Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 July 1896 — HOSTS OF BAPTISTS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HOSTS OF BAPTISTS.

YOUNG PEOPLE’S UNION MEETS IN MILWAUKEE. Ten Thousand Members of the Denominational Society from All Parte of the Continent—Sunrise Devotional Services—Membership Over 100,000 Prominent Workers Present. The sixth international convention of the Baptists’ Young People’s Union of America—the Christian Endeavor of that great and powerful denomination —was held in Milwaukee. Delegations nnd scattering visitors from every State in the Union; as well as from Canada, were in

attendance, Illinois sent fully 5,06 t); Wisconsin 3,000 outside of Milwaukee; Indiana, 2,000; lowa, 1,000; Ohio/ 2,000; Michigan, 2,900, and other States in proportion to their diatunch. Canada sent from 2,000 toSS,000 visitors and del-

egates. The event brought’to Milwaukee probably the largest number of distinguished Baptist divines and representative members of the denomination, male and female, that has ever been brought together in any one city. Promptly at 10 o’clock on the opening day the international convention was called to order in the great Exposition

building,, .fiexU tq_ the Coliseum in Chicago the largest convention 'auditorium in America. It has a capacity of 15.000 and was filled to the doors half an hour before President John H. Chapman rapped for order. This was speedily securetl • rind 'devotional exercises, consisting of the reading of a chapter from the scriptures,

prayer nnd led by a chorus of 700 voices, were conducted by Rev. E. W. White o£ the Tabernacle Church. The services concluded, A. W. Drake, presi-

dent of the Milwaukee Union, delivered the address of welcome in behalf of the local organizations and addresses were also made in behalf of the municipality. A response for the board of managers of the international

union and the delegates eame from Rev. E. M. Poteat, of New Haven; Conn. The preliminaries over, General Secretary Dr. Frank L. Wilkins, of Chicago, presented the annual report, of the board of managers. ' In it he referred to the fact that tlie total membership of the organization exceeded 100,900, one and all young people enthusiastic in the work of the church. He pointed out that the Baptists allowed great liberty. Every church was left to its own discretion as to how its young people should lie organized. There were over 3,500 Christian Endeavor societies in the denomination; but the 'fact that the Baptists were largely enlisted in the interdenominational fellowship of Christian Endeavor did not preclude their having a young people's denominational society of their own, and the fact was that a denmninatiou that numbered 4,000,000 adherents in America had, perhaps, more reason than other denominations for maintaining such an organization. He went back to the first

organization of the union in Chicago in 1891, when 3,000 delegates were present. and commented upon the phenomenal growth of the society. The address was lengthy and repeatedly applauded. Its adoption was moved and seconded by Rev. Dr. Alexan-

der Blackburn, of Cambridge. Mass., and Rev. W. W. Landrum, of Richmond, Va.. and was carried unanimously. Some idea of what the leaders of the assembly undertook may be gathered from the'fact that each day's work began nt 6:30 in the morning anil euded about 10 o'clock at night, with almost continuous sessions throughout the'day. When the eq'pyention was not in session at the exposition ball the various churches of the city 'wore utilized for meetings, eneh one ’of wOiich was iu charge of some promi■riertt dninister or layman, and transacted business of importance to the body ot Baptist Unionists. Even when the convention was occupying the great hall these side meetings were kept up. The subjects tjented of embraced every religious and social and moral theory of life. The men who, spike were known throughout the length and breadth of the land its deep thinkers and.fearless exponents of wh-it they deem the right. The addresses delivered and the subjects discussed comprised all that is worth study nnd reflection in theology, sociology and metaphysics. After the work of the convention wns over the delegates nnd visitors made ex“ curaions to Lake Winnebago, Devil’s lake. Dells of the Wisconsin. Epworth League Grove at Ludington, Mich.; Racine, Wis., and Chicago. i > , In,.<iiicleut times bones were collected from the battlefields, ground to powand used to fertilize tha '-ind.

SECT. WILKINS.

PRKSIDENT CHAPMAN.

EXPOSITION BUILDING, WHERE THE CONVENTION WAS HELD.

A. W. DRAKE.

J. F. TYRRELL.