The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-04
ROANOKE VA. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4 1896

Piooooo VI iOfmlUR new otSke5 IL going
on 80 rapidly and where newcomers who
are TO be the citizens OF new States are
30 rapidly gathering together.
"For these instrL mentelities, at the
outposss OF our population, 80 vitality
important in view Of Christian men as
wei! as patriotic citizens, we must de-
pend to very great extent on home
missionary exertion. How can we ex-
ouse ourselves il we permit this exer-
ton to languish for the lack of proper
support?
If we turn from the objects OF home
missionary labor to the situation of
those actually toiling In distant fields
Tor God and humanity and purer,
better citizenship, our sympathy with
their work must be further quickened
and our sense of duty to them and their
cause actively stimulated. These are
the men and women who have left home
and the association of friends under the
direction Of organized mission boards to
teach Christianity in spArsely settled
sections and to organize churches where
none exist, enduring discomfort. hard
ship, poverty and danger for the sake
OF cause to which. in g very comfort
able and inexpensive way, we profess TO
be attached. These ore our soldiers at
the front, fighting our battles, and we
who stay at homo cannot escape the
duty OF providing for them and rein
forcing them in every way If we are to
continue them in our aervice.
"Our hearts nave recently been pro-
foundly stirred by the dangers that
threaten the devoted men and women
who have gone from among US to preach
and teach Christianity in a foreign land.
Our sympathy with them and those with
whom they labor and suffer is made
moro painful because the arm of COM
plese relief has not thus far been able to
reach them. Our missionary impulse
should be large enough and strong
enough for both.
"Whtle we will not turn away from
them nor allow their discouragement to
destroy activity in their behalf let US
not forget the missionaries in our own
land who need our aid and to whom we
owe duty and who can be reached.
ut seems to me that II the Christian
people OF our land estimate at it's real
value the work which the board OF home
missions has In charge and II they can
be made to realize It's extreme impor-
lance the means to carry on and extend
this work will be equally forthcoming;
and hope that such m unusual feeling
will be aroused in behalf of the cause,
but the movement of which this meet
ing Is part. as will suggest to many
heretofore indlueroh., tuas among the
most comforting of their possessions
Will be ehsre in the triumphs and
achievements OF home missions"
After President Cleveland's address
a prayer WAS offered by W. @. Roberts,
secretary OF the board of home mis-
sions.
Rev. DR.. Sheldon jackson, superin-
tendent of missions for Alaska, then
spoke of the mission work he had done
In Alaska. Referring particularly to
the object OF the gathering this evening
he said:
"a great crisis has arisen in our
churches. Nothing less than great
national peril would have brought the
Chief magistrate of our nation. our be-
loved President. to preside over this
meeting. Ii Ia crisis that appeals to
every patriotic citizen of the country
cause OF patriotism"
made by Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage and
the Rev. Charles L. Thompson, chair
man of the committee of home missions
OF the Presbyterian missions of New
York.
The last address WAS delivered by
Booker I. Washington, the colored
principal of Tuskegee Institute, Ala
bsma, who spoke on the condition of
the colored people in the "black belt"
OF the South. Each colored child in
these States" he said, "has spent on
him for education this year about
seventy cents, while each child in
Massachusetts has spent on him for the
ssme purpose between SIS and $40.