The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1899-05-16
Southern Baptist Convention.

OF the South assembled In Louisville
on last Friday morning. There was
an expression on the face of each dele
gate unlike that of former years--s
serious determination had taken the
place of glad greeting. 1t was not
difficult to decide as to the cause
OF this, for 1t was in the blood, it was
in the very atmosphere. 1t was that
Whitsitt matter that must be disposed
of. On account of this disturbance all
the denominational interests had in a
manner become stagnant, aud no lon
ger would the representatives OF this
great denomination be satisfied to have
side.tracked their material interests
for the whiml of a single man. The
work OF the convention began with
seriousness, the President OF the year
being chosen without an opposing
element, ex-Gov. Northern, of Geor-
gia, being the honored man. Ex-
Gov. Eagle, of Arkansas, was spoken
of and his name presented to the con-
vention, but the Ex-Governor, in one
of the happiest speeches of his life,
withdrew his name and asked that
the convention select Ex-Governor
Northern by acclimation. which re-
quest Was its pleasure.
Our own Capt. w. j. Stone, of
Kentucky, candidate for Governor,
was spoken of by lis friends, who
were not few, and had the matter
been pressed he would have been the
choice of the convention. 1t was OBJ
served, however, that Capt. Stone
was not eligible from the fact that
only ex-Fovernor's are made distin-
guished by this honor. I'm the natur-
al order of things he will become the
President of this body after his term
of Office as Governor of Kentucky
shall have expired. There were
present at this meeting some of the
most profound men of the denomina-
ton and for them on each program
was prominent place.
The Whitsitt matter came up early
before the Board of Trustees, and
after much discussion, having been
i'll session nine hours, his resignation
as President of the Theological. Sem
mary, Chair of Church History and
member of the Faculty was accept
ed. This action on the part of the
Trustees glanddened the hearts of this
great body.
The next question to come up was
the choosing of his successor. This
matter engaged the attention Of the
Trustees for one evening and half of
day, when DR.. John P. Greene, of
William. Jewell College, Liberty, Mo,
was unanimously elected. This &C.
ton was generally approved by the
entire body, and that predicted split
in the ranks of Southern Baptists,
which would have gladdened the
hearts of opposing denominations
was thereby averted.
This matter had never gotten
squarely before the Association, but
would have gotten there this very
session had it not been permanently
settled. The resolutions offered at
Norfolk last year, upon which reports
were to be made at this session were
in substance expunged from the rec
ords.
The next matter that came before
the body was Foreign Missions. The
report showed the Board entirely out
of debt. The missionaries who were
appointed are men and women who
stand at the front in the leading
churches. More persons were bap-
tized THAI in any previous year. The
number sent to foreign fields was II,
and the number returned Is. Others
are greatly needed, Nine have re.
tired from the work and one was re-
moved by death. The amount of
money contributed during the year
for this work was $l09,267, Aiken
lucky being the third largest con-
tributor of the States. In addition to
this the Womsn's work amounted to
$24, l22.92, making a total of $l33,-
420 55. The convention by rising
vote decided to increase the contribu-
ton for another year 25 per cent,
which will make $166,770,44 for the
year ending May, 1900. There were
missionaries present--those under APP
pointment and those who had return
ed from the field for rest, made inter-
esting and touching remarks, the
most affecting scene being that of an
old man of four score years, who rose
from his seat and said he had given
all he had for the Foreign work; his
wife had been taken from him and
his only daughter he had given to this
WORK. ...
The Sunday School work, under
II n ~