New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-02
DIR. MCCONNELL ATTACKS 1T
SEVERE CRITICISM OF EPISCOPAL MIS-
SIONS MANAGEMENT
RECToRs OF CHURCHES. HE SAYS WANT
TO KNOW HOW THE MONEY RAISED
is EXPENDEp-BIsHoP DoANE
PROTESTS AGAINST THE

LANGUAGE USED.

LANGUAGE USED.
Thu PAY DR. $. D. Mcconnell. rector Of Holy
trinity Protestant Episcopal Church. broohIyn'
has an article in this weeks issue Oh inv
rburcbman." the leading organ Of the Prot
.stant Episcopal Church. which yesterday
,aused unbounded comment among rectors ana
,.,,,,ar who read and analysed IT. II Is Wig
orous criticism, Of the bishops Of the Episcopal
church with reference TO their relation 10 the
Roars If Missions. DR.. Mcconnell makes pol
,sbed and skilful disclaimer Of any feeling tow
I'D the nersonnel Of the Board before he reveals
the intensity Of his convictions. but his words
arc sure to leave a sting. and the friends OF
Rishon Clark. OF Rode Island. the presiuihe
b,sbop will no doubt be heard from.
The burden Of DR.. McConnelrs article Is d
criticism Of the system by which about sfVV'"V0
raised by the Church for domestic missions 10
d,stributed without supervision which he thihAs
Is proper and necessary. Under the eA''. ING
system the bishops receive portions oi INC
money practically from their own hanuS
they largely shape the policy OF the Do'iI
,,ss,ors and then hire and pay the mission
aries as they see At. That part OF the a
,,os, drastic in its wording is as follows
As things are ow. the secretaries s an1ay sums
by dint OF iterated appeals coi,eUI Sers 70 10000
OF money amounting in round hu.nDss SS zoo for
tor domesue, iagsSsTf,sjng the amount is appropri,
sfad nv the Board Of Managers 10 uloCCsS1, the
Board neither has nor claims any e0 0pe hut moth
Each bishop makes report 10 oe w annronria-
lion is vel Ct n expended. OF course II sog,
out saving that 1t is honestly & f be nneer
WAYS In which certain institutional funds nave gen
handled but t1en te8 Ss rector wants is some
assurance better than any which ne mas now mn
be expended 20 good purpose so far as results
are concerned. At present ne nds 81 1870
iarge ' areas Of the Churchs territory the Church
is being presented to the people in an offensive,
dictatorisl superCiliOus style ny lot OF Ircols
ecclesiastics whose work IS not worth paving Tor;
He has suspicion that IN certain otner bonst ~
and Tutbfulness among some Wnom MS Io ~
goes 60 support leaves much 20 be desired. He mas
suspicion that in muutudes OF places missions n,
have been started without any rational ground OF
becsnse The Authorities nave not the courage to
abandon them and put the money where II would
show some result
DR. Mcconnell finishes his article by saying.
among other things that the men who hold the
key to the situation are the rectors of some
three or four hundred parishes. He holds that
If the Board Of Managers will satisfy the people
that they will do in fact what they do in
name-i. e.. manage"-the people will be salts
fed.
1t would seem that the editors Of THE
CnOrCnmdn must nave Iell lIldA inc ditiNic
would be looked upon an attack, as Bishop
Doane. vice-president of the Board Of Missions,
saw it before it was published Bishop Doane
says he cordially welcomes the outspoken
energy Of the paper but adds
must at the outset deprecate and protest against
the language I'm which he suggests suspicious as 10
the character and standing Of the men at work In
our remote and difficult fields. Feeble ecclesias'
tics offensive dictatorial and supercilous" low
standards Of honesty and uprghtness and truth
fulness." "a cowardly consistency that stands by
them"-surely these charges that describe what
the English people call criminous clerks. and |
greatly that the force Of the paper should be
1essened and almost lost by language which If not
absolutely vituperative. is certainly violent.
Bishop Potter is not in the city and DR.. Nal
Tory. editor Of 1.-The Churchman" was not at his
Office yesterday afternoon when the reporter
called. When DIR. Farrlngtons attention was
called to Dr. McConnels article ne said:
The language certainly is unusual, but DR.,
Mcconnell is a courageous man and an
eminent churchman. No doubt the system he
attacks is open TO criticism. Bishop Clark. OF
Rhode Island Is too feeble 20 attend to his
duties but so long as he lives he Will be the
presiding bishop
DR.. Mcconnell has been rector Of Holy Trinity
in Brooklyn for about three years, having sue
ceeded the Rev. Or. Charles II. Hall. He came
from Philadelphia where he regarded as
an independent and vigorous thinker and writer.