The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-12-15

were In our country 10. 600, 600 of young
people and children who were outside
of church or religious Influences.
The report on the Relief Fund for
aged ministers showed mat Inc inter.
eat In that work was growing, and
that twenty-five beneficiaries were
now being aided by that board. The
report oil the board Of ministerial edu-
cation showed that twenty-four stu
dents had received aid. Heretofore
this board has been providing for the
support of students for the ministry at
both the Seminary at Louisville and
the Furman University. But 1t was
decided to SO change matters as to
commit to this board the care OF the
! University students only, and give to
the Representative 8 of the Seminary
the opportunity to solicit direct IN
tributions for its Students Fund on
the floor of the Convention. A very
! gratifying result of this change of
method was seen when, at u later
stage of the proceedings, DR.. Kerfoot,
of the Seminary, presented its claims
and received pledges for It's Students
Fund, amounting to somewhat more
than $1,000.
The session of Thursday night was
devoted to the interests of the Sunday
School and of the Foreign Mission
work. The report Of the committee
on the first subject was presented by
its chairman, Rev. o. L.. Martin, N
was followed by a presentation of the
claims Of the Sunday School Board OF
the Southern Baptist Convention, at
Nashville, by DR.. j. M. Frost, It's sec
rotary.
Rev. G. z. Erwin, Of Bamberg, whom
by the grace of the board of trustees
OF Furman University we must hence.
forth address az ID. d., presented the
report Of the committee on Foreign
Missions. The gifts of South Carolina
Baptists to this cause were pointed
out as being about one-third only Of
what had been hoped for from them.
Rev. Il. II. Moseley spoke on the sub
ject, and was followed by Rev. r. J..
Willingham, d. D., secretary of the
Foreign Mission Board of the South
ern Baptist Convention. In connec-
tion with the subject the report Of
the central committee OF the Woman's
Mission Society was presented and dis
cussed. The body by u rising vote
adopted a resolution to try to raise
$4,000 during the convention year to
carry on the foreign mission work and
to pay off the debt of the board. Before
the vote could be announced n Of the
delegates began to sing, Draw me
nearer, blessed Lord" in which he
was heartily seconded by the large au-
dience, while standing.
The session of Friday was character
lied by the report of the trustees Of
Furman University and the Greenville
Female College, and the attendant
discussion. After referring to the loss
the board had sustained in the death
Of Row. j. A. w. Thomas. who had
been connected with the board for
many years, the attendance at the
University was stated to be 1855, and
thai at the Female College 1853, an in
crease in both Instances owe the at
tendance Of the previous year. While
in the equipment Of the college a debt
J Of SO, 500 had been incurred, the inter.
est on the debt had been regularly
paid, and 1900 of the principal was
expected to be paid by June, 1897. The
, pressing demand for additional dormi,
tory facilities at the college was
} strongly emphasized. Tho gratifying
} success attending the work OF the ii
nancial agent, Rev. r. N. Pratt, wa.
7 noted, and the Importance OF raising
, the proposed $40, 600 for the endow,
I ment of the University was urged
. Announcement was made that tho
: upon Rev. c.. =. Erwin, OF Bamberg
Rev. ). w. Perry. of Huntsville, ant
Rev. C. S. Gardner, of Greenville.
, DR.. Riley, Rev. r. N. Pratt, Judge
Hudson, and Prof. f. w. Boatwright
l president Of Richmond College, spoke
to the report. President Boatwrigh'
said that, if any one wished to know
why he WAS here, he wouil reply, be
3 cause he was at Richn md Colleg,
] with DR.. Ramsey, because he wanted tt
hear DIR. Gardner preach, and because
he wanted to become acquainted will
the editors of the Baptist Courier
which was SO prominent a factor il
furthcring tie interests Of the Univer
sity and the College. Why Baptist,
should be educated was urged On the
+: ground hat they are the only peopl,
] that do not have brides put on them
and as they are thus turned loose they
ought to learn how to go rightly. The
. increased power of the trained min(
by reason Of the enlarged field givel
it by means of the press, whereby the
. words of the orator reach many more
; han the 3d. 600 persons, whom the
D voice of Demosthenes reached, was in
5 dictated, and the maintenance of oul
1 free Institutions, as being dependen'
: Gmnn our heir~ucated christianlv
was sTranGCs urgeu.
) Rev. Fl. r. Moseley referred to hi;
work in connection with the building
. OF an Alumni hall and the difficulty o
enlisting the Oh students in tina
WOth. Hc cNpldluCu ills bSctnluS III
+, difference as partly due 10 the fac
= that there was an ~unintentional non
: recognition of the old students in The
: appointment Of trustees and professors
!; He, therefore, introduced a resolution
: which was after reference to a com
mittee passed by the convention, pro
. viding for such changes in the charter
of the institution as to allow the cleo
tion of the trustees in groups of five
the whole number to be elected the
r first year, but five to hold Office fol
five years, another five for four years
] and so on. The election to be by ba.
lot and two thirds of the entire mum
Der to be old students Of the Univer
: sity.
On November %, 1856, the Citade
Square Baptist Church was organized
| and in commemOration of the ~fortietf
: anniversary of the church it had beer
. decided to hold some special services
during the session OF the convention
) The evening of Friday was partially
} devoted to i%nitiatory exercises connect,
: ed with this celebration. Rev. B. l.
| Whitman, DID,, president OF the Colum,
; bian College, Washington, ID. c., had
been requested to make an address or
the occasion, and it was the general
sentiment of those who heard him thai
, it would have been difficult indeed for
} q better selection to have been made
: Splendid in physique, imposing in ap.