Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-05-22
CHURCH COUNCILS.
Presbytsrians Begin Their As.
sembly at Saratoga.
"LIBERALrDEAs sEENm CONTROL

| Ola 1odefaAoe Advocates N Olive Branch
Policy IN the Heresy Cases and the New
One Il Counted - Of the Same Mind
Methodists Face to Face with the vexed
Amusement MISREPRESENTATION Presby-
terians-Other Church News.
SARATOGA, May 13.-The first days ses-
sion Of the Presbyterian general assembly
brought with it two surprises. The pro-
posal in the retiring moderator's sermon
| differences which have troubled the de-
nomination during recent years was the
first. The second was the election on the
first ballot by handsome majority of the
man who has been regarded as the candi-
date Of the liberal party in the church.
This view of the modorator's tendencies
was stoutly denied, but at all events his
first net was accepted as showing deter
mination to be independent Of control and
| dictation.
Election on the First Ballot.
The first important business transacted
was the election of a moderator. DR.
Francis C. Monfort, Of Cincinnati, editor
of The Herald and Presbyter: DIR. David
r. Breed, Of Pittsburg, and DIR. John L.
Wlthrow, Of Chicago, were nominated
for the important position. The result Of
| the ballot was: Withrow, 3l5; Breed,
l63, and Monfort, 81. The election was
then made unanimous The newly elected
moderator was conducted to the PLATFORM
and inducted into Office by the retiring
moderator, DIR. Booth. DIR. Withrow ex-
pressed II high appreciation of the honor
| conferred upon him, and expressed his de-
termination to use his best edeavors as q
servant of the assembly
Gavel with War Memories.
DR. William Durant. chairman of tho
committee of arrangements presented to
the moderator guyel which had been
provided by the local association of the
Daughters of the Revolution. 1t is of
wood which grew on the field where Bur
goync surrendered, and was made by a
coxswain of Admiral Farragut's flagship
After a resolution which fixed the hours
of the daily sessions from Q o'clock until
| 1880 and from 2:O p. m. until the es-
| sembly adjourned until evening, when the
sacrament of the Lords supper was cele-
DRAFTED. DIR. Booth presided and was as
sisted by Drs. Breed and Clelland, and by
elders selected from the various synods.
institutes New Departure.
DR.. Withrow, the new moderator, insti-
| tutetl n new departure at once. One of the
most ariuOus duties of a newly elected
moderator is in the appointment of nu-
merous committees, upon one of which
every commissioner finds a place. 1t has
been customary to ask the advice of the
clerks and of a few prominent commits
sioners. At the close of the afternoon ses-
sion DIR. Withrow called for a meeting
of two representatives from each presby-
terry with whom he might advise in the
matter, and the result Of the experiment is
awaited with interest.
Hears from Union Seminary.
Some interest was aroused by the publ
cation of n dispatch from Mr.. Kingley,
treasurer of Union Seminary, stating that
Professor Henry p. Smith, who was sus-
pended by the general assembly of 1894, is
to deliver a course Of lectures at the semi
nary during the next year. A false report
also was spread that he was engaged to
| Take the place of DR. Briggs in the semi
nary during the years leave of absence re-
Gently granted to him by the board of
directors.