The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-16
P~RESBYTERIANS TO MEET
SOME IMPORTANT QUESTIONS WILL
COME UP AT WINONA.
Popularity of DIR. Withrow-The
Church's New York Property and
the Missionary Question.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

NARSAW ina. May l3--N men the mlks
lennium dawns. among other reforms whics
are expected in religious circles is a unioA
of the scores of religious denominations be-
lieving the same truths, holding similar
doctrines and protesting one faith, and yet
separated over minor questions, whose nice
distinctions puzzle the ordinary laymen,
who swear by their particular organization,
and. ~metaphorically speaking, at their ri
walls. The General Assembly of the Presby-
terrain Church is to meet at Winona on May
20, the official date being the third Thurs
day of May. The General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church is to meet at Char
lotte, N. c., on the same day. Another Pres
byterian General Assembly will convene at
Chicago, also on May 2O-the Cumberland
Presbyterians, and on May % the corre-
spending body of the United Presbyterian
Church of North America will assemble at
Rock Island. ILL.,. and the General Assembly
of the Reformed Presbyterians at Beaver
Falls. Pa. The Canadian Presbyterians will
meet at Winnipeg. Manitoba, on June 10.
The largest of these kindred bodies, which
resemble the woman in the poem:
They are not one, they are not two,
But look alike as sisters do"
is the one which Indiana has invited 10 be
it's guest. San Francisco. Petoskey. Mich.
and Asbury Park, N. j., sent pressing invi-
tations of the assembly at it's last meeting
in Saratoga, but the eloquent speech of the
Rev. DIR. Sol. C. Dickey, the secretary and
counselor of the Winona Assembly and
Summer School, in which he pictured the
delights of Winona Park and the hospital
ity of the citizens of Warsaw, and of the
entire State, captured the assembly, and
with the glowing pictures of special trains
across the continent, Sunday at Salt Lake
City and holiday excursions to countless
wonders in the Rockies and beyond. the
San Francisco representatives failed to Sc
cure the coveted prize. The Pacific coast
entertained the General Assembly in a
handsome manner five years ago at Port
land and now California wants the same
privilege hat Oregon received.
The hero of the Saratoga assembly last
year was the Rev. DR. John l.. Withrow.
of Chicago, the moderator. This year he
will deliver the opening sermon and I'M
doubtedly throw over the dark places in
the recent history of Presbyterianism the
sweet veil of charity. Greed revision, heresy
trials and seminary control will be hidden
from view, and brotherly love will prevail.
The estimate which the last assembly
placed upon DR.. Withrow was expressed
in this resolution, which was adopted by
a rising vote:
Resolved. That the thanks Of this assem-
bly, are due and are hereby rendered to the
moderator, the Rev. John l.. WithroW. ID.
D., for the wisdom. grace. courtesy, dignity
and uniform fairness with which he has
presided over the deliberations of this body
and which have so much helped in the
transaction of the important business
which has come before the assembly"
A POPULAR MAN.
The high esteem in which DR.. Withrow
is held by those who know him best was
shown in the recent election of commits
sioners- to the assembly by the Presbytery
of Chicago. The rule is to nominate In
the forenoon and elect by ballot in the aft
ernoon. At the April meeting, in DR..
Withrow's absence, the Presbytery sus-
pended it's rule and voted his election by
reclamation, leaving the remainder of the
nominees until afternoon. Dr.. Withrow is
sixty years old, having been born in Penn
s~ylvania the year that the Presbyterian
Church split, forming the old and new
school branches. He was educated at
Princeton, receiving his collegiate and the
illogical education in that university town.
Upon entering the ministry in 1863, he be-
gan his pastoral life in Abingdon, now a
part of Philadelphia, remaining there for
four years. He was the pastor of the Arch
Street 1TbSDyJ6TldH 1IluECH III Il IilduCiliild
for six years and of the Second Presby-
terrain Church of Indianapolis two and a
half years. In 1876 DIR. Withrow was called
to the old Park-street Congregational
Church Of Boston where, in addition 10 his
splendid pastoral labors, he was in the
midst of the Andover controversy, and was
recognized by all New England as the con-
~servative and wise leader. In 1887 he was
called to his present pastorate in the Third
Presbyterian Church of Chicago. During
the ten years that he has been there about
two thousand persons nave united with his
church.
one of the most important offices in the
gift Of the Presbyterian Church is that Of
stated clerk of the General Assembly,
which has been filled for more than a Goz-
en- years by the Rev. DR.. William II. Rob-
erts. He has not escaped criticism, for he
is not a figurehead. He is fearless in his
advocacy of what he believes to be right,
regardless of praise or censure, and he has
received both. Efforts to lessen his power
and to decrease his income have invariably
led to the broadening of his influence and
the increase of his salary. Besides being
treasurer of the quarter-century million
dollar fund, which he suggested in his ad.
mirable paper at the reunion meeting in
Il ilLSOhA WV go no. 49, 1900
these among his regular official duties as
stated clerk: To transcribe for the press
the minutes ordered to be published from
year to year; to superintend the printing
of the minutes and papers ordered to be
printed; to distribute the minute to per-
sons entitled to them; to have charge of
all the books and papers Of the General
Assembly; to give attested copies of all
minutes and other documents; 10 receive all
memorials, overtures and other papers adj
dressed to the assembly; to distribute the
bound volumes of the reports Of the boards;
TO have charge of the entire railroad ar
rangements for the transportation of COM
missioners; to transmit all overtures to the
presbyteries and receive the swers
under the direction of the moderator. to
prepare and carry forward the business Of
the assembly. including the printing of the
roll. during it's sessions; to carry on the
correspondence of the assembly; to report
to the assembly upon the statistics of the
church: TO perform all the duties of treas
urer, and to transact such other business
as the assembly may from time TO time
appoint.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.
The two committees appointed a year ago
which will present reports calling forth the
greatest discussion are those which nave
been considering the sale of the Presby-
terrain building, in New York. and the man
agement of the Home Mission Board. also
in that city. Each committee was APP
pointed after a long-continaed and at times
exciting debate. When no hope of settle