Annual Convention of the National Reform Association
By C. S. Longacre
DECEMBER 7 and 8 this association met in annual convention in the city of Allegheny, Pa., for the purpose of laying plans and studying the principles and methods of “Christian” national reform. Stirring speeches were made, and significant plans were laid for the speedy accomplishment of their great object; namely, “an amendment to the Constitution of the United States that shall contain an explicit acknowledgment of the moral laws of Jesus Christ and God and his divine law as the basis and standard of all legislation.” Special plans were laid to flood the House and Senate with the following petition:—
“To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, in Congress assembled: We, citizens of the United States, respectfully pray you to submit to the people of the United States, through the legislatures of the several States, a constitutional amendment for the prohibition and suppression of polygamy, and that such amendment may contain an explicit acknowledgment of the moral laws of Jesus Christ as the basis and standard of our legislation relating to the family. “Signed ........................
........................ “NOTE.—The foregoing memorial was adopted by vote of the ............... church of ............... and is attested by the signatures of its officers, and expresses the desire of about ............... persons.” A significant point was developed in the consideration of these petitions. This National Reform Association has affiliated with the great Inter-Church Federation, and this association thus estimates its numerical adherents to figure “fifty-four millions of souls.” The way that they figured this out was thus: “(1) The number of communicants belonging to the churches represented in the church federation and in our association amount to eighteen million souls; (2) we can allow at least an average of two children to each communicant as adhering to our principles, making a grand total of fifty-four million souls.” “This numerical preponderance is vastly increased when we consider other sources of power,” such as “(a) intelligence; (b) moral earnestness; (c) organization; (d) inherited laws and institutions; (e) faith in God, and other similar advantages that we possess to a preponderant extent above our opposing faction.” “All we need to do,” said the Rev. T. P. Stevenson, D. D., of Philadelphia, General Secretary National Reform Association, “is to arise and make our demands on the lawmaking power of the nation, and they are compelled to yield to this overwhelming majority. When a decision is once reached on any moral question, then all will be compelled to swing on the side of that decision.” A select committee was appointed to wait upon President Roosevelt, and make an earnest appeal to him to embody in his next message to Congress a recognition of the rights of God as held by the National Reform Association, and to entreat the president to urge upon the Congress assembled to enact an amendment that shall contain an explicit acknowledgment of the moral laws of Jesus Christ as the basis and standard of legislation in connection with the anti-polygamy amendment. The financial report showed that the association had expended over eight thousand dollars in the prosecution of its work during the current year. The financial manager outlined the plans of work for the coming year, and said they needed at least fifty thousand dollars to prosecute it. Plans were laid to circulate the anti-polygamy and religious-amendment tract broadcast. One million five hundred thousand pages of this tract have already been circulated. Two more tracts are to be written at once upon kindred subjects, and these three tracts are to be placed in the hands of every lawmaker at Washington, D. C., and the State Capitols, every attorney and public official, and every minister and schoolteacher. The churches are to lend a vigorous co-operation. Sermons are to be delivered by the pastors. Many more local conventions are to be held in the future than in the past. Great stress was laid upon the benefits of these conventions20as wonderful agencies to mold public sentiment. Pastors and people are everywhere urged to send telegrams to Congress, as well as the petitions which are prepared. If possible, representative men are to be sent from different quarters to make a personal appeal before the judiciary committee. Articles are to be written in the daily papers and religious magazines to create public sentiment in favor of the movement. Work is to be done in the colleges, seminaries, and schools to educate the students. Institutes for instruction and study—local, State, national, and international—are to be held. A resolution was passed to hold a world's conference in Philadelphia, if thought advisable, in 1908. The churches will be requested to grant their missionaries a furlough at that time so that they may attend this world's conference. Individual work for individual citizens, for societies, religious and secular, and for special classes of our foreign and immigrant population, is to be conducted along these reform lines. The Christian Citizenship Pledge, avowing allegiance to their principles, is to be obtained. The financial policy was thus expressed by Dr. George: “We don't pay for things we can get out of if possible.” Upon this principle they feel justified in using the “franking system of the mails” to circulate their literature, and have the District attorney employed by them saddle all costs in law suits upon the county. “Our present and urgent duties,” as expressed in their own words are: “(1) To increase our literature and disseminate it; (2) to press the claims of the National Reform Association upon private citizens, and all Christian bodies, as the only organization of citizens devoted to these great ends; (3) to raise up as rapidly as possible a corps of young men, scholarly, competent, and devoted, who will carry our organization into every State; (4) to secure suitable headquarters where we may house our expanding work, may preserve our archives and make them accessible, and may gather into a library the literature of all the great questions which lie within our field; (5) through these agencies to reach not some localities, but the entire country,—not part of the people, but the whole nation,—not occasionally or spasmodically, but constantly.” A new book just from the press by the National Reform Association, written by Dr. R. C. Wylie, associate editor of the Christian Statesman, and business manager of the association, is entitled, “Sabbath Laws in the United States.” The circulation of this book and its merits were highly applauded. Many significant statements are made in it. The officers elected and the committees appointed included the names of many prominent men who have shown sympathy for this movement.