Mexico Immediately following the Toronto Convention in 1905, occurred the National Convention of Mexico at Guadalajara, July 12-16, attended by a representative delegation from 21 of the 27 states. Probably 50 came a distance of 1,000 miles or more. No church could accommodate the audiences, so the patio of a modern sanitarium was secured and most beautifully and conveniently fitted up for the occasion. Greetings from the International Association (including the announcement of the generous provision for $1,000 gold, annually, for three years, to promote organized work in Mexico) were received with enthusiasm and acknowledged by appropriate resolutions. In harmony with the proposed conditions, a committee was promptly appointed, held six earnest and prayerful meetings and unanimously requested the Rev. Eucario M. Sein to become general secretary. He accepted, to begin his labors October 1, and spent the first month gaining information about organized work in the United States. The committee prepared a circular letter requesting each Sunday-school of Mexico to supplement the gift from the International, to help to provide a fund to publish necessary literature in Spanish. There was a prompt and encouraging response. Mrs. Bryner's six weeks' tour of Mexico, which followed the convention, afforded opportunity to present progressive methods and to urge hearty co-operation with the new general secretary. Everywhere the most cordial approval was expressed of his appointment. Numerous letters and occasional programs and papers received show that new interest has been awakened, and the work established upon a more permanent basis. During the 1906 recent convention at Puebla, word was sent, "We have had a very successful meeting for Sunday-school work." There is great unity among all the denominations in Mexico. Comity prevails and union meetings are constantly held in the larger towns. Evil is rampant and intemperance is a great obstacle, but the common people are rapidly becoming familiar with world-movements through the medium of the press. The government is very active in the propagation of all reforms and progress in industry and education. The latest Annual Meeting of our Association was the best convention ever held in this country. Our young people showed the effect of past years' training in a clear understanding of business, fruitful attendance, and spiritual fervor in all the gatherings. The General Secretary, Rev. E. M. Sein was a leading and inspiring factor throughout the services. He reports seven local conventions during the year, has visited forty towns and cities, has made 166 addresses, and has traveled 12,000 miles. Special attention has been given to local conventions, to Temperance Day, Decision Day, Normal Classes, Home Department and the Cradle Roll. Our Mexican Sundayschools have contributed during the year for the support of the work $1,007.86 as against $528.47 in the previous year. Any who can appreciate the very limited means of our constituency will the more freely rejoice with us over the fact that the receipts have been nearly doubled. Our entire field is missionary territory. Our General Secretary has been invited to visit the cities of the Northwest to inspire the workers and organize the work in that section of the country. Indeed, as we look over the great field it seems to us that there is more work than one man can possibly accomplish. NOTE. Compiled from a report of Mrs. Mary Foster Bryner to the International Executive Committee, and from letters from the Rev. John W. Butler, President, and the Rev. C. Scott Williams, Secretary and Treasurer of the Mexican National Sunday School Association. Work Among the Negroes in America. BY DR. JAMES E. SHEPARD Joseph Mazzini, a great Italian leader, aroused his countrymen by the matchless words "Not my rights but my duties." These magic words permeated his whole life and all of his writings. If each member of the Convention could make these words part of his life, and if he could hand these words down to his fellow-man as he comes into contact with him, and the fellow-man hand them down to his fellowman, it would not be long before the farthermost man in the farthermost circle would be reached, and "Not my rights but my duties" would be the rallying-cry of the world. I bring you a message from ten million colored people in the United States who are seeking to learn the lessons of duty and, as they learn these lessons, to impart them to their children, and thus will be raised up a people who will ever be seeking to do their duty. It is a message of hope and cheer that I bring. They are learning the lesson of self-help and recognize that this is a God-given duty. A race that has enjoyed only forty-four years of freedom is not strong enough to stand alone in such a period of time, and yet, with the tremendous strides already made, it cannot be altogether a baby race. Compared with the other races of the world, however, it is a very small child indeed. They need the guidance, sympathy, and helping hand, that will rouse within them a desire to put forth greater efforts to help themselves. Of the ten million colored people in the United States, statistics show that 2,500,000 are seeking an education, and that they have 35,000 public-school teachers in the United States. This is a very creditable showing along educational lines. I regret to say, however, that the figures are not so encouraging along Sunday-school lines. The religious statistics are not at all accurate. Denominations, in their desire to have large numbers and thus be in the lead as far as numbers go, pad their statistics. From the most accurate that can be obtained we have only 1,250,000 people enrolled in the Sunday-schools of all denominations among colored people. The Sunday-school presents a most inviting field for work, and there is no question about the fact that if the nation is to be strong and lifted up permanently, it must be done through and by the Sunday-schools. Above industrial and above higher education, the race needs a religious education. This was strongly emphasized in the letter of greeting from the distinguished President of the United States. In England, the elementary education of the children began in the Sunday-school, and the present educational system of England is due primarily to the Sunday-schools. In America, among the colored people especially, the elementary education of the children should begin in the Sunday-schools. A few days ago I noticed that a wealthy woman in America gave a million dollars toward the elementary education of the colored children in the Southland. God bless the giver and the gift, for this was indeed a noble thing and will be far-reaching in its effects for good and in the lifting up of a helpless, struggling but ambitious people. If some person could be convinced that the foundation should be first religious and then induced to give a million dollars or even less for the elementary education of the colored youth through the Sunday-schools, and give to the boys and girls a high Christian ideal in the beginning of their lives, what a magnitude of future possibilities would be revealed! With trained teachers, earnest, consecrated workers, and schools of methods along biblical lines, the foundations will be safely laid, and such a gift will do more toward lifting up the race and making them better citizens than a gift five times as large toward straight-out education along industrial or higher educational lines. God grant that the scales may fall from the eyes and duty stand revealed! For the harvest truly is great, but where are the right kind of reapers? I believe in the education of all the people, and I believe that the State is unsafe when the people are ignorant and superstitious-an ignorant man is a clog in the wheels of progress but I believe that Christian character should first be laid and after wisdom has thus been obtained, knowledge and wealth can easily be acquired. The races of the world need a Christian education, for with a Christian education will come Christian tolerance and love which will lessen friction, bridge the chasm of hate, and make a way of peace. I wish that I could stoop down and lift up all the children of the descendants of the three fathers of the races, Japheth, Shem and Ham and, if need be, put them in the clouds and tell them to gain inspiration from the heavenly host, learn the lessons of duty to each other and to their fellow-men and disseminate the seeds of Christianity and kindness upon earth. As this cannot be done, the only thing to do is to seek to gather the children into the Sunday-school, teach them a new lesson of love and faith, and they will be the ones who will "scatter seeds of kindness." The United States contains the largest Negro population in the world save Africa. In forty-four years of freedom from slavery, the progress along industrial and educational lines has been marvelous. Although the wages paid in a great many sections of the country are poor, a large proportion has gone toward establishing churches and for their support, and some has gone toward the purchasing of property and comfortable homes. As a laborer, the Negro is acceptable; as a soldier he has always been found at the post of duty and amongst the first to answer the call of his country; as a friend, true; as a Christian, although he practises backsliding sometimes, his faith in God is supreme. It is this faith in God and hope that has caused gladness and songs of joy through all the days of gloom and darkness that have passed, and will give strength for the sorrows of to-morrow. |