The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-19
Two Features Tint viii Not Be Per-
United to BE Mnde Prominent.

The delegates as a body are a well-ap-
pearing, intelligent class of people, and
seem to be about evenly divided as to sex
They are all in early manhood and woman
hood, there being few places for gray
hairs in young peoples convention. They
are all earnest members of the United
Presbyterian Church, and submit as an
organization to a government by their eld-
erS without murmur
One of the tenets of the church is that
denying admission to it's fellowship of
members of secret oath-bound societies. but
great many of the delegates appear to
be anxious to keep this article of their
creed in the background, and not a few of
them look upon those who preach the doc
trine as semi-cranks or something OF that
nature. However, there is a large number
who place themselves squarely against Sc
cret orders and are not slow to voice their
opinions. On the other hand there are
members of secret orders in the convention
itself, and these in particular are the ones
who declare the church doctrine against
these societies to be a dead letter. Be
sides this little matter of difference, which
is largely kept under cover, there is only
one other subject upon which the delegates
represent different phases of belief and
that is on the ever-pressing subject for
discussion in all religious bodies, the sub
ject of prohibition.
There are some cranks among u.s. as
there must necessarily be in all large bod
les" said a youthful member yesterday.
Now, there is an address to be given on
Sunday afternoon by John q. Wolley of
Chicago, and, that means redhot prohibit
ton speech. The great majority OF us do
not favor making the subject OF prohibition
gathering. a Wi 1
the papers wouldn't say anything about
In order to have one paper print lust
what the convention desires, arrangements
were made with an evening daily by which
1t Is called the official organ, and nothing
goes into It's columns, 1t is said, except it
has passed the censorship OF d committee.
At least that is the intention. A stenog-
rapher is employed by the general COM
mittee to make up the report of the con-
Ventions doings and all Speeches are to
be carefully edited" and then turned over
to this official pape, 1t is said that Mr.
Wolley's speech will be OF those that will
be edited the most.
1t is not to be presumed that censor
ship in the case of newspapers reports is
to be taken as an Indication that the con-
VentionS sessions may develop startling
denOuementS or exciting discussions The
case appears to be far otherwise. This is
a religious aSSemGlage wherein there is
not as yet a scintilla of evidence of anything
that will arouse any differences of opinion.
1t is one of the most harmonious bodies
gether. The reason for this is that it is
an institute rather than a convention. 1t is
Il meeting where delegates are taught not
where they act for themselves. They come
to listen to addresses as to Bible instruc-
ton and similar matters and to listen to
and participate in the singing of psalms.
They come to be stimulated in the work
for Christ and the gospel. To them 1t does
not seem to make a particle OF difference
whether the General Assembly of the church
controls everything or not. No murmurs
are heard because of their powerlessness to
act legislatiVely, or even to elect their own
officers. AS a convention 1t may be de-
Scribed as a meek and lOWly one, willing
to follow where the elders lead and to
work strictly within the lines laid down
by the church assembly.
The poWerlessness of the gathering as a
convention was strongly brought into re-
lief yesterday. The general committee of
eleven the majority OF whom are appoint
ed by the assembly, held almost an aIl-day
meeting, transacting all the business per-
tanning to the young people S work, settling
all questions arising therefrom, and NOM
mating all the officials of the convention,
including five members of its own body.
All this interesting work was done Ill eX-
ecutiVe session and attempts We're made
to prevent anything that occurred from
leaking out, and the full results will not
be known until morning, when the COM
mittee makes it's report to the convention.
The committee appointed one OF its men,
bers a press committee, but the gentle
man, who is OrVile Wilson, OF Tarklo,
Mo, was, as is the usual case with press
committees, not authorized to give out
any news, and in particular anything con-
corning the nominations for the offices.
1T might spoil everything to tell who
these nominations are, sad prominent
member of the committee The commit
tees nominations will therefore not be
known to the convention until the time for
electing the officials rriVeS this morning.
Then the report will De made, and the in
stitute, knowing it's new officials, win per-
form the fOrmality of ratifylng their nom
nation. The convention is thus saved
great deal of trouble and discussion, and
the young people are kept in subordina-
ton to the general government Oh the