Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-05-22
WITH ELECTION OF MODERATOR
OUT OF THE WAY oRGANlzA-
,TioN SETTLES DOWN ON RouT-
INE LABoRs OF MEETING.
ANNIVERSARY OF
CALVIN OBSERVED
RAa@9T OF EXECUTIVE COMMIT
TEE PREcIPlTATEs FIGHT; DR..
BARKELY OF DETROIT THE
NEW MODERATOR.

Denver, May 21. - The general as
Bembly Of the Presbyterian church
met at o'clock this morning and be-
fore adjournment at noon the organi-
cation for the actual business of the
church executive body was well under
way. DR.. VIM. Henry Roberts of Phila-
delphia' was reelected state clerk and
Judge Charles S. Holt Of Chicago was
appointed vice moderator. Various vot-
ing districts submitted their nominees
400th anniversary of the birth of John
Calvin will be celebrated this after
noon.
Fight over Two Reports.
The beginning of what bids fair TO
become one of the hot fights of the
Presbyterian assembly, that of the
adoption OF the report of the execu-
tive commission took place this morn
ing. The regular report OF the COM
mittee was submitted and permission
was given for its consideration at a
latter time. A few minutes after tn :
report had been submitted DR.. Fuller.
ton, the retiring moderator, who is ex-
officio chairman Of the executive com.
mittee, submitted a special report pro-
yiding for the discharge of the
finance committee and the apportion-
ment Of a budget for the benevolent
and missionary boards. This report
caused several sharp encounters, prin-
cipally brought about by the objec-
ton of a number of the commission
ers to the adoption Of special re-
port before the regular report had
been acted upon.
Fullerton Avoids Conflict.
Fullerton then receded from his po-
sition and agreed to have a printed re-
port in the hands of the assembly that
1t might be read by the commissions
ers before 1t was made the subject of
debate. Thus further clashes were
avoided, but there is every indication
that there will be some sharp debate
when the two reports are brought Up
for final consideration.
One of the interesting reports today
was that of the special committee on
marriage and divorce. The committee
which asks permission to further con-
slider this subject for report to the
next assembly calls attention to the
alarming increase Of the number of
divorces granted as shown by the gov
ernment census. "The census" the
report says, tells a story that sur
prises the people ard shames Chris
tian nation
Barkley is Moderator
Dr. James N. Barkley of Detroit, a
veteran of the confederate army, was
elected moderator of the Presbyterian
general assembly late yesterday, re-
ceiving 503 votes against 292 votes for
DR.. Edgar P. Hill of Chicago.
The election of Dr. Barkley, which
came as a surprise in view of the
great show of strength made before
the election by DR.. William L. Nc
Evan of Pittsburg and DR.. Hill, was
made unanimous.
Three ballots were taken. DR.. Nc.
Evan withdrew after the second. thus
avoiding long drawn out contest.
The campaign was heated to the
last moment The managers for the
campaign met the night before and Dr.
Robert Mackenzie of New York an.
nounced the withdrawal of his name
in favor of DR.. Hill DR.. Howard A
Johnston of Colorado Springs made a
similar announcement. It was thought
at that time that DR.. Hill was the
leader in tho roco