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