The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-23
RAISED A STORM.
Proposition to Reduce Membership OF
Presbyterian General Assembly.

MINNEAPOLIS Mimi, May 23.-Democ-
racy asserted itself in the Presbyterian
general assembly yesterday afternoon.
With shout the assembly voted down
two carefully considered and prepared
plans to reduce the membership, one by
a third and the other by more than d
half. A committee on reduced repre-
sentation appointed a year ago was
scarcely given courteous treatment so
pronounced was the feeling against get
ting farther away from the people. Two
members of the committee presented
the two proposed p1anS-one making the
basis of representation 5000 communi-
cants and the other making the basis
Sc ministers in the PreSbyterieS instead
of "a as at present Colonel F. E
Hitchcock, of the committee, argued for
the representation by SynodS accord
ing to membership and declared that
there was no doubt the 672, the present
membership of the assembly, was far
too large.
1t was plain from the Interruptions
that Colonel Hitchcock was on the I'M
popular side and when he sat down eX-
preston of Democratic spirit came out
strongly and prOfusely.
They call this a mob said DR..
Page of LeaVenworth. IF it is a mob
God grant that there may be more such.
God pity the Presbyterian church with
the bulk of the wealth of the United
States in it's Golfers if it can not afford
a large asSemb bly,
1.-The time has not come to reduce
the assembly and / hope it never will
come" cried DIR. George w. P. Birch,
of New York. 1--WE ought to keep as
near the people as we can. The back
woods Presbyteries now hold the bal
ance of power; I don't know what we
would do without them. They hold the
balance so true
Impressed by the strength of the OPP
position a friend of reduced representa-
ton proposed to send an overture down
to the Presbyteries asking their advice
The motion was promptly laid on the
table.
mr. Tobp w Dipcroora ne Con- TOGO
offered a substitute motion thanking
and discharging the committee and in
definitely referring the question of re-
duced representation. When the vote
came there was a mighty yes and
feeble no.
The decision against another part of
the same committees report was closer.
BY a vote of 1874 to 16S, the assembly
decided not to increase from five to ten
the number of ministers necessary to
constitute Presbytery.
Rev. Mr.. BackuS, of Kansas got a
commission to try his appeal from the
synod of that state. E. A r. Day, of
the Presbytery of Waterloo, was ad-
vised to present his case to the synod
of Iowa.
DR.. w. R. Kirkwood of Emporia,
kan, presented the report of the COM
mittee on the board of education. The
report held that the expense of the
board was not undue and that it could
not be reduced without consolidation of
boards, which was not wise. The STAN
dard OF ministerial education was de-
clared not to be declining and the day
of shrinkage in the number of candi-
dates for the ministery was said to be
in the past. The reelection of the
members of the board, whose terms ex-
plre this year was recommended. The
Chicago and Schuyler overtures calling
for commission to investigate the
whole subject of ministerial education
were approved by the committee and it
was recommended that a commission
OF not less than eleven be appointed for
that purpose The report was adopted
intact The McGiffeTt matter was made
a special order for Thursday. The feel
ing now is that drastic action will be
taken The denunciation of recent mob
outrages in the south made in the re-
port of the committee of freedmen was
finally referred to that committee for
reconsideration
Colonel James M. Rice of Peoria. Ill.
the father of the Peoria overture aimed
at reducing the moderator's power, saws
he expects vigorously to push his pet
measure.
Overtures now before the committee
on bills and Overtures in favor of anti
polygamy amendment to the national
constitution and in favor of expelling
Congressman Roberts of Utah from the
house of representatives are likely to be
passed by the assembly almost unan-
tmOuSly if they get bV the committees