The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-04-17
CLERGY AND lAYMEN
BRAINS WILL M|AGLE
They Are to Mix at the Pres
byterian Meet
PLANS FOR BIG ASSEMBLY
Something OF Fight Is Expected Over
The Report Of Home Mission
Board

Chicago. April 15.-Subjeets relat-
ing to every phase of life-rellgious,
social. educational. political and In
dustrial-wlll be considered by the
126th general assembly OF the Pres
byterian church. which will con-
vene Thursday. May q, in the new
ly erected $4,000 edifice OF the
Fourth Presbyterian church-said to
be the most beautiful Presbyterian
church In the world-located within
sight OF the blue waters of Lake
Michigan, near Lincoln park in
Chicago.
Rev. John Timothy Stone. ID. D.,
pastor of the Fourth Presbyterian
church, who was so Unexpectedly
elected moderator OF the general
assembly at Atlanta, Ca, last year.
will open the assembly in the fore
noon with a sermon in which he Is
expected to survey the church's
progress during the last year. Only
once before in the history OF the
Il
the retiring moderator convened the
new assembly In the church OF
which he was pastor.
Gravel Of Walrus Tusls.
As the moderator mounts the plat
form to preside over the afternoon
session at which the new moderator
win be elected, Rev. s. Hall Young,
ID. d.. who spent forty years of his
life doing missionary work In Al
aska, where he established the first
church of any denomination, will
present DIR. Stone with a gravel
made Of the tusks of walrus which
DR.. Young himself killed on one of
his expeditions In the Boring Sea.
A similar gavel will also be pre-
scented to the newly elected moder-
ator when he assumes the duties OF
his Office.
Because of the precedent estab-
lished last year in the election OF
DIR. stone as moderator from the
floor of the assembly. without any
| preliminary electioneering, no as
pirants to the Office OF moderator
have appeared. II Is expected none
will appear. In previous years the
pre-assembly scenes were much like
those attending the scenes before a
national political convention, when
rival candidates and their support
ers fought for prestige.
Arrangements for the physical
comfort of the 500 assembly's COM
missioners who will come from
every part Of the United States and
Its colonial possessions, and the
thousands of other persons who will
be attracted 10 the assembly and
the pre-assembly gatherings, have
been made by a committee of which
Edward II. Smith. treasurer of the
Oliver Typewriter company, Is
chairman. and w. Holmes Forsythe,
secretary On this committee are
business men such as Cyrus w. Nc
Cornilck. president of the Interna-
tional Harvester company; James
b. Forgan, president of the First
National bank, and Henry p. Gro
well. president of the Quaker Oats
company. An automobile tour OF
Chicago, through its beautiful resi-.
dent and congested factory districts
viii be one feature Of the entertain
ment provided for the commission
ers by the local committee.
Secretary Bryan to Speak.
The program OF the assembly Is
in charge of DR.. William II. Rob-
erts, stated clerk, whose head
quarters are I'm the Witherspoon
building. Philadelphia. President
Wilson and Secretary OF State Will
lam ]. Bryan, both of whom are
Presbyterian. are expected to be
present and address the assembly.
The big fight of the assembly's
sessions viii resolve around the In
terpretation Of that portion In last
years report of the board OF home
missions which says: THAT while
In fullest sympathy with every effort
TO revive, strengthen. and perpetuate
the country church, and with every
movement TO evangelize and Chris.
tianize the rural population, never
ttheless. the department OF church
and country life should be discon-
tinued as soon as practicable"
! Advocates of the development of
churches In the rural districts main
tain that the words "as soon as
i practicable" permitted the depart
ment to continue as long as there
was need for urging pastors in coun-
try districts TO become closely re-
lated to the everyday life OF the
rural districts instead Of their living
in towns miles away from their
rural congregations.
Result Of . Charge.
4 On the other hand those who ad-
yocate the diseontinuance OF the de-
partment OF church, and country life
say that the words OF the resolution
adopted by the general assembly
"as soon as practicable- meant the
Immediate cessation OF the activi.
J coasinued on PAGE Eight