The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-05-03
The CHURCH SOCIALISM FUSS
THE REV. PERCY GRANT AND HIS
VESTRYMEN EXPLAIN.

Ne III fetNnk anu WN Ehs'Vi "'"'''"
started the Reforms. They Say. but
It's Plain That the sunday Nlgnt
q Meetings VIII lie Limited In Scope.
The Rev. Percy Grant, rector OF the
Church Of the Ascension. denied yesterday
that socialism or any other subject is to
BE- excluded from his we'll known Sunday
evening meetings. He objected too to
any suggestion that the vestry OF his church
had taken a hand in reforming these sun
day evening meetings.
Anything that has been done, according
10 Mr.. Grant. was on his own initiative
he had decided. for one thing, to have
q set speaker for every meeting instead
Of relying on the talent that turned up IN
the audience. Furthermore, the speaker
In me future is to have a fixed subject
When he is through those In the audience
may have a chance either TO ask questions
or 10 express their own views, but they
will ALWAYS have to stlcL TO the general
subject Of the evening.
The change from the everybody talk
on any subject method was made, first,
10 promote order. and second, to add to
the value Of the meeting. The latter pur-
pose will be accomplished through having
everybody apply his mine to one subject.
OF course it's apparent under this plan
that everything depends on the subject,
II some subject like The Relation Of Charity
Work to the Church is on the programme
IL will be mighty hard for Herman Robin
son or any other labor union leader to
butt in and give his views on Socialists
without committing a grave breach OF
parliamentary etiquette. Some members
Of the yestry have got the idea in some
way or other that the meetings will be
more subdued in the future.
I'VE aren't going to shut out any subject
and we aren't going to shut Of any speaker, y
said Mr.. Grant. Then he added:
We want to know what the people are
thinking about. II we tried to eliminate the
expression Of anybody's thought the whole
spirit Of the thing from our point Of view
would be violated You can't change a mans
thought until you know what he is think
ing about
The only thing Mr.. Grant IS concerned
about eliminating is unparliameutary and
discourteous behavior.
I'VE want to get somewhere in our dis
~cussion, y said he. We don't want to listen
to a lot OF hotheads who have grievances
Mr.. Grant said the real purpose Of the
Sunday evening meetings was expressed in
the statement which appears on the tickets
Of admission. This statement had been
prepared since the unpleasant newspaper
publicity began, Here it is:
The purpose Of these conferences is to
promote a spirit OF brotherhood and mutual
understanding and TO furnish an impartial
platform where men may meet without dis
tlnction OF class, opinion or belief for the free
and courteous discussion OF the problems Of
life and religion. The conferences have no
programme or theory TO enforce or promul-
gate, and require only that each participant
should extend 70 the beliefs Of others the
tolerance he expects from his own.
That, according to Mr.. Grant, expresses
the spirit in which the meetings will con-
tinue TO go on under the modified plan Of
procedure.
Members Of the vestry gave Mr.. Grant
entire credit yesterday for having initiated
the changes in the meetings. At the same
time he was thoroughly familiar with what
some Of the vestrymen thought about oc-
ciurences at these gatherings, The vestry-
men took no action in regard 10 the matter,
but some Of them had talked 1t over among
themselves and their views had been COM
inundated To Nh. Grant.
A meeting Of the ye3try was held about
a week ago and the matter came up in
formally then when one OF the yestrymen
said he was glad TO see that Mr.. Grant had
cuItailed the meetings. Mr., Grant, ac-
coTding to this yestryman, agreed with
him then that that was the only thing to
do, that it would be impossible TO allow
professional takers to come in and run the
meetings.
Another Of the vestrymen said yesterday:
The meetings apparently got along all
right until professionals, regular cranks,
heard Of them and began TO appear. These
people like to talk simply for the purpose
OF hearing themselve s and they ran away
with the meetings. The Rev. Alexander T..
Irvine presided, and these people appar-
emily ran away with him. He naturally
sympathizes with the socialistio movement,
and IL was suggested 10 DR.. Grant after he
had himself sought advice that somebody
else ought to be put in as the presiding
officer 20 shut out these professional takers.
mir. Grant wanted one Of the vestrymen
to preside, but the vestryman declined and
then Mr.. Grant himself took charge Of the
meetings. There is an excellent idea be-
bind the meetings, no doubt Of that, and
it's only a question OF keeping them within
proper bounds. As l understand Mr..
Grants plan now, the subject Of each meet
ing will be fixed and discussion will be
limited to it and nobody anticipates any
more occurrences such as those that first
attracted publicity 10 the meetings
The vestry Of the Church Of the Ascension
consists Of Judge Henry +. Rowland, Ed
ward n Taller, wardens, and Joseph 5.
Auorbach, John +. Berwind, John Clafin,
August Belmont, Edward r. Biddell, Charles
d. Fuller, William c.. Sheldon. William
Bunker and Joseph F. Haines, vestrymen.
"