Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-09-03
MEDICATION FOR
REV. Mr.. MASON
PRESBYTERY COMMISSION FINDS
NO GROUNDS FOR cENsuR.
ING PASTOR.
RELATIONS DO NOT END
UNTIL TIME SET, OCT. |
Pulpit Will Then Be Vacant, as Per
Original Decree Of Presbytery-De-
cIares Pastors Statements Of Guilt
Due to. Overweight Conscience
Mason Happy Over Outcome.

INDICATED of charges filed against
him by officers of his church a few
| weeks ago, Rev. o. II. L. Mason, pastor
of the Long Beach, Cal, Presbyterian
church, is happy over the outcome.
Rev, MIR. Mason was formerly pastor
OF the Congregational church At Green
Mountain.
The commission found that there
was no ground for censuring Rev Mr.
Mason for his alleged actions, and de-
clared that the pastors statements of
guilt We're due to an overweight con-
science.
The pastoral relations will not be
dissolved until the time originally sol
by the presbytery, Oct. l, and the
commission commends Rev. Mr.. Mason
to any cuurch 10 winch he may be
called.
A Long Beach dispatch TO the Los
Angeles Express OF last Friday tells OF
the commissions findings as follows:
Loug Beach, Aug. 29.-The findings
OF the commission appointed by the
Los Angeles presbytery u inquire into
the difficulties between DR.. .. H. L.
Mason, pastor, ond officers of the FRS.
Presby terrain church, were made public
today.
The findings state that the commits
sion found no ground for censuring DIR.
Mason, ana also commend hin &c any
church to which he may be called. The
commission found no reason TO change
the order of presbytery continuing DR..
Mason as pastor Of the First Presby
terrain church until Oct. |.
The report of the commission was
drawn up by DR.. Robert Strong. chair
mand, and Rev. Henry p. WILDER. sec
rotary of the commission. When as.leu
where the report was prepared, d..
Strong stated il was drawn at a
friends house on Eighteenth street DR..
Mason's son, Cleon, lives on Eighteenth
street. and it is surmsed that the re-
port was prepared at the latter's home.
Mason Was Present.
DR.. Strong said that DR.. .. H. L.
Mason and his representative, DR.. j. A.
Stevenson, pastor Of the Santa Ana
Presbyterian church, We're present. He
said that they just happened TO drop
in. No representative of the faction
opposed to DR.. Mason was present, he
: said
f! The affairs of the Presbyterian
f, church of Long Beach were committed
! by The presbytery of Los Angeles to
/ iudiciel commission as an admins
I trative and not q judicial case.
| Commissions Decision.
The commissions findings ard de-
| cision in the case are as follows:
/ First-We do not see our way clear
| to change the decision of presbytery,
rendered a the request OF both pastor
and people that the pastoral relations
! between DIR. o. H. l. Mason and the
/ First Presbyterian church of Long
Beach be dissolved. and further that
/ the dissolution take effect Oct. !, 1913
second-We believe that DR.. Mason
has not been guilty of any offense call
/ ing for censure. His statements q
/ guilt have come from an overweight
conscience and are not 10 be taken in
any strict or liberal sense of confess
sion of Intentional wrong doing.
Pulpit Vacant Oct. l.
Third-At the end of the term. Oct
!. we declare that the pulpit will be
vacant in accord with the action OF
presbytery and we then authorize the
I session 10 MI Illt pulpit uHl!i W Oci W
presbytery In the meantime we urge
/ all parties TO consult in every possible
way for the things that make for peace
and not TO do anything as pastor or
people, in pulpit or pews, that will
tend toward any bitterness.
Fourth-We commend DR.. Mason to
any church 10 which in Gods prov
! idence he may be called, and we believe
I that his sore trials in this case will
/ lead 10 increased carefulness and
/ greater usefulness in such relations.
! 100 Happy to Speak,
/, DR.. Mason said: i am too happy to
speak The verdict speaks for itself. l
regard it as a complete exoneration.
The commission even went farther
than the presbytery itself
The report of the commission is
final. and nothing further can b- done.
The findings as drawn up by the COM
mission will stand AS the final report. l
am greatly pleased with the result.
knew | would be vindicated."
The elders of the church who have
been opposing DR., Mason would make