The news & observer., 1905-12-05
State Convention in Raj
eigh This Week.
NOT A DEBT TO MEET
The Great Gathering Of the Baptist
Hosts Will Meet Here on Wednes-
day Night Under the Most Happy
Circumstances, and With a
Bright Outlook.

tire State eighteen hundred and six
teen churches. Cne hundred and
eighty-five thousand communicates,
being one-thirtieth of the Baptists of
the world. benevolent offerings am
ounting to more than ninety-thousand
dollars a year, and the total reported
contributions to all objects, (including
home expcnses), running up annually
toward four hundred thousand dol
| larS-SucE are the mere outline ng-
ures of The white Baptists of North
Carolina. The representatives of this
highly host will meet in this city
next Wednesday, evening in their sew
enty-fifth yearly convention.
n Busy, Prosperous Year.
In all its history covering now
| three-quarters of a century the con-
vention has never seen a better twelve
month in every department of its
work. Not storm cloud as large as
a mans hand above the Baptist
| horizon. not a hereto or busybody or
! viLegar-t0ngue in all the ranks; on
| the contrary. q general desire and ef-
fort to move out of the Sleepy Hol-
! low of the past; the spirit # individual
! fidelity, local evangelism, general en-
| lightenment, and worldwide missions.
striding onward in every part of the
State. A good year; but it has meant
| hard work for siX-hundred faithful
| pastors. and a host of active laymen
and Interested women. Busy at Wake
Forest looking after three hundred
| aud thirty young men and at the lap
| tist University with three hundred and
twenty young women; busy at Thorn
asville Orphanage installing the new
and need ed water works and caring
| for more than thrcc-hundrcd father
| less ones: busy in the Baptist news
paper offices. The Recorder and Char
ity and Children, having together cir
| culation of eleven thousand and the
| North Carolina Baptist. with six thous
and or more: busy year for Rev.
| Hight c. Moore doing work in the ter
| ritory of fiftv associations and reach
| ing thrce-thousand Sunday school otfi
| GERS and teachers: a busy year for
Secretary Livingston Johnson, strong
er than ever before in his work and in
| the hearts of the people, struggling in
! the whirl of the associations and in
! the rush Of the Office for State Mis-
| sions. trembling these last weeks at
| tho possibility of a debt but winding
| up November goth with the fill thirty
! thousand needed for his September
| work-in short. hard work all along
! the line and all during the year. But
when the gavel of President Marsh
calls the convention to order at seven
thirty on "Wednesday evening in the
Tabernacle Baptist church the as
sembled hosts viii feel that Hill
! of Difficulty has been climbed and
| they are now at the Porter's Lodge,
! from whence they may OBTAIN glimpses
| of the Celestial City.
Gratitude; Fellowship; Progress.
In reality these will be the watch
words of the approaching convention
gratitude for the good year gone, prog
ress in the better year TO come; and,
for the time being. the free, sweet, de-
| lightful fellowship of the Baptist
brotherhood. In the hands of the peo-
pie. along the streets, in the side-rooms
of the church. in the main auditorium
between services, you will very likely
sec it veryWhere-intercha of eX-
perie1ce rehearsal of reminiScence,
| ~ipples of mirth, messages to loved
ones, prophecies and covenants for a
brighter yet-to-be. And if once in a
while some electricity should be gen
Grated in debate, what matter? The
air is cleared, the soil is refreshed, and
no harm is done. No bitter personali-
full oneness of aim and of action.
Gratitrde-Fello lowship-Progress
'.Cut" But Not "D-ied.'
In the program and discussions OF
| the convention there has always been
the utmost spontaniety. The order
of business is arranged after organ
iZation of tho session is effected and
hitherto al committees have been ap-
pointed to write reports then and there
and TO lead in their discussion when
brought before the body. There has
| been a feeling of adherence toward
any cut-and-dried speeches, reports, OIL
arrangement of exercises. But the
sentiment has become quite general
| that writer's of reports hastily prepar-
| ed and speeches with addresses got
| ten uD amid the convention stir are
at q disadvantage. Hence a medium
stand was taken at last session where
| by reports and opening speeches upon
| them shall be "cut" but not "dier.'
| Writers of the main reports were
! therefore appointed for this year and
| they are given twenty minutes each
| for the discussion of their respective
reports. In the associations a similar
| plan has worked for years, but this is
| q new thing in the convention 1t will
no doubt result finally in fuller re-
ports and more forceful initial discus
| Sion5.
4 Fine Session Anticipated.
| All in all the convention is likely
to have one of the best sessions in its
history There will be fine attend
ance or the part of our own people
! The representatives of the genera
work of Southern Baptists will be
! mere and receive a genuine Tar-Heel
welcome. One afternoon at Wake For.
est for the inauguration of President
/, Poteat and another of the Baptis
University will be enjoyed. And ther
thee busy hum of the convention
morning, afternoon. and evening
they promise to be full of inspira-
ton. reach high level, ana command
a fine outlook upon the future.