The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-22
Into One Church Is Prevalent
at Kansas City.
BUSIN ESS BEGINS.
Reports of Special Committees
Order of Today's Business.
DR.. Baxter p. Fullerton Sue.
ceeds DR.. w. H. Roberts.

assembly OF the presbyterian church
in America today commenced the i'm
portant business Of it's convocation.
During the next week the assembly
reports will be made from various
parts of the. world on every con-
ceivable phase of Christian work
connected with the church. None
will be more important than those re-
ports relating particularly to denomi-
national unity and the harmonizing
OF organized Christian religion
Evangelical work and it's progress
over the world and mission work both
at home and abroad will be reported
upon and discussed. Marriage and
divorce also are important subjects to
be considered. The spirit of the as
sembly was well expressed by DR..
Mark A. Matthews of Seattle, who
said:
81 believe in denominational or
ganic union. I believe the day is not
far distant when all branches of the
Presbyterian family will be re-
united, not as national church, per-
haps, but church true to. Christ, to
dominate in the spiritual affairs in the
nation"
The desire to amalgamate all
Presbyterians into one. church is
Of the conference and it is believed
that this general assembly will repre-
sent a long step forward toward the
realization of that idea
The sessions of the assembly today
will consist of the reports Of special
committees and tonight there will be
popular meeting in Convention hall
in the interest of Sabbath school and
young peoples work.
Rev. DIR. Baxter P. Fullerton of ST.
Louis. was elected moderator to sue
ceed Rev. DR.. VIM. H. Roberts of
Philadelphia. DIR. Fullerton was not
opposed in his candidacy for the of
flee of moderator, his nomination and
election being unanimous and by
reclamation. He was placed in
nomination by Rev. F. J. NiccolIs, of
St. Louis, and the nomination was Sec
onded by Rev. DR.. Mark A. Matthews,
pastor Of the First Presbyterian
church Of Seattle. In assuming his
i also became stated clerk of the as
| sembly. tst ..-.,f
| The election of DR.. Fullerton has
| happy significance from the fact
| he belongs to the so-called southern
| branch of the church, being the first
| the amalgamation Of the two
| churches. He has been located in st.
Louis for fifteen years and for four
years was editor of the Missionary
| Record.
After the election of moderator
sembly was affected.
| DR.. Roberts delivered his farewell
| sermon as moderator before the
! greatest audience ever assembled at
a conference of the church. There
were 500 authorized commissioners
| present from all parts of the world,
beside thousands of other Presby-
terfans and spectators. There were
| present representatives from Porto
| Rico, the Philippines, Alaska and
/ fro trin I,
sand churches with fully four million
adherents most of them communi-
cants. were represented.
| The new moderator assumed his Of
! flee at once and presided at the
| administration Of the Lords supper
| in Convention hall. Sixty ruling
elders of the church assisted in the
| ceremony.
/ Roosevelt Is Commended.
| In connection with the report of the
committee on Sabbath observance
| which was submitted by DR.. Arthur J
Brown of New York, secretary of the
| board OF foreign missions; Rev. Fred
| erick J. Stanley of New York, secre-
1 tary Of the American Sabbath union
| delivered an address in which he COM
| mended the law enforcement tenden.
| cies of President Roosevelt, Governor
/ Joseph W. Folk of Missouri and Judge
| William H. Wallace, of Kansas City
| and criticized the attorney general OF
| the United States, Secretary Taft an6
| Secretary Metcalf because they re-
fused to grant a petition requesting
that the soldiers and sailors of the
| army and navy be forbidden to play
| baseball or engage in other sports OF
Sunday. DIR. Stanley said that the Law
| enforcement crusade, which Governor
| Folk began in Missouri three years ago
| was directly responsible for the wave
of reform which had since spread ovel
the entire country. He said that Pres
ident Roosevelt was the first presiden
| since Lincoln, except General Grant
| who reiterated one Of Lincoln's orders
to government employees to abstain
from labor on Sunday. The order wal
! to the effect that there was to be Worl
on Sunday in none of the nine de
partments of the government excep
work of necessity or mercy. DR.. Stan
ley said that Idaho was the first stat.
to enact a law penaMzing the state of
| ficers for nonenforcement of Sunda!
| laws.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Stanley
address, Judge William H. Wallace 0
this city. was introduced as pres
hvterian elder and a criminal judge
who is the leading exponent of the en-
forcement Of Sunday laws in the Uni
: ted States"
The audience rose as one man ant
cheered Judge Wallace for severa
minutes. The criminal judge elec
| trified the assembly with a 10 min
| sneech in which he discussed Sab
hath observances not from religion
| standpoint, but as lawyer. He SAT-
That the observance of the Sabbath 1
a part of American law. He said h.
/ was prepared to prove the assertion
! by the history of America, our mod
J Of legal procedure and by decisions o
, the courts Of the country He sa1t
, the Missouri statute was practically
transcript Of the fourth command