St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-14
War Waged by the Majority
Against the American
Boards Makeup.
ProhibitioniSts Take the Ap-
pointment of Election
Judges Into Court.
Judge Hooker's Damage Suit
Summarized News of
Minneapolis.

The time has come when the Congre-
gatiOnal churches demand representa-
ton on the boards that spend their
money, as the American Board of Com
mlsSionerS of Foreign Missions, the
American Home Missionary society, the
New West Education commission, etc.
All yesterday afternoon this question
was debated in the Congregational coun-
Gil at Plymouth church, with special re-
ference to the American board. 1t was
debate participated in by the strongest
men III the Congregational church, and
1t showed that even ministers of the
can occasionally lose their tempers.
Once or twice yesterday afternoon the
debate reached point where it was hot
and somewhat personal.
This, the first serious warm personal
fight OF the council. was precipitated by
the report of the committee on the re-
latiops of the benevolent societies to the
churches. All the important benevolent
societies of the Congregational church,
OF which the American board is a type,
are close corporations. The election of
new members to fill vacancies is by
members of the board. The board per-
petuates itself. The committee report
was long and elaborate. 1t went into
all the difficulties of making the boards
representative, involving in some cases
changes in the charters. But the report
clearly maintained that the churches
were demanding, and should have, rep
reSentatlOn on the boards. LII was rec
commended that, Ill case change in the
organization of the American board
were made. it should be provided that
one-tifth of the members should leave
office each year.
The American Board
having go members, twenty-five years
would be required, under that plan, to
convert it from a close corporation to
representative body. The committee
recommended that representation in the
American board be upon tins basis: One
commissioner for each. state organize
ton; one commissioner for each fifty
churcbes.or major traction thereof; one
commissioner for every $1,000, or major
fractiod thereof, contributed to the
treasury by any state during the year
preceding the election. The report was
signed by President Cyrus ID. Northrop,
Rev. Annoy II. Bradford. Rev. Charles
NJ. Lawson, Rev. Frank T. Bailey. Rev.
a. II. Ross. DR.. Ross read the report,
and was frequently called upon to eX-
plain its meaning in some places. So
important was it that the discussion of
this report was made the special order
for the afternoon and taken up as soon
as the devotional services were over.
Dr.. Ross made the necessary motion
for the adoption, as 4 resolution, of this
recommendation relating to the Amer
lean board. 1t meant a good deal of a
revolution, the adoption Of that resolu-
ton, and the members of the council
seemed 10th to attack the question. AL
most every man with a thought OH it
wanted to see how his neighbOr stood.
But that hesitancy was soon diSsipated.
The council took on all the air of
A Political Convention
when DR.. Arthur Little, of Dorchester,
Mass, arose to speak, the prim, digni-
fed ministers of the gospel yelling
platform. platforms with energy.
DR.. Little said 1t was evident, from
the action taken by the American
board, at its meeting in Chicago last
week, that the time had come for bring
ing the board nearer to the churches.
But the change proposed would be
sweeping. 1t would be wise to 90 slow
in the matter. The one question to be
considered was whether the change
would increase the efficiency of the
board and give contributors TO its treas
| ury more confidence in it.
Dr.. Quint thought it we'll to explain
just what the American board did in
Chicago. The board instructed its nom-
mating committee on new members to
receive from the various state associa-
tons nominations for those places and
that three-fourthS of the vacancies &C.
curing in the board be filled from those
nominations, the other vacancies being
filed, as in the past, by the board indie
pendently. The committee having this
matter in charge was continued for
another year and instructed to prepare
permanent plan for the filling of
these vacancies Oh the American board
and giving the churches some measure
of representation. Thereupon it was
moved that the resolution before the
council be so amended that the churches
should merely nominate candidates for
the American board. instead of electing
them. Then the
Discussion Became Hot.
DR.. Ross opposed that amendment.
at we merely nominate" said he,
"we recognize the right of the Ameri-
can board, a nOn-eccleSiaStical body, to
reject our nominations if it chooses.
and we admit that the churches, which
support the American board, do not
know low to manage their own affairs.''
DR.. Noble, of Chicago, and a member
of the American board, opposed the
change by action of the council. The
American board had started in the
right direction, and it would be unwise
to force the matter. The change pro-
posed by the resolution before the coun-
Gil meant change from Congregational
policy. 1t was part OF CONGREGATIONAL
ism to regard the church as the unit.
"And | challenge the statement"
said DR.. Noble, that any considerable
number OF Congregational churches
have directly considered this proposed
change aud voted upon it,
DR.. Bradford followed. and threw
back, as counter challenge to DR..
| Noble, a request for the number of
churches that have ever directly ap-
proved the action Of the American
| board.
They have approved the course of
the board" DR.. Noble interrupted, "by
| contributing to its treasury"
| DIR. Bradford asserted that the council
was beating about the bush. The Con-
| gregational churches love the American
board, have the most profound respect
has done and give 1t all the honor due
to its noble work, but the actual Ques-
| ton before the council is on
Vote OF 'sNo COnfd ence,,
in the board. The churches want a
change.
DR.. Charles o. Brown made the clean
est cut, most incisive, direct, radical
speech of the session. The resolution
before the council was based OH the old
principle of mo taxation without repre-
sentation." He was not a revolution
airy, but if the position taken by DR..
Noble, that no change should be made
in regard to the American board, then
he was for complete revolution.
DR.. o. S. Dean, of Massachusetts.
pleaded that the American board be
given chance to follow the step it had
already taken. He believed that the
resolution before the council was the
outgrowth of hostility to the board, or
to some of its officers. meaning the