The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-25
ELECT FLETCHER
. DESPITE PROTEST
Unitarians Make Him Vice
President Over Heads Of
Insurgents.
DEBATE is ACRIMONIOUS
Declared Unfit for Position on
Account of Vote in Lorimer
DEBATE is ACRiMOl

boston, May 2i.-lnsurgency develop :
ed 10 day at the annual meeting of the
american Unitarian Association. when
about a third of those present foilowe d
the lead of the Rev, John Haynes
Holmes Of the Church of the Messiuh
OF New York, in opposition to the elec
ton OF United States Senator Duncan
U. Fletcher, of Florida as one of the
vice-presidents because of his vote
last winter on the Lorimer case.
On a rising vote, the motion OF Mr..
Holmes to strike Senator Fletcher.s
name from the list submitted bv the
nominating committee, was declared
lost without formal count Later. In
the ballot for officers. six of the vice
presidents elected received 460 votes.
the total number cast. while Senator
Fletcher received SIS
The Fletcher debate occupied the en-
tire forenoon. and was the most ear
nest affair Of its kind ever held By
the associa ton.
The debate began when the nominal
Ing committee presented its report In
which Senator Fletcher's name was
placed fourth In the list OF eight vice
presidents.
Formal Proteat.
Mr. Holmes offered resolution.
signed by the nine New York clergy
men and twentysix of those in and
about Boston, declaring that .'in view
OF the public services attached TO the
name of Senator Fletcher we do not
regard him as eligible to leadership In
that form of Christianity known as
unitarianism and protest against his
nomination as vlcepresTuent. fI
The Rev. a. j. Coleman, of jackson.
VILE. Fla. declared that the resolution
was an attempt to fasten a new me-
thod OF dogmatisn on the Dnltarians
Senator Fletcher voted for Lorimer
because OF the evidence against him
was not sufficient" said Mr.. Coleman.
He was actunted by the high sens,
of moral and political duty, and the
people of Florida are proud OF his re-
cord" ''"
IF you now repudiate Mr.. Fletche,
the Southern churches may repudiat.
what you stand for" We're Mr.. Cole
mans closing words
The Rev Mr. Todd. of Washington.
also defended Senator Fletcher as one
or his parishioners and resented the
resolution a s ''unwarranted interfer-
ence with the action of an individual
MI Holmes declared that the Unfair
ian Association could not place any
stain on the name OF Senator Fletcher
which the Senator had not placed there
already By his action in the Lorimer
case.
- Wouiu De Oetter 10 wipe out every
Unitarian church south Of the Mason
and Dixon line rather than place n
dishonered name on our list of officers. .
shouted Mr.. Holmes.
"As to Senator Fletcher said Mr.
Holmes. Il believe that he has failed
to cnsurc up to the standard be-
| lieye that he was conscientious but
what was tho matter with his con :
scicnce7 We do not want a man on
our list for whom we have to apollo
size."
The Rev. F. a. We'll. of Bellingham.
Mass. said that the issue was that of
individualism and the association had
no right to accommodate a man be-
cause he lived up to his conscience.
The resolution was also opposed by
Rev. U. G, b. Pierce. chaplain of the
United states Senate, and others.
On rising vote the motion 10 strike
Senator Fietcher's name from the list
was lost About one-third voted for
the resolution Officers elected we're
President Samuel A. Eliot. OF Cam
bridge; Vice Presidents. Reuben %.
Walker of Concord, ~ IT.: Eben S.
Draper, OF Hopedale. Mass; Miss En-
ma c.. Low. of Brooklyn: Duncan u.
| Fletcher Of Jacksonville, Fla: Charles
w. Amos. OF ST Paul: Paris Gibson. or
Great Falls, Mont Horace DAVIS. OF
San Francisco, and G.. w. stephens, OF
Montreal; Secretary, Lewis G.. Wilson,
OF Boston Treasurer, Francis H. Linz
coin, of Hingman; Director FOR Middle
and Southern States. Henry w.
Sprague.. OF Buffalo.
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