The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-09-09


stay at-home vote, all Of which is
never rallied, and none OF It, only on
extraordinary occasions In a State
like Illinois, this vote ranges from
ten TO twenty thousand. Some Of our
school elections are hel4 with from
three to tau voters present, and II
female suffrage was llOged the stay
at-home vote would be Immensely
larger.
Rev. john Van Cle7e says, in the
same paper:
The vote on lay repTese has
been taken n the different pastoral
charges. and has resulted in the adop.
ton of the plan of the Iasr General
Conf senee by n large majority OF
those voting. How those who ola
not vote would have voted we have no
right to say. They did not vote, and
/ as this was the only official manner IN
which thew could declare themselves
/ either on one side or the other, hey
must be set down as neutral. As they
did not feel interest enough III t1e
welfare OF the Church t0 20 to the
polls and vote, they are to be set down
as nowhere Aud nov, as 4 under
Il
friends Of the Church are III favor OF
Law repregenlatiop, I feel that ii j. my
dutv to accept the situatio1.
have always said that when 9 major
itv Of the laity fairly expressed theif
wishes il favor Of lay fesprese ntation,
[ would acquiesce III their wishes 2ad
give my influence IL its favor. L COZ
slider all those who votod either for or
I ta,kt rlsf fvf <
Of the Church.
Since much stress is laid upon the
smalIness of the vote, the following,
in the Norfhern Adrocafe. from " a
| Country Pa 5or. is ia point:
[ see that you and severat 0 ryour cor
respondents express surprise al the
alleged smallness Of the vote. Others,
myself among The number, felt the
like at first: bat upon the sober see
ond thought, this feeling gives place
to the conviction that the vote IS re-
ally large and significant. Within my
own little charge | have had excellent
opportunity to see how the thing
worked. Out Of a membership OF
less than eighty, hardly twenty five
voted, seemingly a small proportion,
but really large one. Note the fol-
lowing explanatory facts, ascertained
upon q careful examination OF the
. Church record, and comparison with
the poll list which | preserved.
/. OF about fifty five members not
voting, twelve are minors.
2. Nine are aged (sayonty years
| more or less), some Of them never
getting out to morning service even
j and two or three only ever attending
an evening service.
8. Ten live about three miles dis.
tant from the church, some of them
. further
f. Three were many miles away.
, 5. Two were sick.
6. -Four forgot all about it.
z. Two had just united with Us and
knew nothing about the question.
8. Six may be classified as hangers
, on, whose names, for divers reasons
are allowed upon the Church recorc
{ ! for the present, though their bearers
seldom sec the inside Of the Church
or hear q notice given OUT, and take
no interest in Church m4tters-o
course none in lay delegation
g. OF the small remainder. some ar,
r widows who could not well come out
and some, d Considerable number
renamed at home ito take care o
; the children"
10. The poll was open three hour:
only. and in the evening
Doubtless q ike conspiracy OF CIR
0 cumstances has operated through
. out the connection. o. this
J charge (and [ claim to sp * for no
3 other), the active, living. working,
praying, thoughtful members, tho
3 bone and sinew Of tie society, with
out which it w5uid die outright
] mainly turned out am convinced
that the Church has spokan-that thc
: vote Is, all things considered. large
and that We cannot reasonably ask iol
a larger, nor expect q larger Without
: first invoking the perils of q great
: excitement. and feeling the throes OIL
intestine cOnvulslons. VIII IS be
, wise to incur the risks?
In my humble opinio1, the vote is
sufficiently emphatic, and should be
deemed decisive Ii now only re.
mains for the ministry to fulflI the
expectations which have been raised
in the minds of cur brethren Of the
! laity, and, by consummating the re-
form, avert revolution Voting for
: for the change, ia The light Of the
June canvass, 1 shall leave the re
sp0nsibility With the laity. Voting
against it, [ should take q very grave
E responsibility upon myself.
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