The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1911-04-22
AN OPEN LETTER
To the Assembly's Committee on Chris
tian Education and Ministerial Relief
Touching the Assembly's Home and
School.

tian Education and Ministerial Relief
Touching the Assembly's Home and
School.
(By a minister of the Winchester
Presbytery)
Gentlemen
IL appears from a letter, signed
by three of your committee, In reply
to the open letter addressed to you
by the ladies OF the Home and
School at fredericksburg. that II
was not your purpose to give pub
Lefty TO this matter" Il. e. TO the
changes you propose to recommend
20 the Assembly in the management
Of the Home and school, but grad
ually and quietly TO endeavor tC
perform the clear duty laid upon
you by the Assembly" but owing tc
me persistent demands of one mar
backed by similar demand from
some Of your committee. you were
induced to make public your recon-
mcndations
Yet In these plans which you have
Deen pressing gradually and quiet
ly.' YOU are recommending radica
,hanges changes, which In the
opinion expressed by the ladies OF
The Home and School in their open
letter. and in that of many Others
who have been in close touch Will
the institution. and men whose opin
ions ought to be worth nj least "a
much as that OF secretary who
has spent only fOrty-cight hours IN
Fredericksburg and who in tha
time visited only one home of the
1cneficiarios of the institution ant
that not the home of a widow
means the death OF this one Of the
most cherished institutions ant
Chrisiianlike bcneficences of oul
church.
You say. and very truly. your
committee has no power To make
ny radical changes In the Home
and school," but you know. an'
every one else knows. that your rec
concentrations will be placed by the
Assembly i'm the hands of a com
mittce. and that that committee vii
naturally and as matter OF course
.all before II members Of your com
nittee for suggo stiOns and tina
these suggestions will have grea
weight with the committee. You are
.areful not TO state what will be Tho
lAaractcr of your suggestions. Yot
doubtless know what you are COINS
% suggest You doubtless have
your blank form for formal apph
cation for admiltance" already pre-
pared: that blank may involve
very radical change that will reyolu
,ionize the management OF the insli
ution You have doubtless in mine
he age limit" you are going &c
suggest. That too may involve VERY
.dical changes You express YOU
De- ided opinion on one point and /
is that opinion that is giving uneasi
ness To the friends OF the insiiiu
ion. viz. the abolishmcnt of the
school feature OF the Home or Ger
tainly the college feature. You say
however that you are only asking
Tor specific instructions on this
point The Assembly OF 1908. Min
> 40. and 1909. (Min. p 2D. have
sivcn explicit directions for the
maintenance Of q school, and. 81
net directly. by fair and nee ssarl
inference. said that is should rc
ain its college rank. Your CON
mittee is pleased 10 ignore these III
structions of two recent Assemblies
md ask now. in effect. not for in
rrnc ions. bat for change of in
i.uc.ions such as will meet will
-FOUR approval Your letter says
,ou have no desire to make radica
changes Some OF us think tha
the recommendation that you have
reluctantly made public are radica
and since, in your view these are
not radical. we are anxious TO know
what you are going TO say 10 the
Assembly's committee when II asks
YOU for suggestions az 10 carry
ing out your recommendations. Al
kinds Of radical and revolutionary
changes may be involved in thal
Formal application blank" in tho
age limit" and In your suggestion;
as TO the educational features of th'
Home
Why is il the purpose OF your
committee not TO give ANY pubiicit,
20 this natter You speak OF zen
deavoring to perform your cleal
duty" As the servants Of tho
church you have but one clear duty
and that is TO obey the expressed
will OF the church How are you
10 find out the will Of the church
By gradually and quietly laying
your own views OF the matter before
The Assembly and quietly seeing
10 "a that other views are not pre-
scnted?
An executive committee is moth
ing but servant OF the body that
creates it. and its one clear duty
is to obey If your committee has
some radical changes TO suggest, oil
if it thinks that some previous AS
sembly has blundered in the direc'
lions It has given, the proper meth
cd of procedure according TO the
writer's VIEWS to make a full
statement OF your views to the
church through the church papers
and that in time for the Presbyterie
10 consider them so that the voice
Of the whole church may be heard
in the Assembly which is TO act on
your recommendations How can
the wisest and fairest committee
voice the wishes of the church when
The well laid plans OF an executive
committee gradually and quietly
prepared. are argued before 1t and
no opportunity has been given tor
the church at large to speak. Little
opportunity is afforded to committee
men TO ascertain the wishes OF the
church after they have reached the
Assembly. The writer Is one, and
there are others, that does not APP
prove of your quiet" way OF en-
deavoring to perform your clear
duty" and cannot conceive OF your
having. as committee, but one
clear duty" and that-to execute
the expressed will OF the church
and we believe that that is to be
ascertained, not by secrecy, but by
publicity. In justice TO yourself as
we'll as in justice to the Home ana
School and in fairness to the church
which certainly has the right 10
know something OF your plans, we
respectfully call on you to make
full statement OF the suggestions
that you propose to make to carry