, who
are to be the citizens OF new States, are
so rapidly gathering together
For these instrumentalities at The
outposts OF our population. 80 vitally inn
portant In the view OF Christian men
as well as patriotic citizens. we must
depend, to very great extent. on home
missionary exertson. How can We excuse
ourselves II we permit theis exertion to
languish for the lack of proper support?
SITUATION OF MISSIONARIES.
"If we turn from the objects OF home
missionary labor to the situation Of thos7
actually toiling in distant feds for God
and humanity and purer. better citizen
ship, our sympathy with their work mus,
be further quickened. and tur sense
of duty to them and their cause actively
stimulated. These are the men and wo-
men who have left home and the asso-
ciation OF friends under the direction OF
organized mission boards to teach Chris
tianity In sparsely-settled section, and
to organize churches where none exist,
enduring discomfort. Hardship. poverty
and danger for the sake OF cause to
which In a very comfortable ana mex
pensive way we profess to be attached.
These are our soldiers at the front. fight