Recent Labor in the Great Southern Field
By George I. Butler
KNOWING the deep interest of our people everywhere in the progress of the cause in this great Southern field, I will present some interesting facts of the recent past, especially the result of the meetings at Nashville, Tenn. The executive committee of the Southern Union Conference spent eleven days in consultation, and in careful examination of the financial condition of the conference and the Southern Publishing Association, and other interests connected with the cause of present truth in this union conference. The feeling of every member of the conference committee at the close of this period, so far as I was able to ascertain, was one of hope, satisfaction, and courage. Many expressed themselves as much pleased with the result of our deliberations, and hopeful for the future. Union and love prevailed in all our meetings. The absence of friction and a party spirit and of all bitterness was evident everywhere. I never attended a meeting of this character where so many important interests were considered, in which greater unanimity prevailed. The Spirit of God was present; its fruits were apparent. Having personally looked forward with much anxiety to the careful examination of these questions, I was greatly relieved at this result. I could but thank God, and take courage. I could say with one of old, “Best of all, the Lord is with us.” One of the most important things accomplished was the election of the new board of management for the Southern Publishing Association. The members of the board elected unanimously for the ensuing year are as follows: President, Geo. I. Butler; Vice-President, C. P. Bollman; Secretary and Business Manager, W. O. Palmer; Treasurer, W. J. Stone; other members, R. M. Kilgore, R. L. Pierce, L. A. Hansen. The following-named persons were elected as members of the board of the sanitarium for colored people: C. P. Bollman, R. M. Kilgore, W. J. Stone, L. A. Hansen, and O. M. Hayward, M. D. Provision was made also for the election of a new board of officers for the Southern Missionary Society. This society has filled a conspicuous position in these Southern States for years past, having had almost full charge of the work for the colored people in this field, receiving donations, contributions, etc., from the liberal minded in other sections to help sustain our various colored schools, laborers, teachers, etc. It has filled a useful place in the work in the past. The society is a legal corporation, and holds property. It was organized in Mississippi, and hence the election of officers will be held in a few weeks at Yazoo City, Miss. The executive committee of the conference, however, as the paramount organization in this field, recommended the nomination of the following-named persons: Geo. I. Butler, C. P. Bollman, W. J. Stone, B. W. Spire, F. R. Rogers, S. B. Horton, W. L. McNeeley. No doubt the stockholders will ratify this nomination, as it represented the sentiment of the executive committee, and also of Elder J. E. White and others who were consulted. It is but proper that I should say in this connection, that the readers of the REVIEW may not be misled, that Elder J. E. White, who has occupied a prominent official position in the work here, had firmly withdrawn his name, and refused to take any official position. He assigned as a reason for doing so, the condition of his health, he having been under a heavy strain for years; also the counsels of his mother, that he should rest awhile, giving himself to writing, preaching the word, etc. All through the meeting Brother White was always ready to help us by his counsel and advice, and as far as the writer knows, was in hearty accord with every step that was taken. He seems very happy in his new work, dropping largely out from under business cares and perplexities, and devoting his time to study and the preparation of matter for books and publications. Sunday nights he preaches to congregations of from three to five hundred. The chapel is often filled to its utmost capacity with those who have come to listen to the good music, instrumental and vocal, and see the stereopticon pictures which are thrown upon the screen. The people continue to come in crowds every Sunday night while Brother White gives them the truth for this time. I hope precious souls may be gathered out for the Master during these meetings. It is the hope of the writer that the names on these boards, excepting, perhaps, the first one or two of them, may inspire confidence in our people everywhere, that the work here will be conducted with caution and good sense, intelligence and energy. The Southern Union Conference occupies a hard field, probably the hardest in the United States. Because of the question growing out of the color line and various other complications, we crave the sympathy and confidence of our brethren. We need especially their assistance and means, as most of our conferences are poor. Let me mention some of the things in progress in our large conference. We have resolved to enter most heartily into the grand movement now on foot, and are already accomplishing wonders in paying off the debts of our educational institutions, by the sale of that most precious volume, “Christ’s Object Lessons.” Our executive committee most heartily indorsed this movement, and gave instruction to every State conference president to enter into it heartily, and with a special agent appointed for the purpose, to visit our churches throughout this union, seeking to arouse the church officers and the rank and file of our people, except our regular book canvassers, to engage in the sale of “Christ’s Object Lessons.” It is hoped that the whole quota allotted to our Southern Union Conference will be sold before the first of next January.20 The medical missionary work is fully indorsed in our conference. A site has been selected at Graysville, on what is called Lone Mountain, for our new sanitarium. The work will begin at once, and thousands of dollars will probably be expended there this season. The institution will be under the superintendency of Dr. O. M. Hayward, who has been doing all in his power to carry on the medical missionary work with the meager facilities at his command, and under most unfavorable circumstances. Before this season passes, we trust the doctor will be able to do much better work upon the new location already selected. Dr. Hayward is already recognized in Graysville and its vicinity as a safe and very successful physician, and his practice is rapidly increasing. One of the best qualifications of Dr. Hayward is that he is a devoted Christian, one who most faithfully seeks the best good of those under his care. I hope that his field of usefulness will soon be greatly enlarged. The Southern Union Conference has assumed the responsibility of establishing an experimental Health Food Department in the city of Chattanooga. A bakery will soon be running, for the manufacture of the best quality of bread. Health foods will be kept on hand for sale. A hygienic restaurant, furnished in a neat and tasty manner, will probably be opened soon, and so run as to give citizens and travelers an opportunity to obtain wholesome food at reasonable rates. Perhaps other health accessories will be furnished. A beginning will soon be made on an economic basis, and the work will be enlarged as the patronage warrants. Five hundred dollars was voted by the conference to start this enterprise. If prosperity attends this experiment, similar institutions will be planted in all our large Southern cities. The South is a grand field for such enterprises. It is believed that public sentiment is ripe for just such a movement on a large scale. Recent Testimonies speak very encouragingly of such enterprises. Our conference committee did not feel that it would be for the best to start large manufactories of foods for the present, which would involve great expense. Better start in a small way, and grow to something important, rather than spend a large amount of money at first. Elders Keck, Kilgore, and Sharp were appointed as a committee to carry this arrangement into effect. Brother Hansen’s bath house and food department in Nashville has already outgrown its present quarters, and he is about to move into a larger building. Some of the best people of Nashville are his patrons. Efforts were also made to place our small colored sanitarium in Nashville on a more permanent basis. A health and temperance society was formed, and received a fair degree of attention. One day was spent in planning for the advancement of the Graysville training school. Much attention was given to the conditions and affairs of the Southern Publishing Association, as our new printing office is called. Its financial condition at the present time is the most unsatisfactory of anything we have found in our careful investigation. Yet with ready means this institution could be lifted from embarrassment. Last fall a commodious building for printing-house purposes was erected, almost wholly from the donations of our people in the North and West. So liberal were our people that the large building was erected wholly free from debt. About that time the donations ceased. Of course a mere building is not a printing establishment. Our brethren in charge, not having means at hand, supplied themselves with only very meager facilities, and purchased stock, etc., in very limited quantities. As a result the work has been hampered at every step, and at the present time the funds are so low that the office has almost come to the point of shutting down for a time, till funds come in. Of course this dearth of means is very embarrassing. After the most careful investigation, I cannot feel to blame Brother Palmer and those associated with him for the existing condition of things. Nay, more, I feel that they are to be honored for the carefulness, caution, and evident interest they have taken to bridge over these great embarrassments caused by the dearth of means. Hitherto our periodicals have had too small a circulation to be run with profit. The Lord has counseled those conducting this printing enterprise not to go in debt. They have tried their very best to follow this counsel. Our people are little aware of the difficulties under which these brethren have labored. So exacting have been the conditions that Brother Palmer, our efficient manager, has almost felt obliged to refuse to serve longer on account of impaired health. This state of things has become hard to endure, yet it would not take many thousand dollars to put this new office into a state of excellent efficiency. The condition of the Southern Publishing Association, according to my best judgment after careful inquiry, is not nearly so bad as was that of the Review and Herald at an early day of its existence, or of the Sanitarium or the Pacific Press in the early period of their history. I could readily show from my own personal knowledge of each of these now strong institutions that they passed through not only similar, but far more severe straits than our new publishing house for the great South has met. These financial storms are always incident to young and financially weak institutions, until they have time to grow and strengthen. There is a great and noble work before this institution. Of this I feel positively certain. I greatly dislike to see this promising institution, with plenty of business in view to keep a good force of help running right along, crippled for months for the lack of a few thousand dollars. Many of our Northern friends have contributed to put up our office building free from debt. Those means have not been wasted. The stream stopped flowing before the office was properly equipped or supplied with stock to do a prosperous work. This is the whole truth, Northern friends. You can depend upon it. I do not believe there is a single one of those prominent men in the South who held positions on the executive committee of our conference during this whole investigation, who will at all dissent from what I have said. I greatly hope our Northern and Western friends who have had an interest in the prosperity of the work in this field will feel a confidence in the financial standing, sanity, and straightforward integrity of those who compose the present board of management. Some of them have been well known to you. They are honest, earnest, upright men, who mean to be true to this cause as long as life lasts. Brethren to whom God has intrusted means, will you not help us in this great strain, to rise above our embarrassments, and enter earnestly upon the work to which God has called us? God gave us special light, showing that this institution must be built; and through the special light of heaven coming from the same source, the Lord has indorsed this work. Shall our honest, devoted people now let it languish for the lack of a few thousand dollars?—God forbid! Come, brethren, come and help us. Many of our people ought to take stock in our publishing association. The share is only five dollars. Donations ought to come in from many sources. All money should be sent to the Southern Publishing Association, 1025 Jefferson St., Nashville, Tenn. There are no private interests connected with our publishing association. It is organized as a stock company, just as the Review and Herald and the Pacific Press were established, only our shares of stock are five dollars each, instead of ten dollars. Our people should deposit means in this association, precisely as they do in the Review and Herald and the Pacific Press. Friends of the cause of present truth, you who have a desire to help wherever the work goes hardest, and have a sympathy for those who bear its heaviest burdens, “lend a hand” in our time of need. God will bless you in so doing, and you will more and more rejoice as you see the good work move onward. In other articles I shall speak more particularly of the meetings at Huntsville, Graysville, and Nashville. This report is simply a general statement of the result of the work of the last three weeks. GEO. I. BUTLER,
President Southern Union Conference.