The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-24
MISSION WORKERS
 END THEIR LABORS
Negroes Engage in Interesting
 Discussion of South
STILL A GREAT PROBLEM
President Gladden. Says Education Prosecuted Along Lines Already Begun in the soutli Will Re
 suit in Much Good.

tion of the American Missionary asso- citation came to an end tonight after President Washington Gladden. of Ohio who was reelected today, had delivered i the annual address. In addition to Pres ident Gladden. these officers were elect ed
 l Vice presidents, Alex. Mckenzie, Mas sachusetts: the Rev. Henry A. Stinson of New York, the Rev. James w. Cooper of Connecticut, the Rev. William H. Strong of Michigan, President Arthur T. Hadley of Connecticut.
 Recording secretary, the Rev. Asher Anderson of Massachusetts.
 Corresponding secretaries, the Rev. A. F. Beard of Newark the Rev. F. P. woodbury of New York the Rev. c. J. Ryder of New York.
 Treasurer, H. W. Hubbard of New York.
 Among the papers read at the morning session was one by Secretary c. J. Ryder of New York. The secretary stated that the income from the churches this year was $2795 less than for the aver age for the last three years. Sunday schools show an increase of $904 Endeavor societies have increased their gifts $23O
 Number of Churches.
 The total number of contributing churches last year was 1905, and of non contributing churches SS4s. The great body of living givers put into the treasury last year $169,766. The Indian work has greatly suffered from this loss. Twenty per cent increase in donations would mean $2OO 900.
 The afternoon session was devoted to women's work in the missions. Mrs. 1 Washington Choate, president of the | Connecticut union delivered an address, and the annual report of the bureau of women's work by Miss D. E. Emerson of New York attracted attention. Miss Mary S. Westgate of Blowing Rock, N C., Mrs. Ella Sheppard of Nash vile, Mrs. H. H. Proctor of Atlanta and Mrs. Minnie Crossthwaite of Knoxville were among the speakers.
 An address by the Rev. H. H. Proctor of Georgia was listened to with partic- ular interest in connection with a report of southern church work by the Rev. Edwards sM. Moves, D. D., of Massachu- setts.
 AS a race" said MT. Proctor, I've form one-tenth of the nation, and one | lhllQ Ol lHe SOutl- we snail at least that proportion toward tearing down or building up. There are 100000 negroes in the south, and of these al least 100000 are outside of any church. as many as were set free a generation ago. One-half the black race Is un- changed and one-half of the existing churches are totally incompetent to mee, the. religious needs of their members Fully one-half of the ministers are yet | nm f,1I properly minister to the people.
 Have Built Many Schools.
 "No other denomination has built as many schools amongst us as the Con- gregationalists and no other denomina- ton has so few churches. The success of your school work makes the expansion of our church work imperative.
 There is a real breach between the old church and the new negro. Unless 1t be filled we shall reap a crop of black | inhdels. The best way to fill that breach is to multiply Congregational churches in the south. The young negro today Is do- ing an immense amount of thinking. He is thinking on questions of religion. Un- less the church can answer the deep questions he Is pondering and propound- | Ing he will turn away from it.' In his address last night President Gladden. said:
 What tremendous problem still is | this problem of the black race at the | south. There have been times when 1t l seemed to us that we were getting 1t | pretty well off our hands, but no such possibility is now in sight. It was never a more serious question than it Is today. | "The men who are seeking to cooperate 1 with the southern people in promoting the general cause of education at the south have undertaken most patriotic service. Their efforts are directed to- wards the education of the negro; It is 1 promotion of education in the whole | country irrespective of race, sex or creed to which they have pledged thendselves It is not merely an educational crusade | of the north in the south; the southern men are in the front of 1t; the north is rising in response to the call of the south with the purpose of using it's larger resources where they are needed most.
 "Education prosecuted along these | lines must result in a more intelligent and a kindlier public sentiment toward the negro and in a better estimate of his rights and capabilities.
 Education to Spread.
 ''This powerful movement toward the | spread of education in the south must also create a tremendous demand for we'll trained teachers and the burden | thrown upon our colleges and secondary schools will be greatly increased. Those measures by which most of the southern states the negro has been practically disfranchised represent an ominous but not permanent tendency. The disfran- | chisement of ignorance or of moral worthlessness is not to be deprecated; but the drawing of the line of political privilege between the ignorant white man and the ignorant black man is a wrong that can't endure. It can only be justi- fled by the deliberate purpose to reduce the race to a subject condition. The southern people are essentially chiv- alrous people and they cannot build their citizenship on any measure of injustice to the weak They must prevail because this is a Christian age and Christian nation and he who counts the poor and needy among his friends has come to