The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-28
COLOR LINE IN THE CHURCH.
4 CASE FROM CHARLESTON BE-
FORE THE ASSEMBLY,.

EAHlte nEAh5A the maaleE before
the General Assembly by Com
planning of the Action of the
synod.
Memphis. Tenn. May 27.-The Presby-
terrain assembly opened this morning at 9
o'clock with devotional exercises by Rev.
W I. Palmer of Trenton, Tenn.
After the usual opening routine DR.. J.
P. Smith OF Richmond, Va, desired to
record his vote in the negative on the
question of state aid TO the school at Fred
ericksburg. Notice was given of a pro-
test on the same subject.
Rev. DR.. L. P. Bowen of the committee
on publication submitted answers to the
overtures in its hands. The question of
the young peoples societies now agitating
all the churches cropped up in connection
with request for the preparation of doc
Tlnal topics for young peoples meetings.
DR.. Parks championed the cause of the
Young people. The committee opposed the
preparation of such topics, but the assem-
bly, decided by large majority in their
favor. The assembly decided that IL could
not interfere with the prices of religious
4 long debate followed on the establish
ment of branch repositories of the pub
Ecation house in Atlanta, Memphis and
other cities. Or. Hazen, secretary of pub
Ecation. said that the establishment of
such repositories would cripple and even
tually destroy the publication work of the
church by dividing and impairing its cap
ital, now barely sufficient. 1t would be
absurd from business standpoint: I'VE
do not object to local repositories if sup
ported by local capital
A large majority decided against the
repositories.
The report of the committee on publica-
ton was read and dOcketed. 1t refers to
"the busy demons of the press" Which the
church must fight with their own weapon,
COmmends the work Of the executive COM
mittee, and recommends its reappoint-
The bills and overtures committee then
reported, clearing their hands of several
unimportant papers which passed without
debate.
The following missions report was taken
from the docket and adopted by section
The economy OF the executive committee
is commended, the treasury is out of debt
Regrets are expressed that 1,0S9 churches
have not given TO foreign missions, and the
report biames the ministers for failure TO
present the cause. Action was taken dis
posing of mission property in Brazil. The
assembly then took a recess to o'clock.
The assembly was called to order a
o'clock Rev j. S. Moore, D. D.. of Sher-
man, Tex, presented the report of the
special committee on Sabbath school sec
rotary Replying to an overture which
had been placed in his hands, it recon-
mended That the executive committee Ur
publication be instructed to employ
suitable man to give his whole time to
developing the Sunday school work and
COlpOrtage, as a missionary agency" The
report was adopted.
A telegram of greeting was received
from the Cumberland Presbyterian church
in session at Birmingham.
A judicial case, involving the question
of color, was then taken up and the as
sembly was solemnly constituted a court
70 consider the matter. The case is as
follows: One Ruben James, a coored
man, presented himself as a candidate
for the ministry before the presbytery
Of Charleston, which is in the black
belt of South Carolina. The presby-
terry examined him and was satisfied en-
urely as to his qualifications but re-
FUSED to receive him, solely because he
was negro. Exercising its right to re-
view the records of the presbytery, the
synod took exception to this action and
ordered that the presbytery reconsider its
action and receive James. Elder j. A.
Ensloe of the Westminster church at
general assembly by complaining of this
action of the synod.
The first speaker was Elder Ensloe, the
complainant. He dsclaimed race pre-
JUDGE and spoke of his lifelong interest
IN the religious training of the negroes.
But the people of Charleston presbytery
do not deem il wise to permit any ming
ling of the races. His principal point was
that the book of the church order does
not recognize the relationship of candi-
dates to presbyter.es, therefore, the synod
had no right to force upon the presby-
terry relationship which is unconstitu-
tional.
Elder w. X. Thompson of South Caro-
Ina represented the synod. He appealed
for the cOlored race, ana said that we
have no right to refuse to license one
OF Its members TO carry the gospel to his
own people There is no fear of race
amalgamation IN South Carolina. These
colored men will be driven to leave our
church and enter the northern church.
them"
The greatest speech of the session, so
far, was made by DR.. Woodrow. Among
other things he said, was: 4 do not
recognize the right of the church to bind
my conscience. If my conscience will not
permit me to obey the law of the church
/ a Slmnle /
! will withdraw from the church. The
Charleston presbytery cannot come up
reasons for not obeying the constitution
of our church. If it will not obey, let it
The whole afternoon was taken up by
this debate Most of the speakers eX-
pressed themselves as opposed to the
Introduction of the color line into the
church courts, especially when there are
cOlored commissioners now on the floor of /
the assembly. The debate was still in
progress when the hour for recess was
reached.
An effort was made to have vote then
and for a few minutes there was the ut |
most confusion. Motions TO take re- |
cess, to go on with the vote and to lay |
on the table, came from all parts of the !
house. The moderator solved the question |
by ordering a recess until o'clock
The assembly met again at o'clock. |
DR.. Rumple presided, at the request of !
the moderator. Religious services were |
held and addresses delivered by Rev. DR.. |
Craig, secretary of the home missions !
board; Silas Bacon, full-blooded Choc- |
taw Indian, who is commissioner to I
the assembly and Rev. j. z. Gibbons of /
Indian Territory.
Rev. E. C. Bingham of Arkansas, R. W. |
Rowbotham of Florida, Rev. S. J. Nc |
Murray of Texas, and F. w. Merlin. an
elder Of Plant City, Florida, spoke of the |
work among the N1eXlcans, Cubans and |
poor whites of the south. The meeting /
was very interesting.
After the mass meeting the report of |
the home missions committee was taken |
up by sections and adopted.
Under the head of the invalid fund, !
Dr. Craig told of a lady, cultivated and /
refined, the widow of a prominent cler- |
gyman, who had been forced to take a |
position as chambermaid in a hotel and |
TO eat with negroes, because the COM ]
mlttee had not sufficient funds to aid her. |
DR.. Craig was reelected secretary |
unanimously.
Fifty thousand dollars was asked for |
the coming year.
CUMBERLAND CHURCH.