The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-11-10
ADDRESS OF DR. HAZEN Al
TIE SYNOD OF YIRGLNIA.

The Christian Observer in its issue of
. the Sd inst, comments on this address
and on the work of the Committee of
Publication. 1t says
The address of Rev Dr. Hazen, Secretary
of Publication, at the Synod of Virginia, will
attract attention. The report, which has been
kindly prepared for us and for another paper
by an esteemed friend, is an excellent one but
1t gives, of course, only an epitome of the re-
marks of DR.. Hazen. Any one who has tried
to report knows the difficulty of conveying the
exact meaning of a speaker in an abridged form,
and it is possible that in this case DIR. Hazen's
meaning has not been exactly conveyed If
such be the case, we trust that he will make the
necessary correction at an early day. The re-
port suggests two remarks, which are made in
no captious spirit, but which are presented now
because the present is a peculiarly favorable
time for correcting one of the evils to which DR..
Hazen alludes.
Complaints of the Publishing House.
The printed report says
DIR. Hazen alluded to complaints in two
Presbyteres of the manner in which business is
done al the publishing house, delay in filling
orders, etc. The committee had no more con
troll over the Publishing House than over any
other Publishing House There We're com
plants of all publishing houses"
These complaints are not confnd to two Pres
byteries. They have been heard in many
quarters.
Were the Committee endeavoring to remedy
this it would receive only the sympathy of the
Church. But does 1t not render itself liable to
criticism when it says it has no control, and
makes no effort to remove these complaints or
to secure such efficiency as will promote the
circulation of our books and publications?
Of course it is not only difficult, but
impossible to give the exact meaning of
speaker in an abridged report, and GER
tainly the Observer has not helped the
matter any by its construction of the Ian
guage reported, or by asking the ques-
ton which it does in regard to the efforts
OF the Committee to apply remedy for
the complaints. If DR.. Hazen had said
that the Committee "makes no effort to
remove these complaints" then indeed
would his address have attracted atten-
ton In very different way from what it
did, and if the remark had gone unchal-
lenged the Committee would certainly
have been liable to criticism" But DR.
Hazen, so far from intimating that the
Committee made no efforts to remove
the complaints" stated directly the re-
verse. He did not say simply that the
Committee had no control over the Pub,
fishing House" but that it had no control
over the details of the business of that
House, and explained what control it did
have by contract. The few sentences of
the report quoted by the Observer did
not give-nor did the report purport to
give-the exact language used by DIR.
Hazen. His whole address, which was
a straightforward and manly statement
Of the business of the Committee of Pub
LEGATION, was heard with manifest pleasure
by the Synod. The address did "attract
attention" The Synod appointed com
mittee consisting of Rev. Drs. G. B. Strick
Ter, H. M. White, and H G. Alexander,
to respond and give expression to the
views Of the body. This committee pre-
sented the following, which was unani-
mously and cordially adopted
l. Synod has heard with great pleasure and
satisfaction the address of Dr. Hazen on the
Publication interests of the Church.
2. Synod expresses its full confidence in the
efficiency with which these interests are man
aged
3. Synod urges its ministers and churches to
make an earnest effort so largely to increase the
contributions to this cause, that our Committee
shall speedily be enabled to pay the del by
which it is encountered and to engage fully in
the great work of disseminating among our peo-
pie sound religious literature.
We are glad to be assured that the re-
marks Of the Observer are not made in
any captious spirit and since the Com
nittee has given most prompt attention
to all complaints, and is endeavoring to
remedy them, as DR.. Hazen distinctly
stated in his address, we hope that it will
now "receive only the sympathy" of all.
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