The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-05-20
THE PRESDYTERIANS.
Seminary Control the Great Bone
Of Contention.
OTHER MATTERS sUBoRDINATgD.
Tho Question as to Whether the General
Assembly Shall Have Absolute Authority
Over Presbyterian Educational Institu-
tions Causes Extended Arguments.


Assembly Shall Have Absolute Authority
Over Presbyterian Educational Institu-
tions Causes Extended Arguments
PfTTsBURG, May 20.-Everythinp was
pushed aside today in the assembly that
free scope might bo given to the question
OF seminary control, and the end Is not vet
Nearly all Of Saturday was consumed in
arguments for and against the report pre-
sented by DR.. w. G. Young. This was to
the effect that the General Assembly had
no right to hold property but that the
election OF trustees of tho semlnaries
should be approved or rejected by that
body 1t is proposed to give tho General
Assembly the same power as possessed by
theattorney general Of any state to inquire
whether or not "A corporation is complying
with the terms of the charter The argu-
ments were resumed today and nothing
else VIII be considered until it has been
decided whether or not the church shall
control the semnaries.
A proposition looking to a compromise
has been mado by some of those who Cd.
pose what is now technically known as
seminary control This is that all now
seminaries should have their charters con.
tain what the committee desires placed in
the old charters. Namely, that the church
teaching and the property of the several
institutions Another concession is that
specific requests hereafter shall conform
TO this rule. With those two concessions
made the so called liberals think that they
can carry the assembly.
Thus far all attempts to limit debate
have been voted down overwhelmingly,
but word has gone forth that decison
must be reached at o'clock this after-
noon. Many, however, doubt tho ability
of the leaders to put this program through.
The attitude of the liberals favors post
ponement in the expectation that II the
report of the committee of conference with
the seminaries is thoroughly aired it will
be weakened and will lose votes every day
The conservatives, on the contrary, want
p decision, quick, sharp and overwhelm-
ing,
Already the time occupied is SO long
that comers are reminded of the endless
discussions in the Briggs and Smith cases.
The result promises to be that the causes
Of the missionary boards of the church will
be pushed aside, and that external ques-
tions will usurp a place which does not
belong to them.
The Pacific coast is here again with
pressing invitation to the assembly to
meet in 1896 in SeattlS. Two years ago
the meeting place was Portland, Ore, and
at that time the Briggs case was up. Its
effect upon the church west of the Rocky
mountains was not all that had been an
tioipated.. Now with the burning cues
tions out Of the way a more favorable i'm
preston is hoped for. DR.. Alexander
Allison and Elder w. R. Ballard, from the
First Church Of Seattle, are engaged in
canvassing opinion and in forming senti-
ment in favor of their city.
ha ;a A..
pense, and 1t may be necessary for the
hackers Of Seattle to raise guaranty fund
TO make 1t possible to take 600 commission
ers so far and keep them SO long Tho
only other place mentioned is Sarat oga,
where the assembly met last year, and
where the commissioners can be enter
tanned at less expense than anywhere else
In the country.
The large amount of time already con-
sumed by the seminary discussion seems
likely to have consequence that other
matters, such as the treatmont of the stu
dents of Union seminary, in New York,
and of the new mission house on Fifth
avenue, New York, will be considered
only in the brief intervals between the
regular orders of the day.
In some respects it is fortunate for the
assembly that it has a moderator of such
great executive ability as Dr. Booth Thus
far he has won golden opinions from many
who voted against him.
Churches of all sorts and varieties
opened their doors and pulpits yesterday,
and it took long column OF small type to
set forth all of the appointments made
and accepted by the divines of the Pres
hyterian General Assembly. The greatest
Interest, however, was felt in the sermon
of the moderator, DR.. r. Il. Booth, of New
York, who preached, as is customary, in
the church where the assembly sits He
was greeted by large audience, which
contained large proportion of assembly
commissioners. DR. Booth was attended
In the pulpit by DIR. William McEwin, the
pastor of the church, and by DIR. w K.
Moore, permanent clerk Of the assembly.
DIR. Booths subject was the vicarious
and atOning death of Christ, and the SER
mon was clear and powerful. II any OF
the audience hoped for any utterances on
questions in hot debate they were disap-
pointed, as the only thing that could be
tortured into such an Interpretation was
the emphatic statement that "as against
intidelity, orthodoxy now has its innings"