The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-04
LEADS THE MEETING
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND AMONG
THE MISSIONARIES.

Presides at Presbyterian Meeting in New
York City i'm the Interest of Home Nils
sions-In His Address Gives a Large
Place in the Development of New Com
muufties to the brave Home Mission
ary, to Whose Character he Pays a
High Tribute-Followed by Talmage
and Others.
New York, March 3.-One Of the most
Important. meetings. IN recent years held
in the interest Of the home mission
movement Of The Presbyteri IN church
was t4as with took place in Carnegie
Music hall tonight. The Importance
of the occasion vas emphasized ny the
appearance. as pTesif;ng officer of the
meeting. Of President Cleveland. Every
available sprr IN the han WAS crowded.
and an over low meeting was held in
he lower h1li
The platfp:ra r,as crowded with promi
ront minrsl-.s and layrpn Of tne Ires-
byterian .hu,'h.
When s.danI Cleveian1 appeared.
at 6 O'alcc1. accom- panied Ly Rev. l'r-
John Hall Of the Fifth Avenue Presby-
terrain church, re Was received with ru-
multoUs applause, the whole audlence
rising and waving hanikerchiefs.
When the applause sIosided DR.. Hail
introduced President Cleveland as chair
man of the meeting. whereup0n the ap>
Dlause was renewed again and again.
THE PRESIDENT SPEAKS.
When the cheering had subside1 Nj.
Cleveland sad
.I-desi-e 20 express nv appreciation
ca the privilege Il participating in this
conference and Of fhe opportunity thus
afforded me o. tesUtyins Il the value
and usefulness Of ne work undertaken
by the beard If hcme missions of the
Presbyterian church.
My interest IL tais subject and my
familiarity with home missionary Effort
are not newly acquired. They early
came - ne IN tne surroundings % a
Christian Pres.y:e~ hcme. and were
stimulated by a fathers faithful laboTs
in the cause.
My early impressions are not, how
eyer, the only basis - The testimony
give tonight in favor Of home missions
rs your fcliow-citizen, interested,
nope, in al things that deepen the re-
ligious sentiment IF our people and en-
large Christian influence, fully realize
the transcendent import of this human
agency in is operation upon the hearts
of men f3T the salvation Of their souls.
The long roster Of those who have been
led into Inc way of Righteousness
through the fundamentally of our home
missions are rich trophies Of successful
enGeavor.
AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE.
But il is not only as your fellow-citi-
zen. but az the chief executive of your
government, that ] desire to speak, for
] am entirely certain that / serve We'll
cur entire people, whose servant l am,
when l here testify to the benefit our
country has received through home mis-
S-onary effort, and when l join you in an
attempt to extend and strengthen that
effort.
No one charged with the duties and
responsibilities which necessarily weigh
upon your chief executive can fail to
appreciate the importance of religious
teachings and Christian endeavor in the
newly settled portions of our vast do
main. It is there where hot and stub
born warfare between the forces of good
and evil is constantly invited. In these
d
new settlement is never without its VIC
ious and criminal element Gambling
houses and dramshops are frequently
among the first establishments in new
community. 1t must be confessed that
removal from old homes and aSsocia-
lions 10 new and more primitive homes
has a tendency among honest and re
spectacle settlers to smother scrupleS
and breed indifference to Outstanding
and elevating agencies
THE STATES SAFETY.
These conditions, if unchecked and
Encorrected, fix upon the new communi-
~ by their growth and expansion q
character and disposition which, while
dangerous to ueace and order IN the
early stages Of settlement, develop into
badly regulated municipalities, corrupt
and unsafe territories and undesirable
states. These are serious considera-
tons in a country where the people,
good or bad, are its rulers, because the
conditions 10 which I would have refer
red. would certainly menace, within a
circle constantly charging. the safety
and welfare of the entire body Of poll
tics, if we could hope that churches and
religious teaching would from the first
be on the ground to oppose the evil in
fiuences that are apt to pervade the be-
ginning Of organized communities.
These churches and this religious
teaching were never more needed than
now, on our distant frontiers, where
the process Of forming new states is go
ing on 50 ~apidly, and where newcomers
who are - 'a the citizens Of new states
are so gathering together
'FCr instrumental ties a the
outpoz our population, 50 vitality
impor1a. ID view Of Christian men as
wei as o. lode citizens. we must de-
pend 10 a ve-y great extent on home
mission ~ Xertion How can we ex-
cuse ourselves II we permit this exer-
ton TO anguish for the lack of proper
support.
TOILERS IN THE FIELD.
If We tu-n from the objects of home
missionary labor 10 the situation Of
those actually toiling in distant fields.
for GOD and humanity and a purer, bet
ter citizenship. our sympa thy with their
work must be further quickened and
our sense Of duty TO them and their
cause actively stimulated. They are the
men and women who have left home
and the association OF friends. under the
direction Of organized missionary board
10 teach Christianity in sparsely settled
sections. and TO organize churches
where none exist, enduring discomfort.
hardship. poverty and danger Cor the
sake Of d cause - which. in very COM
Portable and inexpensive way, we pro-
,sss % he attached. These are our
so-o'ers at the 'front.' fighting our battles
sEt We We stay AT home cannot escape
the DUTY ~ providing for them and re-
iai2re'n ~ them In either way If we are 10
c2"''nus them IN our service.