Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-06-16
For Sunday Reading.
Al Sorts Of Opinions. /.

Division in Union.
II.iterary Digest.1

While the many idealists who re-
joice at every portent of reunited
Christendcm are joining in the chorus
of congratulations over the accom-
plished union between the Cumberland
Presbyterian church and the Presby-
terrain church in the United States of
America, situation is developing,
which threatens to disturb their happi-
ness and to give point to the cynical
comment OF a Roman Catholic journal
The New World, Chicago-which de-
fines the principle of Professionalism as
"the principle of growth or multiplica-
ton by the process of division" While
The Evangelical Messenger cleveland,
Ohio) was hailing this Presbyterian
unien as probably "the first link in a
chain of events which shall ultimately
bring together in one all the dozen or
more presbyterial bodies in the United
States" a party of LOG anti union dele
gates of the Cumberland body assem-
bled in another hall, where they claim
ed that they. with their following of
10000, are still the Cumberland Pres
byterian church. They state, moreover,
that they will make every effort to OBJ
tain possession, by litigation, of the
properties which belonged to that
church. In many respects the situation
promises to parallel the famous strug-
gle between the Wee Free church and
the United Free church of Scotland
(see The Literary Digest. January
and June II. 19G5). The secessionists
elected the Rev j. l.. Hudgins, of I'm
ion City, Tenn, as moderator, and the
Rev. r. H. Padgett of Memphis, Tenn,
as clerk. Their action in repudiating
the decision of the majority. is char
acterized by The Banner of Truth
Dutch Reformed, Holland. Mich.) as
"subversive of all order in Presby:er-
free from sinful schism' 1T is
great pity" remarks The Church Econ
omist (Undenominational, N. W that
the first actual union of two American
religious bodies that has resulted from
the tendency marked in the last decade
should be married by the possibility of
a long struggle in the courts" 1t
adds:
Are we to have a Wee Cumberland
situation in the United States? Many
legal authorities question the right OF
the majority in a religious body to
carry over it's membership and proper
ty to another body, even if no chang
of doctrine is demanded or implied.
There is no reason for impugning the
motives of the members of the Cum
berland church who oppose union, nor
should they be debarred from carrying
what they deem their rights to the
law courts. But what pity that in
the wake of union should come
strife!'
The secessionists. according to The
Herald and Preshyter (CincinnatD,
frankly announced that henceforth the
flight" is to be with the Presbyterian
church. The Presbyterian Philadel-
phia), comments upon their attitude
in tone of quiet sympathy To quote
in part:
I'VE can not wonder that they
should feel deep attachment to the
church of their fathers, and we SYM
pathize with them in the sorrow which
we hear that they have manifested
over the prospect of the weakening of
the organization they dearly love, if
not it's complete disappearance. The
Decatur Herald has enabled us to look
in on a meeting of loyalists held dur
ing the sessions of the general as
sembly. The scene is described as
truly pathetic One old gentleman who
had grown silver-haired in the serv-
ice of the church was quite overcome
with grief when he attempted to speak
and was soon obliged to sit down The
weeping was contagious, and intense
emotion was displayed, with some UNI
happy outbursts of anger and indis
Greet speech. Many people, said one
of the company, do not begin to realize
what the union of the two churches
mean to the old people among US. They
have been raised on Cumberlandism,
and they know nothing else. Their
church is the one thing for which they
are living above all things else. When
you take away their church from
them you take away their very life
blood"
Some of them have made great pc
cuniary sacrifices to prevent the un-
ion One old minister from the south
related that he had been drawing a
salary of only 5000 year, and he had
500 of that for the Loyal
list cause. We have painful appre
hension that more precious money like
this is to be called for. and perhaps
to be spent in VAIN