The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-05-22
BRIGGS MEN ELECTED.
Presbyterians Refuse to Down"
Friends of the Professor.
RADICALS URGED THEIR DEFEAT.

Rev. DR.. John Hall Opposes the PROPOSE
tion to Rscommit Their Nominations to
the Conmittee, and His Arguments
Garry tho Convention.
PITTsBURG, May 22 THE" storm center"
at New York made itself felt in the at
mosphere of the Presbyterian General
Assembly at Pittsburg again yesterday.
The winds of debate had only just cleared
the ecclesiastical sky Of the cloud of as
sembly control Of seminaries when an
other cloud from New York doomed up in
sight. But 1t was dissipated with only
three putfs of wind, one Of which was fur
nished by Elder George E. Sterry, himself
acting as the mouthplece of members Of
the New York presbytery's delegation.
The fight came on that portion of tho
report Of the home missions committee
continuing Dr. Thomas 8. Hastings, pres
ident Of the faculty of Union seminary;
John Crosby Brown, vice president of the
board of directors Of the seminary; Charles
L. Thompson, D. D., and David B. 1vison
as members Of the home missions board.
These men are strong adherents to Pro-
fessor Briggs, and the extremists had de-
tcrmined that they should be defeated.
In objection to this Elder Sterry moved
the nominations be referred back to tho
committee, SO the New York presbytery
might be heard on the subject. Mr.. Sterry
| stated that churches had refused to con-
tribute to the cause of the home missions
on account Of the personnel Of the com
mittee.
Then motion to adopt the report Of the
committee was made, and arguments for
and against the report were made. DIR.
TnhK, al - ,,t, IL. - ,,,f
| the board of home missions, who arrived
j., here yesterday morning, referring to the
| plan to hold up the reelection Of some of
the members Of the board, appreciated the
results which were likely to follow. In the
board, he said, nothing Of a partisan char
acter had ever been mentioned, and it
| would be disastrous If 1t were to occur
| even for the first time. 1t was plea for
peace and for the retention of the directors
of Union seminary on the board of home
missions. There was storm of applause
when DIR. Hall ceased.
Finally the motion to recommit was
laid on the table and the election of tho
Briggs men was carried by q standing
vote.
The responsibility and credit for the 40
tion Of the assembly in rejecting the pro.
posal of the New York delegate (Mr.
Sterry) are generally given to DIR. Hall.
His attention was called to the report that
Union mon were to be turned down, and
he set about negativing such proposals.
What promised to bring out much OPP
position was the erection of n building for
the use of mission boards in Now York, at
a cost of 81, 10000. But even the opposi-
tion Of Elder McDougla, Of Cincinnati,
failed to make itself effective. In other
words, the assembly, while overwhelm-
ingly conservative, has refused to make
itself the tool of conservative extremists.
A committee consisting of the vice mod
orator, Governor Beaver, DIR. Stoddard OF
New York, DR.. Lavelru of San Francisco,
DIR. H. H. Jessup of Syria and DIR. j. H.
Hubbard Of Chicago was appointed to
convey the greetings of the assembly to
the United Presbyterian Assembly, which
is to meet In Pittsburg tomorrow.