New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-15
ND PATTON'S WITHDRAWAL.
,,rs REFUSAL TO BE A DELEGATE TO
TIE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.


Tribune reporter called upon a. number
,r,,nent New-York Presbyterians Yesterday
Tvs seemed 10 be divided as 10 the significance
IN withdrawal OF the name OF President Patton
'. princeton, one Of the delegates of the New
rr,nsvlck Presbytery TO the General Assembly.
1nan Dr. Patton was nominated at Wednesday )
,.ss.ing Of the NewBrunswick Presbytery. Dr.
Trreld who is also a member OF the Princeton
equity. rose and asked that DR.. Pattons name be
,,,arayn DR.. Duffeld stated that under the
Visiting circumstances Dr. Patton had no desire TO
~ N the General Assembly, because no matter
chat he might say in defence Of Princeton Uni
ysrs,ty It would surely be misrepresented Besides
MS his duties at the University such that IL
you'd require sacrifice OF time on his part
N attend the assembly.
In spite of appeal by DR.. Stuidiford. Dr. Duff
Aeh insisted that DR.. Patton's name be withdrawn
and afterwaTd DR.. Duffield and DR.. Cameron both
members Of the faculty Of Princeton. declined to
serve delegates.
ITS supposed that this action on the par. Of the
Princeton faculty is owing TO the controversy
about the Princeton Inn. Ii is known that MANY
Of the faculty feel very strongly about the criticism
10 which the University authorities have been SUBJ
jected on this matter, and do desire to have to
answer any further attacks that may be made at
the next General Assembly
Among those on whom the reporter called yes
terda! was the Rev DIT Duncan J. Mcmillan. cor
responding secretary OF the PRESBYTERIAN BOARD Of
Home Missions. Or. Mcmillan said that he thought
that opinion would be divided at the General As
sembly on the temperance question. There would
doubtless ne certain number Of the delegates who
were arceht pronlbitonists. and who might reopen
there would be a large element OF more moderate
men. who might prevent any harsh criticism being
made. AS Tor the refusal of DR.. Patton to attend
the assembly Dr. Patton had recently preached a
sermon on temperance 10 the University students
which had been much nisquotei In some of the
newspapers. Ills statements had been weakened until
they were made to appear childish and hts remarks
on temperance were quoted. while what he said 10
upnci1 to'a! abstinence was left out DIT Patton
had ncen greatly annoyed by the criticisms which
RAD fetowSd these garbled reports and II pos
s!hle tAat re Was unwilling to the risk Of any
further unjust criticism at the General Assembly.
The KEY: Dr. John Gillespie. secretary of tho
Board o. Foreign Missions SAID that * was not at
al an unusual thing for a clergyman nominated
as delegate 10 the assembly to decline to serve
Many men We're too busy 10 leave their duties II
be naC Deen asked TO be a delegate himself he
voud nave declined. The members Of the Prince
ton iaculty and The students a.so had been greatly
N the princeton Inn affair, and they al. felt that
these charges were unjust. 1t might be for this
reason that Dr. Patton and the others had declined
serve. ~ '''-
DR.. Erskine n white the secretary Q, the Church
EXTENSION Society. said that he had been graduated
oeen graduated fourteen years He was per
tecuy certain that the whole Of the influence -
the iaculiy was for temperance and he would n G
soon senG young man 70 Princeton as 70 anv
snaIi coHege where temperance was OBLIGATORY
Lhere. We're men VINO drank among the students ~
ne University, but he believed that he could say
mar there bad not been a single case In which tha
they went to Princeton. '