New-York tribune., 1906-04-09
PRESBYTERY FIGHT ON.
Reformers Would Keep Clergy
Without Churches from Council.

The regular monthly meeting of the Pres
bytery of New York will he held at 10 o'clock
this morning at the First Presbyterian Church,
in Fifth avenue. between 11th and 18th streets.
The session promises to be a stormy one, as the
reform party will make effort. ii is under
stood to pass a resolution calling for some
radical changes in the methods of the organiza-
ton.
The committee appointed at the March meet
ing on the motion Of the Rev. DR.. Howard Duff
field to investigate the efficiency of the Pres
bytery will suggest it is said, that the best
to break UP the obnoxious czar rule in the local
Presbytery is to confne voting to clergymen
who have charges. At present all the members
have right to vote.
In the past members of the Presbytery with
out parishes have taken an active part in the
debates and business of the ruling Church body;
in fact it has often been noticed that certain
unattached members have not hesitated to play
a prominent role in the councils of the Pres
bytery.
Under the proposed reform that only clergy
men with charges be eligible to vote, the active
list of members of the Presbytery would be cut
down nearly 30 per cent. Among those who
would be barred from active part in the ahalrs
of the Presbytery under the proposed challse
would be some of the most influential men IN
local Pres sbyterianism. including not only cler-
gymen without charges, but all the secretaries
Of the various boards and charitable socletes
and the members of the faculties of the various
educational institutions of the Presbyterian
Church
In this list would be such we'll known men as
DR. Jonn Fox. of the Bible House; the Rev. Dr.
Frederic e Shearer. stated clerk and treasurer
of the Presbytery; DR.. George Lewis Shearer' or
the American Tract Society; Dr. Charles L.
| Thompson of the Home Mission Board John
! Newton I.yle of the Sunday school board; Dr.
Arthur Judson Brown, of the Foreign MISSION
/ Board: DR. William Wallace Atterbury' OF th3
Bible House; DR.. Abram Woodruff Halsey' or
the foreign board; Chancellor MacCracken or
! New York University, DR. Erskine n White, Of
the board of church erection. and dozens of
others.
| The argument of the reforners is brief and 20
! the point They say that the Presbytery of New
! York is a local organization. Because the Var1-
/ Gus church boards are here. the secretaries OF
! these are. of course. members of the Presbytery-
! The claim is made that these ought TO be
associate members without the right to vote, in
stead of active voting members and the same
argument is applied to all other members of the
! Presbytery who are not active pastors.
That this proposition will create tremendous
opposition is sure. and whether the reform party
will be able to force it's passage is a mooted
question
The meeting to-day is the spring session and
one of the most important Of the year. The
election of moderator, temporary clerk and COM
rnissioners to the General Assembly will be held
The present moderator, the Rev. George Nixon
of the fremont Presbyterian Church, in The
Bronx who has served for six months, will prob
ably be reelected.
Since the last meeting of the Presbytery in
March the reform party has been making plans
for the meeting to-day. and it is rumored that
several surprises will be sprung in addition to
tie proposal already outlined.