Omaha daily bee., 1908-05-29
TEMPERANCE AND MARRIAGE
Church Reamrms Position that
nfvoroe Shoula Ne Granted
Upon ScrtpturaI Grounds
Only.

Only.
KANsAS CITY. May I-Chu-ch govern
rDenL temperance Rn6 marriage and divorce
were the important subjects before the gen
era assembly of the Presbyterian Church
n the United States OF America today.
By far the most important action of tire
session was the Adoption uf q resolu-iun
vtirh makes & impossible for any paid
sEsrf or member uf The church boards OF
auE permanent officer Of the general as
sambly. exospt the moderator, 10 serve On
ehs executive commission the ruling body
uf the AdnutniEtrsrivs affairs uf the church.
The creation Of the executive commission
Vas embodied in the report Of the commit
tse on Administrative agencies. adopted by
the assembly, and Il lie the direct result q
he ever recurring cry that certain men in
the church were acquiring 10 much power.
Prom this time forth new men VIII be in
charge of the EoveruHnenf Of the church.
The action today means that al the church
boards win report 10 the executive commits
sion q fifteen members. when il has been
selected. and that the government Of the
church VII devolvs upon men who have
not heretofore served In executive cspRe-
ties
While the Epesches made before the as
semhly Indicated thai a half dozen men
were IL The so-callsd ring" Il is an opeu
secret that Dr.. william Henry Roberts Of
Philadelphia the retiring moderator, was
the one man against whom the protests
we're aimed Commissioners talking about
Dr. Roberts ssid they loved him but thai
be was 80 efficient in the affairs OF the
church that nus very ability gave him more
power than one man Ehould have. He has
been in The assembly SO long. they said.
thai ne mad an intimate knowledge Of every
1elAA q the church government and prsc-
iicany dominated the business affairs ot
ghs church.
warm Debate on Resolution.
The resolution came NJ today in the form
Of ar Amendment 10 the report OF the com
uir1es on RdriuiEtrHtiFs agencies Rev.
Ettne NErnua htTnrtr uf Buffalo, was one OF
the fiiEt 10 suppur1 the amendment He
relterHted the statement he made before
the assembly TWO dsyE ago that too much
power mas being given 10 few men
Rerrei WIS EXPRESSED that SO many men
must be disqualified for service on The
szecutire commission tn order to set action
or less than a half duzen. Two hundred
rner are disqualified by the action II the
assembly today and The executive carurnis-
sion If 20 be composed Of but fifteen mem
berF. II was explained thai there was nc
purpose of rsflectinE upon the integrity o.
capacity Of anyone. that the men On the
church boards were UngDsstiansbly Rhls
and that IN some respects the church would
suffer because uf ths loss Of their services
on the executive board. but TINT the ten
oency toward rehabilitation In 1he churcA
government mus bs checked
Dr.. s. J. NiccoIls Of ST Louis protested
against the action which would cAEr .
shadow Oh s00 Of the best men in the
church. He sEia that ne himself was
among the -'uutlawbd" members and that
n felt he wEE entitled 10 some part IN
Nhe government Of the chur.h after his
long service IN IL. he Eaid the action dis
qualified for service In church government
such benetRctors OF the church as Louis
Severance q Clerelsnd who gives 10 the
church fram $4,000 to KuO.OOD every wear
and Jahn H. Converse Of Philadelphia. who
Is equally liberal"
The assembly then voted on and adopted
ths Amendment
Following this action. Dr. Hunter intro
ouced q resolution. rU be referred 10 the
oOmuiriee On policy, providing that CON-
tutttes be appointed 10 report al the Tx
general assembly IN an effort 10 secur.
action which would make possible ths
holding q the general assembly less fire.
qDsutly. as il was too much Of a burdsr
on the churches
Sentiment Against saloon
Eight million SIX hundred thouss nt
psopls Abolished The saloon last year
enrludinE four entire EtAtes Ths
seven prohlbi1iun states have a popu-
Nation of over 16000B B0a While ENa..
oO0 mere I've n uther prohibition terr1f ursr
BhkinE ahoui = per cent a The t1taI pop
vlEti0n q the Tinted states free from ths
hllEhtinE influence Of the saloon OF IN.
thtrry-four legislatures IN session last wear
twenty passed laws unfEvorabls 10 III.
nuuor traffic. wsne not q legislature hai
bssn in session the present year mas hui
Lot had uus or more temperance hills BE-
fore II. In recenf years no lsFislz-iu7
1EvorEbls 10 the Dgu0r traffic uRs beer
enAc1ed-
Such Whs the language IN Nhich M
progress q 1hs temperance movement II
the United Ets-cs VAS reported 10 The Ern
era ASSEMBLY a. ths Pnushy1eT1En rhUrCi
81 The Unitsa States q America TO-DAY.
II was shown that the victories q rh'
uppansntf q the hgnoT traffic were nuf con
fined 70 rural disrE1etE but in-lnoed Enoi
ciues az KEzsEEs CRY. kan; Atlanta Ca
Birmingham. Ala. and WOncesier. Mass
sarn Hlfh q populatin q 0Keg 10aHe Tea
other cirias uf over 5A090 twenty-five oFe'
~ 90 and ssVenty-EiE having berNeen SO
And NAUN hsVs bsnished The saloon
PaNsrfo1 On Divores Amrmed-
T,hs church rsHtfrmso is positian ina
civuroe should be granted only upon hihlioA
Erounsk. Ths assembly approves ths sf
farlt q ths lntsrnEriunGl conferences IN ~
fusncinE F,ablie oE,iEiun 10 oreruoms N
srils thht threaten lhs sEncurg q Ihs mar