Evening star., 1899-04-19
CHURCHMEN CONFER
Second Day Of New Jersey Congrega-
tional Association Meeting.
SUBJECTS UNDER CONSIDERATION
Large Attendance and Much Inter-
est Shown in Proceedings.
CLOSIN FEA ATU r Z 8

The third session of the thirty-frst an
nual meeting of the Congregational Asso-
citation of New Jersey, which began yester-
day and Will close tonight, convened
promptly at o'clock this morning in the
First Congregational Church, corner 10th
and G streets northwest. The attendance
was much larger than on yesterday, and
the representative Congregationalsts of the
District were. present in plentiful numbers
and displayed warm interest in the pro-
ceedngs
The first business in order was the call
OF committees, but no reports were received
The Rev. Mr.. Harp OF Baltimore was made
an honorary member, and devotional exer-
cises were then conducted by Rev. F. W.
Martin.
Board was the subject of an address by
Rev. DR.. c. C. Creegan secretary of the
New Y ork office, during which he energeti-
cally pleaded for a greater and more vigor-
Gus prosecution of mission work.
Mission Field In Porto Rico.
The next speaker was Rev. DR.. VIM.
Hayes Ward, chief editor of the New York
Independent, whose subject was THE New
Fields of Home Missionary Work. DR..
Ward was member of the committee of
three from the association which recently
esting description of the island and its nat
ural characteristics, reciting the habits
of life of the people He said the inhabi-
tants are divided into two classes, the very
well off and the very poor
The speaker regarded Porto Rico as an
ideal field for the prosecution of missionary
work. The Philippines, he said, were out
of the question, and in Cuba it was prob
established. Therefore, home missionary
work could be only properly conducted In
Porto Rico which, he explained, was really
a Catholic country which had religion.
He explained this by stating that the peo-
pie had been SO overrun by priests sent
from Spain, who had none of the qualities
they should have possessed, that they had
lost all confidence in them and respect for
them.
Moral Condition.
He described the moral condition of the
people in striking sentences. OF the million
inhabitants only one-half of those living
man and wife were legally married, so half
the children We're illegitimate. The reason
for this was to be found in the marriage
customs and the obstacles placed in the
way of those desiring to get married. 1t
was necessary for both parties to get the
consent of Goth their parents, if living,
sworn to before a notary, and of their
grandparents as WELL if such were living.
If parties desired to get married in the
evening they We're charged heavy marriage
fees.
Dr. Ward was follow ID by Rev DR. Shell
don Jackson, Presbyterian mis- siouary who
took for his subject Christian Work and
Its Prospects in Alaska" He drew a sorry
picture of the present conditions il the far
off territory, but was hopeful, in view of
recent missionary work, that additional
vigorous efforts in that direction would
have great reforma tory effect.
The ether addresses at the morning ses-
sion We're by Rev. Charles o. Day, who de-
scribed the progress made in the work of
the Congregational Education Society, and
by Rev. VIM. Forbes Cooley. who treated
of the minister in his mediatorial capacity.
brief discussion of all the papers fol-
lowed, and was participated in by several
members.
The session adjourned a few minutes after
l. o'clock, and the association, headed by
Moderator Wanamaker, who is a brother
of the former Postmaster General, proceed
ed to the White House, where the members
were pleasantly received by President Nc
kinley.
Afternoon Session.
The meeting was called to order again at
o'clock, and after the transaction of SOM
routine business and devotional exercises
the regular program commenced at 3
o'clock by an address, Federation of
Churches" by Rev. DR.. VIM. a. Rice. The
subject was discussed by several members
The other features this afternoon include
addresses by Miss Clara Barton on the
permanent work of the Red Cross, by Miss
her problems and by Mrs. Mary c. Terrell
of this city on the present status and as
pirations of the colored woman.
The session this evening, which concludes
the meeting, will begin at o Clock, and the
main feature of the occasion VIII be an
address by Carroll d. Wright, United
States commissioner of labor. His subject
will be rs There Solution of the Labor
Probiem?' He will treat particularly OF
the churches in their relation to labor and
the unemployed and to poverty occasioned
by lack of work.
Proceedings Yesterday.
At the conclusion of the reading of the
reverend corresponding secretarys report
as given in the Evening Star yesterday, it
was referred to the committee on resolu
tons. The report of the treasurer, Mr..
James II. Noyes, was submitted and refer
red to the finance committee. The retiring
moderator, Rev. Frank J. Goodwin, deliver
ed his annual address, dealing with the
work done by the association during the
year 1898, under the head of THE Biblical
Doctrine of Divine Justice" The conditions
of the churches in New Jersey and from
Pennsylvania southwark were described by
Rev. j. owen Jones and Rev. Thomas NJ.
Beakendoff.
The election of officers resulted in the Sc
lection of Deacon William H. Wanamaker
of Philadelphia as moderator; Rev. Charles
H. DickersOn, a colored minister of New
ark, n. j., as scribe; Rev. j. Owen Jones
of Bou2dbrook, N. j., as corresponding sec
retary, and Mr.. James H. Noyes, treasurer.
At the evening session the committees
nominations and place of the next meeting
We're announced and there was sermon
by Rev DR. Wallace Nutting of Providence,
r. l., his subject being ''The Finger of God
is in This The sacrament of the Lords
supper was served the celebrants being
Rev. DR.. Albert II. Bah and Rev. Angus.
tuS DaviSSon.