The herald., 1896-03-04
HOME MISSION MOVEMENT
A Tremendous Meeting at Car.
negie Music Hall
THE PRESIDENT PRESIDED
And Expressed His Great Interest In
the Cause
Other Eminent Speakers Make Addresses.
Or. TaImage Voices His Hope for the
Progress Of Righteousness

Progress Of Righteousness
| Associated Press Special Wire.
| NEW YORK, March 3.-One of the most
important meetings held in recent years in
| favor of the home mission movement of
| the Presbyterian church was that which
| took place in Carnegie music hall tonight.
The importance Of the occasion was en-
phasized by the appearance, as presiding
officer of the meeting, of President Cleve-
land. Every available spot in the hall was
held in the lower hall.
The platform was crowded with promi-
nent ministers and laymen of the Presby-
terian church. When President Cleveland
appeared at o'clock, accompanied by
Rev. DR.. John Hall of the Fifth Avenue
Presbyterian church, he was received with
tumultuous applause, the whole audience
rising and waving handkerchiefs. When
the applause had subsided Or. Hall intro
duced President Cleveland as chairman of
the meeting, whereupon the applause was
renewed again and again. When the
cheering had subsided Mr.. Cleveland said: !:
II desire to express my appreciation of
the privilege of participating in this con-
ference and of the opportunity thus afford
ed me of testifying to the values and use
fulness of the work undertaken by the
board of home missions of the Presbyter-
| ian church.
| "My interest in this subject and my
| familiarity with home missionary effort
arc not newly acquired. They early came
to me in the surroundings of Christian
| Presbyterian home. and were stimulated
I~,r Co. Sc T.;% Ell lab
my early Impressions are not. however,
the only basis of the testimony give to-
| night in favor OF home missions. As your
fellow citizen, interested. l hope, in all
| things that deepen the religious sentiment
of our people and enlarges Christian influ-
| ence, fully realize the. transce ndent inn
portance of this agency in it's opera
ton upon the hearts of men for the saliva
! ton of men. But it is as the chief execu-
tive of your government that l desire to
| speak, for l am entirely certain thatI serve
we'll our entire people, whose servant am,
| when l here testify to the benefits our
country has received through home mis-.
siOnary effort and when join you in an
attempt to extend and strengthen that ef-
fort. No one charged with the duties and
responsibilities which necessarily weigh
upon the chief executive can fail to appre-
ciate the importance of religious teachings
and Christian endeavor in the newly
settled portions of our vast domain. 1t ia
there where hot and stubborn warfare be.
tween the forces of good and evil is con.
stantly invited in these days the vanguard
of occupation in a new settlement is never
without its vicious element. Gambling
| houses and dramshops are frequently
among the fret establishments in a new
| community. 1t must also be confessed
that removal from old homes and associa-
tions to new and more primitive homes
| has tendency am ong honest and respon-
| aihlo sottIora IN amothor acrJDIpa and
breed evil Indifference to Christianizing
and elevating agencies. These conditions,
| if unchecked and uncorrected, fix upon the
new community by their growth and ex-
pansion character and disposition which,
while dangerous to peace and order in the
early stages of settlement, develop into
badly regulated municipalities, corrupt
and unsafe territories and undesirable
| states. These are serious considerations in
country where the people, good or bad,
are its rulers, because the conditions to
which l have referred would certainly
menace, within a circle constantly enlarc-
ing, the safety and welfare of the entire
body polite, If we could not hope that
churches and religious teachings would
from the first be on the ground to oppose
| the evil influences that are apt to prevade
| the beginning of organized communities.
"These churches and this religious teach
| ing were never more needed than now on
our distant frontiers, 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
erftlg together.
"If we turn from the objects of home
missionary labor to tho situation of those
actually toiling in distant fields for God
! and humanity, and purer, better citizen
ship. our sympathy with their work must
be further qnickened and our sense of duty
to them and their cause actively stimu-
lated"
Mr.. Cleveland referred feelingly to the
| dangers that threaten American missiona-
| res in foreign lands.
After President Cleveland's address a
| prayer was offered by Rev. w. G. Roberts,
secretary of the board of homo missions.
| Rev. DR.. Sheldon jackson, superintend-
ent of missions of Alaska, followed.
| Rev. T, Dewitt Talmage, pastor of the
First Presby terian church, Washington, d.
i c., said:
''Om glorious Presbyterianism is in full
bloom tonight. This will be a historical
meeting, and far down the years it will be
told that in the commercial metropolis of
this nation the man who has on him the
| highest honors this world can give, and
twice having received these honors from
the American people. in this great mass
meeting for God and righteousness. put
down the grandeurs of his office at the feet
of Jesus. Germany for scholarship, Eug-
land for manufacturing. france for man.
ners, Egypt for antiquities, Italy for pict-
ures but America for Cod"
The Rev. Charles L. Thompson, chair
man of the committee of home missions
of the Presbyterian missions of New York,
| spoke on Home Missions.
The last speaker was Booker T. WASH
ington, the controlling spirit of the great
| industrial school for negroes at Tuskegee,
| Ala. The celored orator made an earnest
plea for missionary endeavor in the black
belt of the south. He quoted statistics to
show that during the past year each col.
ored child in this district had expended on
him for education about 70 cents, as COM
pared with the SIS or $40 expended on the
Massachusetts child.
Crowley Won't Resign
SAN FRANCISCO, March 3.-Chiet Crow
Icy has discovered that in order to retire
on pension he must serve on the police
department twenty years continuously,
and will therefore withdraw his resgna-
ton. He has three years more to serve
before he is entitled to pension.