The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-11-10
Will MIR. NICHOLSON GO?
A Lively Meeting in North
Baptist Church Over
His Resignation.
QUEER VOTING BY THE MEMBERS.
Only Three-fourths of the Num-
Der Wanted Him to Re-
consider.

consider.
| Pastor G. w. Nicholson of the North
Baptist Church will go, at least SO say
the knowing ones Of the church. and that
| fact pretty fully established itself in the
minds of the parishioners who still cling
to him last night The Sunday school
rooms in the basement of the church were
crowded with members to take action
upon the resignation of their beloved pas
tor. There were present one hundred
and thirty voters, and while three-fourths
of this number favored making one more
| effort to get the pastor to withdraw his
resignation, the other quarter expressed
their willingness to have him depart BY
voting "No'' to the question of seeking
withdrawal.
| The meeting was supposed to be
secret one, but tho facts were easily OBJ
tanned Mr.. ]. c. Van Winkle presided
| over the meeting and Church Clerk
| Hough was on hand to note the proceed
| ings. The first business was the reading
| of the letter from Pastor Nicholson,
! which, however, was carefully Kept ont
of the reach of reporters, aud 1t Is said at
|
From what could be learned.
the letter was one which pleased
/ the parishioners, inasmuch as every sem
tence demonstrated the writer's love Tor
| his flock and the great interest he felt IN
the success of the church. The letter did
not contain an intimation that the pastor
| desired an increase in salary. but 1T did
contain an intimation that the work con :
nected with the church was pretty
hard to attend to properly.
or in other words that an assistant or
| assistants would be welcomed with open
arms, not only by the incumbent were he
to remain, but also by any man who be-
| comes his successor. The conclusion Oh
| the letter reminded the congregation in
nice but tirm manner that the resigna-
| tion of G.. w. Nicholson was stlii oelore
them.
THE REPEATING ONLY JOKE.
The letter was not commented on to
any great extent, but the expression OF
the meeting was that Mr.. Nicholson was
a worker for Christ aud the Churc ch, and
that it was pity to lose him. To get the
sense of the meeting regarding another
| effort to get the pastor to withdraw his
resignation. it was decided to take vote,
and in this ballot 1t was found that some
of the church members had Joklngly
voted three and four times.
Chairman Van Wrinkle announced that
1873 ballots had been cast. Mr.. William
K. Lewis, who wisely declined the Re-
publican nomination for senator, asked
how many voters there were present;
Chairman Van WinKle did not know and
stated that he hoped the methods OF GER
tain political party had not been allowed
to make their way into a church election.
Chairman Van Wrinkle was little late
with this warning, as when the ballots
were being read. the clerk remarked thai
some persons had voted three and four
times, but that only one ballot was being
counted. The result OF the balloting was
"a to reconsider, 81 against asking for =
reconsideration, and 8 were indinerep5
"paralyzer," and the so far quiet meeting
| was In hub-bub in an instantt several
ladies left the room ana held an indlgna-
ton meeting in the hallway.
Trustee C1erihew noting the dtscom-
future of several earnest workers, rose
and endeavored to explain the vote by
stating that undoubtedly great many
| present felt in the matter as he did. He
knew Mr.. Nicholson was determined
man and that he would not have tendered
his resignation, had he the slightest inten-
ton of withdrawing ii. lie felt that the
Pastor had made up his mind to go and
that no influence, no matter how power :
full, could be brought to bear upon hlm
and get him to reconsider the step ne nad
taken. Some of the ladies heaved q sigh
of relief when this explanation was vol-
unfairly given, but others were disguised
and went home without further ado.
MR.. LEWIS RESOLUTION.
This little surprise had scarcely died
away when Mr.. Lewis offered resolu-
tion empowering Pastor Nicholson, If he
| remains, to secure an assistant or assist
| ants to compensate the same aJ what ne
Thought Just figure, and That the trus-
tees be instructed and directed to raise
money sufficient to pay the assistant or
assistants as secured by the pastor. This
was thrown out to the pastor ~ an ln-
ducement The resolution was adopted
but not without little squabble among
| the male members.
Trustee Clerihew amended the resolu-
tion pv striking out the words in
structed and directed" and inserting
"reuuest the trustees to raise the neces-
sary money! Mr. Lewis and chairman
Van Winkle objected to the amendment
and succeeded In knocking it out.
| "I offered that amendment" said
Trustee Clerihew, "because l think it
are appointed to look after such matters
"Have the trustees taken any action
upon our PASTORS resignationY" inter
rupted Chairman Van Winkie.,
mo; not as board" was Mr.. Cleri-
.'The Trustees represent the church
people, said Mr.. Lewis. "They are ap-
polluted to do as we direct. not as they
feel. We fix salary for our pastor. and
| their QuUy IS TO s06 tudu ~ 40 pHAN. " y
tell them what 10 do, and when they
don't feel like doing it. it is an easy mat
ter to step down and out, and let young
men step in and do the work.
Mr.. Clerihew is not a young man and
this last remark caused him to crawl
down in his overcoat few inches.
A vote WAS taken on the amendment
ard it was hopelessly swamped. while the
original motion Went through with rush
and bang that made Trustee Clerihew's
teeth chatter. This matter having been
disposed of commtttee con-
sistinr of William R. Lewis,
Trustee Hoyer. Deacon Henry.
and Church Clerk Hough. was appointed
TO wait upon Pastor Nicholson ana notify
him of the action taken by his conRrega-
tion and the three-quarter expression
that he withdraw his resignation and
once again assume control of the church,
which he has brought out OF debt and
placed upon q sound financial basis.
Weather Indications.