The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-07-31
SABBATH SCHOOL
CONVENTION WORK.
People of Due West Lavish In
Entertainment.
EXCELLENT ADDRESSES ON Live STOCK
Next Convention Will BE Held
With Upper Long Cane
Presbyterian Church.


tives to the Convention. About one third
Of the schools were not represented. The
people OF Due West showed their hospi-
tality by the lavish dinner served, and
| showed their interest and gave their en-
couragement by attending the services OF
the Convention. As. the opening Of the
Convention was delayed by an accident
the time for the reports Of delegates and
the discussions Of various questions had
to be shortened. It Is believed by many
that this feature Of the Convention is the
most interesting and also the most profit
able. '....,
Address by Mr.. SalIivsn.
Mr.. Sullivan Of Anderson gave strong
and interesting talk on methods Of deal
| ing with child offenders. Believing that
the Bible is not merely to be memorized,
land that conventions are not merely to
teach better methods Of study, but that
principles are to be practiced, he raised
the question whether as state and peo-
pie, we are dealing with young offenders
in the spirit Of Christ, who said to the wo-
man taken In sin Neither do condemn
thee: go. and sin no more" He asked
whether we are consistent In appointing
guardians for children OF thirteen or four
fteen on the grouud that they are not men
and are not able to take care Of themselves
and their !property, and then treating
them as criminals when they commit some
misdemeanor. Mr.. Sullivan substantiated
his position by some striking, examples
and by reviewing the career Of Judge
Lindsey of Denver, who has instituted q
reform in dealing with those Of young
years who have been brought before his
court, refusing to brand them as crimi-
nails and humiliate them with imprison-
ment. The contrast Of the success OF
Judge Lindsey's method with the failure
Of the older method In vogue, the spread
Of this to some thirty states, and the ia-
terest it has evoked throughout the world
was cited as proof that not only is the
| new method Christlike, but 1t is also more
effective and more economical.
Address by Mrs. M. A. Carlisle.
Mrs. Carlisle spoke OF teaching the chill
dren Of the first three or four years in the
school. She explained In detail methods
of enlisting the interest of these children,
and of the opportunity Of making perna-
nent impressions and leading them to
Chri st. Mrs. Carlisle made avery touch
ing appeal for the adoption Of the cradle
roll in all schools, showing the results OF
it. Buttons and banners and prizes and
pictures may seem to some Of the older
ones as hardly W orth while, and perhaps
as belittling the study Of the Bible, but
there was time in our life for the drum
and the rattle and the prize. Results are
proof. The new mr thods In the primary
department have justified themselves by
their results.
Address by Mr.. Pratt. ~
Perhaps there is only one school In the
county that uses the new graded lessons,
but other schools have them under consid-
GRAFTON. Mr.. Pratt's address was OF inter-
est to them. He is opposed to the use OF
the lessons because they omit some OF the
cardinal principles Of the church's doc
trines and contain some positive errors,
and are infected with the higher criticism.
It was for this reason that the Presbyte-
rian church declined to adopt these new
graded lessons. Mr.. Pratt made strong
speech in defense Of his position, citing
specifically the omissions and the errors
to which he objected. There was no op-
portunity for discussion Of this subject,
and it is not known how general was the
opinion OF the speaker. Miss Vandiver
raised the question that Mr.. Pratt's ob1ec-
tion was to the preparation OF the lessons
in the literature published by syndicate,
and not Justly to the lessons themselves,
and reminded the Convention that several
denominations were publishing their own
helps in the study Of these lessons. Rev.
IJ. W. Carson stated that he had been using
the graded lessons In his school and that
under the teachers Of his school he appre-
lhended no harmful effects from the use OF
these lessons.
Address by Rev. J. w Carson.
I believe there is nothing Of more i'm
portance to the Sabbath Schools than the
subject on which Mr.. Carson addressed
the Convention. He made a plea for the
adoption in every school Of grades, and
the advancement Of pupils from one grade
| to the other on the same principles OF the
schools and colleges. He showed how this
| is practicable, and that it is necessary In
order to raise the Sabbath School to its
proper dignity and usefulness.
The Banner School.
Which is it? I do not know. Several
might claim the honor. The Presbyterian
church Of Abbeville reports the largest
school, s5s including the cradle and the
home department. Due West A. K. r.
church reports the largest attendance the
best woman's class, the best mans class.
The Abbeville Baptist church reports the
best organized school and is close rival
competitor for the largest attendance. The
Abbeyille Methodist church had no report
nor delegate at the Convention, but think
that it's school in numbers and in general
excellence is second to none In the county.
have said these few things to provoke no
good works. We are going to watch the
reports next year. Which will report the
largest school? Which the best average
attendance Which the greatest Increase!