The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-05-21
THE NEW
An Editor as President of the Pres
Lyterfan Assembly.
Brooklyn a &

The Rev. DR.. A. S. Muchmore, editor OF
the Presbyterian newspaper in Phila-
deipnia and pastor Of the Memorial Church
Oh mat denomination in that city, was
Diy at saratoga on Thursday. Out of near
~ seven hundred votes he had about TWEEN
but not a fool ole Is He an anti-briggs man.
money-making, common sense organizer
Eloquence is not his nor special Scholar
ship. but earnestness, sanity. sense
enough TO come In when il rains and a
knowledge OF public opinion are his.
he was born I'm Kentucky, ministerially
launched in Missouri licked into shape in
ONO and converted from cartilage to bone
I'm Philadelphia. He was a member of the
General Assembly of 1861. 1t sat. we
think, In John Chambers's church in the
Quaker city. In that body he was a
STRIPPING. earnest, conservative and very
much afraid that the resolutions of DR..
Gardner Spring. pledging the Presbyterian
split the church, which they did. and
would, therefore, do harm, which they did
not. He was a loyal man. but he had been
preaching 10 a lot OF disloyal. or half
loyal folk out in Missouri and. with the
enthusiasm of youth. he had more at heart
the union of Presbyterianism than the
unity of the government. That error
should not be noticed except to show how
he has outgrown il.
When he came 10 Philadelphia. a city
ideally constituted for those things which
make for the stability, sanity. thoughffuI-
ness and conservative progress which are
characteristic OF Presbyterianism. he ad-
capable In lifting broken down churches out
OF bankruptcy into solvency and numbers,
Then he knew how TO organize them on
the lines OF the needs OF contiguous hu-
mainly. He did that with several churches
in that town before he founded and Sc
curely established the one with which he
days.
Some years ago he acquired the Presby-
terrain newspaper He absolutely put
TO thrive. II Is a valuable property. 1t Is
a thoughtful journal. II is not onite so
dlsnlfed as 1t was when John Leyburn
had 1T, but ii is not nearly so dull and n
is intellectually twice as honest The
recognition its editor and owner has re-
ceiyed is gratifying to others as well as
pal preacher or the poDeship 10 a Catholic
priest. that the moderatorship of the
General Assembly is 10 a Presbyterian
minister. The General Assembly is the
highest court in Presbyterianism. me
moderator is the biggest man in the Cen
eral Assembly. The moderator is. there
in his denomination.
When a man believes that his church is
not only the true and original one, but that
1t Is certain TO be the only ultimate one.
n lift or that sort pleases him. He feels
sure of an historical place. He knows that
he will be identified with the legislation
and polity OF the church. His sense Of
consequences pardonably outranks his pass
ing appreciation of consequences. This
form ot happiness only comes 10 one man
each year. He rarely attains IL tin toward
the close OF his career. 1t insures him dis
tinction always and nearly ryw
The number Of men who have impaired this
distinction Is very small. The number who
have indicated II is large. DIR. Muchmore
will do nothing to impair IL.
OF course, there will be a theological
wrangle in the assembly. II will be the
Briggs case over again. but this time IL Will
be fought out around the name OF a pro-
fessor named Smith, who has worked him
self on the outside OF a theological semi
nary In Cincinnati; The majority have al
ready been accused OF partiality. brutality,
truculency. barbarism. persecution and the
like by the minority. who are apparently
ready 10 add drunkenness. cannibalism.
wife beating and murder to the allegations.
Such a result will be Inevitable until the
right of three men TO bully five into be-
liey1ng with them is recognized as a car
dinal principal Of church judicature. Why,
in thunder. the minority do not put their