The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-20
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY.
It's First Session ia the Afternoon
President DIvis's Address.


President Dnvis's Address.
The first session of the American Chris
tan Missionary Society convened in the
| afternoon. The first hour was devoted to
the reading of the annual report of the
managing board by Benjamin L. Smith. the
corresponding secretary and the financial
report by E. P. Tingley, the treasurer. Both
reports were received with applause. The
substance of these reports was published in
the Journal of yesterday morning.
| During the afternoon a committee was
appointed TO confer with d like committee
of the convention of Friends to make ar
rangement for joint session of both bod
I les to last for one hour. Both committees
were announced by President Davis fol-
blows:
On Nomina tions-J. II. Garrison. Mis-
souri, r. C. Browning, Arkansas: II. Good
acre, Missouri John r. Carey, Virginia.;
| f. F. Bullard, Pennsylvania.
! On Recommendations of the Boards and
Superintende nts-A Il. Myhr Tennessee; II.
l.. Willett. Illinois, r. Moffott, Ohio; Jabez
Hall, Indiana; J. j. Fia.ey. Kentucky
On Resolutons-F. ID. Power, Washing
! ton, ID. G.; /. ~ Grisso, indiana; o. p.
Speigel. Alabama; T.. f. Borgess., Coloradoi
j. H. Hardin. Illinois.
| On order of Business. IL. Pounds, In
DIANA Benjamin L. Smith, Ohio; M E.
| Harlan, Kansas.
The president had appointed two addi-
| tional committees one on Christian En-
| deavor and the other on railroads. but ON
motion Of Prof ii. l.. Mullet, those commit
J tees were abolished, the reason being that
| their duties confticted with those of other
| committees.
Editor Lord, of the Christian Standard,
| called the attention of the convention to the
| efforts being made to erect a monument
| on the grave Of Walter Scott who, with
| Alexander Campbell and Barton w. Stone,
formed the triumvirate that organized the
! Church of the Disciples of Christ. While
the graves of Alexander Campbell and Bar
| ton Stone are properly marked, that Of
! Walter Scott has no monument on 1t what
| ever. In fact, nobody except old colored
| sexton knew where it was up until twenty
| years ago. 1t is at Maysville, KY, and II
| is proposed to raise $500 to place a suitable
stone upon 1t. About $500 of the amount is
already raised. Mr. Lord announced that
! A. M. Atkinson had made a subscription
toward the project, and Mr.. Atkinson, hear
| ing the fact announced arose ard in an af-
! fectng manner told how Walter Scott had
| immersed his mother, leading her into the
new and blessed life of Christ.
| The reading of a telegram from the men,
bers OF the German Church of Christ OF
| Cleveland o., brought forth great applause.
| The telegram was one of greeting to the
convention and urged efforts to be taken
| in behalf of the German population of the
| country, who are waiting for the preach
| ing of the primitive gospel
PRESIDENT DAVIS'S ADDRESS.
President M. NJ. Davis occupied the last
hour of the session with the delivering Of
his annual address. The subject chosen by
| Mr.. Davis was Priority of Home Mis-
| sions,' and the convention frequently APP
plauded him. He first described the vastness
of the home field, one of his apt illustra-
| tons calling attention to the fact that the
| sun never sets not only on the possessions
of Great Britain, but also on the lands Of
| Uncle Sam, for. said he, when it is s o'clock
| T1fF,cr fraf 10
| Alaska it is after o'clock of the next day
| IN Maine. Having given an extensive view
| or the Held he gave number of reasons
| why nome missions should have priority Of
attention by all Christian workers for the
| spread OF the gospel He said that patriot
Ism dictates that mission work should be-
GIN at nome because the best Christian
| makes the best citizen. The country is n
new one and there is more hope for re-
suits than in the old lands of the Orient.
| II Is also rich, accessible and of right be-
| longs to God. 1t possesses a strategic char
acter and philosophic and scrfptural neces-
SIty dictate that here, in the republic of the
west the work of evangelization should
Well forth the best and first efforts of ali
| Christians. - az
THE WORK FOR AMERICANS.
In closing the speaker said:
In the light of all this let us turn the
iS s n,,r a upon ourselves and ask what
| special work for us TO do and has He
equipped us for that work? l believe He
mas, and | so believe.
| Because of our geographical nos,tio,
Inc center Of population is moving west
W ward In 1890 1t was on the meridian OF
| washington. In 1910 it had crossed the AL
| legheny and Blue Ridge and was at Pitts
purg. Ihrty years later it had crossed
T Tueh or the Mississippi valley and was at
CHClnhatl In 1881 II was near Indianapolis.
And now 1t is not far from St Louis And
| with the beginning Of the twentieth century
IL VIII nave crossed the Father of Waters
and unfurled it's banner i'm the great wide
| west. These are significant facts and
mean that the new West and South will
| soon De stronger than the old North and
East, and that vast population with its
| mighty cities and industries. will occupy the
| places so recently vacated by the red man
and the wild beast 1t means also that our
F.; national rulers will some time be called
from the shadows of the Rockies, and from
| and Gulf of Mexico. And yet here at the
| center OF population, in the richest land ON
which the sun ever shone. in a small COM
! pass embraced IN part or whole of Nebras-
1 ka. Kansas Iowa, Missouri, Illinois In
| diana, Ohio and kentucky, we have 600 900
| members, or more than half of our mem
| bership Here at the heart OF this Repub,
| lie, the center from which goes the likelihood
| to it's extremites. we are in secure posses-
| sion, with an army large enough to move
| Northward. Southwark. Eastward and
! Westward, and take this land for God
| Why are we thus intrenched in the center
| Of the greatest land on the globe? Is ii the
! result OF accident? Does it come from blind
chance? Nay verify. We are here by the
| providence Of our Father IN heaven. Once
| He placed Israel in Palestine that magic
! land of the Orient, whose fibres touched the
| civilized world and to them He, sent the
| Redeemer. And now at this crucial period
! IN the worlds history He places us here
! that we may lead in its conquest and hasten
! the coming of its King. The iron Is hot
| let ms strike. The clay is soft. let us mold
| It, The gold OF human hearts is melted let
| II be minted in the image of our Lord AS
/ Mordecai said to Esther we have been
| placed here for special mission. If we are
true to II God will use US. if not He viii
cast us aside and destroy and delverance
/ Will come from another place.
I'VE have plea, and IL Is as peculiar 9s
our position. and bears as clearly the stamp
! OF heaven. And IL there has ever been a
demonstration In the religious world it is
that this plea fits the American people.
/ How else can you account for our history?
| On what other basis can you explain the
remarkable fact that within less than three
quarters of a century have grown from
| zero 10 more than million adult commune
cants. and sprung from insignihcance into
| prominence and power and now stand in