Evening journal., 1890-05-21
pREseYTERIANs AT ODDS.
Tisoso Chnr of Gross Extravaganc.
Against ao Board OF Publication.

against Ae Board OF Publication.
SARAToof n r., May 2l.-The feature
OF the afte. IN session OF the Presbyterian
assembly was very lively discussion OF
the report OF the board of publication and
that OF the special committee which charges
gross extravaganza by the board Elder
George S. Graham, Of Philadelphia, raised
the point that the two reports werc not
joint, as required. and not responsive. The
special committees report not having been
before the business committees of the board
was therefore not responsive. II con.
tained very serious and grave accusations,
which, II true, ought to require the dissolu.
tion Of the board of publication. Tho re.
port OF the business committee shows that
as late as May they had received a tele.
gram That the report they had seen had
been withdrawn, so that thore was ahso.
lutely then no report before the business
committee. lie wanted fhis nfty-year.old
board of the church 70 hava ample time to
consider tho grave charges made against It,
and moved that the whole business be re
ferred to committee Of seven, 70 be an.
pointed by the moderator, to hear both
reports and report to the assembly Of 1891
The resolution was laid upon tho table
until Mr. Simmons might be hef.1 Mr.
Simmons, chairman of the SPECIAL com
mittee, said he would answer this ques
ton; Did the committee obey the di
rections OF the general assembly, They
began their Investigations IN October and
did not suppose experts would be expected
70 do just what the bourd might want them
to do. The committee soon found there
was misunderstanding He wrote TO the
stated clerk about the matter aslsing for
guidance, and the drift OF the answer WAS
that the committee was TO thoroughly ex
anime into the affairs of the board aud the
committee could meet when 1t pleased aud
confer at convenience. Ii was to report 60
tho general assembly In it's own way aud
the business committee could also. The
special committee could not be subordi.
mated 70 the committee Of board and were
not TO be tail TO the kite OF the board.
The special committee were 70 make their
own manly report. They had sought
conference and three members OF the bust.
ness committee were present They had
met afterwards and he had seen $40 pages
Of typewriter testimony which he supposed
constituted conference.
The special committee tried hard to have
joint conference and its proposal had
been practically rejected by the members
Of the business committee declining "a an.
hWtr tue questions asked DY the special
committee. After the business committee
had seen the report only two words were
changed. The facts reported upon aro
taken from the Investigations IN tha board
of publication. and the committee stand
ready to substantiate every statement made
in their report. Mr. Simmons said thnt all
the bids submitted were from the most re-
liable men, which statement the commit.
teo stood ready 10 make good Four Of
tho members Of the committee had been Ia
the book business over twenty-five years
and knew the value Of book, bat never.
theless they went TO other bidders, who
were paying union pricas, every one OF
them, und 20 the special committee knew
what il was talking about There Il no;
a solitary hard word ia the report. I'll,
facts are hard, that Is the trouble III,
business committee consists of Christian
men, but IL docs not follow they under
stood their business.
The subject went over as unfinished bust
ness, with Dr. Agnew having the floor.
He announced that he was prepared Ia
prove that the statements Of the report
were not according TO the facts In the case.