Right thinking and right feeling find their appropriate expression in right doing. We need vision. We need sympathy. We need prayer. But vision and sympathy and prayer ought to find expression in practical ministry.

In the phrasing of the topic for discussion this evening, the committee who have this Conference in charge evidently had this in mind. Let me state again the topic: "What immediate, practical steps toward the further betterment of the religious conditions among the Indians are possible?" A distinctly practical topic. In the very form of its statement, however, it assumes that there has been already a betterment. All who have watched the course of Indian affairs during the twenty-five years of the life of this Conference, all who have visited missionary stations on Indian reservations and in the Indian settlements, have been confronted by clear and unanswerable evidence of betterment. We have had fresh proofs furnished us in the statements that have been made by missionary workers and experts tonight; we have had fresh illustration of the fact that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.

Allow me to cite two more illustrations. Last July I was present at the camp meeting of the blanket Indians, when some six hundred Kiowas, Cheyennes and Arapahoes, Comanches and Wichitas were present, and I took down the statistical report of that Rainy Mountain Baptist Church, with a membership of about 125. After you hear the figures, tell me whether you think they are Christians for revenue only. That little Indian church raised for its expenses and its missionary contribution for one year the sum of $991.62. The Gospel finds men. The secret of the indestructible vitality and power of the Gospel is to be found in the fact that it passes by everything that is superficial and addresses itself to that in human nature which is elemental, vital and abiding. When you get beneath the superficial differences of rank, clime, class, and culture, you will find the man that is in all men, and the glory of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are to be found in the fact that it speaks to the man that is in all men.

Let me cite one more illustration. The story is of the conversion of one of the leaders among the Crows. Three years ago it was my privilege to establish a school and mission at Lodge Grass, Mont. One of the first fruits of the Gospel of God was White Arm, who made his confession before the multitude gathered at the Baptist Anniversaries in St. Louis two years ago and whom I had the privilege of introducing to that assembly as my brother in Christ, the first fruits

of the Gospel from our mission among the Crows. exceedingly anxious to have him tell me in his own way the story of his conversion. I took him downstairs with an interpreter, and I said, "Now tell me all about it." He laid his hand on my shoulder, calling me by name

"You Jesus man." Laying the other hand upon the shoulder of our missionary, he said again-"You Jesus man." Then laying his hand on his heart, he said, "White Arm, Jesus man too. Heap good! Heap good! Heap good!"

"But," I said, "tell me all about it. How did it come to pass?"

That is all he said (indicating by gestures). He had been in the dark. Some one had struck a light. Now he saw. Had he not comprehended what the Gospel says, "Whereas I was blind, now I see"? Then putting his hands so (indicating), he said, "Tepee!" and pointed toward the north. "Pretty Shell (that is the name of his wife)! pretty Beads (his little girl)! Go talk. Pretty Shell she come, too!" The missionary impulse had been born so soon. Then pointing in the direction of an Indian camp I had visited with him a year before, then another, then a third, then a fourth, he did this (indicated), meaning to gather them in, and said, "Talk! talk! talk! Church!"

That told the whole story. He was going to gather his people together and have them sit down on the grass before him and talk and pull them to church. And that is just what he has been doing, and last month we signed his commission as an Evangelist, to go and carry the message of the Gospel to his benighted fellow tribesmen. Verily the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believeth.

Let me address you on the practical part of this topic, but from a different point of view than that taken by others who have preceded me. I am going to speak, not of work or workers on the field, but would speak of some things that might be done by this Conference looking toward the betterment of religious conditions among the Indians. And what I have to say will be along the line of the admirable report made last year, but which needs, as it seems to me, to be carried still further. The first thing I would name as an immediate practical step is definite and accurate information. We have heard a statement tonight concerning the work that is being done by the Episcopal Church, Reformed Church, Methodist Church, and each one of the Boards of these churches knows what its particular work is. But there is need of a more comprehensive statement, a definite and ac

curate statement that shall include, first the name, the numbers and the location of the several Indian tribes. Second, the educational agencies that work among them, whether governmental or denominational, boarding school or day school. Third, the mission stations that are established already by the several denominations. Fourth, the centers at which there is need of added missionary effort in order that the given tribe or community may be adequately shepherded. Fifth, the name and number and location of the Indian tribes or settlements which thus far are wholly unevangelized. With that information at our command in tabulated form, definite and accurate, we have a basis for the formulating of a comprehensive plan of evangelization. In the attempt to work out that plan of evangelization, steps might be taken,— First, The communication of these facts to the missionary boards that have already demonstrated their interest in Indian affairs by the establishment of missions. Second, A courteous request or inquiry addressed to them as to whether they will not occupy points contiguous to stations that are already occupied by them. Third, that they be asked how many of the wholly unevangelized centers they would be willing to occupy. Having presented the matter to these boards, then the same thing could be presented to boards that hitherto have not taken any active participation in Indian work. I believe that in that way we might formulate a comprehensive plan for the evangelization of the not very large number of Indians whom we have in this country.

In addition to that it seems to me that the time has come for an appeal in our theological seminaries for young men who shall volunteer to devote their lives to the work of uplifting and evangelizing these aborigines. Young men in our churches, and young women in our churches, in our colleges and seminaries, are responding to the student volunteer call for service in the foreign field. I believe that if this matter were laid before them and urged upon them we should have a response for volunteers along these lines of home work. More emphasis should be laid also upon the work of the Christian matron. I recognize the value of the services rendered by the government matron; but I believe that our missionary Boards, and our women's missionary societies should be petitioned to support a large and increasing number of Christian matrons, who shall go in and out among the homes of the Indian people and teach them in a thousand ways the rudiments of civilized life and at the same time be bearers of the message of the Gospel of the grace of God. I believe there will be a response to such a call.

Some one asked an eminent painter, whose angel faces upon the canvas were the envy of his brother artists, where he got his angel faces. He pointed to a group of ragged and dirty little children playing in the gutter, and said, "I get them there!" O faculty divine, that can look beneath the dirt and the defilement, the defacement and the degradation of sin and see there the lingering lineaments of the Divine, and has faith in the possibilities, through the grace of God of bringing those lineaments out in clearness and perfection again! That is what we need and before such a Spirit as that, the Indian problem and all other problems will find their solution. (Applause.)

The Conference then adjourned until the following morning.

Tbird Session

Thursday Morning, October 24th, 1907

THE CHAIRMAN: We are going into a very large and a very serious subject this morning. To me it is the overwhelming question that has come to the altruistic thought and feeling of the country, the Philippine question. Our first speaker is MR. THOMAS LAWLER, of Boston.

WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PHILIPPINES

ADDRESS OF MR. THOMAS LAWLER

I purpose to say a few words this morning on the progress which we have made in the Philippines since our occupation of these islands eight years or so ago. We are now fairly at the parting of the ways in the Islands. We have passed through the era of military government. We have had four or five years' government by commission and this week the era of quasi-representative government has begun with the opening of the new Assembly.

As no people can make substantial progress without a stable currency, one of the epoch-making measures of our rule in the islands was the establishment of the new coinage called Philippine currency. When the Americans arrived at Manila, the unit of value in general use was the Mexican dollar. The value of this dollar fluctuated widely. On my first visit to Manila in 1900, I received for one hundred gold dollars one hundred and ninety-seven Mexican dollars. Later one received as high as two hundred and sixty-six Mexican dollars for one hundred dollars in gold. At the same time there was in use or hoarded up in the Philippines a large amount of Spanish silver.

Now with a currency affected so markedly by such wide influences it is difficult for business to advance along safe and healthy lines; in fact it is hard to see how it advanced at all when one was compelled every morning to find out what his money was worth. By one sweeping act the Commission remedied this state of things. They outlawed the Mexican dollar, giving ample time to get rid of the Mexican money while the Spanish silver was bought in by the government. The new Philippine currency was based on gold, the