Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-06
THE AND0VER FIGHT.
Liberals Lose Test Vote Before
the Foreign Mission Board.
CHURCHES ASK REPRESENTATION.
A Special Committee Is Appointed to Re-
port on the Matter.
THE EPISCOPAL CONVENTION BEGINS

CHICAGO, Oct. 5-The ultimate result of
the present meeting of the American Board
OF Commissioners of Foreign Missions will
be contest between conservatism and lib
erality-between the spirit represented by
Prof. Smythe, of Andover Seminary, the
foremost Congregational Liberal, and DR..
Storrs, who is fairly representative of the
Conservatives. The point In controversy
is, "Shall the American Board concede a
point to the democratic spirit?"
The board is close corporation-self-
constituting. selt-perpetuating, self-ad-
ministerIng-but dependent upon the
churches. The churches demand that since
they are taxed they should have representa-
tion. The Conservatives won the first
point when they nominated the committees
on nominations and business, with only one
Liberal member on each and four ultra Con-
servatives on each.
Conservatives Win the First Fight.
This morning DR.. E. x. Alden read o
paper defending the Conservative policy.
His subject was ''The Fellowship of the
American Board With the Churches" DR..
Noble arose on the conclusion of the paper
and moved its reference to committee OF
21 with orders to report next year. DR..
Quint moved q substitute that the matter
60 to the Business Committee with orders
to report during this session.
DR.. A. Dunning, editor of the Congregd-
tiorsaitst, Liberal, said: "The churches de-
mand broad representation. If the board
says we will not attend to the matter before
next year the churches will conclude that
the board has no intention to consider the
matter" He demanded that the paper go
to the Business Committee. The Conserva-
tives won their next great point on the
vote on the substitute. It was lost BY q
vote of 90 to A.
Dr. Noble followed up his victory by
moving an amendment that the paper be
given to committee of II instead of q, the
committee being instructed to report as
soon as possible. The Liberals, seeing them
selves fairly beaten, refrained from voting
and the Conservative element won by q
unanimous vote. It is safe to say President
Storrs will see to it that the committee is
not one Of revolutionary tendencies, for in
announcing the vote he said significantly,
ga unanimous vote, thanks be to God"
A Report Possible at This Session.
The manifest understanding was that the
committee of should make report,
if only tentative report, before the end of
this session, and DR.. Noble, the chairman
of the committee, though an ultra-Con-
servative, will probably deem it safe or ex-
pedient to modify his views in some de-
gree.
1t is probable that the committee will
bring in a report suggesting that the churches
and State associations endeavor to be at
ease under the existing regime in the future
as in the past, but in lieu of radical altera-
tions, offering to the churches the pre-ex-
istent privilege of nominating candidates
for the Corporate Board. That the
special committee will suggest any curtail-
ment of the present well-nigh absolute
power over such nominate ons in the hands
of the Committee on Mem bership is prob
able.