The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-05-20
THE DAILY GATE CITY AND CONSTITUTION DEMOCRAT
MAY VOTE TO
ADMIT WOMEN
Have Suggestion Tor
Referendum Vote of Entire Mem
bership on Permitting
Women as Elders.

PHILADELPHIA. May 20.-The
privilege of admitting women TO ordi
nation as ruling elders will be SUD
! mirted to referendum vote OF the en-
tire Presbyterian church Throughout
the United States If the recommsn'
dation Of the commission especially
lappoinfed to investigate the matter
/ is approved by the Presbyterian gen.
eral assembly, which opens ITS oHi'
IciaI annual sessions in Philadelphia
tonight.
The commission on the official Nc
llation OF women in the church con-
sisfs of Rev. s. Hall Young, chair
man. New York; Rev. Edgar W.
Work. New York; Rev. William l..
Barrett. Bellefontain, Ohio; John 4.
Manson. New Haven, Conn; and
Rush Taggart, New York. 1t has been
investigating the subject for the past
wear. II canvassed the opinion OF
leading ministers. elders and women
of the Presbyterian church.
This survey showed that the scrip
rrures did not forbid either women
elders or women preachers: that
three other denominations ordan
women to the ministry, but few
women avail themselves of the privi-
Iese. that four other denominatiors
did not have women preachers and
are not inclined to have them; that
the evidence shown is favorable 10
women as ministers; that of the
Presbyterians canyassed sixty per-
cent favored women as elders, forty
eight and one-half percent favored
women as ministers, while thirty-ons
and one-haf percent opposed any
change in the present usage of the
ch urch.
The general assembly Of 1919 te-
ceived three overtures; one from the
presbytery of Columbia river asked
that women be made eligible to orif
nation both as ministers and ruling
elders: the presbytery of Saginaw,
Mich, asked that they be ordained
as ruling elders: and the presbytety
of Dallas, Texas. asked that a con-
mittee be appointed to investigate
the whole question OF enlarged oppor-
tunities for women in the church.
These oyertures were referred to
the assembly's committee of polity.
A majority of the committee recon-
mended that the assembly take no
action: a minority report asked that
a committee be appointed TO take
under consideration the whole matter
of enlaFsing opportunities for women
in the church and to report to the
next assembly The minority report
was adopted and the committee ap-
pointed by the moderator.
The committee held several meet
ings and conducted campaign to
ascertain the usage in other denomi-
nations and to see what Presby
terians thought about the PROPOSE
tons. When the evidence had been
gathered, it was found such diversity
Of opinion existed that the matter
should be settled by the Presbyteri-
ans themselves
It was agreed TO offer a resolution
at the general assembly providing for
mail vote. The resolution follows:
Resolved, that the stated clerk be
directed to prepare and send to the
resbyterians for their action the
following overture:
Shall the constitution OF the Pres
byterian church in the e. 8. A. be so
amended as to admit properly quail
fed and elected women to ordination
as ruling elders, with all the rights
and duties pertaining TO this Officer