The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-21
TAGGART WAS THE TOPIC
LORDS DENUNCIATION GREETED
WITH Kisses AND CHEERS.
An Unusual Scene at Missionary Con-
ference-MayOr's speech to saloon
Keepers Was the Cause.

The proceedings OF the conventions pre-
vious to the symposium had followed q
cut-and-dried programme but at last the
botted-up eloquence Of those who were not
down for set speeches was given an oppor-
tunity to effervesce, and that everybody
made the best of the golden occasion is
very apparent after taking a retrospective
glance at the proceedings
The most notable utterance perhaps, was
made by Editor Lord, of the Christian
Standard, who amid cheers and Kisses
made left-handed attack upon the mayor
of the city. Mayor Taggart gave such a
fulsome welcome to the liquor dealers
called in certain quarters 'the best people
on EARTH" and failed so lamentaby in ex-
tending any sort of welcome to the great
Christian gathering, as well as to
the quinquennial gathering of peace
full Quakers, that the spectacle he
made of himself seemed to the del
egates to merit their deepest scorn.
as we'll as their earnest solicitude for
a city graced by such an executive. Mr.
Lord voiced this sentiment But many of
the convention evidently believed that a
public utterance of it was in bad taste, and
would tend to show lack of appreciation
of the kindly hospitality extended by the
than the mayor. This accounts for the
Kissing that was so loudly manifested dur
ing Mr. Lords animadversion.
The Journal of yesterday morning de-
scribed how Mr.. Taggart took the liquor
dealers into his bosom and turned over 70
them the city, saying that he placed the
town in good hands when he placed it in
theirs. and that their badges would be a
a har + afa
Mr.. Lord prayed for the day when the
badges of a Christian convention would be
a password everywhere as we'll as those of
a liquor convention. He had been talking
about the glories of America, and drifted
into the evils of the rum traffic, and said:
When the people stopstalking out of the
sound side of the head and voting out of the
'tother side there will no longer be mayors
who will say that the badges of liquor men
should be a password everywhere in the
cities"
MISSION BOARDS CRITICISED
Besides the uncomplimentary references
to the mayor, the boards of the half a
dozen or more of the societies that have
control of the mission enterprises of the
church received a gentle criticism at the
hands of H. L. Willett. dean of the Bible
lett made one of the best speeches of the
symposium. He is a young man and
rapid talker but when he reached the most
interesting part of his speech, that of criti-
cising the boards, he was called down from
the rostrum by the chairman, his time
having expired. He spoke in favor of pro-
portionate giving, by which he meant an
equitable division of missionary contribu-
tiOnS
prises AS it is now the first agent, no
matter whether he be of the foreign or
home board, who visits church in the
spring of the year receives the cream of
the missionary gifts of that church. and
the agents who come after him get only the
pickings. The result was seen the past
year IN the foreign society receiving over
$lOOOVO and the home society only $4,000.
rs there not some discrepancy to be seen
in thiS?" said he. 3~ItY is not" he con-
tinued "a question of giving too much to
foreign missions but of not giving one
1.-THE enough for home missions. There is
a great deal of romance about foreign mis-
sionary work, and it is my experience that
it is a romance that soon fades away when
one comes face to face with 1t. l wish to
emphasize the duty of more proportion
home missions and $667 600 for foreign, a
proportion of four to three in favor of the
latter; the MethodiStS give 45 per cent of
80 per cent. to foreign; the Presbyterians
give 1881 COO for home missions and $3.50 900
LOT IOIelSn, a proportion OF -FOUR to three
for the home field; the Congregationalsts
give 1851, 600 for home missions and $445 900
for foreign, a proportion of four to three
in favor of the home field, and the Epsco-
palians give $466000 for home and a little
over half much for foreign missions
These facts show that we can learn some
thing from our neighbors. We ought to
raise 100000 for the home field, and, while
] am no prophet or son of a prophet 1 wish
to say that If the churches do not arrange
some, schedule by which the home field will
not be sighted. there will come a time
when a single board viii be organized to
take charge of the work now done by the
extent, working at cross purposes" The
chairman's gavel fell at this point and the
speaker gracefully retired.
PATRIOTISM RATHER STRAINED
Still another Interesting episode of the
symposium was the infection of the lost
cause of the Confederacy into the proceed
ings. This came near the close, when Wal
lace Thorp. of Atlanta Ca, got the plat
form. He began by saying: ''I, too, am in
favor of home missions to the front, but
am weary of seeing the front pointed to the
West and Northwest. want to see it
pointed toward the South. We Southerners
are given the last consideration at the
hands of the boards, just as to-day we are
placed the last on the programme. / like
to hear the flag extolled and / never grew
tired of old glory before to-day" The
speaker was interrupted at this point by
great applause, the remark being con-
strued as very apt, as nearly every speaker
had outvied each other in waving the stars
and stripes and the convention had begun
to feel surfeit of patriotic fever. But
the speaker, continuing seemed to go a lit
tie too far toward the other extreme to suit
{ many of the dslegates He said Patriot
ism is not IN al 5ument for missions. This
flag, picking mp a flag on the speakers
desk, lis to my mind associated with the
blood and death OF many of the best people
that ever lived" The chairman dropped
his gavei at this point and Mr.. Thorp asked
further opportunity to explain himself. He
said he had just been talking to a minister
on the platform. who told him he had once
refused the pastorate of the church where
he (the speaker was now stationed, and
the re2S given TO him by this minister
was that he had fought on the federal side.
and the flag prevented him from accepting
the call. The speaker, continuing, said that
his church cost $125 900 and paid salary of
5000, and that if the flag was potent
enough to keep a minister from accepting
such desirable pulpit there should be less
stars placed on the idea that patriotism
was a reason for missionary endeavor.
Secretary B. l.. Smith made a one-sentence
speech in reply to Mr.. Thorps saying that
the board had made as large an appropria-
ton possible for work in the South, and
would be glad .to make it greater if the
funds were obtainable.
PASTOR OF GARFIELD CHURCH.
The presiding officer of the symposium
was F. d. Power, the pastor of the Garfield
Memorial Church at Washington, d. c., of
which church the martyred President was
member. Mr.. Power made fine address
at the opening of the meeting, which closed
as follows:
Because it is home our own land, let us
raise the cry, America for Christ that the
world may be for Christ Let the whole
line advance as the Iron Duke, exclaimed