The Topeka state journal., 1897-05-29
WINE DISCARDED.
Twenty PreSbyteries at the
General Assembly
Report the Abolition of AIcO-
hOlic Wine at Sacrament
OF THELORD'S SUPPER
Princeton College Is Raked
Over the Goals
For Permitting Wine at the
College Banquet.

Eagle Lake, May 29-At the opening
of the afternoon session of the Presby-
terrain general assembly yesterday a
committee of arrangements for the next
assembly was appointed, consisting of
Rev. s. c. Dickey. manager of the Win
ona assembly; DR.. Charles Little of
Wabash, and Drs. Roberts and Moore,
clerks of the assembly. The principal
portion of the afternoon was occupied by
the report of the temperance commit
tee, which in outline is as follows:
The past year had been one of activ-
ity in the work, but the committee re-
gretted to report that the temperance
literature printed and sent out had
fallen short of the preceding year. This
has been due solely to the lack of
funds. To the same cause had been
due the curtailment of temperance mis-
sionary work among the colored peo-
pie of the south.
The efforts to secure the appoint
ment by sessions of temperance COM
mittees for their respective churches
had been continued and unQueStiOnably
there had come in assembly synods and
presbyteries gradual and steady up
lifting of temperance sentiment from
this wisely planned system. Only one
preSbytery reported that a majority OF
its churches still used alcoholic wine
at the Lords Supper, while twenty
presbyteries reported that this was not
known to be true of any church IN their
bounds.
The committee suggested that the
general assembly memOrialize the pres
ident and congress for the investiga-
ton of the liquor traffic and urged that
the assembly set the seal OF its d1sap-
probation on the use of alcoholic bev-
erages at college fetes.
Mr.. w. c. Lilley, chairman of the per-
manent temperance committee, was then
granted the floor to explain the work of
the committee. Elder Van Renssae-
laer of New York moved an additional
resolution indOrsing restrictive legisla-
ton. This was finally laid on the ta-
BILE. He indOrSed the New York Ra1neS
law. but Rev. Samuel B. Roberts of
Utica, n. Y, said it was only successful
in so far as it was prOhibitlVe and he
maintained that the Presbyterian
church was not ready to indOrse license
legislation.
After a lively debate the committee
resolutions were adopted, and also
memorial to congress asking for official
investigation of the liquor traffic.
Then came a sharper debate than be-
fore on the report as to the use of wine
at the alumni banquet at the Sesqu1-
centennial anniversary OF princeton
university. The committee recommend
ed that as the institution was not un-
der the control of the general assembly
no action could be taken on four over
lures received from certain presbyter-
les. An amendment was offered in the
shape of q preamble expressing regret
that alcoholic LIQUORS had been furnish
ed at a banquet given by an institution
so beloved as Princeton university
The discussion Waxed hot and points
of order became numerous
Presently the assembly got into the
worst parliamentary tangle that it had
experienced, when a commissioner
moved the previous question. A vote
was taken to determine whether the
question should be put, and the chorus
of yeas and nays was so evenly divided
that division was called for. Even on
a rising vote the moderator could not
decide.
Then came a storm of questions and
speeches The moderator forgot the
state of business and the decision of
the previous question was left hanging
though the original mover tried to
withdraw his motion.
Prof Martin of Princeton asked that
the name of his university be not men
toned as the university authorities
had no jurisdiction in the matter. This
was characterized by a commissioner
as "child's play" and ridicule was
a college could not control. The con-
fused discussion lasted until within
few moments of adjournment, when
the whole matter was disposed of by a
motion to lay it on the table, which
was adopted by an overwhelming vote.
The race question in the south came
lp UNEXPECTEDLY at the evening ses-
sion on q petition to allow a colored
church in Texas to join a presbytery in
Arkansas. The discussion was long
and covered many points, but the pc
tition was finally decided in the mega
tive. The reason given was an unwill-
ingness to recognize cOlOred people
in the denomination.
The assembly adjourned sine die at II
o'clock