The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-20

try for Christ is presented in our great
cities. in our negro population. in the South
and in our Western empire. The most i'm
portant people to reach with Christian in
huences are the negroes. The negro is
naturally religious and patriotic. In the
twentieth century this great black wall
may serve a S a breakwater, saving the life
of the Republic. But / desire especially
to speak of our Western empire, comprising
iito.950 square miles, or, exclusive OF Alas
ka, 40 per cent. of the territory of the
United States. The population OF this vast
region increased. from 1870 to 1880 200 per
cent This territory possesses the great
est wealth per capita of any similar terri
tory on the face of the globe. The average
wealth of the people Of the United States
is 81 .039 per capita: of this territory 81 $50
No one of these States is as poor as New
York State, and yet the aggregate wealth
and the per capita wealth of Greater New
York city exceeds that of any other city
on the globe.
1.-THE question is Shall we try to save this
great empire to Christ and Christian civil
lization2 | am just home from trip to
the Pacific coast, extending from Puget
sound to San Diego bay, and tell you that
since the collapse of their real-estate booms
religion is the chief concern of those peo-
pie. There is more religion to the square
rod in that territory than l have seen in
any other place. AS far as the Disciples
are concerned. the present is but the begin
ming OF our supreme opportunity. We have
spent much of our time in the past fell
ing trees, burning brush. extracting stumps,
| hitting up and rolling out of the way mig
gerheads and powders This work has
been done; the rough work of the fathers
IS not required Of us, their children. We
now have a recognized standing for ortho-
doxy. No point in our position, doctrinal
or practical, is seriously called into ques-
ton by any person. Our plea for the re-
union Of Christendom by return to simple
New Testament Christianity is immensely
popular with the people, as witness the
more than one million souls now IN this
country who have responded to our call.
back to Christ is the popular cry to-day.
| Back to Christ is the substance Of our
nlGA MOI Gff1orl 4 n
make them good citizens. / speak as
| CHRISTIAN patriot. | do not preach heaven
ground Of Christian citizenship and for the
salvation of this blood-bought Republic"
DIR. BARROwS'S ADDRESS.
When DR.. Tyler closed the audience sung
| one verse of America" while standing, and
DR.. Barrows was introduced. The famous
| Chicago divine, who recently travelled $4,000
miles visiting all the countries on the
| globe. delivered his lecture about the
| Punjab and other Asiatic lands. He paid
q compliment to the convention account
| the international appearance of the hall,
| which contains maps and flags of the whole
| world upon its walls He had just come
/ from missionary convention in New
| Haven, Conn.,, but from what he saw the
missionary spirit here was as great as
| there The principal portion of DR.. Bar
| roWS'S address has been heard in this city
| several times. but it was new to nearly
| voice and energetic delivery, well as his
| flow Of tiowery language, p aced the who
| convention under a spell, and 1t seemed to
| the delegates that they had been trans
| ported into the dark Asiatic lands where
ascetfciSm and the mechanical formulas IF
| dying religions still hold millions in sway.
! He told them that he had seen many lands
| where even the flags of Europe were never
] seen, but nowhere had he seen a place
where there was not raised the standard of
| the cross. He told of the many faiths in
| Asia and the consequent lack of spiritual
| life, and said that it required the unifying
/ potency Of the gospel to instill this spirit
uality into the peoples of the Orient. Edu-
! cation, he said, must be one of the main
| factors in evangelization, and it must not
| be forgotten that truth, justice and kind
ness are the greatest evangeliZerS. He gave
| a good word for the many missionaries
| whom he had visited and criticised the re-
| ports of those world trotterS VINO are never
| able to see any evidences of the fruits of
| their labors. He instanced Hawaii as a
| place which missionaries had largely en-
| lightened and said that the island ought
| to belong to this country. The outlook for
| the evangelization of the world, he said,
was full of magnificent promise, and 1.-The
universal Savior shall yet ue the universal
| king"
/ The meeting closed without an appeal for
| subscriptions, as it at first proposed
/ to make. DIR. Tyler saying that the appeal
| would be postponed until next May, when
| You want to be all ready for it, Secretary
| Mclean said the benedction and the meet
! ing was over.