The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-11
TENDING TO ROM:
Mr.. Elmendorf s Parishioners
Worried by His Recent
Alterations.
THAT EASTER ELECTION FUSS
Holy Cross Wardens and
vestrymen Converted Into
Mere Figureheads.
new TANGLED COMMITTEE RULE
Ladies Like the Rector But
Say He Will Have to Go
Unless He Reforms.

Father Augustine Elmendorfs recent
discrimination against one of his parish
toner's at the annual meeting of the
| Church of the Holy Cross has caused
| large sized-weIl, not row, perhaps. but
| discussion among the members of the
| church The members have taken sides,
! and Mr. Elmendorf's action in refusing
| to allow Mr. Tom Smith to cast his vote
| has outlived the usual nine days, and Is
| still the one topic of conversation among
them. Whether they side with Mr. Ell
| nfendorf or with Mr.. Smith, all seem TO
| be agreed as to the reason why Mr.. Ell
mendorf made use of his authority and
| forbade Mr. Smith to vote. The election.
/ it will be remembered, was for wardens.
| Mr.. Elmendorf, it is said, greatly desired
the election of Mr.. Thomas, who had
been senior warden. Mr.. Dickinson had
refused notwithstanding this. a number
| of people had decided to vote for him,
and Mr.. Smith, it is said, had openly de-
eiaIed his intention 20, of voting Ior 9is.. M.
! atfon they say, reached Mr.. ElmendoTT
in somewhat garbled form, so that he
was led to believe that M. SIfsith would
| of Mr. Thomas, Mr.. Elmendorfs
candidate for Senior Warden Ac-
cordingly, Mr. Elmendorf challenged
| Mr.. Smiths vote on the ground that Nj.
| Smith had not been a regular attendant
| at the services il the last month. There
were only fonrteen veters ore s present, m m
| after Mr.. Smiths ballot had been refused
! ard the votes were counted II Was found
that Mr. Dickinson received one vote more
than Mr. Thomas Had Mr. Smith vote
| becn received the vote would have been a
| tie, for Mr.. Smiths nall0t, which was al
| ready written, was for Mr.. Thomas, ard
\ as Mr.. Thomas was at the time Senior
| Warden, he would have had the prefer
| enee and Mr.. Elmendorf,s candidate
| v ould have been elected All this makes
/ some of the parishioners think they have
a very good story on Mr.. Eimendorf.
But that, it seems, is not all that Mr..
/ ing. There was also an election OF yes
trymen Mr.. Elmendorf has the right
/ to vote, though he did not use that right
| at first. These vestrymen were to be
elected, and when the votes. We're. counted
! the teller found that four had the same
| rulnber. As he rose to declare the cleo
| tiun a tie, NJ. Elmcndorf, ii is said. took
! the paper from the telleT's hand, added
mark beside the names OF the three he
s.They are elected This mode Of pro-
ceCure some of the parishieners hold to be
| Illegal and they say they are backed in
| their opinion by some well known rec
| tors.
Several of Mr. Elmendorf's parishion-
ers were seen and they all had ideas to
/ d
behind this. Mr.. Elmendorf was anxious
! to have Mr. Thomas elected because he
| knew many of the parishioners do not
/ approve of many of the things he has
| introduced, and he knew Mr.. Thomas
| would back him up. Mr.. Elmendorf
| doesn't care what the members of his
| congregation want. If he wishes some
thing, that is all there is to 1.-THE has it.
ths tnsh rsasan; RS0R Re ssys yoa may 60. tSsrs
are plenty more take ,',.,e your ps PAGES; i'ls,
| OF calling him Father, If he w9fe
Roman Catholic priest. who has>gfven up
| everything for his church 1t would pc
for his children and he's going to be
Another said 1--WE can't help liking Mr.
| Elmendorf. His personality is extremely
pleasing. We can't like what he does, yet
! even while We are angry at him, Tor ms
actions, we like him. He is very young.
| This is his first parish, and his mistakes
| are largely caused by youth. If only he
/ would get away from the domination OF
| of some people, who now run him, think
| he would be a most desirable rector. he
| is delightful in the pulpit, and his SER
mons are excellent. l am sorry he is so
/ influenced by others"
| Another opinion was III Mr. Elmen-
| dorf would only be less high--handed we
| would all be delighted with him, II he
keeps on as he is-well, we don't want
| to have any scandal about it, but If we
could get him out in any. other way
| we'd do it. A rector can only be deposed
| for ten reasons, and the charges must be
made by Presbyters. Mr. Elmendorf
! hasn't broken any of these rules, but he
| has done two things that the canon says
| the Bishop could reprirnand him for. In-
/ deed those things are partly the cause or
! the trouble You know, the canon says
| a rector, in blessing the elements must
| not raise the Host above his head, so that
! the congregation can see it.. He may eie-
| waite 1t but not above his head. Mr.. Elmen-
! dorf does that and ii the Bishop heard ir
| he could reprimand Mr.. Elmendorf.
| know a lady who told the eurate about
4 that rule IN the canon, and said It had
caused comment, and the next sunday
4 Mr. EEmendo-f didn't raise it so high
Then the canon forbidS genuhections Mr..
| TSlrnendcrf always bows one knee as the
1 priests do, and he could be reprimanded
! for that And then he has confessions.
| i can't find anything in the canon about
| that, but I'm pretty sure 1t is not allow
/ able. He has confessions every SATURDAY
| afternoon and evening, and a lot of silly
| little girls and boys really go to II he
| gets around it by calling it advice.
| As to Mr.. Elmendorf's treatment of MI;
! Smith. the concensus Of opinion ls.-lI
unprincipled rake he might have forbid
den the vote, but Mr.. Smith has char
acter above reproach. ana ne IS extreme
| ly popular in the church. He has been
Senior Warden ard might have been
again, but he refused It. One paIisn-
ioner said, ''Mr. Esnendorf Interpreted
/ that rule 10 suit himself The cause IS
| not explicit on this point. ard we all teel
| that Mr. ElnenSorf made an arbitrary IN
| terpretation of it. Il has caused a gxea5
| they will leave the church. and one
| prominent man intends sendirg his chill
/ dren to ST. Johns Sunday school, though
| There is still more to follow. Mr., Ell
mendorf, it seems, was not to he dor5ned
! by q failure TO elect his Senior Warden
! Though it is not rule of the canon, it
has always been the custom for the Sen-
ior Warden 70 count the collection and
4 to be one ofthe trust who look after
he left The church by Mr.. Rdt-