TEN MILLION DOLLARS.

Since the organization of the American Baptist Home Mission Society there has been paid into its treasury, by the Baptists of this country, more than ten million dollars a good round sum. The disbursement of this money by the officers of the Society has been attended with much thought and many prayers; the labor has extended over a period of more than sixty-three years-years of seed-sowing and of harvesting. What has the harvest been? The question cannot be answered accurately in figures, because many of the most precious fruits of missionary labor are not subject to tabulation. We are, however, somewhat helped in our efforts to grasp the significance of its work by the statement that its missionaries and teachers have reported over 670,000 weeks of service; nearly 1,700,000 sermons preached; more than 4,000,000 religious visits made; 140,000 converts baptized; 5,000 churches organized, and tens of thousands of pupils trained for service in its various schools; the Gospel has been preached in sixteen different languages; and there are to-day, largely as the outgrowth of the work of its missionaries, 20,000 German Baptists, 20,000 Scandinavian Baptists, 4,000 Indian Baptists, multitudes of French, Bohemian, Polish, Italian and Chinese converts, and more than a million and a half Negro Baptists. Of course it is not claimed that all this rich fruitage has been gathered from Home Mission fields by Home Mission workers alone, but it is safe to say that a large proportion of it is composed of sheaves of its garnering.

We have no disposition to glorify the Home Mission Society, because all that it has ever accomplished has been made possible by the wisdom, foresight and liberality of the Baptists who have contributed to its treasury. The Society has no independent existence; it is simply the organ of the Denomination, the agency through which the churches carry on their united efforts for the evangelization of our native land. The Society could have accomplished absolutely nothing without the churches. But it is

also true, and it is to this we call especial attention, the churches never could have accomplished what they have done if they had worked independently. The secret of their success has been co-operation and organization. By this means they have secured unity in their work, system in their method, and efficiency in the results. The churches have selected, year by year, choice men as members of the Board of Managers, to whom they have committed the oversight and administration of their missionary work. By means of this central organization the churches have been able to concentrate their gifts, seize upon strategic points and wage an offensive and defensive warfare against the forces of evil upon a continental. scale. They have been largely instrumental in promoting the rapid settlement of the West; in organizing society around the Christian home, the Sunday-school and the church; in promoting good order, temperance, education, morality and good government; in resisting the disintegrating forces of lawlessness, anarchy and infidelity, and in strengthening the hands of the civil authorities in the repression of crime and the maintenance of order; they have been the enemies of the saloon, the race-track, the gambling den, immoral literature, lotteries, and all other evil agencies. Through the Home Mission Society the Baptists of America have wielded a powerful influence in checking the progress of Romanism; in overthrowing Mormonism; in the destruction of African slavery; in the preservation of the National Union; in unifying the polyglot peoples who have flocked. to our shores; in promoting national prosperity; in establishing the doctrine of soul liberty, and in the advocacy of a high type of spiritual Christianity. Without instituting any invidious comparisons between their work and that of other denominations, and without arrogating to the Baptists anything which would not be readily conceded to them by intelligent students of American history, it is not too much to claim that they have been one of the most forceful factors in the development, upon this conti

Government of the United States takes from the Public Treasury the sum of $308,000 to aid the Roman Church in its missionary work among the Indians, while it gives almost nothing to any other.

It is worth noting, in this connection, that at the last session of Congress a clause was inserted in the Indian bill pro

from the Reports of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, showing the amount of money paid out of the Public Treasury for Contract Indian Schools during the period of eleven years, 1886-1896, inclusive. From this table it appears (1) that during that time the total amount paid to Indian Contract Schools is $5,147,292, and that of this sum $3,430,157 have gone to Roman Catholics. (2) The amount reached its highest point in 1892, viz., $611,570. Since this time there has been a steady decline, the amount appropriated for the year 1896 being $370,796. (3) The Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Friends, Unitarians, and Lutherans, who have hitherto participated in this Government subsidy, have withdrawn entirely. amount of $2,160, charged to the Episcopalians for the year 1896, is not by the authority, but against the express wish

The

T. J. MORGAN, LL D., CORRESPONDING SECRETARY.

making any new contracts, and restricting him to a sum not to exceed 80 per cent. of the contracts of the previous years, and directing that "the Government shall, as early as practicable, make provision for the education of Indian children in Government schools."

It thus appears that the Indian Contract School system has, after mature deliberation and much public discussion, been repudiated practically by all the churches ex

cept one. Second That the entire policy has been condemned by Act to Congress.

Third: That the Indian Office is engaged in steadily reducing the amounts at the rate. of 20 per cent. annually.

AMOUNT SET APART BY GOVERNMENT FOR EDUCATION OF INDIANS IN SCHOOLS UNDER PRIVATE CONTROL FOR THE FISCAL YEARS 1886 TO 1896, INCLUSIVE.

1886.

1887.

1888.

1889.

1890.

1891.

1892.

1893.

1894.

1895.

1896.

Total in 11 years.

It is

30,090 29,146 25,736 44,850 44,310 $118,343 $194,635 $221,169 $347.672 $356,957 $363,349 $394,756 $375,845 $389,745 $359,215 $308,471 $7 430,157 47 650 41,825 26,696 26,080 29,310 28,459 27,271 36,500 37.910 32,995

006

1.620

1,500 1,620

$228,259 $363,294 $376,264 $529,905 $562,640 $570,218 $611,570 $533,241 $537,600 $43.505 $370, 796 $5,147, 292

36,340

352,470 219,644 8,350 23,310 123,346

1,960

27,845

14,460

23,383

23,383

24,743 24,743

10,020

10,020

10,020

170,577

3,340

2,500

3.125

4,375

4,375

4,375

3,750

3,750

3,750

3,125

1,523 34,465 44,550 83,700

2,725

9,940

6,700

13,980

600

6,480

6.480 33,945

NO COLOR LINE IN THE B. Y. P. U. A.

We reproduce from The Watchman, with

special pleasure, a letter written by Dr. Wilkins, stating that the policy of the Baptist Young People's Union is to recognize the equality of all delegates from Baptist churches or societies without distinction of nationality or color:

TO THE EDITOR OF The Watchman :--My attention has been called to your very discriminating and just statement of the position of the Baptist Young People's Union of America, respecting colored organizations, which appeared in The Watchman of November 28th. I desire to ratify the same in the most cordial manner, as expressive of the genius and policy of the organization. In badging delegates at the yearly meetings, the only requirement is that applicants present credentials showing that they are duly appointed by Baptist Young People's Societies or Baptist churches. There has never been, to my knowledge, an instance of discrimination by the Union against Baptists of any nationality or section.

The appointment of speakers on the programmes is not on the ground of color or race distinction, but, as you state, because it is believed that speakers "have something to say that is worth saying, and are the best men to say it." It is not easy to satisfy all sections in so large a field, the United States and Canada being all included; but it has been my prayerful desire, in common with all my colleagues at headquarters, to do the very best thing possible for all concerned, the great end constantly held in view being a spiritual and uplifting meeting, which shall bless the young people of the denomination. Yours sincerely,

F. L. WILKINS.

CHICAGO, ILL., Dec. 3, 1895.

Just as we go to press, the sad intelligence comes of the death, on Dec. 19th, of Rev. D. E. Halteman, D.D., who since. January, 1884, has been General Missionary for the State of Wisconsin. He was thor

oughly consecrated to his work, and greatly beloved by his brethren. We hope to give a more extended notice of his life and work in the next issue.

THE GENERAL MISSIONARY. In the prosecution of its continental and complex work the American Baptist Home Mission Society employs General Missionaries, whose field of operation is usually confined to one State or Territory. As the name implies, this officer is, first of all, a missionary charged with the special duty of preaching the Gospel in destitute fields. This work of personal evangelization necessarily claims a greater share of his time and strength in the newer, more sparsely settled portions of the country, where as yet Baptist churches are few, than in the older sections where the Denomination has already made considerable progress in the organization and development of churches; but at no stage of his work is he free from the obligation, so far as in him lies, to preach the Gospel personally in destitute regions.

Next in importance to preaching, is his work of organizing churches. The new country is settled by immigrants from the older sections, who bring with them, to a greater or less degree, their religious convictions, preferences and habits. In almost every settlement in the West there may be found a few Baptists, who with

proper encouragement and advice may be readily organized into a Baptist church. One of the great functions of the General Missionary is to carefully investigate the circumstances in each particular locality, and advise as to the wisdom of such organization. While on the one hand the multiplying of feeble interests with little prospect of growth and permanency is to be avoided, on the other hand there is a great opportunity for selecting strategic points, preoccupying the ground, and organizing churches destined to grow and flourish.

The wise counsel of the General Missionary is often the determining factor, not only as to the organization of the local church, but as to its type and general characteristics.

Then comes the scarcely less important work of assisting the church in finding a suitable man as pastor. By his personal acquaintance with the special needs of each field under his care, and by an ever-growing

H. L. MOREHOUSE, D.D., FIELD SECRETARY.

knowledge of men, he is able to render invaluable service in securing suitable men for pastors as well as of pointing out inviting fields to those desirous of doing missionary work. As the character and growth of the church depend so largely upon the qualifications of the pastor, the General Missionary needs to exercise the utmost caution, both in his recommendation of a pastor to a church, and of his representations to the candidate of the distinctive features of the field; a mistake on his part in either direction may be disastrous.

He is frequently called to sit in ordaining councils, or to preside over them, where his knowledge of church affairs and his judgment of men is very serviceable in assisting worthy young men into the pastorate, and of keeping unworthy candidates out of the ministry.

Of great value, also, is the service that he is able to render in erecting meeting-houses, selecting sites, deciding upon plans, and devising ways of procuring money. The dedication services, where he is often the preacher, are not infrequently the principal occasions of the year.

He gives counsel and advice in matters of church discipline, of polity, of doctrine, of dissensions and divisions. He frequently is able to settle, peacefully and quietly, the brewing church quarrel, which, without his timely counsel, might have grown into a disastrous, if not disgraceful, feud.

His

His work and influence are not confined to this oversight of individual churches, but extend to them in their organic relations; he assists in the organization of Associations and State Conventions, and in bringing the churches of his field into relationship with the great denominational societies. work in the earlier stages of denominational development is that of an organizer, and through the Association and State Convention he is enabled, not only to quicken the local church, but to exalt it into broad Denominational fellowship.

When the State Convention has been duly organized, the General Missionary usually becomes its Corresponding Secretary and Executive Officer. He has much to do with the selection of the Board of Managers and officers of the Convention; assists in planning the programme for the Annual Convention; selects the participants, helps them by his suggestions, and in various ways is able to utilize and direct the energies of the entire body. His recommendations as to new fields to be occupied, churches to be aided, missionaries to be appointed, are generally accepted by the Board of Managers, since his knowledge and his judgment entitle his recommendations to great weight.

Not the least important or laborious of his duties is that of the development of the benevolence of the churches for the prosecution of missionary work in the State. The policy of the Home Mission Society in its appropriations to Western States is to stimulate the churches therein to do their full share for this work, by requiring them to raise a pro rata amount for every dollar given by the Society. Upon the General Missionary devolves the chief responsibility of awakening interest in the churches and securing contributions for this purpose. He is the financial agent of the Convention, and the anxieties, trials and toils incident thereto, especially in times of general financial distress or great emergencies, make heavy drafts upon his nervous power.

In States where the Home Mission Society is in co-operation with the Convention, the General Missionary is the bond of union between the two; he conducts all the correspondence with the officers of the Society in New York; he is the Corresponding Secretary's indispensable helper, being to him eyes and ears and hands. Through him the Secretary is kept apprised of every important movement affecting the work of the Society anywhere within his field; through him the Society is able to exert the weight of its influence and power, at any point, at any time.

The General Missionaries, as a body of men in the employment of the Home Mission Society, occupying, traversing, and intimately acquainting themselves with all the region of country in which the Society carries on its missionary operations, and reporting what they learn to the rooms, enable the Society to act intelligently and promptly in carrying forward its stupendous work. They assist in securing funds for its treasury from the churches under their care, and they save it from mistakes in the expenditure of the large sums which it devotes to missionary purposes.

They serve the very exalted purpose of giving unity to the denomination; without. their presence, labor and influence, the little churches widely scattered over the broad