The record-union., 1897-07-06
THE GUESTS OF THE STATE
WELCOME.

There have already arrived and are
now arriving some ten thousand, and,
perhaps more, of the members of the
Christian Endeavor Societies of the
world. They come to California to
hold their most important convocation.
They are here at the invitation of the
State of California, though they are
to be the immediate guests Of the me-
tropolis of California ,and the cities ly-
ing near to San Francisco Bay. But
it was the State of California that ex-
tended to them the welcome that is
broadest and most expressive.
On the 18th of March last the Legis-
lature of California unanimously
adopted a concurrent resolution ex-
tending to the expected visitors and
their friends accompanying, a cordial
welcome. The resolution at great
length recites that the State of Cali
fornia recognizes the organization as
one of powerful moral force, as inter-
denominational, and as guests that any
State might be proud to welcome
within its bounds.
The expression Of the Legislature is
that our guests will find in the people
of California a deep interest in that
moral culture which is elevating and
helpful to humanity; and a disposition
to aid and encourage those who have
devoted so much time and labor to
this cause.
By this State invitation our guests
are invited to visit as many points
of interest as their time will permit
to see how much kindly nature has
done for US, who enjoy the splendid
heritage we call ours. Their attention
is called to the fact that the first
Christian Endeavor work on this West
ern Coast was initiated in the year
1601, twenty years before the Pilgrims
landed on Plymouth Rock. AT the
waters edge on Monterey Bay, the
Spanish padres in that eventful year,
planted rude cross and proceeded to
erect their missions from San Diego
to Sonoma.
To this spot, around which cluster the
first memories of Christian work on
these shores, the guests of to-day are
invited to turn their steps, and then
to view the State at large, and spy out
the land we enjoy, from the purple
vineyards of the valleys and the foot
hills, to the orange groves that dot the
tot -,
Oregon line; from the sands where the
restless Pacific expends its strength, to
the vast mineral belts of the SierraS;
from countless fruit groves to the up
per attitudes of our mountain ranges,
where the mammoth trees tell of per-
iods of time running back into the
thousands of years.
They are asked to examine the State
comprehensively, if possible, rapidly if
they must; her splendid equipment OF
universities. colleges and schools, her
magnificent harbors and boundless val
leys, her natural curiosities and her
commercial advantages.
SO runs the welcome of the whole
people Of California expressed by the
voice Of their representatives in Legis-
lative assembly. The regret-and let
US hope and believe that it is the only
regret that viii intrude upon the visi-
tation-is that the Capital City of Sac
ramento is not privileged by the ar
rangements necessitated by the bust
ness of the convention, to enjoy the
company of these Endeavorers as her
special guests. The people Of Sacra-
mento feel that as they peculiarly rep
resent the seat of political government
they should therefore have the
privilege of entertaining the states
visitors for q period. But they realizer
that this cannot be, that to the greater
metropolis of the State is given the
office of special host, and that at best
we will be able to do little more than
cry hail and good-by'' to our friends
from the great East of our common
country, and those among them who
come from foreign lands.
The visitation is peculiarly repre-
sentative. We recognize the fact that
1T stands for an organization with a
membership of nearly three millions of
good men and women, who are de-