The New York herald., 1920-01-11
CHURCH NEEDS CLOSER UNION, -
SAYS BISHOP GAILOR, TELLING OF
EPISCOPALIAN COUNCILS WORK
Noted Southerner Warns
People Against Dabbling
in "Spiritism."
By CORNELIUS VANDERBILT, Jr.

By CORNELIUS VANDERBILT, Jr.
This is the beginning OF the amalga-
nation of the Episcopalian Church" said
Bishop Gailor, recently nominated presi-
dent of the Episcopalian Council OF Amer
lea. to me yesterday afternoon at the
Park Avenue Hotel Members OF our
belief IRE usually considered rather reti-
cent people They are regarded AS very
cool and not at all good mixers. The new
law which was passed at our recent CON
yention is going to make those people
who have thought that way about us
realize that there are no better people
anywhere than the good Episcopalians.
our church has grown rapidly in the
last few years. We have had great
many boards to govern it. Each State
has had sort of pope Of its own. Among
the most important of the boards has
large assets and debts which
they would never be abel to pay. our
ministers have often been badly paid.
Their salaries have not advanced since
the days when the Pilgrims came over.
ONLY in certain States have the people re-
ceived the right kind of religious train
ing, and that was only after the clergy
had begged for many years for more in
come.
.For wears past there has been cur
rent idea that the Church ought TO nave
some central authority, where things
could ne talked over and understood. This
was felt extremely during the war. There
are many little churches throughout the
West where the Gospel Of God was neg
Iected for several weeks in the years 1917
lois on account of this. The clergy in all
the large dioceses felt that there was no
one in real authority who could take over
their interests and represent them, il needs
he At our last general convention it was
voted 70 have a Bishop appointed by a
two-thirds vote of all the delegates, who
would assume control at some national
centre and there look after the minor
differences of the clergy of the many
States.
To Control All Salaries.
.1 don't know why they picked me fol
tho responsibility of so important posi-
ton. 1t Is rather hard on me, too, as
thought 7 was old enought to deserve a
rest But I must say that l rather en-
ioy the outlook. 1t has many posslpihtles
and promises to brighten the corner fol
MANY of the poorer dioceses in the coun
TRY. =,
| INV council shall control all the sal
ar;es and disbursements Of the Episcopa
Church. It will regulate the appointments
| of the clergy by the various states ana II
will attend to the retirements OF those
who have long since seen the pest OF tneii
services and are but holding on because
of the lack of any one else to take then
places. We have very prominent ana apie
men in the layity of the council, and az
present have assumed temporary head
quarters at the Mission House in this city
We shall move sooner or later to Wash
ington, where we shall establish the ma
tional headquarters. There are five OF
six other Bishops and quite few lay
men in our council. and since you ask fol
their names / shall be only TOO glad te
give them to you
"Amony them are Stephen Baker, pres
dent of the Manhattan Trust Company
William c. Baldwin. Samuel Mather, o
Cleveland; Mr.. Wyckoff, of California
and Mr.. Pershing. of Colorado. Mr.. Per
shing is the cousin of the General. Oui
treasurer is a Mr.. Franklin, who floatee
the first Liberty Loan for William G. Nc
Adoo We have been in session all day
ever since nine o'clock this morning
Bishop Gailor told me all this in one
breath, as he was in great hurry to pre-
pare his speech for the Tennessee Society
dinner, which was held last Thursday
night He is an elderly Southern gentle
man, clean shaven and with kind gray
eyes. His hair is almost white. For the
last twenty-six years he has been Bishop
of Tennessee.
Was Born in 1856.
He was born in jackson, small cotton
city in Mississippi. in 1856, the son OF
Frank and Charlotte NJ. Gailor. His edu-
cation took him to Racine College. in WIS
consin, and then to the General Theolog'-
cal Seminary in New York. He spent sew
eral years at Columbia, Trinity College
and the University of the South. In 1Ss,
he married Ellen Douglas, daughter OF @
w. Cunningham, of Nashville. Tenn. He
has large and very industrious family
One son was killed two years ago In
France and he lost daughter In the in
fuenza epidemic in this country.
For many years the Bishop has been
prominently identified with the Church.
In 1879 he was a deacon, and year later
became a priest He was rector OF the
Church of the Messiah. at Pulaski Tenn,
for several years, and at the same time
was a professor of cclesiastical history
in the University of the South. For three
years he vas vice chancellor OF this IA
nous university, and in 1898 was coadjutor
bishop, succeeding to the blshopric on the
death of Bishop Quintard of Tennessee.
He declined the Bishopric of Georgia in
1890. Since 1908 he has been Chancellor
and president Of the Board Of Trustees of
the University of the South He is an au-
thor of much renown in the biblical world.
His "The Masters Word The Commun-
ion OF the Saints and The Divine Event
OF All Times are known not only to the
clergymen but also to the laymen through
out the country.
In devoting his future to national re-
ligious work the Bishop leaves beauti-
full home on the Mississippi River. just
below the mouth of the Wolf River and
on the Fourth Chickasaw Bluff He re-
sides in a city which is beautifully parked
and has a number Of imposing and con-
spicuous buildings. Memphis Is one OF the
most important cotton marts in the in
terror OF the United States. II distributes
over a million bales a year. It's cotton
seed oil is also one Of first Importance, as
we'll as its numerous founderies. machine
shops and clothing mills. The river is deep
enough to float the largest ship of war
from this place to its mouth and the navi-
l.