The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-05-21
AMERICAN BAPTIST HOME MISSION
Reports of Officers Given at Yesterday S
Session at Pittsburg.

Pittsburg, May 20.-The second days
session of the American Home Missionary
Society was called to order by President
Porter this morning. After devotional
exercises the first business of the meeting
was the election of officers which resulted
as follows: President, Stephen Greene,
Massachusetts; vice presidents, W. G.
Brlnson, Illinois; G. W. McCutcheon,
New Jersey; treasurer, D. A. Waterman,
New York; assistant treasurer, W. P.
Plank, New York; recording secretary,
A. 5. Hobart. New York; corresponding
secretary, T. J. Morgan; auditors, Edgar
L. Marston, New York; L. B. Payne,
New York; members of board, VIM.
Phelps, Stephen H. Burr, D. A. Water
G. B. Garfield, all Of New York Edward
j.. Bracket of New Jersey r.
President B. L. Whitman, d. d. of
Washington, ID. c., then presented the re-
port of the committee on educational
work
The rest of the session was taken up
with a discussion of the reports, which
| were as follows:
The report of the Committee on Educa-
ton was in part as follows:
In endeayoring to discharge the duties
laid upon them your committee has held
four. meetings.; members of the committee
have visited the schools at Washington,
Richmond, Raleigh, Columbia and At
lanta also Hampton Institute; they have
been aided in every way possible by the
| secretaries OF the society and by the SUI
perintendent of Education and they have
had the benefit of the large experience
and the mature reflection of the secretary
OF the Peabody and Slater Fund.
Two questions of general interest We're
raised at the very beginning of our work
and 1T is fitting that the society should
have the result of our Investigations
The impression has gone abroad that in
the Home Mission schools a large amount
OF time and money is given to the study
and teachings of the classics. Upon care
ful inquiry however we find that the total
salaries of all the teachers in the
schools were s1o4, 1879; Of this total three
and six tenths per cent was chargeable to
Greek, or ninety four and four tenths per
cent chargeable to English and general
work. The committee are of the opinion
that in catalogues and announcements
the emphasis should be laid upon the
courses which constitute the main work
of the schools.
g. There has also been an impression
their methods are Anticipated, the appoint
ments and equipments poor and much of
the teaching of an inferior order. After
very careful inquiry we are convinced
that while our schools are far from being
ideal and with few exceptions would not
bear favorable comparisons with the best
white schools, nevertheless the society is
doing the best that can be done with the
means at it's disposal and if the. schools
are not all that could be desired it is
largely because the denomination does
not furnish the society with the means to
make them better.
1t will be seen therefore that your com
mittee finds little occasions for unfayor-
able criticism.
AS preparation for the introduction Of
better methods and more effective work
we recommend the concentration and de-
velopment of our education work chiefly
at five important centres. We therefore
call your particular attention to the
favorable location and promising condi-
ton of our schools in these five places,
viz:
At Richmond is our distinctively theo-
logical seminary with four teachers and
an average attendance during the past
year of Al students; also Hartshorn Me-
mortal College for girls with eight teach
ers and an average attendance of SO
students. A plan is under consideration
1or removing Walyanu rSeiHinary from
Washington, D.. g., to Richmond, Va,
calling it Wayland College and incorpor-
ating it with the institutions named
above under the general title of Virginia
Union University, or some other name
equally or more appropriate. The plan
has the approval of your committee and
we understand has been formally author
lied by the Executive Board of the So
ciety.
At Raleigh, n c., is Shaw University
with total average attendance of 200
students.
At Atlanta, Ga, are the Spelman Semi
nary, a school for girls with SO teachers
and an average attendance of 800 students
and Atlanta Baptist Seminary (for boys)
with eight teachers and an average at
tendance of 80 students. Your committee
are gratified to learn that munifcent
friend of the Spelman Seminary whose
name is borne by one of the buildings has
just added to the facilities of the school by
the purchase of several lots of land de.
signed to round out the campus and make
it complete and ample.
At Nashville, Tenn, is Roger Williams
University school for both sexes with
nine teachers and an average attendance
of IT'S students. The location however,
and the value of the5prOperty convince us
that this school should be included among
the five centres of our educational work.
AT Marshall, Texas, is Bishop College,
a school for both sexes with eighteen
teachers ard an average attendance of 204
students. &Sl
As already intimated it is our Judgment
that these five schools or groups of schools
should be carefully co -ordinated with one
another SO as to avoid as far as practi-
cable the duplication of certain specific
lines of work, and should be regarded by
us as our five principal centres for the
education of the colored people. The
general courses of instruction and train
ing at each of these five centres should be
substantially the same, aiming to give an
all round practicable education, chiefly in
English. The other schools of the society,