The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-29
PREsBYTERIAXS OF DIXIE.
One of the Executive Committees
Under Fire.

Memphis, Tenn. May 2S.-The Southern
Presbyterian assembly held a heated ses-
sion this morning. Rev. DR.. Praig OF Tus-
caloosa. Ala. made a strong effort to
have the executive committee of colored
evangenzation abolished and the work
placed in the hands of the secretary Of
the home missions. He said that when
it was under DR.. Craig there was a steady
increase in the receipts, but under DIR.
Phillips, the present secretary, there had
been a great decrease during the last
three years. while the expenses bear a
larger proportion 10 the receipts than
any other branch of the work The eN-
penses of the foreign mission Office We're
tive and eight-tenths per cent. and of the
home mission office 8 per cent of the
receipts, while the cOlOred eVangelistic
work absorbed 30 per cent of the re-
ceipts. "One hundred and thirty-siN dol
lars goes TO the secretary Tor salary and
expenses for every one hundred dollars di-
Vided among the forty or fifty colored
preachers"
to the church of S2,400 per annum if his
substitute prevailed. He gave facts and
figures for al his statements.
DR.. Hemphill and James l. Vance at
tempted to silence DR.. Praig by filibuster-
ing tactics, but, by a tWO-thirds vote,
he was permitted TO proceed. His sub
stitute was Host by a large majority. The
committee and secretary were reelected.
Prayer was offered by the moderator,
at the opening OF the session by order of
the assembly, for stricken ST. Louis.
A protest. signed by tnirty-fOur com
missioners, was recorded without answer,
against the assemblys action on the
home and school. Rev. Paul +. Brown re-
ported a strong paper on rnc address Of
Rev. r. 2. Steele, chaplain of the New
Orleans Seamen's Bethel
AT 1880 o'clock the assembly took
vote on the judicial case. between Elder
EnslOe and the synod of South Carolina.
which was decided by vote of us, q
"a
the presbytery, nine voting to sustaii-
in part.
The protest filed this morning was as fol-
lows; The undersigned do solemnly pro-
test against the action Of the assembly in
adopting the answer of the standing COM
mittee on the assambly's home and school
10 the overture in the presbytery of 81.
Louis, and We base our protest upon the
following grounds:
q. That we believe it to be in direct VIC
latlOn of our time-hOnOred principles and
a departure from an unbrOken custom in
refusing TO accept state aid in support of
UNCONVENTIONAL and religious work.
-. That 1t is inexpedient; providing a
constant menace to our peace, likelihood
Of frequent embarrassment and expense in
defending suits at law liable TO arise un-
der the peculiar nature or the contract
and in jeopardiz-ng the interests Of the
home and school before the church and
80. That it will be a source of grief and
regret to a large constituency in our
church, furnish occasion to our enemies
10 IduHL US Win inconsistency ana thus
afhX stigma upon the fair name of the
bride of Christ, whose reputation no less
than a character should be without spot
or wrinkle or any such thing"
This was signed by Messrs. Lambdin,
Ryland, BrannOn, Praig, Tidball, Duncan,
Green, Trenholm. Mccain, Virgins, Cam
eron, Brown, Jones. Carson, Glenn, Engle,
Telford Kestler Bocock, Holt, Tate. Rens-
ford, Craig, Woodrow, Woodbridge, Van
lear, Powell, Kennedy, Miller McAlpine,
1t was answered later in the day by adj
hitting copy of the contract also TO the
minutes.
The afternoon session was an impor-
tant one, and several answers to over
lures interpreting the constitution OF the
church were adopted.
Among the answers to overtures were
the following. The installation of pas
tor must be by a presbytery or a com
mission of = preshyJery
When a church has only one elder, he
does not constitute a session and cannot
act as such. This was warmly debated
but the answer was adopted, and the as
sembly took up a judicial case against
the synod of Memphis. Argument was
still proceeding, when the assembly took
a recess at o'clock, to meet again at
s o'clock
The time-honored custom of the Pres
byterian church of the south is to have
no dealings with political parties. The
following telegram, received just after the
assembly came TO order tonight was not
noticed in any way: "Pittsburg, Pa, May
2S.-To the Southern Presbyterian Assem-
bly,. Memphis, Tenn: The prohibition
party gives assurance that it will take
no backward step in its relentless war
against the arch-enemy Of God and hU-
mainly, the licensed liquor traffic. Dow
Stewart, chairman A. E. Wilson, secre-
tary."
Arguments were continued in the judi
cial case, which involved the distinction
between commission and committee.
CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIANS