The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-16
TALMAGE IN WASHINGTON.
THE STORY OF HIS LATEST ECCLE-
sIAsTICAL SPECULATION.
Efforts 10 Make IL Pan Out After Its
First FafIure-The Report of the
Committee of the Presbytery
Against the scheme.

/ Is
| Washington met this morning 10 receive
/ the report Of a committee that was APP
| pointed several weeks ago to investigate
the troubles in the First Presby terrain
I church. The report. which was unani-
nous. and was unanimously adopted by
{ the presbytcry. severely condemned the
board Of trustees for usurping the au-
thority Of the session and invading the
constitutional rights and privileges Of the
pastor. The committee declares: THAT
there is no lawfully constituted power
vested in the trustees Of a church, or
even in a session. 10 deprive a pastor of
rights and privileges which are a part of
the mutual agreement between him and
the people and ratified by the presbytery
IN the service Of installation, and that
such deprivation, even if supposed to be
! desirable, can be effected only with the
approval OF the presbytery Certainly
wherever the jurisdiction is to be sought,
it is a matter with which the trustees
have absolutely nothing to do
The committee then recommended that
! the presbytery emphasize its position by
| NE delVefy OF six principles setting forth
that the trustees have nothing whatever
| 10 do with the religious affairs of a
cnufch, but are simply responsible for the
ute and custody of its property.
Ihe history OF the case is as follows
AFTER the destruction of his Brooklyn
tabernacle by fire and his failure 10 or
game an independent church at the
academy OF Music in New York city Mr..
Ialmage entered into an arrangement
Win the trustees of the First Presbyte-
ran church Of this city TO become assoc
ciate pastor with the Rev. DR.. Byron
cumberland and the Rev. Adolos Allen
me cnuTcn was very much in debt, and
not been more than $1,000 or 5000 The
expenses amounted to much more DIT
sunderland received a salary of $3.50
MI. Allen 5000 the sexton $3.50. the choir
$1,000, the Sunday school $50 the fuel and
llght account amounted to $500 and the
interest Of a $4,000 debt at five per cent
was 4lWO, making a total of S7685 Tn
ger these circumstances 1t was impossi-
pie to offer DR.. Talmage a salary There
iore, as ne would be afforded an oppor-
tunity 10 deliver sermons which ne sells
To newspapers for from $50 to $500 a week
ne agreed tn accept "A contingent cOmpen-
saton, and the following extraordinary
pafaStaph was inserted in the call.
And that YOU may be free from world
ly cares and avocations, considering your
Wen and wide known ability and gener-
oslty, We do not specify any definite sum
or money for your recompense, but we
de hereby promise, pledge. and Oblige
money and at such times as shall be mu-
tually satisfactory"
In other words, Dr. Talmage accepted
me associate passionate of the First church
as speculation, there being a secret
agreement between him and the trtls-
tees that he should have the difference he
tween the revenues of the church and it's
question of controversy, and DR. SIM
derland has pronounced it false. the lat
ter gentleman was asked i'm the inter-
est or turin. to state what compensation
DR., Talmage receives
mo. | will not" was his sharp reply.
Nor would he authorize the treasurer of
the church TO give any Information can.
Tyler president of the board of trustees
also refused to throw any light upon the
nnancla1 arrangement between DR. Tai
mage and the church, but admitted that
the latter had not received anv comnensa-
ton since he has been preaching here.
lie does not care FOR money" said
Supt. Tyler. He is not worried nv n He
has sufficient income, and the only use he
has for money is the good it will do 9TH
ers."
Under the original arrangement DR.. Tai
mage was to preach evenings and Mr. Al
len was to occupy the pulpit at the morn
ing service as before. In order to increase
the revenues of the church a new arrange
ment was adopted by which individual sit
tings were sold, the maximum price be
ing 70 cents per Sunday. The former mem
bcrs of the congregation were allowed to
occupy their old places at such a rate as
they could afford to pay, the scale run
ming down as low as 3 cents Dor Sunday
The attendance at morning service was MS
uallY small, but soon after the fame OF
Dr. Talmage as an orator brought out
great crowds on Sunday evenings so that
several policemen were required 10 keen
them in order. Those who had bought re
served seats We're admitted at certain
door. and were required to be I'm their
places fifteen minutes before the service
began, for at that hour the doors were on
ened and the crowd rushed in. But the at
tendance even in the evening has gradual
~ fallen off, and of late there have been
plenty of seats without struggling for
them.
The congregations that filed the church
in the evening We're not liberal contribu-
tors, and the receipts were much smaller
than were expected. The report of the
fnean OH hux hao IL
II at the annual meeting, but has been
withheld so that vulgar curiosity NAV
not he gratited.' Mr.. Tyler of the board
OF trustees, who is sort of financial man
ager, declines to give figures, but admits
that the collections have not been satisfac-
tory, and that DR. Talmage has received
no money since he came to the church
Mr.. q. c. Wright, the ruling elder. SAYS
that If all the sittingS were rented a their
assessed price. the income of the church
would be about $4,000, and while he does
not know what the actual receipts for 1898
We're he SAYS: From what l hear |
should say that the income will be about
the same as it was in 1894, maybe "A little
less if anything" 1t is the general impress
sion that the evening collections average
about $50.
1t was understood among the friends
of DR.. Talmage when he first came here
in September that sooner or later he
would be allowed. to take fun charge
of the First church; that the venerable
DR.. Sunderland, who is now 76 years old,
II was the plan to invite the Rev Frank
Dewitt Talmage to take charge of the
pastorate work, the prayer meetings and
the Sunday school. Shortly after his ia
theirs installation Frank Talmage invited
Mr.. Allen to become his assistant in the
Second Presbyterian church a Pittsburg
offering him the same salary as he receiV-
ed here, Mr. Allen asked MI Talmag &c
whether the offer came from him person.
ally OF had been authorized by his church.
He never received "a reply, and MIR Al
lens friends believe that it was a CON
spiraoy to get him out of the First church
to reduce its expenses so that Dr. Tai
mage could have his salary. l is stiH be
heved that Frank Talmage will become
associated with his father in the pasto-
rate of the First church here.
As the evening service had proved a
failure financially, it was arranged by the
admirers of DR.. Talmage that he should
occupy the pulpit on Sunday mornings
also. Elder Wright says: The fashion
able element We're willing to come out for
a while at night to hear DR.. Talmage
but they want to show their fine turnouts
and handsome dresses, and therefore mi
tiated the movement to give the pulpit
to Dr. Talmage at morning service as
well as at night. They do not want to
so to church at night, and have given
notice that unless they can hear Dr. Tall