The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-23
BRYAN DEFEATED
BY CHURCH HEADS:
ON DARWIN ISSUE
"Commoner" Engages lr
Stubborn Debate With
Presbyterian Delegate

presbyterian Delegate
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, May 22.-(By
Associated Press -William Jennings
Bryan was defeated and evolutienists
scored a victory today when the gen
eral assembly of the Presbyterian
Church of the, United states OF Amer
lea defeated the "Commoner's' reso-
luton to bar schools permitting the
teaching of the evolutionary hypo-
thesis from use of church funds
The assembly adopted a substitute
resolution offered by John Willis
Haer of Pasadena, which in mild
terms directed synods and presby-
teries to withhold their official APP
proval' from educational institutions.
where any teaching or instruction is
given which seeks to establish ma
terialistic evolutionary philosophy OF
life or which disregards or attempts
to oiscredit the Christian faith"
Goes Down Fighting.
The fundamentalists, under Mr.
Rryan's leadership, went down fight
ing in the most bitterly waged strug
gle tho general assembly has seen,
according to church historians, since
I Mares ~. EIlSSS OIL Union IneOIOSl
cal seminary was unfrocked more
than so years ago because of his OLD
Testament criticisms.
In the final fight 1t was layman
against layman, with Mr.. Bryan
against Mr.. Baker In a debate that
even reached an exchange of person
alities. Mr.. Baer, a California banker
and only layman who has ever held
the office of moderator, is chairman
of tlo committee on edncnfiOi1 whir n
Fad rejected the Bryan resolution in
it's report. Mr.. Bryan is vice chair
man of the committee.
Argument Becomes Personal.
The argument reached personalities
when Mr.. Baer, presenting his reso-
luton, declared: Mr.. Bryan is as
honest as he can be, but he is mis-
taken, as he has been before"
II want TO object to the statement
made by Brother Baer," the Com
moner shouted. when the assembly
granted him 10 minutes to reply. II
don't want my democracy used
against this cause. ! don't want any
republican to appeal to republican
prejudices by referring to my demo-
cratic beliefs.
I helped this nation get prohibi
ton Did you do any more, Brother
Baer? Was | mistaken in that fight
helped this nation set womans suf-
frage. Did you do any more than /
and was mistaken then? | want you
to know l have been engaged in
eight great national reforms in the
last :? years, Was l mistaken in
those issues"
Majority Two TO Ono,
y rising vote was taken on the
question of substituting Mr.. Baer's
resolution for Mr.. Bryan's and the
evolutionists apparently were in
the majority by more than two tc
one. On the question of final adop-
ton only one dissenting voice was
heard
Defeat on the question of evolu-
ton followed day of successes for
Mr.. Bryan and his followers in the
assembly They won three victories
the first when the delegates adopted
his resolution requesting every min
lister, church official, church mem
bers and the faculties and students
of Presbyterian schools to sign the
pledge of total abstinence The as
sembly also reiterated it's policy
that no part of the educational funds
shall 80 to any school employing an
instructor who is not a Christian
prohibits attacks on the Christian
religion By instructors in the state
universities and colleges.
o o O
Decline Resolution.
The educational committee had de-
clined to approve the latter resolu.
ton. offered by the Rev. Thomas V
Moore, professor of systematic theo.
lo9y at San Francisco seminary ant
likewise rejected the Bryan resolu-
ton on evolution. so both werc
brought in by their authors as mi
nority reports.
The Commoner spoke for nearly
an hour, ridiculing the Darwiniar
theory.
Darwin, he said, traces his hypo-
thetical evolution of life, until il
branches off in two stems. old worlc
monkeys and new world monk cyS
and he says VIC are decended from
old world monkeys-he wont even
let us spring from American monk
eys."
The Rev. Murray S. Rowland. OF
Buffalo, n. Y, offering a substitute
resolution which was later with
drawn in favor of the Baer propo-
sails charged Bryan's argument de-
nNing animal evolution merely be-
olouded the issue. Il do not see that
the fact that we may be related tC
various forms OF animals has any
thing to do With the question be-
fore US he said declaring that he
has nc difficulty reconciling evolu-
ton with the Bible.