Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-11-01

W 1xV IN HOA1GA w " N i
definitely in some instances became
so great as to seriously impair the
efficiency of the work in some of
the newer conferences, where al
ways great sacrifices are demanded
on the part of both preachers and
people.
CHAPTER XVI.
had been deeply impressed in
my visits among the churches by
what had believed to be an urgent
need for a new hymnal, which would
meet the call of the times in the
smaller churches and country con-
gregations. The Hymn and Tune
book had been in use for nearly
thirty years, and while it was un-
questionably the best that had ever
been compiled by any church, and
was so rated among competent
judges, it had, nevertheless, Outlived
it's greatest usefulness in the small
er churches, especially in the west,
and had been supplanted in many
of these churches by the cheap pro-
ducts of mere rhymes which had be-
come an offense to the more cultivat-
ed minds in our congregations, who
had found it very hard to endure
them.
The Decorah District Conference,
which held its spring session few
days prior to the assembling of the
General Conference. had, at my re-
quest, passed some strong resolu-
tiOns favoring a new Hymnal. These
resolutions l presented to the Gen.
eral Conference, and on my motion
they were referred to the Committee
on Book Concern. Shortly afterward
several other papers touching the
same subject were sent in from diff
erent sections of the country, some
OF which were referred to the Com
mittee on State of the Church.
When Upper Iowa was reached on
the call of Conferences, presented
a resolution calling for new hym-
nal, and moved that it, and all other
papers upon that subject be refer
red to the Committee on Book Con-
Germ, which, after some discussion,
was agreed to. All papers having
reference to the Hymnal were placed
in the hands of subcommittee, of
which l had been appointed chair
man, and that committee. after faith
fully considering the mattrr, formu-'
lated report which was agreed to
by the full Committee on Book Con-
Germ, and was reported through the
chairman, Governor L. Nj. Shaw, and
adopted by the General Conference
with almost no opposition.
The Board of Bishops was author
lied to appoint a committee to carry
out the action of the General Con-
ference, which, in due time was
done, not, however, in the manner
intended by that body. Evidently the
gentlemen appointed to prepare the
new Hymnal misapprehended the de-
sign of the General Conference, for,
instead of giving the church Hym-
nal containing three or four hum
dred hymns, available for use in the
smaller churches, Sunday schools,
prayer meetings, etc., and which it
was hoped, would drive out the
cheap trash which had for years been
flooding the church to its hurt, the
appointees OF the Bishops, acting in
conjunction with a similar commit
tee from the Methodist Episcopal
Church, Sout., entirely ignored the
great need Of the church in the
country districts, and in the face of
repeated statements from gentlemen
we'll acquainted with the intention
of the General Conference, projected
upon the church q book, which,
though Of undoubted quality, was
not what had been asked for, and
was, therefore, something of a dis
appointment to all our people who
were alive to the pernicious influence
of much OF what for years had been
supplanting the best hymns of the
great religious poets of our own and
other churches.
This feeling was strongly enunci-
ated by DR.. j. NJ. Buckley, editor Of
the Christian Advocate, in private
correspondence, and also through
the columns Of his paper. l had had
some correspondence with promin-
ent men in the east, who, when it
leaked out what the probable action
of the revisal committee would be.
had written me, inquiring what was
In the minds of those members OF
the General Conference who had
been actively engaged in pushing for
a new hymnal. To all of these gen.
tlemen ! replied, answering their in
Quiries to the best of my ability,
finding at the same time, from their
letters, that they had understood the
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