General Conference Daily Bulletin, vol. 2
October 31, 1888
VOL. 2. - MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., - NO. 10
Twelfth Day’s Proceedings GENERAL CONFERENCE TUESDAY, Oct. 30, 1888
The tenth meeting of the General Conference was opened at 10:40 a. m. Prayer by Elder A. T. Jones. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.1
Minutes of last meeting read and approved. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.2
U. Smith, the secretary, read a table of statistics, giving the number of ministers, licentiates, churches, church members, and the amount of tithes paid in each conference, in order that any corrections might be made which were necessary. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.3
The report of the committee on distribution of labor being called for, the secretary of the committee, A. J. Breed, reported as follows: GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.4
The committee on distribution of labor would respectfully submit the following partial report: GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.5
1. That J. W. Bagby of Kansas go to North Carolina, and make that his field of labor. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.6
2. That T. H. Gibbs of Louisiana, labor in the Nebraska conference. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.7
3. That J. M. Reese of Tennessee, make Indiana his field of labor. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.8
4. That R. S. Donnell go to Tennessee to take the place made vacant by Bro. Reese, and to take the oversight of the work in Kentucky. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.9
5. That S. H. Lane of Georgia, go to New York and labor in that conference. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.10
6. That M. J. Huffman of Virginia, occupy the field made vacant by Bro. Lane. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.11
7. That B. F. Purdham of Indiana, make Louisiana his field of labor. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.12
8. That G. H. Rogers of Illinois, labor in the Upper Columbia conference. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.13
9. That W. B. Hill of Minnesota, go to Iowa and labor in that state. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.14
10. That W. A. Colcord of Iowa go to Battle Creek to connect with the Review and Herald office. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.15
11. That H. R. Johnson of Iowa return to Wisconsin and make that his field of labor. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.16
12. That O. A. Johnson of Montana attend Eld. Matteson’s training school in Chicago and then make Iowa his field, and labor exclusively in the Scandinavian language. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.17
13. That John Covert of Indiana connect with the Michigan conference and labor in that field. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.18
14. That C. W. Flaize of Kentucky make Minnesota his field of labor. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.19
15. That in harmony with the request of J. H. Durland we recommend him to return to this country and labor in Ontario under the direction of the Michigan conference. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.20
16. That E. W. Whitney make Great Britain his field of labor as soon as he can be spared from the work in Basel. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.21
17. That H. M. Kenyon of Michigan labor in the Kansas conference. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.22
18. That S. J. Shrock go to Germany to labor in that country. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.23
19. That R. L. Conradi spend several months in this country, holding institutes for the instruction of German canvassers and workers. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.24
20. That D. H. Oberholtzer of Indiana go to Pennsylvania to labor among the Germans. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.25
21. That John Gibson of California go to London as book keeper, and to assist in the management of the office. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.26
23. That M. B. Miller of Michigan take charge of the work in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.27
24. That W. S. Hyatt of Wisconsin go to Texas to take the presidency of the conference and tract and missionary society. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.28
25. That O. C. Godsmark of Georgia make Illinois his field of labor. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.29
26. That C. P. Haskell of Colorado labor in the Kansas Conference. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.30
27. That E. P. Auger of Central Europe return to this country to labor in the French canvassing field. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.31
28. That D. T. Bourdeau go to Canada to labor among the French under the direction of the Michigan conference. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.32
29. That the Pennsylvania conference take charge of the work in New Jersey. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.33
30. That A. T. Jones, if the way opens to do so, visit Boston, Chicago and other points, where local conferences secure suitable places to reach the masses of the people, and present the subject of religious liberty. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.34
31. That R. A. Hart return to Norway to assist Eld. O. A. Olsen in the management of the Scandinavian printing house. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.35
32. That B. M. Shull of Wisconsin, spent six months at the Review and Herald office learning what he can, and then go to Norway to labor in the publishing house. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.36
33. That Rasmus Peterson of Minnesota, go to the Review and Herald office to learn the book binder’s trade with a view of going to Christiana to work in the printing office. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.37
34. That M. C. Wilcox of New York go to the Signs office to assist in editing the Signs of the Times. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.38
35. That J. W. Scoles go to Oakland and connect with the Signs office. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 31.39
36. That May Taylor of Central Europe go to England to labor in Bible work. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.1
37. That Eld. J. F. Hanson attend the training school in Chicago, then to go to Denmark to labor in the great Scandinavian field. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.2
Moved that this report be adopted by considering each name separately. W. B. Hill, W. C. White, and others spoke upon the ninth recommendation alluding to the importance of work being done among the Germans, and the necessity of workers being thoroughly prepared for the work. W. C. White therefore moved that the recommendation be referred back to the committee that they might consider the matter of the field of Bro. Hill’s labors, and also the advisability of his attending a training school and ministerial institute for a few months. Carried. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.3
Upon the fifteenth recommendation W. C. White and S. N. Haskell spoke, showing the reasonableness of the recommendation on account of Bro. Durland not being able to properly educate his children in England, and his failing health. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.4
The recommendation to change E. W. Whitney’s field of labor called out remarks and explanations from W. C. White showing the advantage of having English laborers labor in English fields. L. R. Conradi spoke in the same line, but urged that he be not taken away till he could be spared. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.5
J. S. Raymond spoke on the eighteenth recommendation to Germany, and moved that the recommendation be referred back to the committee for reconsideration. To this, S. H. Lane and L. R. Conradi spoke to show that Bro. Oberholtzer would well fill the field in Pennsylvania, and that Bro. Shrock had reached a state of development in the German language where he could be of great service in Germany, where help is so sorely needed to carry the truth to the many millions of Germans. Wm. Covert said that Bro. Oberholtzer was a valuable laborer, but that there was not a sufficient German field in Indiana to occupy his time as a German laborer in that field. The motion to refer this recommendation back to the committee was lost. The recommendation of the committee was then carried. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.6
On recommendation nineteen L. R. Conradi said that the only thing that would make him willing to remain at all was the hope that the result would be to rouse up more German laborers for Germany, Russia, and other countries. Eld. Shultz moved that the recommendation be amended by adding “and workers.” Carried. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.7
C. H. Jones on the twenty-first recommendation spoke of the value of John Gibson’s labors in the Signs office, and regretted that he was to be called away. He thought that he would be a great help to the British field. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.8
On the twenty-eighth recommendation Bro. Bordeau thought that the wording of the recommendation “under the Michigan conference” would limit his work to Ontario, as Ontario was all that belonged to Michigan conference, and there were but few French in Ontario. It was moved that the words “under the direction of the Michigan conference be stricken from recommendation. W. C. White moved that the recommendation be referred back to the committee for further consideration. Carried. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.9
On recommendation twenty-nine J. W. Raymond asked for a statement of the condition of New Jersey, before he would be willing to take charge of the work there, as they could not do much for that field without seriously neglecting their own work. A. T. Robinson said that he should not want New Jersey to go into other hands than that of New England unless the Pennsylvania brethren could do more for them than New England had been able to do. Moved by E. J. Waggoner that this recommendation be referred back to the committee for further consideration. Carried. Adjourned to the call of the chair. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.10
INTERNATIONAL TRACT AND MISSIONARY SOCIETY OCT. 30th, 2:30 P. M
The meeting was opened by the usual service, the minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.11
The unfinished business of the last meeting (see BULLETIN Nos. 6 and 9) was brought before the society and elicited remarks from many which resulted in the adoption of the report with the following substitute in place of second paragraph, page 3, BULLETIN 6: “As this is not the foreign missionary Society of the denominations, and as confusion often occurs, from our common use of the term “Missionary Society,” we recommend the term “International Tract Society,” as a convenient title for general use, and a pleasant substitute for the abbreviation “T. & M. Society.” GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.12
Much discussion followed the different recommendations and resolutions, and many interesting and important facts were elicited in these remarks. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.13
A motion to refer resolution 8, BULLETIN No. 9, was lost and the report adopted. Resolution 9 concerning “Prophetic Lights” was referred to the committee provided for in resolution 8. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.14
No. 10 was reported to read as follows: GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.15
Resolved, That the names of canvassers, Bible workers, and all who are employed by the conference and tract societies, be transferred from the register of the local societies and districts, and placed upon a list called the State District; and that they be recommended to obtain their supplies from the state society, and make their contributions and reports to the same. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.16
Pending the discussion of the tenth resolution the meeting adjourned to the call of the chair. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.17
The chair at the close of the meeting appointed the committee provided for in resolution 8, as follows: GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.18
L. C. Chadwick, E. F. Miles, C. A. Hall, Daniel 1. Jones, L. R. Conradi, J. F. Hansen, and D. T. Bourdeau. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.19
Erratum - The name of A. R. Henry should have appeared yesterday among the trustees of the Educational Society. GCDB October 31, 1888, page 32.20