The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-09
.FRATERNAL WORDS
( BY DR.. Sparkling
Canada'S Delegate Greeted by
Large Audience
Is WARMLY APPLAUDED
Interesting Sketch of Organic Union Of
the Methodist, Presbyterian and
Congregational Churches
In Canada.
is WARMLY APPLAUDED

The First Methodist Episcopal church
was packed last night with delegates to
the eMthodist general conference and lay
men of Birmingham to hear the fraternal
address of the Rev. DR.. w. j. Sparkling.
Dr. Sparkling is the fraternal delegate
from the Canadian Methodist Episcopal
! church to the general conference. He is
| president of Wesleyan college at Winnie
! peg, Manitoba, and his scholarly attain
ments have brought him to position
where he occupies high rank among the
churchmen of the Dominion. The speaker
was cordially received.
DR.. Sparkling spoke, in part. as follows:
MIR President, Bishops, Bishops-to-be,
Qaughter), Brothers and Sisters
at Is sort of tradition with us in
Canada, the cordially and hospitality we
receive from this country. when we come
south. 1t is said you know: Heaven
tempers the wind to the shorn lamb
you have been tempering the wind to the
woolly lamb. Qaughter) The weather
has evidently been made to order. We
could not furnish a better article even
in the Province of Manitoba, where we
think we have the best climate on earth.
As l stated the other day. 1 was elected
some years ago. and should have been
here eight years ago. but was unaVoid-
ly prevented; perhaps 1 am GLAD l was
prevented them because l would not
1 have had the pleasure of being here
now: but my conference was determined
that l should enjoy this good thing be-
cause they think a good deal of me, so
they sent me again, and | am here.
have come to bring the fraternal greeting
of the Methodist church In the Dominion
of Canada-a church which | might say
holds you in the very highest esteem, and
has much love for you in the gospel of
Jesus Christ, and which has always heard
of your successes and triumph with the
greatest satisfaction and delight. l come
from the city of Winnipeg, which l may
say Is no mean city. 1t is somewhat
like your own city here, going ahead by
leaps and bounds. BY the way, ] read
that this city is only thirty-six years
old That is just the age of Winnipeg.
Perhaps they are twins. Oaughter)'
Speaks of Winnipeg.
DR.. Sparkling then gave a brief and in
terestng history of the city OF WINNIE
neg. telling of the wonderful PROGRESS it
has made. especially in the last year.
when over s11 100000 were spent In adding
to the buildings
! 'Winnepeg advanced more last year
than any other city on the continent OF
| North America, save only Los Angeies'
that is more In proportion to its popuia-
ton" said the speaker. 1T stands in
about the same relation to our west as
Il Chicago does to your west
The speaker then told of the great
wheat growing country lying to the west
4 of Winnepeg where 90.SO0,O00 bushels OF
the best wheat were grown last summer,
and this was grown upon about 100000
acres of land THE outside world Is
Just beginning to wake up to the fact
that we are there, just as it has begun
to wake up to find that Birmingham here
1 Is to supply the iron for the whole civil
Iized world in the pot distant future.
(Applause) 1t may not be very fiattering
! to our Canadian sentiment, or to our
! Canadian feeling, but / must tell the
truth it is being largely discovered by
Americans Qaughter) They are cross
| ing our borders like army, not with
swords or shot, but with the instruments
of agriculture, at the rate of about 5o,00O
a wear. and let me say that you make
very good citizens. There Is no class save
those from the eastern part of our own
country we had rather have. we are
glad to have you come and take posses
sion of that great valley. One OF the
characteristics of an American is, as l
understand it, that he knows good thing
when he sees 1t. Laughter) we nave
the good thing, he has seen 1t ana Is
coming"
The speaker said that the ends of the
earth meet in Winnepeg, ana tnat last
summer the scriptures were asked Tor
in forty different languages, which
showed that they had number OF grave
problems confronting them to be worked
out and solved.
| LAS has been said, the peopling OF the
United States was the great event OF the
nineteenth century. Shall not the popping
of the Dominion of Canada be the event
| of the twentieth century, ne asked
''Our country is today where yours was
| 100 years ago" DR.. Sparkling then spoke
of the generosity of nature to Canada,
of her great and beautiful mountains,
rich minerals, the broad and fertile fields,
her magnificent rivers and lakes
| All Have Difficulties.
| "Difficulties? he said why, of course
we have them, but what are difficulties
i for If they are not to be overcome. and in
| their overcoming to develop the power
| and strength by which to go forward TO
new enterprises and to yet greater VIC
tories?' He spoke of the railroads or
Canada saying that there are now over
90, 600 miles of rail in the Dominion. which
is a mile for every 291 of the population,
| while the United States has but mile
of railroad for every 81 of its population.
1.-The Sabbath day. one of Gods greatest
gifts to the toiling multtudes of earth,
is generally we'll observed among us.
| (Applause) As yet, We have not been
very much invaded by the Sunday news
| paper On the whole. we have quiet.
! orderly, sober Sabbath. and we are just
| now seeking legislation to keep In hand
| those who are over-anxious to make
| money and those who are over-anxious
| to enjoy themselves more than six days
| in the week. Two hard people to keep
| in-those who love money and those who
| are unduly fond of pleasure. The great
| fundamental system of British justice,
equality and fair play are the corner
! stones of our constitution so We have
absolute equality before the law Our
! judges are appointed, not elected and on
| -