New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-13
TRACT SoCIETY'S WORK.
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
Tmportance of the Proper Education
of Immigrants.

-,.sn Tract Society was held to-day i'm the
-,-ssissnts church. the Grace Reformed Church
- psr Mr. Schick. pastor. Justice Brewer
.r,y- vice president, presided. and made a
80. address. setting forth the inportant work
-,ss forward by the society. President
..-.s.qelt delivered the address, and the Rev.
,,,sson swift. field secretary, made report.
7ns report stated that immigrants are coming
he United States in increasing numbers. and
- tse average for the last four months con-
.sss the million mark will be reached for the
.r The Tract Societys colporteurs among
=, ,r.ssnivrsnts are converted foreigners. They
..+ tbon, on arrival and follow them 70 their
homes and places of employment, distributing
CHRISTIAN literature in the language or dialect
,,bict they speak The colporteurs at Ellis Island
6istribute Christian literature in twenty-four
,anq,ares or dialects The total number of col
r.orteurs Iaboring among the foreigners is
thirty-eigft.
The last annual report shows that the society
has published the Gospel Message in 100 Ian
suaees or dialects. and that ninety new publ
cations have been added. These were IN eight
,5iaerent languages. The total number of sep
erate and distinct publications. including vol
,,,,,ss ,racts and leaflets issued from the home
Office during the history of yhe society was 1858,
and the grand total Of all publications printed
reached 50,7S1, ,513 copies The total number
Of periodicals circulated for the year amounted
10 1896 100 copies.
The cali for the Tract Society's special and
unioue work the report says, is greater than
ever before in its history. and its resources are
greatly overtaxed. The society is wholly de-
pendent on donations and legacies and. says the
report, some of its most important work of ne
cessity. Will be curtailed unless there is more
generous response on the part of evangelical
Il ndi- A mos
appeal is made for increased gifts.
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
The President spoke as follows:
Mr.. Justice Mr. schick and you, my fellow
members OF this congregation, and our guests
who with to-day, L am glad, on be-
half of this church, 10 say amen to the
appeal that has been made by Dr. Swift
on behalf of the great society to the ac-
count Of whose work you nave been listening
Mr. Justice, you quoted the advice Of poet
TO be doers rather than dreamers." In the
Book Of all Books there is sentence TO the
same effect, BE We doers of the word and not
hearers only" Let US show ourselves to-day
dOers Of the Word, upholders in fact OF what
has been preached to US by DR.. Swift.
He has set forth the needs Of the society, and
he has set forth the great field over which 1t
works wish to touch only on a small portion
Of that field, but, after all, the portion that most
concerns us-the need here at home, here in this
country. of fuTtherng in every way the work
Of the society, the work Of all kindred societies
both among the native born and among the
these
abroad. And there is a peculiar propriety IN
such an appeal being made TO this church, for,
as ] have said here before, this church more
than most others should ever keep before 1t as
part Of its duty as one Of the chief parts of its
duty that or caring In all ways. but especially
IN spiritual ways, for the people who come 20
Us from abroad
The United States government does endeavor
20 do its duty by the immigrants who come 10
these shores and 1 was glad, DR.. Swift, TO listen
10 what you said to the work that is being
done on Ellis Island, for ii is a just tribute 10
that work. But unless people have had some
experience with the dangers ana dlfnculIles sur
rounding the newly arrived immigrant they can
hardly. realize how great they are. The in1Inl-
grant comes here almost unprotected; he does
not as a rule, know our language; he is wholly
unfamiliar with institutions, customs,
our habits Of life and ways of thought; and there
are, ] sorry to say, great numbers of evil
and wicked people who hope to make their
livelihood by preying him. He is exposed to
innumerable temptations innumerabe petty op-
pressioEs, on almost every hand; and unless
some one is on hand TO help him he literally
has idea where 10 turn No greater work
can be done by a philanthropic or religious
ciety than to stretch out the helping hand to
the man and the woman who come here to this
country to become citizens and the parents of
citizens and therefore TO do their part in max
Ing up for veal or for woe the future of our
land II we do not take care of them. If we Go
not try 70 uplift them, then as sure as fate our
own children viii pay the penalty. If we do not
see that the immigrant and the children of the
immigrant are raised up, most assuredly the
sUlt will be that our own children and chill
oren's children pulled down. Either they
VIII rise or we shall sink. The level of well
being in this country will be level for all Of
US We cannot keep that level down for part
and not have il sink more or less for the whole.
II We raise il for part shall raise ii to a
certain extent for the whole. Therefore, it
means nuch, not merely TO the immigrants, but
10 every good American, that there should be at
Ellis Island the colporteurs of this society, and
the representatives of other religious and philan-
thropic societies, to try TO for the immi-
grants body. and above all. 10 try 10 care for
the immigrants soul
II is of course. unnecessary to say that the
things of the body must be cared for; that the
first duty of any man. especially of the man
who has others dependent upon him, is TO take
care Of them and to take care Of himself. No
body can help others if he begins by being
burden upon others. Each man must be able
20 pull his own weight 10 carry his own weight,
pacity to earn for himself and his family
enough TO secure certain amount of material
Tellbeing. That must be the foundation. But
on that foundation he must build as super
structure the spiritual life.
One Of the best things done by this society
and by kindred religious and benevolent socie-
ties is supplying in our American life OF to-day
the proper ideals 1t is a good thing TO have
mad the extra ordinary material prosperity which
has followed so largely on the extraordinary
sdentihc discoveries alluded to by Justice
Brewer. II use this material prosperity Alright.
/ IS not 4 good thing. ii is bad thing. if we
treat il the be-all and end-all Of our life.
= we make IL the only ideal before this nation.
y we permit the people of this Republic to get
before their minds the view that material we'll
being carried 10 an ever higher degree Is the
one and only thing 10 be striven for, we are
iayins up for ourselves not merely trouble but
ruin. ]. too feel the faith and hope that have
9een expressed hero to-day by the vice -presi-
cent and the secretary OF 6he society, but ] so
stel because 7 believe that we shall not permit
mere material webeing 10 become the only |
deal IN this nation. because ] believe that more
and mora we shall accGstOm ourselves to look
ng az The great fortunes accumulated by GER |
tain men being nothing in themselves either
10 admire 10 envy or Il deplOra. ave as they |
are used well H. II the great fortune IS used
strength necessary TO resist the temptations |
sifher r. &C -