Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1915-02-24
THE GREAT IAYNIEN's MEETING,
Rev. Wallace Writes of the Gather.
ing i'm North Carolina.


mems Convention, held in Charlotte
last week, was big thing. We do
not mean by that simply that there
was a big crowd. There was The
most optimistic estimates of the pos
sible attendance before the conven-
tlon were 2,000-about 1900, |
think, was the record attendance for
previous conventions, and this year
it had been divided, and one held
on each side Of the Mississippi river.
And those who estimated the at
tendance at 1000 felt that they
were setting an absolute safe limit,
rather than a possible attainment
But up to Thursday night, the sec
ond day Of the convention, 300 had
registered. There were, a. the most
conservative estimate, 1000 visit
ors to the convention. So it was a
big thing simply from the stand
point Of attendance. Neither do we
mean, when we say that it was
big thing, that they had big speakers
N''N ''Sp'i ms opSSCHSS. 1n6y ulu.
They had Mott and Speer, and Ellis
and White, than whom there are
none greater, and many others of
less note, but every one with great
message. But it was not simply a
fest of great speechifying.
We have used that phrase, "a big
ching because we think that it was
meeting of tremendous signifi-
cance. The conditions which this
convention faced, and the spirit in
which it faced them, was the chief
thing that made it great Because
these gatherings are called mission
airy meetings there is disposition
with some people who have never
been to one of them to treat them
rather lightly, and to group them
along with other things that they
consider effeminate, or clerical, or
ecclesiastical, as the case may be.
1t is great pity that they could not
all have been there so that they
could have seen with their eyes and
heard with their ears and felt with
their hearts just what a real mis-
SiOnary convention is. There arc
some people, still, to whom it would
have been revelation, and perhaps
a revolution, to see how commercial
congresses, manufacturers associa-
tions, corn shows, bankers meetings.
q tN 10 intS ;ne, O.,
such as this.
ono of tho thinos that made this
ii convention oi biz ,hjuga aaa .Ar
Issue toat It was Caciue .j1a vora.
lie whole world--iu this crp"raI
hour NJ It's history. These 'a.4n.'.
conventions, because tney are mis-
sionary meetings, have always taken
the world as their scope and consid-
cred the way of meeting the worlds
greatest need-Christ; but the pc
culiar world-conditions we are fac
ing to-day gave this question new
meaning at this convention. 1t
could well be characterized as a con-
vention Of world statesmanship 1t
was a master effort to grasp the ac-
tual world conditions that exist to-
day, and plan for the application of
the Gospel Of Christ to them.
John r. Mott was there with his
message for the hour" Nc man
is SO well qualified as he to deliver
This message. For years he has
been conversant with world issues
and tendencies and movements from
a tirst-hand knowledge. He has,
from it's organization some years
ago, been the secretary OF the World
Students Federation, which has
brought him in personal contact
with the makers and leaders OF
world thought. He was just back
from the front, where he spent seve-
raj months, enjoying privileges and
liberties that no other man coulJ
have, studying the actual conditions
on the theater of war; but, more
significant still, the very thoughts
that those who are in it on both
'i"'S' iioiii 'hc Soilihon SOluler UP
to the highest official, are thinking,
and the motives that are impelling
them. AS he expressed it himself,
II have had the rare privilege in the
last few months Of looking down in
to the very souls OF the peoples at
war"
Some of the things that he said
were very startling. For instance.