The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-09-21
STAND BY DUNCAN
A Majority of Members
Support Him.
BELIEVE IN HIS INNOCENCE.
The Congregation Refuses to Accept
the PASTORS Resignation at
Last Nights Meeting.
BELIEVE IN HIS INNOCE

Toward Presbyterian Church is in a
worse tangle than ever, consequent upon
the action at the congregational meeting
last night, when. by vote of 40 to %, the
members declined to accept the resigna-
ton of their pastor, Rev. Kenneth J. Dun
can.
, A religious service preceded the bust
ness meeting, both being presided over by
Rev. Franklin RhOda. acting moderator
AS soon as the pastors resignation was
read George r. Lucy moved to defer action
for two weeks to give Mr.. Duncan an op-
nortunity to explain away reports of his
movements during his absence. The men,
bers seemed evenly divided, but after a
viva vOce vote the moderator declared the
vote lost
Five members of the session were pres
ent-Eiders j. b. Roberts, b. A Hawley,
w. A. Palmer. E. b. Root and j. Irving.
All favored the acceptance of the resign a.
ton, but the younger members of the
church, for the most part. thought the con.
gregation shonld express its con tidence in
Mr.. Duncan by declining his withdrawal
II. j. Mercer thought that to refuse 10
accept the resignation would lnjure the
church in the eyes Of outsiders. ''We owe
II TO the church to sever the pastoral con-
necti0n," he said. Besides not TO do so
would simply be to delay action for a
month. That will mean paying Mr.. Dun
can another months salary, and the state
of the treasury will not justify it, / want
to deny that l gave the story of Mr.. Dun
cans disappearance to the newspapers /
was approached by several reporters but
| refused TO be Interviewed on the subject.
l move to accept the resignation"
II have run down all the rumors aflOat
Mr. nnp0an'S !
George r. Lucy. land [ have found there
is nothing In them. Others in this church
have formed the same conclusions. In
view of this to accept The resigt alton
would be An act of injustice TO the pastor.
We owe 1t to him To express our conf
dence in him by declining to accept it,
Several young men defended the pastor
and urged the members 10 show their con-
fidence in Mr. Duncan by refusing to ac-
cept his resignation. They argued that il
had been written to gain an expression of
opinion, and that TO declare 1t would eX-
press the confidence to which the minister
was entitled.
Elder Roberts spoke strongly on the
other eide. ''Mr. Duncan has admitted
running around, not to- all the dives, er-
haps. but to great many" he said, land
to having been absent from his place.
That of itself, without anything else, is
enough TO make 1t impossible for Mr.. Dun
can 10 resume his work in this church We
do not want that kind of pastor He adj
mlts having been around the town night
after night with young men not noted
either for morality or piety. His conduct
has been dishOnoring to the church. |
don't say that he is bad man, but the
kindest view to take Is that his mind is un-
balanced Let US hope that he will re-
cover. Let him go away, and when he is
well again in body and mind seek some
new field of labor His labors are done in
This church" concluded the elder emphal-
ically. whether his resignation be ac-
cepted tonight or not"
The speech which secured the majority
for the minister was the effort of T. j.
Harrison, who spoke warmly and aroused
the enthusiasm of the younger members OF
the church.
ITS not going to make Mr.. Duncan we'll
to turn him out with stigma ON his
NAME" said Mr.. Harrison in reply to
Elder Roberts. Let US treat him with a
! little humanity. This church can afford