Evening journal., 1908-03-19
DOVER DISTRICTS
HEALTHY GROWTH
Church Membership hipInCreaSed
1900 and $22,4lI Spent
on Improvements
6contInued from page .

Continued from page 2.)
The Rev. S. M. Morgan, presiding
J elder Of the Dover district. reported to
some length of the work on his district
during the year. He referred to the
fact that the district had had a
healthy advance in all respects. Be
side the overthrow In the entire Della
ware portion of the district Of the giant
evil, the liquor traffic, that has cursed
society for generations, the usual
church enterprises, both of the local
church life and of the general interests,
have outstripped all former years to
a most encouraging extent" he said.
At Crapo nearly 20) persons were
converted. Other conversions on the
district increased the church member
ship 1900 The aggregate advance Of
ministerial support in the district was
about 5000. The sum Of S22,411 was
spent on church and parsonage inn
provement. GEORGETOWN also built a
parsonage at cost of $4,000. A new
church was built at st. Johns at a
cost Of $500. The aggregate advance
In the offerings Of the district 10
church benevolent enterprises was be-
tween $500 and 5000. considering this
years financial panic and pressure it is
Q great record for the pastors and peo.
pie under their leadership to make
such an increase Of contributions into
the treasury Of the General church for
its use in its worldwide Christian
enterprises" Mr.. Morgan said.
Mr.. Morgan also referred to the work
accomplished by the young peoples So
cieties and the mission study classes
under thea uspices of the second de-
partment Of the District Epworth
League. These now number 20, and
are under the vigorous leadership Of
Miss Mary p. Holland. OF Milford. who
was complimented for her Christian
zeal.
Mr.. Morgan reported that the Con-
ference Academy continues 10 do good
work
Presiding Elder Morgan speaks Of the
great organ installed by Wesley Church,
Dover, and says: Large credit is due to
]. Milton Davidson, the talented and en-
thusiastic leader of the choir"
Refers to Local Option Campaign.
Referring further to the recent local
option election. Mr.. Morgan said the
great triumph Of the moral forces Of
the two lower counties of this State
last November against the saloon
merited special and vigorous mention"
by him. He then referred to the in-
oeption Of the campaign for temper
ance at meeting of the Wilmington
M. E. Preachers Association in Will
mington in 1901. when the Rev. Robert
Watt suggested that a call be issued
TO all the preachers of the city for
meeting for the consideration OF
methods by which the temperance
forces might more quickly reach tbs
end sought AS a result of that call,
Mr.. Morgan said, the Delaware Tenn
perance Alliance was organized. From
that hour the battle against the salooa
was waged with sleepless vigilance.
There was agitation, discussion, organ
ization and practical political planning.
The enemy was given neither rest nor
quarter. Again and again succeeding
legislative bodies lodged, trifed with
and disappointed the people Of the
State. But like the hero OF Appomat-
toX, who never knew when he was
whipped. the temperance forces went
at tAc MbAh Win ltItWcQ Nlkof ana
grim determination until one year ago
thelegislature hardened to the peoples
demand and enacted a local option
law, The election on the question
thus brought to issue occurred last
November, with the glorious result that
more than two-thirds of the territory
Of the State is free from the curse
of the legalized saloon"
Rebuke "Reoreant" Politicians.
After referring to the able campaign
leadership Of Alexander M. Dalv. as
sisted by DR.. Alfred Smith. r. T.
Coursey, w. r. Mowbray, George S.
Hardesty. w. o. Hurst. A. W. Light
bourne, the Rev. Royal w. Raymond,
Mr.. Morgan said no one in the fight
in the two successful districts believes
that had the campaign been under
foreign leadership that victory would
have been won. "Or had the political
party leaders Of character and intiu-
ence in the two just mentioned dis
tricts kept in the background-as was
done in the upper part Of the State
the outcome would likely have been |
different The brethren In the city Of |
Wilmington and upper rural New Cas-
tie county must teach these recreat /
machines OF whatever party that their |