Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-05-28
CONGREG AT|ONAL
CONVENTION At
RUTLAND CLOSES
Session Attended by Large
Number of PersOns-Presi.
dent Thomas and Supt.
Barss Speakers.

BarsS Speakers.
Rutland May 2I.-The 10th annual State
| convention Of the Vermont Congregations
allsts was brought to a close at the Con-
| gregational Church here at eleven o'clock
this morning after three days of inspiring
| sessions The features of the closing
gathering were addresses by ]. y Barss
of Vorgcnnes, superintendent Of the Yer
mont Industrial school, and the Rev. Or.
John VI, Thomas president of Middle
bury College.
The closing session was attended by l25
persons.
Superintendent Barss, who was the first
| speaker. discussed Rural Conditions in
! Vermont" Ne touched upon the alleged
| decline Of the church, the Introduction of
aliens as citizens, the necessity for atrorg
leaders in rural communities, the urgent
need of cooperation Of farmers, and the
effect Of environment in gaining a living.
| The causes FOR dcgenoraty In Vermont
received considerable attention and Mr..
Barss, in this connection, discussed hercd-
ity and made = plea for fewer criminal
laws in the state but laws which will put
check on the propagation Of the human
r,co IT.. roo,,o totally unfit for =. I'm
eoni,, oni,cnsv aud olcoboIier,, " no said
"aro all traced to narerta, Weakness
Tbo,. ,ro dotorr,irod in offsnrirg H.. r,e-
,ors +bo, sbo,,,d NOT have hoo, tbcre or
oIso foc.ors r,icb ebould bovo benp .bere
and were lacking"
AS an example of the union Of two peo
r,o who oro vools paptallv ob,sicailv
and ,,,orallv bo said that be rocentIv ha
o call at tho industrial school from
broken down woman Of Is years Married
at the age Of II because of the crime of
man of 30 she is now mother Of II childrc ),
five of whom are at the school The par
ents are now trying to get from the insti-
tuition a boy of 10 years to send him to
work and a girl of II to make her take
care of four smaller children.
Discussing the work of tho church in
rural communities Mr. Barss said
"To attempt to replace the church AS
the dominant influence In the social life
Of the rural communities of the State is
no small undertaking; 1t is job for full
sized men ana women ana WILL Notor" the
desired end is accomplished test the metal
Oh the olSscs' "i us u we are 10 succeed
III TINS matter we must move H''eiIlse"''N'
ne church mas lalie' 10 Keep pace WIN
Wv i't ,''el III WA. 1t "a' ~ 'H'' ~ "i'
make him doal bonest1,. with his roiob-
noration which no knows has him at his
mercy and will not scrunIe IN take advan-
tape of Il II calls for different branch
of ethics Uo moods nereonal salvation, to-
day as much as ever. hut if his life social
ly. industrially and commercially Is so
full of perploxng problems the result of
occunation having ceased m no local no
is proving a failure If he has not training
to meet these problems"
Superintendent Rarss was followed by
President Thomas who took as his
theme, The Need of Religion in Greater
Vermont" saying in part:
There is no state In the As of the
American union. no bit Of territory Of
$500 square miles anywhere in the in
habited earth, in which there is more
patriotic devotion and deepe" affection
for the commonwealth than in the
state Of Vermont I will not allow
that Vermont is just like a great many
other states. and that the people of
Vermont are not essentially different
from great many other people. Yer
mont has spirit and a soul all her
own, and the men Of Vermont have
their own neculiar virtues and uo,s
of thought, as UNIQUE as Camel's
Hump among tho mountains Of tho
earth. Vermonters love their state
with almost bo1, voal
"Our state to-day is arame with
zeal for rho rromotio, os nros,ori.,.
for the increase of industry for rho
tmprovomont of laws for moro ocfi
cient administration Of public enter
prises, and for the advance of the
commonwealth in all that pertains to
industrial and social welfare. No
need is presented that some one does
not care, that many do not spring
forward To meet it If they can.
"All over the State there has been n
movement for the organization of
commercial bodies, for union of effort
in promoting industry. Some of the
most active boards Of trade In the
country are in Vermont oreaniza
lions and individuals are pushing bet
ter farming and better marketing with
notable zeal. Vermont is in the midst
of an industrial and commercial. re-
vival. and the spirit Of enternr,so ava
push is swccpin., over tho state mo
n tidal wave. IT rco,,iroe ,,o ho,dr.ss
To predict an Increase Of rronor,
ments IN crops and in the return from