The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-05-20

GENERAL MEET
BEGINS TODAY
Continued from Page One.)

ter are laughing at a story widely re-
Harlan, Associate Justice of the
United States supreme court, and an
elder in a Presbyterian church in
Washington was a candidate and will
dacy. Provided a layman was eligible
for the office, Mr.. Harlan could not be
elected because he was not chosen a
commissioner from the Presbytery of
Washington. Those who have studied
up the church government find that no
layman can be a moderator.
No layman ever has been made mod
orator. The vice moderator has often
been a layman. The late Darwin r.
James held this position when ne died.
Candidates whose names have been
widely mentioned are the Rev. DR..
Robert Mackenzie, retiring pastor of
the Rutgers church, and president
elect of the San Francisco Theological
seminary; the Rev. DR.. William L.
McEwan, of the Third church, Pitts
burg; the Rev. DR.. James M. Barley,
of the Forest Avenue church, Detroit;
the Rev. DR. Howard AgneW Johnston,
of Colorado Springs, and the Rev. DR..
Edgar p Hill, of Mccormack Theo-
logical seminary, Chicago. The most
prominent layman who is a commits
sioner is Rear Admiral Watson, of the
Louisville Presbytery.
One of the important questions to
come up will be that of meeting only
every four years, as does the Methodist
Episcopal church, or once in three
years, as does the Protestant Episco-
pal church, instead of each year. The
Presbytery of West Jersey has sent
up an overture asking for a meeting
every three years. Advocates of this
plan argue that thereby about $4,000
will be saved.
Another question to come up will be
the reduction of the size of the as
sembly. Since the absorption of the
Cumberland Assembly the body has
become too large, many think. At
present each presbytery is allowed
commissioner, clerical and lay, for
every twenty-four ministers and moi
ETY.; thereof. Now there is a PROPOSE
ton to make the representation from
allow one delegate for every 10000
communicates. A commission will ask
for 100000 for a uniform budget
for benevolent and mission boards :.
The question probably attracting
the attention of the majority of the
delegates at this time is the election
of a new moderator to succeed DR.. E.
P Fullerton. of Chicago This election
will be held at the opening session of
the conferences Thursday and is con-
Quoted by open ballet. At present the
two leading candidates seem to be the
Rev. Howard Agnew Johnston of Col
orado Springs and Chief Justice Har-
Ian of the United States supreme court,
DR.. Edgar F. Hill of the Mccormick
! theological seminary, Chicago, and the
Rev. DIR. Robert Mackenzie of Rut-
gers Presbyterian church, New York,
also have considerable backing
DR.. Fullerton of Chicago. the pres
ent moderator will deliver the opening
sermon of the conferences this morning
the question of The Enlarged Vision.
Following come reports of various COM
mittees connected with all phases of
| church work, the entire time of the
conference being given over to discus
| sion of the work by prominent minis
tiers. and church workers Arrange
ments have also been made for many
| pleasure trips to various points of in
terest about Denver
Every problem which confronts the
people of the nation from the divorce
question to labor and the negro. will
be considered from every standpoint,
some predicting q sterner attitude by
the church in is treatment of divorce.