The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-17
ABAD SETBACK FOR DR.. BRIGGS
HIS OPPONENTS ELECT THE MODER-
ATOR OF THE ASSEMBLY.

The Fight Carried on with All the
ShreVvdncss of Political Cam
Booth of New York the Successful
Candidate-He Has Been at Outs
With DIR. briggs since the Opening
of the Fight on Him at Union Col
lcEc.
Pittsburg Pa. May 16.-The one hundred
and seventh general assembly OF the
Northern Presbyterian church opened its
sessions here to-day in the Third Presby-
terrain church. with the customary cere-
monies.
DR.. McEwen, chairman Of the local com
mittee, clerks Of the assembly and many
prominent ministers and ex-moderators Of
the church, We're present. The opening
session was occupied entirely by the de
livery of the sermon of the retiring moder-
ator, Rev. Samuel A. Mutchmore. D. u. Of
Philadelphia. DR. AIutchmore's sermon
was surprise TO the commissioners in
that It contained no keynote on the burn
| ing question OF seminary control Us
ually the moderator's sermon touches on
the great issues that are to come before
from such illusions.
Notwithstanding the well laid plans of
the Presbyterian League OF Liberals ana
mild conservatives, the out and out anti
Briggs men We're successful in electng
| their candidate for moderator of the as
sembly. Rev. Dr. Robert Russell Booth
OF the Rutgers church. New York city.
|. This campaign for DR. Booth began weeks
| ago. 1t was carried on from New York
city by master hands in a manner that
would have brought them credit In a con-
As soon as it was understood that DR..
/ Booth was to be the candidate of the con-
| serVatives, the friends of DR.. Briggs and
Union seminary took alarm, They engng-
| ed the energies of the Presbyterian league,
an organization pledged 10 the reversal OF
| the acts OF preceding assemblies in the
| Briggs case. The Presbyterian League
| through It's millionaire members In Wall
| street dominates the boards for home and
| foreign missions in the Presbyterian
| church, which have their headquarters in
Fifth avenue. A majority of each board
| and many of the secretaries and clerks
| openly sympathize with the object of the
| league. DR.. Booth Is member Of the for
| eign board. He has always been promi-
| nent in its councils. Years ago he lifted
an enormous debt. nearly half a million
| dollars, that had rested for years upon the
! boards treasures. A few years ago his in
4 huence turned the vote in the foreign board
| In favor of a change I'm the charter bring
/ ing the board under the direct control OF
! the general assembly. Every man connect
| Dr. Booth was inimical to the
| Briggs influence there. Understanding
this, the missionary strength was
| enlisted in a measure, In this fight. In
| structions We're sent out to each delegate
| known TO be in sympathy with the Briggs
side. the word being, Anything to beat
An oId-time father OF the Presbyterian
| church, remembering the cordial reunion
! Of the old and new school churches which
| took place here twenty-five years ago
| and which this assembly is to commem-
| crate, would have stood, had he been
| here to-day, an amazed witness of the
! lobbying methods in vogue in a modern
| general assembly. The conservatives act
| ed to man, under clear and definite In
! structions to give their full strength to DR..
| Booth The liberals and Weak-kneed con-
| servatives had their instructions, bur
! they lacked a candidate. At the last min
| ute they met In caucus and discussed the
| agree, so when the votes were counted
they were divided-16J for DR.. Page OF
| Topeka and SO to Dr. Adams of Mime
/ apolis showing a strength of liberals
nearly double that found In any assem-
| bly, for the last five years.
| The lines on which the campaign was
| conducted were clearly shown in the nom
| mating speeches to-day on the floor OF
| the assembly. Understanding the issues
| clearly and the forces that were worked
against him, Dr. Booths missionary com
| mttee, which he will announce tO-moT-
row, may be expected to put the screws
upon the home and foreign boards The
! situation with respect to these boards ID
most distressing at this juncture as the
western commissioners are convinced
| that the boards are wasting their funds
! and violating their pledges to donors In
| the erection of 2O-story marble palace In
| Fifth aveDue a a cost of 100000 Both
/ boards come to the assembly with enor-
nous debts, the one $l75,0O0 and the other
| $3.50, 600 although but two years ago the
| accounts showed a surplus. The idea In
| the west is that sweeping changes are
| Imperative in the officers Of the mission
| airy boards. IT is clearly the intention to
| raise these points in the assembly's mis-
| sionary committees this year. Should this
| Issue reacn the moor Of the assembly vio-
| lent and determined opposition would be
aroused that would make the assembly
/ memorable.
| On the cell of the roll the vote stood as
! follows: Booth, 300: Page, 1855. Adams, SO.
| The election having been made unani-
! nous, Dr. Booth was escorted to the plat
| form by Gov. Weaver and Prof. Zenos,
| and formally welcomed TO the chair by the
retiring moderator
Dr. Booth and his advisors worked un-
1 til late hour making up the membership
| of the assembly committees. The import
! ant committees this year Will be on bills
/ and overtures, by which the question Of the
/ treatment Of Union seminary students will
] be considered: on theological seminaries,
| which will take up the questions relating
/ 10 these Institutions: and on home and
| foreign missions, which examines the
/ minutes of the two missionary boards OF
/ the church.
! DR.. Booth opposed DR.. Briggs IN Union
! Seminary. where he was director and
! when that institution rebelled against the
/ assembly's veto, ne resigned from the di-
| rpcfOrafe