The New York herald., 1920-01-30
FORUM DEPENDS ON
BISHOP AND VESTRY
Question of Continuing 1t in
Episcopal Church of Ascension
To Be Decided Today.
DR.. GRANT ATTENDS MEETING
Rector, Centre of Turmoil, Advised
by Writer to Hold Meetings and
Defy His Superior.

Whether the public forum. about which
there has been so much discussion will be
held next Sunday evening in the Episcopal
Church OF the Ascension, Fifth avenue
and Tenth street, will be decided at
eleven o'clock tomorrow morning at an
adjourned meeting of the vestry of that
church, at the parish house.
special meeting of the vestry was
held yesterday afternoon in the private
study of the rector, No. West Tenth
street. The Rev. DR. Percy Stickney
Grant, the rector who has been i'll ever
since the agitation against his forum by
the ecclesiastical authorities, attended
the meeting. At the close of the session
george Gordon Battle junior warden of
rne church, announced that a committee
or three had been appointed by the vestry
TO confer with Bishop Charles s. Burch
and report back at the meeting tomorrow
morning.
will the forum be held in the church
sunday EVENING" Mr.. Battle was asked
Il don't know" he answered, that will
depend on the outcome of the conference
OK our special committee with Bishop
Burch"
The special committee consists OF Mr..
Battle. Harold A. Content and J. w. Cum
ningham. Ten of the eighteen members
OF the vestry attended the meeting yester-
day.
Mr.. Battle told reporters that Francis II.
Sisson, vice president or the Guarantee
Trust Company, who was to have ad-
dressed the forum next Sunday evening.
was out OF town and had cancelled his
engagement. At the home of Mr.. Sisson
1t was stated that while he was out of
town at present he was expected back on
Saturday. The subject OF Mr.. Sisson's ad-
dress was to have been Financial and
Industrial Problems in Europe
A feature of The vestry meeting was the
reading of long letter from Cleveland
Moffett. to DR.. Grant, in which he ad-
vised that Clergyman to 60 ahead and
hold his forum in the church, despite the
solemn protest OF Bishop Burch against
using the sacred edifice for such worldly
discussions and arguments. After the
letter was read Mr.. Content is known to
have commented
That is excellent English"
II appeal to the vestry of the Church
or the Ascension to support the rector in
his brave efforts to maintain this church
as progressive and enlightening force, ~
wrote Mr.. 'Moffett in closing his letter to
Or. Grant He announced that in trying
TO suppress free speech 1--WE are Prus-
sianizing America"
While We were at war favored the
suppression of seditious utterances, but
the war is over now" wrote Mr.. Moffett
Those Americans who have or think they
have grievances against the existing order
should be allowed to speak them forth
so that these grievances may be relieved
II real or explained away if not real"
Mr.. Moffett stated he felt he had a
right to speak as he had once been elected
vestryman of the Church of the Ascen-
sion. He said he declined the office be-
cause he was out of sympathy with cer-
tain antiquated ecclesiastical traditions
like the one cited by Bishop Burcn in his
ruling against the use of an Episcopal
church as a public forum"
The letter was sprinked throughout
with criticisms of Bishop Burch. After
telling of the use of some churches to
show instructive and beautiful films to
poor children Mr. Moffett asked Does
Bishop Burch believe that the joy of these
poor children made the church less
sacred?"
Mr.. Moffett asked what would be
thought of department stores, factories
and theatres If they used their plants only
one day of the week or even half the
week and had them "closed and silent
the rest of the time
'I wonder what Bishop Burch would
say to suggestion that in view of pres-
ent hard times and the high cost of living
it seemed only fair that all the churches
in the United States which are not meas
uring up to a reasonable, every day ef-
fciency shall be required to pay taxes
upon the land and buildings that they
are Withholding from the peoples saw
ings." wrote Mr.. Moffett.