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Octo'cer 15, 191S.
A FAMIL"? PAPER.
\vas Chairman of the morning meeting. Rev.
John Yates, pastor of the Central Allegheny,
presided in the afternoon, and Rev. C.
V. Sheatsley, pastor of St. John's Lutheran
Church, in the evening. All of these filled
their places well and presided with tact and
heartiness.
The speakers of the morning session were
the Rev. A. B. Allison, pastor of the Providence
Presbyterian Church, who read a fine
paper on "Christ the King," the Rev. Dr. T.
H. Acheson, pastor of the Pittsburgh R. P.
Church, who gave a vigorous discussion of
"The Value of the Proposed Christian Amendment,"
the Rev. Dr. R. C. Wylie, professor
il the R. P. Theological Seminary, who gave
a lucid and learned exposition of Rom. 13:
1-6, dealing with "The Citizen as a Subject,"
and the Rev. W. J. Coleman, pastor of the
.Allegheny R. P. Church, who spoke on "The
Citizen as a Ruler," and discussed "the Attitude
which th^ Christian Citizen should
take toward a Constitution which does not
recognize the Authority and Law of Christ."
In the afternoon the Rev. George A. Long,
pastor of the Second Allegheny U. P. Church,
discussed the divorce question. The Rev. Dr.
A. J. Bonsall, pastor of the Sandusky Street
Baptist Church, presented "The Need qf
Legislation for the Protection of Women
and Children who work for wages." The
Rev. Dr. G. W. Williams, pastor of Brown
Chapel A. M. E, Church, spoke on "The Responsibility
of the Nation to Maintain the
Rights of its Negro* Citizens." The Rev.
Dr. Alonzo J. Turkle, pastor of the Trinity
Lutheran Church, considered the question of
men being called out to work on the Lord's
Day, and the Rev.,Dr. George A. Montgomery,
Superintendent of Presbyterian Missions
to Foreigners in Allegheny County, discussed
what the government should do to secure
the best interests of the immigrants coming
into the United States.
The speakers of the evening were the Rev.
Dr. Charles F. Wishart, pastor of the First
Alleg-heny U. P. Church, who discussed the
Bible in the Public Schools, and the Rev. Dr.
J. Sala Leland, who considered the question.
What can be done to save those engaged
"1 the publication, circulation and reading of
the Sunday Paper." The closing speaker
was to have been the Rev. Dr. Charles L. E.
Cartwright, pastor of the North Avenue M.
£• Church, who was to have spoken on "The
Liquor Trafific, the Hotbed of Other Evils."
Anyone acquainted with the location of
churches in Allegheny will notice that nearly
all those taking part in the Convention were
chosen from the immediate neighborhood of
tne place where the Convention met. Each
speaker with one exception,, was given a
type-written copy of the topics to be discussed
before he was invited to take part,
so that he had an opportunity to know what
Was coming in the discussions of the Contention.
The exception was one who had
gone on his vacation and was secured by
letter.
The subjects to be discussed were regarded
as important, interesting and living questions,
pressing for a settlement, and the
speakers generally handled them with power
and directness. It is remarkable how much
ability may be in one's neighborhood and
never be recognized until it is called upon
in some public way. Then, progress is in
the air and so much has been done in the
line of economics that people are beginning
to believe that something can be done in the
line of morals. The number of moral questions
needing attention is startling and thev
all grow out of the topic with which the
Convention started, "Christ the King."
HOME MISSION WEEK—THE IMMI­
GRANT.
By the Rev. J. S. Thompson.
(Concluded from last week.)
Our church bas always given a large place
to all the public questions affecting our national
character and life, such as the slavery
question, the liquor question, the public
school question, the marriage and divorce
question, the Sabbath question—all these
great public questions. But none of them
are bigger than this question of the immigrant,
none of them he nearer the center of
our national life, and indeed many of them
are not a little comjplicated by their relation
to the immigrant question. We are not true
to ourselves if we are not awake on this
question, and we are not true to our country
if we are not adding all that we can to the
solution of the problem.
While it is perhaps too late for any very
extensive plansi for the observance of the
week, or any concerted plan that will embrace
anything like a denominational movement
in the matter, yet it is not too late for
each one of our congregations to make some
plans for the observance of the week, and
for those Presbyteries that may yet have
their fall meetings to plan something for it.
We at least ought to avail ourselves of this
opportunity to add to our information! on
the question.
There have been a number of books relating
to this subject wiritten during the last
few years, many of them of great value.
Probably none of them are more valuable
than those of Prof. Edward A. Steiner, such
as "On the Trail of the Immigrant," "The
Immigrant Tide—Its Ebb and Flow," "The
Broken Wall" and "Againsti the Current."
The writer has not read all these books, but
he has read most of them, and can testify to
the interest that they possess, and the information
they impa.nt. Pirof. Steiner knows
the heart of the immigrant, both from personal
experience, and from long mingling
with them, and has been a close observer of
all the intricacies of the problem surrounding
his life in this country.
Three other little books on this subject of
recent issue, are exceedingly valuable, and
are so low in price as to be within the reach
of all. One is "America, God's Melting
Pot," by Laura Gerould Craig. It is issued
under the direction of the Council of Women
for Home Missions. It is bound in paper
and can be had for 25 cents at any religious
book store. Another is "Immigrant Forces,"
'by William P. Shriver. This is bound in
cloth and can be had for 50 cents. The third
is a book that was advertised to be off the
press on Sept. Sth, "Immigrant Problems and
Flopes," by Dr. W. E. Purvis of Grove City,
Pa. Dr. Purvis is a member of the Home
Mission Board of the United Presbyterian
Church, and has prepared this book especially
for the use of the church in preparing for
Home Mission Week. It will doubtless be
a valuable addition to the literature of the
subject. We have not seen the price announced,
but it will probably not be more
than 35 cents. Every one interested in the
subject—and who that is interested in humanity,
in our country, in the church and
her work, and in the kingdom of Christ, is
not,—will do well to secure at least one of
these books, all of them if possible, and study
them carefully in connection with this subject.
Those who may desire to take some
notice of Home Mission Week, either in the
sermons of the Sabbath, or by special services
during the week, will find these books
exceedingly helpful. And if you have never
read any of Dr. Steiner's books this will be
a good time to get one of them, and read it
witb care. Perhaps you cannot begin with a
better one than "On the Trail of the Immigrant."
And if you have already read any
of them you will be glad of the opportunity
to read another. There are, some things that
Dr. Steiner says and writes with which we
will not agree—but that is a common condition,
and his books will be found interesting,
enlightening and inspiring.
Hemet, Calif.
THE RELIGION THE TIMES DEMAND.
By the Rev. J. R. Thompson, D.D.
I Chronicles, 12:12. "And of the children
of Issachar, which were men that had understanding
of the times, to know what Israel
ought to do."
After the death of Saul, the king, there
was a great crisis in the Kingdom of Israel.
Representatives of th- different tribes assembled
in Hebron to choose a king. Among
these men were delegates from the tribe of
Issachar, who were "wise men that had understanding
of the times." These men were
representatives of a religion that was a vital
element in the national life of Israel.
The times in which we live are ominous.
Religious, economic, social and national questions
demand solution. To meet the great
issues of the times there is need of wise
men, a high standard of official character, the