The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-05-26
COMPLETE UNION
OF THE CHURCHES
VOTED BY CUMBERLANDs
BY MAJORITY OF BUT FIVE.


terinns Has Declared for Union
with the Northern Church.
Dallas, Tex, May 25.-Complete union
of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church with the Presbyterian Church
In the United States of America was
favored tonight by the General AS
sembly of the first named church, in
a vote which was closely contested
and after a heated debate of two days
and night. The vote was 1872 for
and rs against a majority of only 3
over the necessary two-thirds.
The result of this test of the two
elements in the church was little short
of dramatic. The commissioners to
the assembly had listened patiently
since Tuesday morning to the argu-
ments presented. Those arguments
hinged in the main upon three points:
AS to whether or not the doctrine of
predestination was a part of the creed
of the PRESBYTERIAN Church in the
United States of America: as to
whether Ior not other races should
be admitted to equal rights in the
church in certain instances; and the
question as to whether or not the
educational standard of the Presby-
terrain Church in the United States
of America was too high.
Up to the night session, all of those
various features had been argued by
the opponents. The best forensic tai
ent of the church participated in the
debate. The close tonight was be-
E1cGnn Of n
lumbia, Tenn, and the Rev. DIR. >. M
Templeton of GAINESVILLE, Tex.
Judge Russell opened for the anti
unionists in an eloquent speech of an
hour and half. He devoted himself
mainly to the handling Of the predes-
tination feature of the Presbyterian
creed, pleading with the members of the
Cumberland Church that they should
not give up their belief and their
identity for the confession of faith of
another church. In closing he read a
large number of kilograms from con-
gregations and individual members
throughout the country, urging him to
oppose the union.
Votes Were Divided.
DIR. Templeton, who was the mover
of a resolution of last Friday that
the report of the Committee on Fra
ternity and Union which favored this
n, recommended
presbyteries of the church for adoption,
spoke for more than an hour in sup
port of that and in opposition to the
arguments advanced by the antis.
Both addresses were listened to with
profound interest, but when they were
concluded the delegates vehemently
clamored for a vote, seeming anxious
to finish the work.
The vote was called by presbyteries
and synods showing generally all of
them to be more or less divided on
the subject.
In Mississippi and the Indianola syn
DDS, which is composed of Oklahoma
bind the Indian Territories, and in
parts of Texas, there was strong OPP
position to the union on the proposed
basis.
Expressions heard tonight after the
assembly took a recess until to-mor-
row morning at 8 o'clock, indicate
that there was general satisfaction
that the question had reached a solu-
ton, so far as the assembly was con-
cerned and that the various preshy-
teries would approve the action.
Glad 1t Is Over.
Judge w. E. Settle, the moderator,
SAID: II am glad its over"
Further than that he declined to talk,
although he evidently was gratified n
the vindication of the Fraternity ana
Union Committee being a member Of
the same.
J. N. Parker of Tennessee, a strong
oppositionist, said: THE question
would not have been lost by us had not
some of our voters been absent. The
significance of it is that there will be
a split in the church: not now, but
later, when the presbyteries come to
decide on the question"
1t is expected that the assembly Will
complete it's business tomorrow.
The Morning Debate.
Early this morning the assembly was
almost continuous, the session listening
TO debate from both Sides r. H. King
of Mineola, Tex, for the opposition,
opened the debate. He reiterated the
claim that by the union the church
would lose its influence in the South
ern States. Ben f. Guthrie Of Macon
Mo-, supported the proposed union,
limiting that the cause of the opposition
to it was more matter of prejudice
than anything else.
Rev. B. L. Holder of Troy, Tenn,
denominated the movement as one OF
absorption" and opposed it vehement
ly.
The Rev. DR.. ]. S. Order of Smiths
Grove. KY, felt that the educational
standard in the Presbyterian Church
in the United States of America would
not shut out any of the Cumberland
Presbyterian ministers in the case Of
union.
In the afternoon. the Rev. r. w.
Binkley of McMinnville, Tenn, dis
cussed the anti-union side of the case.
He produced sensation in the as
sembly by the reading of telegram
from Prof ]. Ross Stevenson of Buff
falo, N. Y, noted theologian of the
Presbyterian Church in the United
States of America and member of
the Revision Committee of that body,
in which it was stated in effect that
the creed of the Presbyterian church
in the United States Of America had
not been revised in regard to the doc
trine of predestination.
The reading of the telegram was
received with a wave of applause by
the assembly.
Following this Rev. DR.. w. H. Black,
president of the Missouri Valley Col
lege, Marshall Mo-, chairman of the
Fraternity and Union Committee, and
who read the report upon which the
debate is Ringing, spoke favorably of
union. His speech was one of the
strongest that had been heard on that
side Of the proposition and was listen
ed to with marked attention. One of
his strongly emphasized points was
that regarding the race question. He
said it had been inserted in the re-
port because the Presbyterian Church
in the United States Of America con-