New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-21
RIPPLE AT ASSEMBLY.
Temperance Question Causes Some
MISUNDERSTANDING Issue.

Columbus Ohio. May pa sensation was created
to-day among the thousand commissioners TO the
Presbyterian General Assembly by the announce
nent that DR.. Henry z. Dosker. chairman OF the
standing committee temperance. would return
the overture Temperance referred 70 his COM
mittee on Saturday by the committee bills and
overtures
The overture in question condemns the organiza-
ton OF the Church Federation OF Temperance and
recommends that the Church give hearty support
20 the Anti-Saloon League. DR.. Dosker announces
that If is the business OF the overture committee
70 handle the temperance overture and he Will
turn II back to that committee DR. Dosker's action
is being criticised by many OF the commissioners
and the feeling the temperance question seems
TO be becoming rather bitter among some of the
commissioners The whole question is scheduled 10
come I'D next Friday.
The General Assembly was called to order at 9
O'Clock this morning to consider reports OF special
and standing committees and boards-work which
II Us now thought may take all of this week and
may run into Monday Of next week.
That q mistake made in 1865 in giving the
negro unrestricted citizenship was the ntmation
made in an address to-day by friend Of the negro
voter. DR.. Wilson. Of Pittsburg in connection with
the presentation Of the report Of the Board of
Missions for Freedmen. The sentiment re-
ceived with applause from the assembly.
4 have had men on this Board Of Freedmen say
TO me that they thought 1t would have been wise
TO have fixed educational qualification or prop
erty qualification. and let the colored men thus
citizenship, he said. This statement, according to
the speaker, gives full credit to who wrote
the amendment to the Constitution, and is dis
credit to the colored man.
DIT Wilson said the question was seriously asked
whether the colored had the capabilities tor
reach the citizenship plane contemplated by the
forefathers. He said that after varied experience
with colored men in different parts OF the country
he was fully convinced that they did have those
capabilities Putting the degraded Southern negro
at the side of the degraded Pole the degraded
slav. the degraded Italian. he said he would Sc
lect the degraded Southern negro as the one pos
sessing the most capabilities OF being transformed
into good American citizen. There are more
possibilities among the negroes than among the
degraded alien population. he said
The most important report to-day that Of the
referred at the last assembly the overtures of ia
be given to the ACCESSIBILITY Of consolidating the
church boards.
ress, and advised against consolidating any two
or more boards asserting that i action were
al once The committee also took into considera-
the church boards. and reported at length on the
Improvement Of executive oversight and direction.
in the cbnrcb toronebiv orgsnzes The syynods
the presbyteries and the assemblies lacked an ex-
ecutve administrative head at all times except
It was of the opinion that the Church large had
suffered from this fact It advised giving presby-
teries and synods the power to appoint executive
commissions, with administrative powers only, of
It advised similar commission for the General
Assembly to act sort Of advisory council for
the moderator and to 90 the Work Of some Of the
be composed of the moderator and the two pre-
ceding moderators and three classes OF four
vsed also that the term Of all synodical and pres
byterian moderators be made one year.
be adopted by the assembly they would then be
referred back 10 the preshyteries for ratification
by a majority Of them before the changes were
made law The new plan cannot, therefore, be put
into execution before next year.
mon showed total rAceDfs from eli sources 6,rng
the year to DE SlS2S8l about s125o0 under the
tribItions for the previous year. The loss. lies
mainly the decreese IN individual gifts and lega-
cies The board now las under its care lis schools.
good progress in its efforts IN behalf Of the negro
race ooth IN Inc pulpit and me schooroom. ~
school work OF the board IS in healthy and hope
ful condition. Bvery boarding school is full 10
the day schools are pleading for boarding depart
rnentE that they may receive students desiring to
come from the rural districts Some or the pupils
now attending these schools walk from six TO ten
miles daily The gaaGuafiss e from our boarding.
public schools and the demand for these is greater
The report OF the college board showed that dur
ing the last year 10000 was put into build
sl,5coo05 offered Presbyterian colleges on condition
IhaS ie5s man t|lce as nueh more were raised
out he necessity Tor new coileses n many states
and territories. besides Cuba, Porto Rico and
Alaska. II showed that the Presbyterian Church
in all its branches had only one-third as many
colleges as the Baptsts one-half as many teachers
as the Methodists and less than one-half many
pupils and one-half the property OF the Congrega-
iional institutions
nan work among seamen and soldiers pre-
scented by the Rev. DR.. John Bancroft Devins
placed special emphasis the inadequate mum
her Of chaplains for the navy. there being only
which he said, President Roosevelt had termed "a
disgrace