The San Francisco call., 1896-04-03
President Morton Tells of the
Vast Opportunities for
Doing Good.
UNION OF THE DENOMINATIONS
It Has Done a Great Deal to Bring
About a Closer Relationship
of Christians.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, April 2.-The ex-
ercises of the Sunday school Convention
were opened to-day in the Congregational
church with a service led by Ira D. San
key. The next order of business was the
appointment of the several committees,
but this was postponed with the exception
of the appointment of Annie Aitken of
Sacramento as chairman OF the enrolment
committee, in order that the president
could have access to her report in making
up the committees.
II. Morton of San Jose, president of the
California State Sunday school conven-
ton, then read his annual report. Mr..
Morton said:
mo doubt many opportunities for doing
good have been neglected. Too often
have we acted as the priest or Levite and
passed by on the other side when we should
have initiated the good Samaritan
and rendered the pest service In
our power to those VINO needed our
sympathy and assistance. Let us honestly
seek pardon for all our past failures and
implore grace for the future in order that
we may be thoroughly furnished unto all
gool works.
Oul iuICiAdtlOHdk OuuQdy SCHOOL
Association has very plainly stated
the great purpose of these conven-
tions, viz: organization, evangelical
ton and education. The union of
the different denominations in our
Sunday-school conventions has done more
to cultivate that spirit of oneness-to
bring into closer relationship all those who
love the Lord Jesus Christ, of whatever
name, than perhaps any other agency.
''Why should there exist any jealousy?
we be brethren comes ringing down the
centuries. Let US re joice in the fact. One
Lord. one faith. one baptism, one God and
father of ALL"
He then went on to exemplify by anec-
dote the power of the unity of mum bers, and
in the course of his remarks said there are
IL ,000, 900 Sunday-school members, with
100000 teachers, in the United States,
and claimed that but little progress had
been made through the State during the
past year in advancing the interests of the
Sunday schools, and spoke at length of
seemingly portrayed.
He advocated house-to-house visitation
He also advocated an implicit trust and
belief in the Bible. and went on to say:
''It seems to me that one of the obstacles
to our advancement as an organization is
the lack of some better means of commu-
nication between the members of our as
sociat;on in different sections of the State.
If we could only have an organ through
which we could express our thoughts on
the needs of the hour, stimulate the weak.
encourage the fainting. rejoice with the
strong, ask and answer questions, talk with
our friends once every month, instead of
once a year, 1 believe great good would
come to our Sunday-school work. May /
not ask that this matter be delegated to
committee for consideration?
Besides the consideration of the subject
1 have named at this session you will be
called upon, to elect delegates to the inter
national convention which meets in Bos-
ton June % to 26.''
At the close of the presidents address
the following committees were appointed:
Enrollment-MissA Annie Aitken, Miss
Jennie Miller. J. Letter and Fred Hollis.
Committee on conference-Pastor, Rev.
M. V. Hoskinson; superintendent. w. w.
Lewis; teacher, Grove f. Ekins; primary
teacher, Mrs. NJ M. Harding
The different conference committees ad-
journed to various parts of the building,
and at 11:30 returned and made their re.
ports, after which an adjournment was
taken until 80 in the afternoon
During the afternoon session DR..
Ketcham of the California Sabbath OBJ
servance Association delivered short
address, in which he advocated that
Christians discourage the purchase of
Sunday papers and devote the amount
saved to missionary work, and q resolution
to that effect was introduced and passed.
During the evening session the church
was simply packed and it became neces-
sary to hold an overflow meeting in the
Sixth-street M. E. Church. An able ad-
dress was delivered by Rev. E. S. Chap
man on the subject, "How to Teach the
Word" and the meeting adjourned after.
conservation service.