The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-23
nL0Rt'S MINNEAPOLIS OFFICE.
~ WASHINGTON Az SOUTH.
TeJenbaoe 1zo6 II
telephone 2796 il.

Before the popular meeting last night
of the Freedmen's board, the largest of
the meetings yet held under the aus
pieces of the Presbyterian general as
sembly at Minneapolis, the Rev. H. w.
Hubert, of Cleveland, originator of the
movement to raise the $4,000 indebted
ness of the board, announced that sub
scriptions and appointments will foot
up $4,000 of $4,000 For the first time
ian a generation all departments of the
Presbyterian church are free from debt.
1t was announced, however, that every
presbytery is expected to pay the por-
tion of the debt apportioned to 1t as all
receipts above the quota which any
rresbytely gives will be devoted to re-
opening some of the schools which have
been closed for lack of funds.
Democracy asserted itself in the
assembly yesterday afternoon. With
a shout the assembly voted down two
carefully considered and prepared plans
TO reduce the membership. The commit
tee on reduced representation, ap-
Iointed year ago, was scarcely given
courteous treatment, so pronounced was
the feeling against getting farther away
from the people.
Two members of the committee pre-
scented the two proposed plans-one MAX
ing the basis of representation 5000 COM
munlcants, and the other making the
basis thirty-siX ministers In the presby-
teries instead of twenty-four. as at pres
ent. Col. F. L. Hitchcock, of the COM
mittee, argued for the representation by
SynodS, according to membership, and
declared that there was no doubt that
672, the present membership of the as
sembly, was far too large. 1t was plain
from the Interruptions that Col. Hitch
cock was on the unpopular side, and
when he sat down expressions of the
democratic spirit came out strongly and
profusely. ''They call this mob" said
DR.. Page, of Topeka. eff 1t is mob
God grant that there may be more SUCH
God pity the Presbyterian church with
the bulk of the wealth of the United
a large assembly,"
THE time has not come to reduce
the assembly, and 1 hope it never will
come cried DR.. George W. P. Birch, of
New York. 1--WE ought to keep as near
the people as We can. The backwoods
presbyteries now hold the balance 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, friend of reduced representa-
ton proposed to send an overture to
the presbyteries asking their advice. The
motion was laid on the table with great
Alacrity.
DR.. John w Dinsmore, of San Jose,
offered substitute motion thanking and
6ischargfng the committee and indeff-
Sitely deferring the question of reduced
representation. When the vote came
0here was mighty yes and a feeble no.
The decision against another part of
the report was closer. By q vote of 1856
to 32S the assembly decided not to increase
from five to ten the number of ministers
necessary to constitute presEytery.
REFERRED FOR TRIAL.
The judicial committee came in during
the afternoon with reports OH a number
of matters and was granted permission
TO refer to special committees for trial
such cases as required supreme adjudi-
cation. The appealed case of Herman
Warszawiak, suspended for alleged gam
bling, from the Fifth Avenue church.
New York, two years ago, was referred
to committee. The Rev. Mr.. Backus,
Of Kansas, got committee to try his ap
peal from the synod of that state A. r.
Day, of the presoytery of Waterloo, was
advised to present his case to the synod
of Iowa. The papers in the case of Miss
Maggie Gowland, of Illinois, being in
complete, it was referred TO the synod
of Illinois. An appeal from the decision
of the Indiana synod in the matter Of
unfermented wine in the Lords supper
was sustained. The appeal of A M. Nc
Cullough, of the synod of Baltimore, was
recommended to the consideration of the
Baltimore synod. Ehe appeal of Charles
S. Lane from the decision Of the synod of
New York will be tried by a special COM
mittee.
DR.. w. R. Kirkwood, of Emporia, Kan.
presented the report of the committee 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 a consolidation of boards which