The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-05-24
ENDORSE ANTI
SALOON LEAGUE
NORTHERN PREssYTERIANs TO.
LEAVE TEMPERANCE
POLITICS.
To This Great American Organization.
A Lively Session OF Assembly.

COLUMBUS. o.. May 22.-Follow-
ing two hours of exciting debate.
which at times became acrimonious
and verged' upon personalities. the
Presbyterian Assembly today. at the
close Of one Of the liveliest session in
| Us history, adopted without a dissent
ing vote resolutions declaring as Its
policy that the permanent Committee
on Temperance shall not embark upon
or interfere in political work. and in
dorsing the American Anti-Saloon
League as "a safe and sane and ef-
fective organization in the advance
ment of the great cause Of temper
, ance," and pledging to 1t the fullest
cooperation consistent with the con-
stitution of the church"
In anticipation of a momentous fight
on the temperance question every
Commissioner was in his seat, and the
gallery of Memorial Hall was filled
with spectators, a majority OF them
women. when, at 3 o'clock, as a spe-
cial order for the day the Assembly
called for the reports Of the Commit
tee on Church Polity and Temperance.
1t became evident almost at the out
set that a majority of the Commits
sioners were bent upon settling then
and for all time the controversy which
has been aroused by the conflict be-
tween the permanent Temperance
Committee of the Presbyterian AS
sembly, which has been intrumental
In organizing the Inter-church rem
perance Federation, and the Anti
Saloon League.
A programme which was sought to
defer action on the vital question had
been mapped out by the Committee on
Polity and Temperance, but this was
quickly dissipated when the Assembly
temporarily put aside the report OF
the Committee on Polity. and, taking
the report of the Committee on Tenn
perance. which had been directed by
the Assembly to define the duties OF
the permanent Committee on Temper
ance. adopted the following resolution
as a substitute for the one prepared
by the committee, which proposed to
create a committee to prepare dem
milton of the duties of the permanent
Temperance Committee and report to
the next General Assembly
The Resolution.
Whereas, the Presbyterian Church
has always stood for the separation
of the church and State, and the AS
sembly believes that the church in
its organized capacity should not,
through any of its agencies, be en-
tangled with the political organiza-
lions of the State, while urging upon
it's members as Christian voters to
take an active interest in political az
fairs, bringing to the service OF the
state a COnSCleIllOuS pei lpi "
civic duties therefore, be 1t
Resolved, that the Assembly de-
clares as its policy that the perma-
nent Committee on Temperance shall
not interfere in political primaries,
advocate the election or defeat of can
didates for political Office, enter into
the organization of campaigns, frame
bills for presentation to the Legisla-
lures, lobby before Legislatures or
otherwise entangle the church with
the political activities Of the State.
provided that nothing herein may be
construed as limiting the constitution
al right of petition as granted in our
standards.
Whereas, we contend that the
church, as an organization, must con-
tinue to do its own temperance work.
Resolved that the General Assem-
bly, of the Presbyterian Church, U. s.
A., most heartily commends the Amer
lean Anti-Saloon League as a sane,
safe and effective organization in the
advancement of the great cause Of
and pledges thereto the
fullest cooperation consistent with
he constitution of the church"
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