The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-07-19
An ERRONEOUS BLDER.

A presiding elder in the Methodist
Episcopal Church is not necessarily an
old man, but he is presumed to have
one of the qualities supposed to so with
age and experience. namely, wisdom,
The fact that man is q presiding ell
der indicates that he has been found
to be fitted, by reason of superior wis
dom, to be presiding elder. The Rev.
Crandall j. North Is q presiding elder,
and he has had the respect and the
confidence of those over whom he pre-
sides and also of those who are not
directly presided over by him. But his
course in the Cooper case has some
what weakened the respect and the con-
fidence which have been fully his. From
the first he has been active In the de-
fence of Mr.. Cooper, and his activity
has not always been discreet, For in
stance, he has savagely assailed the
City Attorney until it has seemed as If
he were really bent on having the scalp
OF that faithful official, who has simply
done his full duty in a very unpleasant
case, and done 1t temperately and fairly.
He has made serious mfsstatements,
possibly In all honesty, but they We're
none the less misstatements If they were
honest, and he has exhibited Qualities
which may make him a. bishop, if such
qualities are the ones that make bish-
ops in the Methodist Episcopal Church.
| One who had watched his antics before
| the trial began might reasonably think
| that he ought to be and would be sat-
listed with what he had done for Mr.
| Cooper and the interests of the Church.
1t might reasonably be supposed that
he would be content to let the trial
come to a just and peaceable end with
out hurting into the proceedings an
other manifesto. But, unless he has
been outrageously misrepresented and
| misquoted, he couldn't wait. and only
the day before the decision he announc-
| ed what the decision would be and di-
rectly charged that Judge Gable would
be influenced by improper motives in
making 1t. 1t is now seen that ne didn't
know what the decision was to be, and
1t is plain that Judge Cable wasn't in
| fuenced in making it by the improper
| motives said to be ascrIbed to him by
the hasty, hostile and erroneous elder.
Therefore If the elder has not BEEN ma
hgned he stands forth clearly as a ma
ligner. He also stands in a position
which Is not pleasant for man Of edu-
cation and piety to be in. 1t looks as
| if he had wantonly assailed an upright
judge. who, while he was being assail-
ed was doing the very things which
his assailant was saying he was not
looks as if he had been guilty Of con-
tempt of court, thus wronging a. good
| Judge and setting a bad example to all
| who ought to respect such judge and
the dignity of a court. The elder has
been cited to appear before the Judge
and show why he should not be
punished for contempt of court. If he
has been correctly quoted there is no
doubt as to the quality and gravity of
his ofrense, or as to his deserving proper
| punishment therefor Judge Gable will
consider his case as fairly and patient
! ly as he has the case of Mr.. Cooper, and
he well understands the principles which
govern in such cases as that of the err
roneous elder.