The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-10
ST. CLEMENTS.

The Annual ELECTION AOr NCetrVmCn To-
day-The Deciding Point OF the Diff
eulty-A Majority In Favor of the vestry
Close Vote
The ecclesiastical controversy which has for
some time disturbed the quiet of st. Clements
Protestant Episcopal Parish of this city
reached a eliminating point to-day in the Easter
election of the church yestry-Easter Monday
being the regular time for church elections In
all churches of the denomination-which cleo
tion the partisans on both sides have been look
ing forward to for some time as the means of
settlement of the difficulties either in favor of
one side or the other. As the case now stands
the re- election of the old vestry, who have so
openly opposed themselves to the views of the
present rector of the parish, Dr. Patterson
would be the formal approval of the course of
the vestry by the congregation. or at least by
their voting representatives On the other hand,
the election of new vestry would warrant the
supposition that the church disapproves of the
action of the officers and wishes the rector up
held in his plans
would be the formal accusal of
rector to the Bishop of the diocese by the re-
elected vestry, this being continuation of their
former course, which they would have followed
out before had they not delayed so doing until
an election should be held, from the result of
which they would know how far they were up-
held by the congregation. The Bishop would
then take the matter in charge, formally i'm
peach the rector, convene an ecclesiastical
court and allow the church in this vicinity to
be exposed to all the excitements, schisms and
the accompanying scandals of an ecclesiastical
trial, the details of which would be eagerly de-
voured by all lovers of novelty, and hailed as
glorious news by those who are already desiring
an open rupture in the now united Church. This
course, it is understood, will be rigidly
followed, even as the former course of the vestry
has been, although according to all laws, usages,
and customs of the Protestant Episcopal Church
the vestry have nothing whatever to do with
the service of the Church. or the manner in
which 1t is conducted, any more than by an ex-
ccin of nxya1
things are in the province of the clergy alone,
the rector being responsible only to his supe-
riors with whom all accusations should origi-
nate when it is seen that the teachings or prac-
tices of the rector are either radically wrong or
calculated to in jure the interests of the church
or congregation. According to law and custom
the authority of the vestry includes only the
temporal affairs of a congregation, and any
thing that goes beyond that exceeds their
authority.
At the present time the actual number of
active voters in the parish is forty-four These
are all persons who were connected with the
parish before the present rector took charge,
and most of them are in favor of the old vestry.
The rector has large majority of friends in the
congregation, but these have not yet vote.
The voters are required to hold pew or sitting
for two years before their vote can be legal.
DR.. Patterson will by the first part of next
month have had charge of the parish for two
years, and of those who came to the church
with him, some are short of the required time
by him into the congregation since then there
are some who want about six months of the re-
quired time, while others have held pews for
only year. The votes of all these, therefore,
cannot be counted, and no attempt will be made
to have them even presented.
There are, however, among the legal voters q
number of women votes which are in favor of
the rector and his party, which votes have
always been received heretofore, but which the
party are now endeavoring to keep out as
illegal The votes of the rector and his assistant,
who are both renters of pews, are TO be pre-
seDted, and to them no objection can be made.
To balance this the vestry are endeavoring to
bring in voters who were formerly attendants of
the parish and who still hold pews, but who are
now regular attendants and members of other
churches and are not at all interested In the
questions at issue. These have not been accus-
toned to vote since their removal from the pa
rish. These votes will very properly be chal-
lenged by the rectors side, and every effort
made to have them counted out.
But 1t is thought that perhaps better spirit
will take possession of the combatants when the
time for action shall come, and that O compro-
mise will be made, by which all votes will be
allowed, the rector's party Withdrawing all oppo-
sition to the outside voters, and the vestrymen
and their friends doing the same for the women
voters. Should this happen, the result will be
about the same as If those disputed on both
sides were counted out.
Should the rector prove successful in the elec-
tion, the services of the church will go on as
heretofore until another annual election, when
the numerous friends of that side will be fully
enfranchised, and the support of the rector will
be placed beyond doubt
The election to-day was held in the parish
building in the rear of the church. 1t began at
12 o'clock, noon, and continued until clock
P. NJ. The telers of the election, appointed by
the present vestry, were Henry Thompson
and John p Brock The following tickets were
voted upon, No. l being that of the old vestry
and No. the new ticket of those in favor of the