The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-06
DOORS OPEN AND CLOSED,
Congregational Ministers Dis
cuSS the Standing of the
Press.
DIR. Brown VIII Not Trouble the
Club With the Private Affairs
of His Church.

The doors of the Monday Club of Con-
gregational Ministers are still swinging on
their hinges so far as the press is con-
cerned. Reporters have been under the
ban of an element of that organization,
and the vexed question was brought to a
vote yesterday afternoon. 1t was in the
most executive of executive sessions, but
still the proceedings were not entirely
beyond reach.
DIR. G. O. Brown of the First Congre-
gational Church was the moving spiri. in
opposition to the criticisms of type and
column. He spoke to resolution for
merly submitted to the club, and which, if
passed, would have placed double lock
on the repertorial door, and urged it's
passage He said he knew the sentiment
of the meeting was against the resolution,
but he spoke to it all the same, and recon-
mended that it pass. To this there was
considerable opposition. DR.. Brown said
the reports of the meetings were garbled,
and that they did not present the points of
the addresses delivered as they should
present them. This statement was ex-
cepted to by several, and the remark was
made that at times even DR.. Browne
writings in the denominational organ
were not as accurate as they might be.
The controversy was an eminently polite
and proper one, however, anu 1t ended in
a motion that hereafter the representa-
tives of the press be permitted to enter the
meeting like ordinary mortals, and that
thew be allowed to print anything which
passes the approval of Mrs. Sarah B.
Cooper, who was appointed a sort of press
censor. She will see that the newspaper
men do not garble their reports, and will
perhaps also stay the ruthless track of the
blue pencil, which seems to have caused
all the trouble.
During the meeting, which was an unusu-
ally large one, Rev. Mr.. Hood read a paper
on missionary economy in the Congrega-
tonal Church. His paper was historical
sketch of the formation and growth of the
various congregational missionary organi-
cations, ending with a few words about
the post of superintendent of missions and
its possibilities. He believed that an able
man as superintendent of home missions
could find no position where he could
make himself more useful or more beloved
He stated, too, that in his opinion, too
much of the missionary funds were use
lessly spent by reason of the multiplication
of executive heads. why not have one
organ for the home and one for the foreign
missions instead of five," he said. 'sWhy
not have one powerful central organization
instead OF twelve smaller ones.
To this project of eentralizing the power
there was considerable objection, as there
was also to the remarks upon the position
of superintendent. Rev. Mr.. Tenny de-
scribed the position as that of man who
had all the power of bishop while not
holding the authority of such an office.
and in view of that fact the position is not
truly Congregational one.
Toward the close of the meeting DR..
Brown announced that the report referring
to the troubles of the First church and
stating that they would be brought before
the club was incorrect. The club he said,
would not be bothered with the private
business of his church.
At the meeting of the Presbyterian min
listers, closed transom, locked door and
the air OF abstraction worn by the ministers
when questioned as to these symptoms of
exclusion, all told that hereafter the Pres
byterian divines will retire from printers
ink 1t was all in pursuance of a recent
resolution.
The paper of the day was read by Rev.