Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1897-11-26

u 1aIl-I1s6 E ~ ~
DIR. SHIELDS COURSE.
THE REASON he WITHDREW FROM
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
Ne ssrned IN Application For . Renewal
az the License Of the Prinoston Inn
Tsproom-An Injunotion Of ehe Prssby-
Asraan Church was Thus Violated.
Adjacent to the grounds OF Princeton
university there 10 Q hostelry known %
the Princeton inn. It Is . handsome and
oommodious structure, and was built sew
eral years ago BY Princeton alumni u
wealth for tho accommodation, moro spe
cifically, Of graduates and friends OF the
students visiting the university town. The
establishment has no direct connection
with the university, but is recognized IN
the Princeton catalogues and guidebooks
a. associated with it indirectly.
In this very inviting inn there Is tap
room remarkably tasteful In Its appoint
ments 40 such and its artistic decorations y.
IL IL one Of the prettaest and most CON-
Portable drinking places anywhere to Dc
seen, and students Of the university are
admitted to 1t and served with Its bever.
ages, but only after they have reached
their junior year. Under the law OF New
Jersey aud the ordinance OF the borough,
in order to obtain license for such So
loon it Is necessary that stipulated mum
Der Of adjacent residents, property hold
ers, shall sign an application for It, In
past years the requisite signatures have
been secured, and the sale of liquors has
gone on without provoking serious public
discussion. Nor has any instance OF any
abuse of the inns drinking privileges on
the part Of the Princeton students been
complained of, 80 Tar as we have heard.
Friends of the university seem rather ia
have regarded it's tasteful and refined sur
roundings as conducive to the welfare o.
the students in diverting them from I'M
seenaly drinking places OF the town Into
which they might be tempted.
When this year It became necessary to
secure tho signatures of the stipulated
number Of adjacent property holders to an
application for renewal Of the license, the
existence Of the tapr0on was brought into
public discussion by the circumstance that
among the signers was ex-P President Glove.
land. but more especially that another was
the Rev. Charles W. Shields, D. d., the
venerable professor Of revealed religion IN
the Princeton Theological seminary. Il
seems that the names Of these two gentle
men were requisite to make up the num-
ber legally necessary. Thereupon the Pro.
hibitionists of New Jersey and OF the
Union generally started q great hue and
CRY against Dr.. Shields more particularly.
on the ground OF his direct completely In
the snointenance OF . drinking saloon In q
university community.
Internationally DR.. Shields was charge
able with such completely, for under the
circumstances the renewal OF the license
of the Princeton inns taproom seems e
have been impossible without his sigma
ture. Accordingly, after long and bitter
discussion among tho Prohibitionists, the
conrse of Oh. Shields Ia the matter wa
brought before the New Brunswick pres
bytery, but recently he forestalled Its de
cision by sending to 1t letter withdraw
ing from the Presbyterian church and con
soquently from it, ecclesiastical jurisdic
ton and announcing bis intention x
center some other portion Of the visible
catholic church, to which the good hand
Of God may guide me in due time" Ac
oordingly . resolution was adopted K
erase DR. Shields name from the roll o1
ministers In the presbytefy and recite II
the minutes the circumstances OF his case
The course Of DIR. Shields In withdraw
Ing was the alternative be b. to accept
provided that he was not wiring to recon
slider his proceeding In signing the petition
for the liquor license. The general assem-
bly, OF the Presbyterian church made
deliverance In 1877, declaring that I'VE
regard the signing OF petitions for license
as reprehensible completely in the sale o.
Intoxicating liquors" and this injunction
he had violated squarely If not knowing
". But DR.. Shields would not withdraw
his "complicity," preferring rather tx
withdraw from the church against whose
discipline he had offended.
That il, a venerable professor in the
foremost American divinity school Of
Presbyterianisln leaves his church rather
than submit to its interference with hi:
personal freedom of opinion and conduct
touching matter outside Of the realm o.
fCllRlOu6 AtblGu duu VAACOAO5y' LIZ 0AAoA>A'
leaves the church to which he had giveI
allegiance through long life, and II
which he, has been foremost teacher Of
theological doctrines, because it under
takes to dictate to him when he feels en-
titled to exercise his private judgment
freely.
. The New Brunswick presbytery Is not
censurable in the premises, since it mere
ly regarded deliverance of the supreme
authority of the Presby terrain church, bu'
none the less is DIR. Shields praiseworthy
because of his course in insisting on the
exercise of his personal freedom The in
cident is remarkable, however, as show
ing how light have become the bonds Of
church allegiance.-NewY York Sun.
.g2 Freeport's Newspaper Census.
Sold by two newsboys ut the depot tc
commuters, ETC., on early trains: Sun, 81
copies; Press, As copies; Herald, 80 copies
World, e. copies; Journal, 10 copies;
Tribune, copies; Times, . copies; total,
1874 Pretty good for Freeport N. Z. AT