New-York tribune., 1906-05-19
DISCUSS CHURCH UNION.
HOT ASSEMBLY SESSION.
Cumberland Question Brings Threats
of CiliL Court Action.
IBy Telegraph to The tribune.

Des Noines. Nay ls-'If ever get into purea-
.o-v' said well known New York clergvrnaY 20
say Il shall send for DR.. James D AEonatt Of
washington and Jefferson College. TO get me out"
your friend would better plan how 70 keep out
ef purgatoTy than how 20 get OUT remarked a
commissioner. TO whom the word OF praise for the
string moderator had been repeated.
certain Il is that nineteen-twentieths OF the as
,srby were with Dr. AGofTatt when he led an
,srer excited company out OF the tangle in which
..sv found themselves over the Cumberland union
yhsher he led them legally or illegally depends on
tbe point OF view OF the man with whom one
e-saIs bus certain It is that he led them few
n those who were trampled by the stampeding
tost declare that the minority have rights which
sbe civil courts VIII respect, IL the ecclesiastical
courts 90 not
The Cumberland men. meeting In Decatur are
,sosv in the civil courts over the proposed union
snd the minority. which is asking for an lnJunc-
,ton against st. says that the Presbyterian assem-
NV has changed its constitution since the negota-
,oas were started. The stated clerk Of the Cum
berland assembly telegTaPhed the Presbyterian as
sernbIy that IL had not done so.
Or " H Roberts, the chairman or the COM
,o,tee on union denied that the constitution had
been changed but in order TO have all DOUBTS set
led he presented a motion which ne "lsne0
sonted removing all suspicion. that telegram be
sent at 70 Decatur.
DIP James Mcleod OF Scranton, opposed the sus-
Eestion OF DR.. Roberts, saying;
think We had better go very slowly ~ On "0u1S sc
important correspondence by the gentleman S ~
Sot think that this assembly can undo What the
presbyteTies have done.
T)r Dinsnore og California also entered his pro-
.es, against the action proposed by Dr. Roberts,
declaring:
The suggestion almost takes away my PEeafn; r. tba
eoSeerobIv can abrogafe this amendment it can
Sbrogste any part Of the constitution. Let US not
his his comnittee 12n should ofer such report
Dr. Roberts. in defence Of the committee. said:
We have made a mistake in sending down -.I.e tne
overtures amending our constitution am am Pa tt ~
iast two assemblies. We are not going to declare
hat the amendment viii not be in force until sub
7nitted 10 the presbyteries Of the United Church
Dr.. Laurie. OF Bellefonte. Penn. supported DR..
McLeod's position TO the amendment. but was in
terrupted many times while doing so by cries OF
'.lofatt-' ''Noffa1tT'
There are some people here who are little con-
fused said Dr.. Moffatt in beginning his address,
''snd the question in my mind is which party is
confused He continued:
In Buffalo two years ago the assembly adopted a
plan of action If it was not a legal contract II
vas really moral agreement and we are e. bound S
now IS 70 give Judge over Illinois our under
standing Of our own contract. And that is this:
When The union Is contaminated whether that
shall be this year OF another year. we VIII simply
back 70 the standards as they were in 1893, and
then II choose TO send down the amendments TO
f sd chc s oh % 90 go s But IT Of ONE ff Thing are
sure: We going TO keep our agreement with the
When Dr.. Moffatt sat down cries of Question:
arose from all parts OF the house. and II with
great difficulty that Mr.. Mcleod could get the at
fenuon OF the moderator. When he did SO he said:
There seems 70 be great difference OF opinion in
the assembly made mistake IN sending down the
oss5t-les II; -doIlatt SAYS llat tne C9nIAIIse
mace 10 IIistake. move 'Iet we refer THIS mat
Ter % committee OF Ave 70 report what action
This proposition was met with cries Of mol"
'No" and continued calls for the question. DR..
laurie seconded DR.. McLeods motion and DR..
James A Wor6en. OF Philadelphia moved lay It
on The table. while another commissioner made
esI Tor the previous question In the midst Of the
confusion Dr. Corbett nearly lost contol Of the as
sem5ly which seemed 10 forget entirely that st
deliberative body. The entire house apparently
wanted 70 vote. DR.. McLeod's motion laid
the table and the request OF the committee that
7ne assembly should declare the amendments IN
operative after the contamination Of the union
adopted by an almost unanimous vote. Dr.. Nc
Leod entered protest against this action, and
while he did not say that he would carry the case
70 the courts several commissioners said after the
meeting had adjourned that If any member Of the
Presbyterian Church chose TO do 50 he had sufIl-
;ion Il 3 Y nnfed 31 bv The 5oTv III that an as
seInbly legally declare part of the constitu-
oa 1--WE 6 699T 3 T6 ass6b TS Win the
The following telegram was Immediately sent TO
TIE Rev. Dr. J. II. Hubbard. stated clerk OF the
general assembly. in Decatur:
The general assembly Of the Presbyterian Church
q the United States OF America, in session at Des
Molnes, Iowa, May IS. 1895. has adopted a Tesolu-
Jion adjudging and solemnly declaring that by viz
Tue Of the adoption Of the basis OF reunion and
union the amendments TO the constitution or the
Church adopted in 1906 upon the consummation Of
union will be forthwith longer in force will
fhe% De operative IN the reunited Church, as any
part Of its ecclesiastical standards until and unless
gesubnlitted TO the pTesbyteries Of the reunited
Church This action specifically excludes from its
operation the amendment TO Chapter 10. Section 2
union. WILLIAM H. ROBERTS. Stated Clerk.
John H. Converse. OF Philadelphia, chairman of
the evangelistic committee: Dr. J. Wilbur Chap
man OF WInona Lake, its corresponding secretary;
9he Rev A Edwin Keigwin. Of New York and Dr..
Boyle OF St Paul. who is TO be IN Lake For
est spoke at the afternoon meeting and recounted
the successes of the year along the evangelistic
lines II is the best year Of the FIVE the Church
having received on confession OF faith nearly eighty
thousand members. Each Of the speakers made
deep impression the audience, and when Dr.
Boyle in his address quoted stapza from the
Glory Song" the entire audience rose and sang IL
with vigoF
The work of the committee VIII be continued
other year. when part Of It VIII be committed 20
the Board OF Home Missions.
IN naming the hour for the discussion Of the
book Of Forms and Services" what IS
called the Presbyterian Prayer Book, p. next
Wednesday was chosen. Dr. S. Z. Wishard. Of
Utah said that this hour too late in the day.
Or. Roberts replied that there we're so many re-
ports TO be submitted. and room must be found for
al Of them
When would you have the hour set for the dis
cussion OF this report?"
Early in the morning before sunrise replied
the veteran home missionary. This sally caused
an outourst OF laughter and seemed TO indicate
that DR.. Van Dyke viii have to make at least one
convert before the report IS adopted unanimously.