Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-04
MISSION WORK IS
JUST COMMENCING
Madison Speaker Tells of the
Enormous Work to Convert
the Coming Billion.
Especial to the Newark st.r.I

|
| MADISON, March An spite oil
the unfavorable weather large
| crowd yesterday afternoon attended
| the first one OF a series of Lenten
| missionary lectures. Bishop Arthur
S. Lloyd, the scheduled speaker was
| unable to be here. Mrs. James e.
| Webb, ir, who presided, introduced
instead DR.. Lemuel C. Barnes, field
secretary of the missionary society
of the First Baptist Church, of New
York city. The singing of hymns,
during which Mrs. w. w. Davis
played accomplishments on the piano,
and an offering of prayer by DR..
Ezra Squier Triple, president of Drew
Theological Seminary, preceded the
speaking.
1.-THE first and one of the most i'm
portant considerations began the
speaker. lis that the home mission
work is just beginning I supposed,
with many other people, that the
work was nearly accomplished, but
l was surprised on going into the
work to find that the real effort is
now only starting. According to sta
tistics there is possible to put in this
United States one billion people, and
the great work will be to Christianize
the whole life of the billion of peo-
pie.
1T is possible to put within the
three States of North and South Da-
kota and Kansas the whole population
of the Union and there they would
be no more crowded than the State of
Massachusetts. 1t is the opinion of
experts that there will be a billion
1, ~,
from the present time as we are dis
tant from the landing of the Pilgrims
on our shores.
Converting the Negroes.
There will be a variety of tasks
to perform. One of them is the bring
ing to the light of Christianity the
large number of Americans who
now inhabit our land. The negro has
shown a large capacity for learning.
In the last thirty years there has been
a great uplift. Thirty years ago there
was only 80 per cent. of the negroes
who could read or write. Now there
are only so per cent. who cannot read
and write. Yet this is a rather large
proportion when the fact that only 3
per cent. of the population of the
country is illiterate. This great I'M
provement in the black race is one of
the miracles Of human history.
I'VE owe an obligation to the Amer
lean Indian. 1t is not because of their
great numbers, as the whole of the
Indians in the United States would
not crowd one of the wards of New
York city. We owe them debt
however, in the fact that this coun-
try formerly was owned by these In
dams and the Anglo-Saxons dispos-
sessed them. Statistics show that
there are many tribes that have not
even been touched by Christianity. 1t
is for us to wipe out this disgrace to
the United States.
Missions In Mexico.
Now that we have certain rights
in Panama. it is just that we do
something for the inhabitants of Mex
leo, not, however, without benefit to
ourselves. These Spaniards can teach
us politonesS. Two natives will debate
for ten minutes on which one will
enter a car first. But this is spoiled
by the fact that the one entering
first is liable to receive knife in the
back from the one behind him. /
learned from statistics which / my
self saw recently in Mexico that of
all the births in Mexico last year II
per cent. were illigitimate. This is a
deplorable moral condition and should
The speaker touched on the masses
of immigrants coming into the coun-
try every day. OF these he expressed
the opinion that they are the hope of
the country. He called the statement
that the immigrants are a menace
to the country facetious, fanciful and
the outcrop of race distinction and
caste. He thought that the drawback
to most of the immigration is that
the people come from countries where
the Bible is not an open book In this
connection he eulogized the work of
John Wycliffe. Following are some
important facts given by the speaker
in connection with our foreign popu-
lation. In twenty-seven States nearly
one-half of the population if of for
eign birth or parentage. In thirty
seven tSates nearly 81 per cent. of the
pupils in schools are foreigners and
46 per cent. of the teachers in those
States which he thought of more i'm
portance, are of foreign birth or par
entage.