Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-06
ITS THANK OFFERING
Interest Manifested by Conference Of
M. E. Church South.
an ADDRESS BY BISHOP GAMBLER
Fund to Be Used in Advance
ment of Education.
SUBSCRIPTIONS ECEIVED

The session of the Baltimore annual con-
ference Of the Methodist Episcopal Church
South at Mount Vernon Place Church this
| morning was taken up almost exclusively
twentieth century thank Offering proposed
By universal methodism. Bishop Warren A.
Gambler the presiding officer. made the
principal address. He dwelt at length upon
the great wealth AMI resources of the
L nlted States and the south and said that
the southern connection of the Methodist
Church should not lag behind in its work
for the fund.
The twentieth century offering is to be
used in the advancement of educati ton. The
donations are to be made in consideration
of Gods mercies to the world during the
century about to close, of the riches of His
grace bestowed upon His church. and of
what He has done through methodism for
the human race in general. The Methodist
Episcopal Church of the United States has
undertaken to raise the sum of $4,000 900,
average of a little more than 81 per
member, the British Wesleyan Church will
raise S5o0O,wO. per capita of $3.50; Irish
methodism will subscribe S5O0.OOO, aver
age of 50; Australasian methodiSm, SUO,0U0.
or s. per member: United Methodist Frea
of 100000; Canadian methodiSm, 81. UtElG0U
or S3.O6 per member. The Methodist Epis-
copal Church South has undertaken to raise
$l,5m,oOO. which is but a few cents more
than 81 to each member. The grand total
to be raised is s29. 400, 900. and all of this IS
to be spent in the endowment of universities
and the establishment of schools.
Sum Should BE Doubled.
Bishop Gambler strongly urged that the
Southern Methodists should not be back
ward. especially when the amount to be
raised by them is less per member than
IN any of the other connections. He said
the sum of s1,J00,0O0 should be doubled.
The bishop interspersed his serious remarks
with a number of keenly humorous anec-
dotes and Illustrative stories. He spoke of
the vast wealth of the United States, saying
it had been estimated at ninety billions Of
dollars Combined with the wealth of Eng
land. the Erglish-speaking people could
buy up the rest of the globe. and have
enough left to stock good-SiZed farm
The churches of the United States and the
British empire send out four-fifths of the
missionaries in the field.
1T makes me tired, continued Bishop
Gambler, Ito hear some of our Methodist
preachers going around with long face
and shouting about how poor We are We
are not poor. We have the greatest plenty.
We have better and more clothes than we
used to have. and we have more to eat and
better food than had in former days 1t
Is not poverty INdl Is troubling lTt Amer
lean people: it is the danger of deifying our
worldly accommodations and throwing over
our Lord We are richer than any people
on the globe.
Universal Peace.
Bishop Gambler spoke of the peace that is
coming over all the land. War is dying"
he declared. and 1 don't base my remark
on the conference that was held at the cap
ital of the Netherlands, although that gath
ering was an index of the universal feeling
that disputes of the future shall be settled
by arbitration rather than by bloodshed.
War is becoming too dangerous Some peo-
pie have said they thought it strange that
the entire fleets at Manila and Santiago
should have been DESTROYED I'm not a
naval expert, but L don't see anything
strange about it, We have guns nowadays
that are so terrible that when they hit
mark. something's got to happen. It's a
case of the one who shoots first nowadays.
The one that's hit is bound to go down.
And war Is too expensive. 1t costs ever so
much money for nation to even think of
going to war.
I'VE are badly behind in educational mat
tiers down south. | once wrote an editorial
on the subject and pointed out the facts as
they came to me and / concluded by say
ing: We brag too much and do too little
When the proof came to me l saw the
printer had inadvertently made the 'brag'
read bray but I just left it that way.
During the last few years. gentlemen,
o.
ucational Institutions of this country in en-
dowments. Less than S5.0OOOOO of that
amount went south of Mason and Dixon's
line. and most of the SJOUOOOO was for the
negro Institutions. Now. We do not be-
grudge the money spent upon the negro
but we do need a little more for the white
people
Valuable Investment.
Money spent the boy is the most
valuable investment that can be made. The
dividends come to us in the shape of a man.
The trouble is, and the danger that is
threatening tho American people is, that
they are too willing to judge ard measure
everything by a monetary standard We
must not let that be. 1 asked $4,000 for
the establishment of church and school
in Havana l was told by some wealthy
persons who We're approached on the sub
Ject that the project was too eXtrayagant
few days later these very gentlemen in
vested much more than S:s0,O0O in Il cotton
mill. II will be noticed that the concerns
throughout the country which are Offering
dividends in money have all the resources
they desire. while the Institutions Offering
return of spiritual guidance and benefit
haven't what they actually need.
I'VE should make this thank Offering an
and thankful; prospective ana Courageous
loves what he's got more than what he is
The time from the conclusion of Bishop
Gamblers address up to the hour of ad
Jcurrment was occupied In receiving and
recording subscriptions. About ST., 900 was
secured. ~