The Saint Paul globe., 1902-05-28
Baptists, After Spirited De-
bate, Vote Against Co.
ordination
LAST DAY OF SESSION
Visiting Delegates and Clergy
men Pack Up and Return
to Their Homes.

After nearly three hours of discussion,
which at times became rather spirited,
! the members of the various Baptist so
| cietieS in joint session yesterday after
noon voted against the proposed con-
solidation of some certain district as an
experiment. The matter came up In the
nature of a recommendation in the re-
port of the special committee on collec-
ton agencies, appointed at the last joint
conference.
Tis committee in it's report yesterday
recommended that a certain district be
designated wherein a single secretary
should be appointed to represent the
home mission, publication societies and
the missionary union. DR.. Crandell, of
| Chicago, moved to make the proposition
mandatory, and this Immediately brought
number Of the pastors and delegates
! in attendance to their feet to protest
against the passage of the amendment.
! A lengthy discussion followed and fin
ally resulted in the amendment being
lost by a vote of 135 to 127.
DR.. c. A. Cook, of New Jersey, read
| the report of the committee. The com
| mittee took a strong stand against the
merger of district secretaryships, hold
ing that they were doing an excellent
work now The committee, however,
made a concession that If the societies
We're bent on some change, that such
shange be made only after the district
secret taryships in a representative dis
trict had been consolidated as an expert
ment 1t was this part of the report
that DR.. Crandell wished to have made
mandatory, but the sentiment of those
present was strongly against the amend
ment
Would Reduce Contributions.
DR.. Henry c. Mabie district secretary
Of the missionary union, was one of
those who opposed the amendment
strongly, claiming that it would reduce
contributions one-third, and eventually
destroy the effective work of the So
cieties.
Dr. Crandell, however, was of the
opinion that it would be a wise move to
attempt the experiment and said: ''All
we ask is for a trial.
DR.. A. G. Dixon, of Boston, in rather
sarcastic speech, asked if the man who
was to advocate general mission work
was to make six different speeches for
the branches he represented, or to make
a speech covering the six subjects. In
either event it would be pretty hard on
the audience. He said: ut would kill
the man and the association. No man
could master the details
Mr.. Varney, of Oregon, was also OF
the same opinion, saying that he had
mastered two branches pretty well and
still could find a hat to fit
Gen. T. ]. Morgan, of New York, sec
retary of the home mission, believed that
the attention of the churches must be
called to specific things if money was
to be expected out of them.
Several others spoke for and against
the amendment and several suggestions
were offered One minister present said:
"If you want to consolidate consolidate
some of the little things and leave the
big things alone;" while another said.
eff you adopt this amendment and the
resolution, things will run along all right
for five or six years, but 1 have my
doubts about whether or not as effective
work could be done after that as is
being done at the present time under the
present system
Original Report Accepted.
Zone thing on which the objectors all
agreed on was that one man could not
cover a territory now covered by three
men, and cover it right. 1t was nearly
$3.50 in the afternoon before a vote could
be secured on the amendment and it
was lost. DR.. Moss then moved that the
report of the committee of fifteen to be
appointed for the purpose of looking into
the advisability of closer coordination.
position.
Another proposition that came in for
good deal Of discussion was a resolution
offered by one of the clergymen to have
certain number of the several monthly
magazines published by the various sOci-
eties every month bound together in one
so that those wishing to purchase the
combined number could do SO, and thus
get Information concerning all of the
s-E f~4sz 7.
yer, Colo, offered a substitute motion as
an amendment to the effect that the ex-
ecutive boards of managers of the several
societies be requested to appoint COM
mittee of two from each board to con-
fer together in regard to publishing
ma gazine ard bi-monthly bulletin, con-
tanning news of all the societies. This
committee to be instructed to ascertain
what it would cost per month. and also
10 formulate plans for the publishing Of
such a periodical. This resolution met
with considerable opposition en- the
ground that it would conflict with the
magazines now published by the various
societies, and also for several other minor
reasons.
Gen. T. J. Morgan offered an amend
ment to the substitute that the commit
tee should be requested to look :nto the
question as TO whether or not it would
The amendment was voted down, and the
substitute offered by Dr. Vosburgh was
adopted by vote of ninety-seven to
eiehty-two.
When the conference assembled at 1890
yesterday morning e. M. Thresher, Esq,
president of the Home Mission society,
was elected chairman, and Dr. H P.
Grose, OF Boston, secretary.
Would Discontinue Committee.
The report of the committee on sys-
tematic beneficence was presented by B.
F. I.cnnison, Esq, Of Pennsylvania, and
after some discussion was accepted. The
chief recommendation in the report was
that the committee be discontinued A
motion was also adopted by the meeting
asking the presidents cf the three allied
societies to appoint a commission of
seven on christian Stewardship the
work of which should be to organize the
system of educating the Baptists as to
labor in the mission field. 1t is to be an
aid in the collection Of funds, and will
succeed the commission on systematic
bcneficence.
A resolution was submitted by DR.. De
Wolf, of New Jersey, requesting the
secretaries of the various missionary soci-
eties to cooperate with the state sccre-
taries in states represented by these as
sociations in the wheel plan.
Delegates Return Home.
Rev. Mr. Peterson offered a short prayer
at the close, and Rev. DR.. Mabie gave
the benediction, after which the delegates
and clergymen FASTENED to their respect
i've hotels to prepare for leaving on the
evening trains last night.
Prior to the meeting of the ;oint con-
ference yesterday morning the American
Raptist Missionary union held -naee