New-York tribune., 1907-05-19
TEMPERANCE CLASH ON.
DR.. Wills Refuses Chairmanship of
PRESBYTERIAN Committee.

! Columbus Ohio. May 1s.-At the session OF the
Presbyterian General Assembly to-day Moderator
! Roberts took the vexed temperance question by
! the horns by appointing the Rev. Henry T. Dosker
OF Louisville, as the successor OF the Rev. David
Wills, tr. of Oswego n. Y, who created somewhat
of a sensation to-day by announcing that he would
not accept the appointment as chairman. because
OF the fight in the committee over the temperance
question The controversy is involving nearly all
the commissioners now In attendance at the assem-
bly,. but It did get to the floor of the assembly
to-day because of adjournment 10 Monday soon
after noon Moderator Roberts. according to a
statement he made after adjournment, Is deter
mined that the temperance question be settled at
this meeting. He said:
Il appointed the Rev. DR.. Dosker because know
him TO be a man who has not taken either side OF
the temperance question, and therefore / hope Tor
some definite action by the committee through him
as chairman I determined. If possible, TO have
the committee come TO some definite action on this
vexed question:
The convention adopted the reports minis
terial relief and Presbyterian brotherhood
The report of the board ministerial relief
showed that there were it's rolls last year 104
names-i21 ministers, 541 widows. "a orphan fami-
lies. widow of medical missionary. women
missionaries and 10 guests in the Merriam Home
at Newton. n. J. This is the largest number ever
upon the roll. The receipts $21S130. or, in
Guiding 2S0l5 for the permanent fund.- s246l6. The
aggregate amount of securities and cash hand
is 81 472, PCS
a statistical report contained the following fig
ures Membership 115S662; church offerings 81 l3O,
COS; legaces. S562 780 other sources 5724 total
income from all sources for 1867 s. 45S.522.
Although DR.. Wills refused 10 discuss the rea-
sons Of his withdrawal from the committee tenn
perence, 1t is the general impression IN the as
se1nbly that he desired to avoid participation in
any bitter fights over the proposition to make the
Anti-Saloon League the official organ through
which the temperance work of the Church is to
be done Many commissioners object to this and
want the Church itself, through accredited
mittees, to do the temperance work. Then a local
option bill which TO have been presented to
the Pennsylvania Legislature is another and i'm
portant cause of the controversy.
Seventeen temperance organizations Of Pennsyl-
vania agreed on bill, and this was given to Mr.
Nicholson, OF the Anti-Saloon League as the story
/ runs, to be presented TO the legislature Mr.
Nicholson. II is charged instead OF presenting
bill which had been approved presented a bill
OF his own, which the other temperance organiza-
tions deemed weak and imperative as compared
with the one they had approved. This the
beginning OF the trouble
The temperance committees report does not
mention the league by name, but it contains some
significant passages. 1t that while it is
the duty of every Christian to participate in poll
tics the Church in her organized capacity.
should not interfere In political primaries, ad-
Vocate the election defeat OF candidates for
political Office or authorize to conduct po-
lttcal campaigns. or otherwise compromise herself
by political ENHANCEMENT"
Breaking silence for the first time since the
temperance question began 10 agttate the Presby-
terrain commissioners. the Anti-SaIoon League is
sued this statement to-day:
Developments yesterday fully confirmed the
statement that there viii he a stormy time In the
Presbyterian General Assembly over the temper
question.
II is claimed that instead of helping to get local
option legislation in Pennsylvania the position of
the assembly's temperance committee that OF
Eratuitous interference with the work OF league
representing the united action of all the churches
Those who are here from Pennsylvania say
/ Ing that the fight for local option compile
ton when the PennSy lvaEia committee formulate ed
a bill OF its own and called together informal
and unofficial gathering OF IA few representatives
from other bodies to indorse it's action.
II was said by gentleman yesterday who for
the last year has had intimate knowledge Of the
whole controversy that there Is doubt that the
Anti-SaIoon League and that In this effort II
has had The active backing Of few leading radical
party prOhibtpulsts. who. for reasons OF their
own. have never had sympathy with the league.
The Rev David Wills. jr, Is the pastor OF Grace
Presbyterian Church, OF Oswego. y. Y. wealthy
and progressive parish lie is a leader in religious
and civic circles in his home town and has
tracted attention IN many larger places shown
by numerous offers OF calls important pas
torates. He Is Il Princeton graduate and OF
the Rev. David Wills, OF New Jersey for many
years Il well known Presbyterian clergyman.