The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-12-15
SIslsCOnYenion dIBaptBts
An Interesting Session in
Charleston.
4 Large Gathering in the City by the Sea.
A Generous Welcome and Bountiful
Hospitality.
Gratifying Progress in Denomina
tional Work During the Year.

Gratifying Progress fn Denomina-
tionai Work During the Year.
Special to The Mountaineer:
Bound for the city by tho sea" a
portion of the mountain delegation
left Greenville or Tuesday morning.
For their accommodation there had
been provided by the Southern railway
q special coach which started out with
quite O number ofdelegates and visitors
TO the meeting Of the State Conven-
tion of Baptists.
With the progress OF the trip con-
slant accessions OF visitors and dele
gates were made so that by the time
coach " was well filed. II the desired
end could have been attained by any
such action there would have been
forwarded to the clerk of the weather
an unanimously signed petition that
he should favor us with more balmy
weather than fell to our lot on that
day. Tie rain of Monday had ceased,
tits true, but the thick snow-like
clouds, and the Recovered ground,
of Boreas, in no degree were conducive
to bodily comforts. In the course Of
the day the clouds brought to us first
sleet, and then Jupiter Pluvius added
his steady shower of chilly rain, con
tinuing into the night and the day
following. 1t was somewhat anomalous,
as the train moved on, to see on tho
first of December, fields Of cotton from
which the harvest proper had been
CLEANED, but which were green with q
second growth of foliage and bedecked
with blooms. But thus 1t was all
along the line.
The weather, or some other cause,
retarded progress n when Columbia
was reached we were almost one hour
behind time. The Charleston train,
however, was in waiting, and with our
forces more than doubled we left
Columbia, having as company for near
ly the whole way q heavy rain. Char.
lesion was reached an hour behind
the schedule time, and as speedily as
possible the delegates and visitors
sought comfort in the homes to which
they had been assigned. \
Tuesday night was the time fixed
for the Introductory sermon before
the Minister'S Conference, but tho de-
lay in the arrival Of delegate and the
bad weather gave an audience of SO
small a size that that service was dis
pensed with. Despite Wednesday
mornings dowppour OF rain, q fairly
attended and interesting meeting OF
the Conference was held. Rev. j. B
PARROT was elected chairman and
Rev. J.A. Brown secretary of the meet
ing. A paper was presented by Rev
j. w. Perry, OF Hartsville, on the
"Fatherhood of Cod" in which the
subject was ably treated under the
three heads of the natural, the ethica
and the spiritual fatherhood Of God.
Following this came an exceedingly
thoughtful and well-prepared paper by
Rev. @. P. Erwin, of Bamberg, on the
question of the justice of the policy OF
the State in giving free tuition in itE
institutions OF higher learning. The
negative Of the question was strikingly
sustained in the paper and it's views
were supported in the discussion which
in by Rev. G. Q. Brown, Rev. @. S.
Gardner, r. b. Watson, Rev. I. w
Wingo, Prof. F. w. Boatw1ight, Of
Richmond College, and others. The
remarks of Senator Watsonwere some.
what Of a neutrality-suspicious. to those
4 yda3 heard them. They &ere to the
effect that three-fourths Of the students
of Clemson College were upht to be
there by reason of non-preparatlon
that the influences at that Nnstitutior
were not good, aud ~prOfSnity was
proportion Of the students. TS9-mIcE
money he thought, was spent on Glenn
son, and under the guise Of assistants,
tutors and otherwise it had more pro.
fessors than 1t was entitled to by law
The one item OF 'incidentals" amount.
ed to more han was necessary to rur
one of the large UNCONVENTIONAL 10.
situations. The State had spent
81, 500, 600 on higher education" and
yetthere are 5000 white men who could
not read the names on their ballots
The session of the Conference closed
on Wednesday afternoon with an ex.
haustive paper by Rev. 81. G. Buck,
-osslz, of Chester, on the I" Baptism OF
the Holy Spirit"
: THE BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION.
The session of the Convention proper
began on Wednesday night with the
preaching Of the Introductory sermon
by Rev. G. s. Gardner, from l John /.
Ia. After the sermon delegates were
enrolled and the organization complet.
ed by the election OF Hon. j. H. Hud.
son, of Bennettsville, as president,
vice Rev. r. w. Sanders, who declined
elected secretary, with Rev. @. L.
Erwin, as assistant.
Thursday mornings session was
opened with addresses OF welcome to
the body by DIR. ID. M. Ramsey, on be-
half of the Baptists of the city, and
Mayor j. "a. Smyth, on behalf Of the
city. At the call of the president Dr.
C!Manly made response to these adj.
dresses. Invitations to the body to
visit the Charleston Museum, the
office Of the News and Courier and To
go upon an excursion around the 7arbor
on Saturday afternoon were rendered
and accepted.
The body now settled down 10 bust
ness, and the leading interest Of the
denomination, the State Mission Board
presented through DR.. Il. NJ. Bailey its
annual report. The report of the
treasurer showed that 80, 924.47 had
had been received and 81, 10 ex-
pended during the year, and that the
Board was still burdened with a debt
of 9 $500.
Rer. J.RL. vass, as superintendent,
presented the fifth annual report OF
the Connie Maxwell Orphanage show
Ing among other things that there were
now one hundred children In that in
stitution, and that about 80, 600 had been
received, In cash and donations, for
their maintenance. This report Was
referred to O special committee.
In correction with this work came
the report of the president of the board
OF trustees, declining to recommend
the present superintendent for re-
election, and requesting that this mat
ter and the revision OF the rules for
management Of the Orphanage be re.