The Washington herald., 1913-10-05
Episcopal Leader Plans
Change of Representation

The general convention of the Protest
ant Episcopal Church, which meets il
New York on October s. will be the oc
casion Of a determined effort on the par
OF the larger dioceses in the country t
change the plan of representation in tn,
House of Deputies. The change will b,
/ advocated on the ground that the present
plan Of representation is unjust, inequita
tle, undemocratic and un-American.
| One of the leaders in this movement Il
| the Rev. DR.. Randolph H McKim, Of
| Washington, now the president of the
House OF Deputies.
At the annual convention of the Dio
cese OF Washington, which was held in
| May OF this year, DR.. McKim intro.
| dGced resolutions which were adopted
and which have served to start the agi.
uation that may come before the conven.
! tiCn.
In the preamble to his resolutions, DR.
| McKim set forth that under the system
OF representation now existing in the
church dioceses that have less than 3,OOC
COMMITMENTS have as many representa-
dYes and as many votes in the House
| of Deputies as those dioceses which con-
| tain 5000 or even $1,000 communicates
Legislation adopted under these con-
ditons," said DR.. McKim. may utterly
fail to reflect the mind of the church,
and may, therefore. fail TO command the
loyal support OF the several dioceses.
. Moreover, should any vital issue of
Christian doctrine or ritual, or ecclesi-
astical polity, upon which the mind of
the church was sharply divided, be de-
cided by technical majority OF votes
which really represented 4 small minor
ity OF communicates, the peace and unity
Of the church is seriously imperiIed
There is a widespread demand that
cur present undemocratic and un-Ameri-
can system, which is a travesty upon
representative government shall be
changed.
BY agreeing upon a certain number
of clergymen in a diocese as the unit,
in vote by dioCeses AMI orders, and o.
adopting the fractional system of voting
in the smaller diOceses, it is possible
to approximate equality of representation
without reducing or increasing the pres
ent number of deputies from the dioceses
The representation in the House of Bish-
ops, as it stands at present, approximates
sufficiently the principles of the equality
of the diOceses, after the analogy of
the United States Senate. The case has
been cited time and time again of the
Diocese of Lexington which has twenty
two clergy and 1887 communicates and
has the same voting power as the Diocese
of New York, for example, with 412 clergy
and $3.50 communicates,
Under our present system of repre-
sentatiOn. the two diOceses of Virginia
and Southern Virginia, with 19S clergy
and 3l.2OS communicates have i'm the
general convention sixteen votes. while
the six dioceses of Kansas City. Indian
apOlis Springfield, Dallas. Delaware and
Duluth, with 1S6 clergy and 24,29S COM
have forty-eight votes.
do not think it is necessary for me to
refer TO any other examples TO show
the injustice and Un-AmeriCanism of the
present system OF representation
The diocesan convention at Washington
by resolution authorized a committee of
three clergy and two laymen to prepare
A memorial to the general convention ask
ing that body to take immediate steps to
defects A few weeks later the
Diocese of Maryland passed similar reso-
lutiOns and these were quickly followed
by resolutions Of the Diocese of South
ern Virginia.
The convention meets for three weeks
in the grounds OF the Cathedral of St
John the Divine, and during those weeks
The men who want the plan Of represen-
.atiOn changed will work constantly to
AIRY out their wishes
Episcopal Convention Music.
The combined choirs of six New York |
churches. numbering about 800 voices |
will furnish the most noteworthy feature /
Of the musical program for the general |
of the Protestant Episcopal |
'hurCh which meets in New York in |
october.
Miles FarrOw. OrEanist at the Cathedral |
If St John the Divine and master of ,
,horisters is chairman Of the music COM
nittee.
At the celebration of the Holy COM
nunion in the Cathedral on Wednesday
morning, October $. there will be sing
ng by the regular cathedral choir of
wenty men and thrty-two boys. The
estival services. at which the big choir
# three hundred will sing. will be on
he evening of the same day. The choirs
o participate will be those Of the Cathe-
ral, Trinity. Grace, and St James
and the Trinity and St Agnes
'hapels of Trinity Parish At this ser
ice Richard Henry Warren. 9rganist of
he Church of Ascension, will play the
relude, and Arthur 5. Hyde, ~organist
f St. Bartholomew the pOstIude. The
erse part Of the Magnificat will be
Ung by the Trinity Church choir. and
here will be a tenor solo, from Stainer's
anthem, Lord. Our God" by Dan
'eddoe, of Grace Church. Walter Henry
Iall will lead the unaccompanied an
hem, Judge Me, o, God" by Men
elSSOllH, ana MT. + arrow VIII play the
ervice.
The concert by the Russian Cathedral
hOir will be on Monday evening, Oc- i
Dber Is, in the New Synod Hap This ;
oncort will be one of the greatest treats
repaired for the delegates which include ]
&c bishops, 3nj other clergy, and sos
lymcn. representing all sections of the :
nited States and its territorial posses- ]
ions. a concert given by this choir in
ehruary was regarded as one of the big l.
est events of New York's musical sea-
on.
On October % in st. Bartholomew
hurch, the combined choirs of st. Bar
lolomew and the Church of the As
ension will sing Horatio Parkerts ora
0rio. 'Hora Novissima," with full
rchestral accompaniment and several
motets. This service will
E under the direction of Mr.. Hyde and
n. Warren Besides the special musical
srvices to be held at the Cathedral.
ost of the Episcopal churches in the
ty are making special plans for must
II services during the convention.
The clergy have very generally re-
lied the report on pension relief Which
lie commission on that subject appoint
1 at the last general convention hasl
sued. The report is literally a monu-
ent of hard, painstaking and con-
,ientious work. 1t is not saying tool
UGH to say that no more exhaustive
zee OF work has ever been done by
ny set of men in connection with al
ension fund of this kind. No great in
france company or banking house could
! L.