The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-11-19
Something About The WOrk The Or
ganiratiOn is Doing.
It Is Strengthing the
Old Colleges
And is Putting Its Aggressive
Strength Into Academies.

In the St. Lawrence Congregational
church yesterday morning and In Wood
ford's church last evening, Rev. Charles
0. Day, secretary of the Congregational
Educational society, spoke in its behalf.
He said:
The Congregational Education society
is IS years old. 1t was organized De.
cember 7,1sl5. 1t has had a distinguished
history, and represents today the union
OF some of the most distinctive OF Con-
gregational enterprises. Beginning with
the society for educating students for the
ministry, 1t assumed the Western College
society inilS4s, was named the American
College and Education society In 1874;
still further recsived the famous New
West Education Commission, at the pres
emit time one Of its most iiourishing
departments, in 1855; soon after which.
it assumed its present title. Here Is q
very comprehensive work. No wonder
the society Is renewing its youth. for
Its works for the young. Congregational
ism itself stands or falls with the Issues
of a strong pulpit, the ChTistianizing
OF education, and the spirit to undertake
the most difficult problems Of missions,
During these SO years the society has
received the general support Of the
churches; and ia today endorsed by the
rising interest OF the young people. II
may be honestly said that 1t deserves
this good will, for 1t has stood Loyalty by
the best Judgment of the churches on
every point discussed, WHISTLER it be the
illogical scholarships, Independents Chris
tian institutions OF learning, or the edu-
cational method In undermining relig-
ious opposition in benighted regions, and
in winning the backward peoples to the
breadth and health of a genuine Ameri-
can Christianity.
The society has shown its vitality by
the change of emphasis exercised in its
several departments OF work Thus it
has met and turned the point OF recent
criticism upon the subject Of free scholar
ships to theological students. While not
overlooking need, it has brought merit to
the front, and has commented itself TO
theological faculties and church leaders
alike. With all its strictness Of standard
there Is slight increase in the number
of applications, which indicates two
fold gain In the quality and number OF
ministers. The recent showing by the
home missionary secretaries of the vari-
GUS New England States proves that even
In New England a congestion of minis
terial forces is only true for the neigh
borh BOD of Boston. For the greater part
of the country, it Is distinctly not true
Then, for that great educational system
of independent Christian colleges and
academies through the great middle West
the society is maintaining its necessity
and benefit for the nation. No one who
knows the West denies this. Educational
systems which are the creation of poiiti-
cal legislation, and which are limited In
various ways by sectarian antagonisms,
finding their extremes In Roman Catho-
Iicism and Agnostioism, ara not enough ;
however useful they ara, and wide
reaching, for the equipping of citizens
and for the assimilation OF the various
elements which go to make up this ma
ton.
The Educational society is putting its
strength into the great independent sys-
tam. While it is not founding new col
leges, 1t is strengthening the old; is the
proper channel for gifts to them, whether
designated or un1ersignated, and is of
the greatest Importance as a bureau of
information and Qualification for claim
ants to the gifts Of our churches. 1t is
putting its aggressive strength into the
WORK of the two SCORE vigorous Christian
fisher. Chadron, and the GermRn-knglish
school at Wilton which are so important
as feeders to the colleges, or as oenters OF
missionary effort. The institutions upon
its list last year represented capital