The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-23
AID ANTI-SALOON LEAGUE Will Not Take Part in Political
 Work DEBATE PROVES EXCITING General Assembly Has a Lively Ses- sion-Adopts Resolutions Decar-
 ing It's Policy Without
 Dissenting Vote.
DEBATE PROVES EXCITING

Dissenting Vote.
 Columbus, O.. May 22.-Following two hours of exciting debate, which. at times became acrimonious and verged upon per sonaltles, the Presbyterian general as- sembly today, closed one of the liveliest sessions in Its history and adopted with out dissenting vote resolutions declar- Ing as it's policy that the permanent com mittee on temperance shall not embark upon or interfere in political work, and endorsing the American Anti-Saloon league as safe, sane and effective" or ganization in the furtherance of the great cause of temperance. and pledging to it the fullest cooperation consistent with the constitution of the church."
 In anticipation of a momentuous fight on the temperance question, every com missioner was in his seat and the gallery was filled with spectators, majority of them women, when at 3 o'clock, as a special order for the day, the assembly called for the reports of the committee on church polity and temperance It be- came evident almost at the outset that a majority of the commissioners were bent upon settling then and for all time the controversy which has been aroused by the conflict between the permanent temperance committee of the Presbyterian church which has been Instrumental in organizing the Inter-Chureh Temperance federation and the Anti-saloon league, A programme which sought to defer action on the vital question had been mapped out by the committee, but this was quick ly dissipated when the assembly tempor- arily put aside the report of the commit tee, which had been directed by the as- sembly to define the duties of the perma- nent committee on temperance and adopted the following resolution as a sub- stitute for one prepared by the committee which proposed to create d committee to prepare a definite schedule of the duties of the permanent temperance committee and report to the next general assembly.
 Substitute Resolution.
 Whereas, tile Presbyterian church has always stood for tts3 sapt itivn of the church and state and the assembly be- heyes tb.t the church in It's organized capacity should not. through any Of It's agencies. be entangled with the political organizations of the state, while urging upon its members as co-christlan voters, to take an active interest in political af- fairs, bringing to the service of the state a conscientious performance or civic duties; therefore, be 1t
 Resolved, That the assembly declares as it's policy that the permanent commit tee on temperance shall not Interfere in political primaries, advocate the election or defeat of candidates for political of flee, enter into the organization of cam paigns, frame bills for presentation to the legislatures, 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 constitutional right of petition as granted in our standards.
 Whereas, we contend that the church as an organization must continue to do it's own temperance work.
 Resolved That the general assembly of the Presbyterian church, United States of America, most heartily comments the American Anti-Saloon league as safe, sane and effective organization in the advancement of the great cause of tenn perance and pledges thereto the fullest cooperation consistent with the constl- tutlon of the church.
 The report of the committee on church polty was the first called for and was presented by Rev. Dr. William H. Full ton of Philadelphia. An overture from the synod of Indian Territory asking the assembly for a dellverance on the sub- ject of how the church might secure rep resentation in non n-ecclesiastical temper ance organizations had been referred to this committee. It reported a resolution bat txrl,i apxOnyUlpdfr dfrlnQ the work done by various temperance orgau- izations, and especially commenting the achievements of the Anti-Saloon league, Womens Christian Temperance union and like societies, the assembly reaffirmed the undertaking custom and policy of the church to avoid official representation in non ecclesiastical bodies, but raises no objection to it's members or ministers con cillating themselves with such societies as individuals.
 Electrifies Assemblage.
 Rev. E. o. Whtewell of Oklahoma City. Okla, immediately took the floor in op- position to the report of the committee on poiity and in a speech which electrl- fled the vast assemblage, made an inn passoned plea In behalf of the work which he has been doing in connection with the Anti-Saloon league toward se- curing a provision for prohibition in the constitution in the state of Oklahoma. He declared that he had been threatened by the brewery interests. who had told him that when the Presbyterian general as- sembly met, he would be called down off his perch When threats had failed, he said, an effort had been made to buy him off with promises of contribution to his church. He pleaded with the assembly not to put burning torch in the hands of the brewery interests of the Indian Territory and Oklahoma.
 Rev Samuel Semple of Lewisvile, Pa, declared that there was nothing in the constitution of the church to prevent the church federation from advancing any great moral reform, and cited the action of the assembly on the slavery question in 1881 Henry Jessup of New York de- tended the ruling of the polity committee and made plea for conservative action.
 Rev. Dr. Dosker of Louisville. Ky, as chairman of the polity committee, then reported that the committee had acted adversely on the overtures from certain presbyteres, asking that the Inter-church Temperance federation movement be abandoned and the Anti-Saloon league endorsed. The report declared that the ,.,aa coo oalafant with the attf-