The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-30
SADIE MEANS vINDICATED.
The General Assembly Takes q Broad
View OF the Case-The Use OF Tele-
phones on Sunday Case
Of Necessity.


of Necessity.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, May 2l,-The
General Assembly of the Southern
Presbyterian Church met in adjourned
session today. DR.. Blackman, repre-
senting the Charleston Presbytery, con-
cluded bis argument. He was followed
by the Rev. DR.. Finn, representing
the Synod of South Carolina, which
reversed the Presbytery and ordered
that Miss Means be granted letter OF
withdrawal that she may be eligible
elsewhere. DR.. Finn made powerful
argument, in which the points in
volved in the question of the case were
entered into and discussed at great
length.
Acting Moderator Lansley called the
Assembly to order at 2 p. N. DR.. Moore
introduced resolution affecting ire
sponsible evangelists and unlicensed
persons, which was docketed.
DR.. Finn then continued his speech
on the judiciary committee r.port on
the Sadie Means case, and discussed
the facts in the case and claimed that
an unfair distinction had been made in
the case of Miss Means, for Other peo-
pie in the Church were as guilty as she
with the Church's knowledge.
He claimed that the session had
honestly .contounded the facts and the
legal conclusions to be deduced from
them. He argued that the use of the
telephone on Sunday was necessity,
and the result of its use was the lessen
ing of Sunday labor. His speech was
strong presentation Of the synod's
position.
DR.. Luper followed and spoke in
favor of enforcing the law as it stood,
and not constitute laws to fit every
case. This was not a case Of the law
as it should be, but as it was. If Miss
Means work was necessity she should
not be disciplined; if it was not, she
should be. The question was, did the
Synod do right-he argued that the
session and Presbytery did right.
The vote was taken and each mem
Der had minutes to explain his vote
and express his views. The roll-cal
began at 40 and closed at $40. The
result was, not to sustain the appea
from the Synod II, to sustain 4S, te
sustain in part s.
The following committee was ap
pointed to state the judgment: DR.. Dan
iel McPheeters and J. w. Weldon.
THE JUDGMENT OF THE GENERAL AS
sEMBLY.
| Especial to News and Courier
| NASHVILLE, Tenn, May 26.-Th'
Assembly to-day adopted the following
as its judgment in the Sadie Means
case decided yesterday. The COMMITTEES
appointed to formulate the judgmen
OF the Court in the cause Of appeal o
the Charleston Presbytery against tn
Judgment Of the Synod Of South Caro-
lima in re the complaint of Ainsley 3
Monteith and Emma NJ. Monteith VS.
the session Of the Second Presbyterian
Church, of Columbia, S. G., and suose
lqueutly VS.. Charleston Presbytery
would submit the following as th
| judgment of the Assembly: This ap
peal having been heard according t
due process of law the Assembly finds
| l. That the record Of the cause doe
not clearly show that the aforesaid
Sadie Means came before the session O
the Second Presbyterian Church of Co
lumbia, s. c., to make known to tn
Court, as provided in Paragraph 294
that she was guilty of violating tn
Sabbath by working in a telephon
office on the Lords day, and therefor
the record lacks the statement whic
authorizes a judgment without process
2. The decision Of the session wa
reached without trial, as provided i
Paragraph 174, and these two pars
graphs, 234 and 174, limit the session
power.
8. The decision was made in undu
haste and at the first and only sittin
, of the Court so far as the record
, show.
4. The sentence of suspension fror
the communion was ofexcessive sever
ty, the premises considered.
it's the judgment of the Assembl
that the appeal be not sustained, ar
that the decision of the Synod Of Sout
Carolina be affirmed. In connectio
with thisjudgment the Assembly deem
it wise to reaffirm its immutable col
viction as to the universal and perpetu'
: obligation to remember the Sabbat
5 day to keep it holy"
> o<a,,or ros,t;on