The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-25
SENTIMENT SEEMS
 ID FAVOR UNION Cumberland PresbyterianS Take Up MomentouS Question LONG SPEECHES ARE MADE pr. R. V. Fosters Speech Meets Re- sponse of Assembly-says There
 Is Something Behind the
 Opposition to Union.
LONG SPEECHES ARE MADE

Dallas. Tex, May 24-Debate upon the most momentous problem which the Cum berland Presbyterian church has faced in years that of the union of that organiza- tion with the Presbyterian church in the United States of America, occupied the attention of the general assembly here during almost the entire day. When the recess was taken this evening there were others ready to participate in the discus sion. There is no positive indication as to when the debate will end, nor what will be the result of the vote, though 1t is believed the commissioners will be glad to express themselves officially to- morrow afternoon.
 Five members of the assembly spoke on the question today. touching mainly upon the tree generally mooted points in the confession of the Presbyterian church in the United States of America:
 Fatalism or the doctrine of predestina- tion.
 The race question and the educational qualifications of ministers
 The contest specifically. is upon the adoption or rejection of a resolution | recommending the report of the commit tee on fraternity and union to the press l by the church for adoption which report declares for the union of the churches. Dr. Tempeton Speaks First. Rev Dr. S. M. Templeton of Clarksville. Texas, mover of the resolution, was the l first speaker. He declared that the former | tenets of the Presbyterian church in the United States of America, previously offensive to Cumberland Presbytreians, | had been cut asunder. Dr. Templeton l and William Robison of Texas engaged in d brief coloquy upon the question of the revision of the Westminster confess sion of the Presbyterian church in the United States of America.
 | Judge F. H. Prendergast of Marshall, | Tex, opened for the anti-unionists. He advocated strongly the policy stay where you are" He referred to the doc Urine of the Presbyterian church in the United States of America as 'musty cob webs that had fallen into disuse, even by a large part of that church."
 1 The negro phase of this question, he | said, was a question hard to surmount and barrier that could not be easily removed.
 "If they come into our churches" he said, then We have lost our influence 1 with great class"
 | He declared that the anti-unionists did I against their wills, and begged that they not be forced into it.
 Judge Beard on Negro Question.
 In the afternoon Judge E. E. Beard of Lebanon, Tenn. a member of the committee on fraternity and union, spoke for two hours upon the desirability of adopting the resolution and recommend ing the report. He declared that he | was opposed to the social equality of negroes, but he believed that he pro- visions of the report did not place the blacks on the same equality in some cases, even in the matter of admission | to Presbyteres and synods of the church.
 One of the strongest speeches, perhaps. | against union proposition was that of Rev. J. l.. Hudgins of Washington Ind. Rev. Hudgins declared that the two | churches were not generally agreed upon the subject some of both bodies oppos- ing it and that the doctrines of the Pres byterian church in the United States of l America were far distant from those l of Cumberland Presbyterianism. Dr. R. " Foster formerly president of systematic theology in Cumberland uni versity, Lebanon, Tenn, favored the union in a speech which was marked for i it's humor and for the response which it met with in the assembly. His plea was | that while the two churches might not now be able to agree exactly and abso- lutely on the matter of a confession, he l believed both could be easily united and | he declared 1t as his conviction that there was something else behind the opposi- | ton to the union more than a mere diff | ference in doctrine.
 Committee on Sabbath Observance.
 Before taking up the debate upon them, this morning, the assembly heard re- port from the committee on the Sab bath observance, in which a stricter ob- servation of that day was advocated and ministers were requested to preach on this subject
 The committee on finance presented it's report. One section, that upon the ques- tion of the general mileage fund, pro- voked debate. A motion was lost reduc- | ing the tax per capita from to cents 1 This tax is levied on each member for the purpose of providing general fund | to be used among those chosen as dele gates to the general assembly from pres | byteries, where financial provision has not been made for such expenses. l Large crowds especially of women, lis- tened patiently to the discussion of the union question from beginning to end | The labors of the assembly will be re- | stunned at S:90 tomorrow morning |