The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-08
THE EVANGELICAL MINISTER'S.
A Message that Created Suspicion-Gen. Har-
risOn to Be Formally Congratulated.

The discussions of the Indianapolis Min
isterial Association at themOnthly meeting
in the Y. NJ. c. A. parlOrs yesterday morn
ing, were quite as largely devoted tOmatters
of public as of clerical interest. At the
beginning of the business session, Dr..
Ford, of Central-avenue Church, intro
duced message which he thought was as
much inspired by partisan as mere temper
ance motives. 1t came from the ministers
of Richmond, printed upon postal card,
addressed to the clergy of this city. The
headline in large. heavy-faced type, reads:
Us 1t Time to Begin?" after which the
epistle runs as follows:
The Ministers Association of the City of Rich
mOnd, Ind, to the Brethren in the Ministry Of
the Gospel:
Christian salutation: Beloved in the Lord, we
feel that the time has come when we may hope
fully ask Legislature to submit to the voters OF
Indiana an amendment to our State COnstitu-
ton prohibiting the manufacture and distribu-
ton of intoxicating liquors in our State. Do you
believe it would be well to call general cOnyen-
ton with that purpose in view! Please call the
attention of the ministers OF your city to this
matter, and send us early reply addressed to
the secretary of the following committee: j. W.
Kapp, chairman; Alex. Gilchrist, secretary; IsOm
L. WOoten, A. w. Lamport and j. Ward Stone.
Considerable discussion followed this read
ing, some few of the ministers regarding the
appeal as the disinterested production of
zeal for the cause of temperance felt by the
gentlemen above named. The matter was
passed to the care of committee composed
of DR.. Ford, the Rev. ID. K. Lucas and +. z.
WhallOn for decisive action, on behalf of
the Ministerial Association. To q Journal
reporter, DIR. Ford said that he had not the
slightest doubt that the appeal, which he
believed had been sent to the ministry all
over the State is of prohibition instigatiOn,
if not direct authorship. He considered it
to he merely device to whip the clergy. as
while the missive itself might be
wOrded in an apparently harmless way, on
close investigation it would be seen to be
very cunningly done, and the features con-
nected with the manner and time at which
it had been addressed to them, left no
doubt in the mind of its real purport.
The next matter brought to the attention
of the meeting was the action to be taken
by the clergy of this city in regard to form
their fellOw-citizen, General Harrison, on
his election to the presidency. After many
plans being proposed as to the most cordial
and acceptable way In which this might be
done, 1t was
Resolved That a committee of seven repre-
senting the different denominations, be ap-
pointed to prepare an address, expressing our
cordial regard for the Presidentelect, said COM
mittee TO report at the next regular meeting in
February, and to make any necessary arrange
ments for the presentation OF the address to
f1dfrlsOu
The committee delegated to this honor by
the chairman of the association, Rev DIR.
Hendrickson, are as follows: Drs. III. A.
Edison tchairman), III. A. Cleveland, j. 5.
Jenckes, and the Reys. Henry Day, n. A.
Hyde, ID. r. Lucas and ID. o. Darling.
The paper of the morning was then read
by Rev. b. X. Lucas, ON "InterdcnOmina-
| tional Pastoral Relations" 1t contained
many especially advanced ideas upon prob
able merging of all denominations in the
one cause of Christ. and was warmly sec
| onded by most of the clergy present In
| the course of his address the Doctor, refer
| ing to the inaugural ball, said: ministers
have right to differ in their opinions, and
| to refuse to act together in such a matter.
| 1t belongs to the conscientious conviction
| of each man. If one regards an inaugural
| ball as not being right, his brother has no
| right 10 call him an old fogy because he
| feels 1T proper TO take such position. If
one regards an inaugural ball as harmless,
his brethren have no right to accuse him of
| desiring to court public favor by his
| position, or to ask him, after his Opin-
| ion is known, to take part in at
tempting ngg;a its prevention though nn they Sy
prevented by abOlishing it as far as
| possible"
OF those who made some qualified objec-
| ton to the Doctors position on denomina-
| ton was Rev. DR.. Mcleod, who said: Il
believe in denominationalism. believe it
| was foreordained of God, or we would not
have it to-day. / do not believe in secta-
| rianism. To illustrate: man who likes
his own wife, and hates every other mans
| wife, is sectarian. But man who, while
| he likes his own wife better than any other
mans wife, but still loves them all, is de-
nominational. [Applause.l That's my po-
sition, brethren" Laughter The Rev.
| Dr. Jenckes brought to the consideration
of the association the manner in which the
Legislature was accustomed to get its min
listers to temporarily open the sessions by
sending TO the Y. NJ. G.. A. and ordering one
sent TO them from day to day, as it hap
| pened TO suit the General Assembly's con-
yenience. He showed that ministers had
| duties to attend To, and it was sometimes
| inconvenient to attend these calls in this
manner. The Legislature, he thought,
should elect regular chaplain and pay
him for ii, and then he could be expected
to serve regularly. Rev. Dr.. Cleveland
said that he supposed this was the only
Legislature in the United States that did
not elect a chaplain. Nothing definite was
done in the matter.