The Saint Paul globe., 1904-05-29
ASKS MINISTERS
TO SRUN CIGARS
Presbyterian General Assembly
Completes It's Yearly
Tasks.

BUFFALO,, N. Y. May 28.-The
Presbyterian general assembly brought
its sessions to a close tonight. The
sessions, it is believed, are the prelude
20 union of all branches of the Presby
terian denomination in the United
States. The question of union will now
be submitted to the presbyterieS. The
relations between. the mother church
and the Presbyterian church south and
the United Presbyterians also tend to-
ward unity.
The membership Of the committee on
church cooperation and union was in
creased from eight to fifteen, the new
members being Moderator Henry, OF
Philadelphia: DIR. F. L. Patton, of
Princeton; President Moffatt Of Wash
fngton and Jefferson college; S. p.
Nicolls, of ST Louis; Prof. John De
Witt, CT Princeton seminary; L. P.
Severance, of Cleveland, and H. G.
Cara, of Philadelphia.
Against Whisky and Tobacco.
The report of the committee on ju-
dicial commissions, proposing the es-
tablishment of a permanent tribunal
which would be a supreme court for
the general assembly, to which the as
Sembly could refer all cases involving
church law, and the report of the tenn
perance committee were among the or
ders of the day The latter calls for
advanced grounds on the temperance
question and strikes at the use of to-
bacco by ministers. 1t recommends to-
tai abstinence on the part of the minis
terS and elders from the use of lntoX1-
cantS, and the use of their influence on
the members of the congregations to
the same end. 1t recommends the
raising of $4,000 with which to prose-
011fa I1pH -nlsly of hea g.
tablishing of offices, with headquarters
in Pittsburg. The last resolution SIM
ply recommends that ministers and
those seeking the ministry be advised
against the use of tobacco.
The report of the committee on judi
ciaI commissions was adopted, as was
the report of the committee on church
polity.
A recommendation objecting to the
removal of the Liberty bell from Phil
adelphia to st. Louis and its eXhibi-
zion on Sunday was carried unani-
mously The committee on bills and
o7ertures reported memorial to the
United States senate praying for the
expulsion of Senator Reed Smoot and
the enactment of more stringent laws
against polygamy.
John l. Platt, lay commissioner of
Poughkeepsie, threw the assembly into
a temporary uproar by opposing the
report He held that it was a political
question with which the assembly, had
nothing to do. The vote was taken
and but five commissioners opposed
the adoption of the report
The assembly placed itself on record
against the protest of seven commits
sioners to the action of the assembly
on the question of union with the
Cumberland Presbyterian church by
adopting the report Of the committee
appointed to reply to the Protestants.
Vacancy and Supply.
The report of the committee on va
.caney and supply was read by the
chairman DR.. William H. Roberts. The
committee recommended that the
board of education be charged to i'm
quire into conditions prevalent in the
church as to candidates for the minis
try and the methods which should be
adopted to increase their number; that
the stated clerk be authorized to COM
municate with the presbyteries, with
view to presenting to the next assem-
bly, definite statements setting forth
Presbyterian methods Of dealing with
vacant churches and of securing en-
ployment for unemployed preachers
and that the committee on vacancy and
supply be discharged.
1t was afterward recommended that
committee of five ministers and four
laymen be appointed to investigate and
report on the whole subject. This was
offered as an amendment and the
whole report was then adopted A
recommendation that the Bible be read
In public schools was adopted
An incident which occurred during
the afternoon indicated that the COL
ored members are not altogether rec
onciled to the action of the assembly
IN regard to separate presbyteFies.
whereby separate church can be es-
tablished by the white inhabitants Of
the southern states where they are In
the minority.