The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1896-03-11
HOME MISSIONS.
President Cleveland Presices and Delivers
an Address

President Cleveland Presices and Delivers
Address
New York, March THE opening
gun of the big home mission campaign
was fired Tuesday night at Carnegie's
music hall by the board of home mis-
sions of the Presbyterian church. The
aDnouncem ent that President Cleveland
was to preside at the meeting was of
itself sufficient to draw an immense au-
dience to the hall. The doors were
opened at 7:15 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 a 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 COM
pleting the payments on the new build
ing of the society in Fifth avenue. The
meeting is the first of series to be
held all over the United States. 1t was
exactly five minutes after eight o'clock
when President Cleveland appeared on
the platform. He was dressed in a
black frock coat and wore turned
down collar and black tie. The mo-
ment the president was seen the i'm
mense audience rose up and cheered
wildly for few minutes. There was
another burst of applause when DR..
John Hall introduced President Cleve-
land as the presiding officer of the
meeting in a briet speech. President
Cleveland then delivered an address.
Among other things be said:
mo one charged with the duties and re-
possibilities which necessarily weigh upon
your chief executive can fail to appreciate
the importance of religious teaching and
Christian endeavor in the newly-settled
portions OF our vast domain. 1t Is there
where hot and stubborn warfare between
the force Of good and evil is constantly In:
vited. In these days the vanguard Of oc.
cupation in a new settlement is never with
out its vicious and criminal element. Gam
bling houses and dramshops are frequent
ly among the first esta Adjustments in new
community. 1t must also be confess ri
that removal from old homes and associa-
tons to a new and more primitive home
has tendency among honest and respect
able settlers to smother scruples and to
breed liberation of evil and indifference c
Outstanding and eleyating agencies.
These conditions, if unchecked and un-
corrected. fix upon the new community by
their growth and expansion a character
and disposition which, while dangerous to
peace and order in the early stages of set
tlement, develop into badly-regulated n1u-
inequalities, corrupt and unsafe territories
and undeSlra bic states.
These are serious conditions In a coun-
try where The people, good or bad, are its
rulers, because the conditions to which /
have referred would certainly menace,
within q circle constantly enlarging, the
safety and welfare of the entire body
polite if We could not hope that churches
and religious teaching would from the
first be on the ground to oppose the eyil
influences that are apt to pervade the
beginning OF organized communities.
These churches and this religious teach
ing Were never more needed than now on
our distant ontiers, where the process OF
forming new states is going on so rapidly,
and where newcomers who are to be the
citizens OF new states, are so rapidly gath
ering together. For these instrumental
ties at the outposts of our population, so
vitality important in the view of Christian
men as well as patriotic citizens, we must
depend to very great extent on home
missionary exertion. How can We excuse
ourselves II we permit this exertion to
languish for the lack of proper support?
IF we turn from the objects of home
missionary labor 10 the situation OF those
actually toiling in distant-helds for God
and humanity and a purer, better citizen
ship, our sympathy with their work must
be further Quickened and our sense of
duty to them and their cause actively
stimulated
Our hearts have recently been pro-
foundry stirred by the dangers that
threaten the devoted men and women who
have gone from among US, TO preach ami
teach Christianity in a foreign land. Our
sympathy with them and those with whom
they labor and suffer, is made more pain
full because the arm of complete relief has
not thus tar been able to reach them. Our
missionary impulse should be large enough,
strong enough for both.
While We viii not turn away from them,
nor allow Encouragement to destroy &C.
tivity in their behalf, let US not forget the
missionaries in our own land who need
our aid, to whom we owe duty, and who
can be reached"
Among others who spoke were Rev.
Sheldon Jackson, d. D.. superintendent
of missions for Alas ka; Rev. T. De
Witt Talmage, and Rev. Charles l.
Thompson.