The Topeka state journal., 1900-05-24
TOO MUCH POLITICS
Is Charged to. Exist in the Pres
byterian General Assembly.

st. Louis, May 24.-There was a percep-
tible. decrease in the attendance at the
Some OF the weightier matters having
been disposed of, number OF the COM
missioners have left for their homes. All
of the principal reports have been sub
mitted and with the exception of Peoria
overture, which occupied the time of the
assembly this forenoon, the remaining
business will be mainly routine The sec
ond order of business this forenoon, was
the report of the standing committee on
the board Of publication and Sabbath
school work. The report was a lengthy
one Throughout it was given close at
State Clerk Roberts announced that If
the business in hand today shall be dis
posed of, the assembly will adjourn Sat
urday afternoon at O'Clock
who Will preside at the echo meeting of
the Ecumenical counci lthis evening. was
introduced and made brief address
vices at the opening of today's session,
Rev. DR.. Wallace Radcliffe, of Washing
against the Peoria overture. and in favor
of the majority of the special committee
ing committees Of the assembly,; which
was interrupted last Monday The ma
jority report, which is signed by six mem
appointment of a committee of twenty
one to assist the moderator in making up
the standing committees. The minority
report is what is known as the Peoria
overture. 1t is signed by the chairman of
the committee, Rev. DR.. Isaac A. Cornell
ison. This overture, which has been
| adopted by a number of Presbyteries
throughout the United States would take
from the moderator the power of appoint
! ing committees by allowing the commit
| tees to choose their successors and elect
| The vigorous campaign which was wag
ed over the overture last Monday made
/ in the matter.
DR.. Radcliff said that printed matter
! had been circulated throughout the
| churches which put a mark of dishonor
upon the majority report He said it was
untrue that the stated clerk practically
controlled the assembly IN the method OF
! appointment He objected to the Peoria
| overture. because it deprecated the parity
1 of the constituency OF the general assem-
| bly, in which he firmly belileved- Dr. Rad
| cliffe said the overture was a diagram
| difficult to explain, but back of the dia-
| gram stood the stated clerk. He ridi-
| culed the odd and even number Sectlon,
| odd and even numbered years and even
| numbered committee. He said there was
too much politics in the overture 1t was
political in its origin and political IN
| a legislative body and needed no political
machinery. He would be willing to have
the whole thing tabled and let the present
method of appointment go on.
Rev. DR.. Isaac A. Cornelison, Chairman n
of the special committee, ana champion OF
| the Peoria overture, followed DR.. Rad
cliffe. In his preliminary statement, Dr.
| Cornelison said the Peoria overture was
/ not intended to be an expression against
any of the officers of the assembly It
was an expression against the method of
appointment. There were possible evils
| in the present methods. The suspicion of
| an evil in the church, he said, was evil.
| He met the objection that the Peoria
| overture was cumbersome and impractic-
| able He admitted that it appeared con-
| fusing on its face and so was the man.
| cial theory but once tried it gave salts
| faction. He then explained that odd and
even feature of the minority report The
| Peoria overture. he declared, did not ques-
ton the integrity of the moderator, b It
it did question one mans ability to ap-
point intelligently and justly. the large
number of men required Tor the commit
At this point. the hour for the second
order of the day having arrived, turther
discussion of the minority report was
postponed until Friday morning
The second order Of business was then
taken up, Rev. DR.. George. Penticost, D.
D.. chairman of the standing commlttee
on the report of the board of publication
and Sabbath school work presented the
Following the reading of the report and
the Recommendations, DR.. Penticost spoke
| in support of the work of the education
board and pleaded for It's support he
! Maid special tribute to the wisdom of the
men who led the movement OIL erecIins
| the MAGNIFICENT buildings of the board IN
New York and Phlladelphla. Each year
the revenue from these buildings has IN
creased.
Rev. E. r. Craven, D. D., chief secre-
tary of the board, then stated that the
value of the literature that was being
spread broadcast was wonderful he SAID
the work of the board followed the wan
dering of the nation across the continent
It's influence was felt IN the caDlnS anC
dugouts on prairies and in mountains
where Sunday schools had been establish
| ed by this board These Sunday schoo
sionaries of the church The work was
prospecting, but the board needed the
| mans to quadruple It. .,
| The report and recommendations OIL tnt
! standing committee were adopted
Adjournment was then taken until al
ternoon.