New-York tribune., 1891-05-27
THE BOARD OF PUBLICATION TROUBLE.
come WARM WORDS OVER THE REPORT OF 'THi
SPECIAL COMMITTEE-THE QUESTION
UNSETTLED.

4 SPECIAL SOi@~NNO
UNSETTLED.
Detroit, MAY 90 (special).-when DR.. w II. Rooerts'
the stated clerk of the General Assembly announced
to-day that the special committee on puohcao" ""'
! the order OF the day Judge Hand said
"Mr Moderator, fathers and brethren undeIe'aiu
perfectly that not being member OF this mouse a"u
having presented the report Of the committee appoeu
| at the last Assembly, whatever i have 10 say Is oiS
by the courtesy of the house. The examination anu
be conclusions of the COMMITTEES OF which am chair-
man have been fairly presented in the report when
| road and which has been circulated The first 1act
thai wish this Assembly to understand IS that you arc
not called upon criticise the management OF Dus
ness which has not been successful, but one which
has been successful The net profits OF the year lor
1891 $50 Of the business part OF the Board OF fuo
lcation we're Sl6,943 16. success has been growing
success from year to year. TwohiIds Of this amount
or sl1 2o5 A. was passed over TO the missionary de-
| partment Of the board
"There is another fact that want you 10 under
staud. that you have large, Intelligent honest
fervent board OF managers, both clerical and lay and
there are no better men, either clerical lay. 10 be
found in the Presbyterian Church or any OF your
boards than arc found this board. There Is another
fact that want you 10 bear in mind, and that Is the
host men will make mistakes. do not say they arc
liable to: | say they will. The next thing is, when
| they do make mistakes. what Is to be donei
"Now there Is the whole question of this case In
had the honor TO present TO you Qt was unanimous
| report of my committee IS that whatever the mis-
takes arc that are made, whatever the bundcrs are
that are made, you had better reach them through
your board. That is the principle that uliderlies IT,
think 1t is Presbyterian. will go step inrther' ana
say that when you have beard that makes MISTAKES,
and when they find that they have made mistake ana
are ready at once attempt the remedy, you had better
Keep that board in rather than fill their places with
somebody else"
Elder Charles S. Converse OF NcwJersey- Are theIe
any practical publishing men, accustomed to the pii'
ing business in the board ii is constituted al pres
entl" .
Judge Hand-"I will answer that by staung thal
we say in our report that the board would be giad 10
,yoIcome any practical man. acquainted either with
hook printing or with the publishing business OH INC
board There are two now the board one was
appointed by the last Assembly, and the board nave
filled the vacancy since then by appointing al
other and we suggest to the Assembly 'hat
YOU appoint more practical men upon tnc Oodru
from time to time as vacancies occur
Elder H. E. simmons, of NewJersey-" Mr.. Moder
ator fathers and brethren, the committee that have
TIE honor to represent here to-day was appointed un-
der very peculiar circumstances. Matters OF discon-
tent with the board had been growing
for years until it came so that the
areat synod of Ohio took action upon it, and
TWO wears ago the General Assembly passed resou-
tion. or a minute under which special committee
on the publishing outft Of the Board Of Publication
was appointed; and when my name came 10 be mcn-
toned in connection with it, the moderator whom we
all honored so much, came 10 me and said: i propose
to put you upon the committee said 4 beg You
will not do it don't wish 10 go upon that commit
tee there is too much hard work and too little OF
something else in IT, When the moderator came
10 me and told me that he going to make me
chairman of the committee l again demonstrated
against it. And then he gave me my charge He
said: Il shall make you the chairman OF the
committee, and want you 10 60
to the bottom Of this thing
"I have obeyed the charge fully, and I stand here
to-day prepared TO defend the report Of the special
committee in every particular. We have been put
upon trial At the last General Assembly, when our
report was received, not being commissioner as
am now was only entitled to the foor'by courtesy
and without hearing one word in regard to the
recommendations OF the special committee, our report
upon the motion of gentleman who was formerly
member of the Board Of Publication and, as is stated
by one of the members of the board, by action OF the
board itself las stated in the Presbyterian Quarterly
of the SoutlD this matter was referred to special
committee of seven. In order to show you that we
are not wrong in supposing that we are upon trial.
allow me to read from the stenographc report; the
mover of the resolution said There contained in
that special report the merits of which do not pro
pose now 10 enter upon, very serious and very grave
accusations, which, if true, ought to receive the
dissolution Of the Board of Publication
81 want il distinctly understood that so far as
am concerned my vote, or influence as com
missioner here might be exercised, If my truest,
dearest and best friend should be in the businss COM
mittee of the Board of Publication and these facts
were true, would work for his removal from that
place. There facts conaincd-Or alleged facts
should sayin that special committee report which l.
for one, am ready and competent to combat to-day
as being enormously stated and untrue. We have not
noticed him combating them yet, though he
not anxious to get the floor ID be willing 10
take anybody else Is. time.
"The minute appointing this committee was also
peculiar one. They we're directed to hear the
of the Business Committee and Of the Board of Pub
cation and tho charges OF the special committee. and
consider the whole question and report their finding
of facts TO the General Assembly OF 1901. In other
words to put 1t plainly they to try the special
committee and whether they lied or not. That is
all And We took the matter In Just exactly that
very spirit and want to state that that report Of
the special committee only be looked at In one OF
two wavs The statements contained in the first Of
that report are either true false and. If they are
re then say that there ought 10 be change In the
methods and management OF the bosrd and, II they
are false this General Assembly ought to rcpri-
for trial and for punishment. You cannot go
to fight II out that line If it takes all summec" Zap
plause.)