Newspaper Page Text
iviay 12, 1909. TH
A PROPOSED OVERTURE ON ADJUSTMENT.
(The following paper was offered to
East Hanover Presbytery as an overture
to the General Assembly and was adopted
with a modification which is herein
indicated.;
"1. Bast Hanover Presbytery respectfully
and earnestly overtures the General
Assembly to meet in Savannah, Georgia,
May 20, 1909, to appoint a permanent
Committee to be known as the
Committee of Adjustment.
"2. This Committee shall be composed
of seven members nominated by a special
committee of five carefully chosen
by the Moderator of the Assembly. The
effort should be to place upon the Committee
of Adjustment some of the broadest,
the most judicious and best men
v or tne Churcn.
"3. The memuera of the Adjustment
Committee shall consist of three classes,
appointed to serve one, two and three
years respectively.
"4. The duties of this Committee shall
be to adjust the relations of the several
Executive Committees of the General
Assembly as to the amount of money to
be asked by each Committee from the
Church and the measure of time to be
employed by each in pressing its claims.
"5. It shall be required of each ExecuI
tive Committee that it forward to the
Committee of Adjustment, at least two
months before the meeting of the General
Assembly, a statement of its financial
needs for the coming year and the
grounds on which such estimate is
based.
"6. These estimates shall be carefully
considered by the Committee of Adjustment
and its recommendations reported
to the General Assembly."
The conviction of the necessity
some action in the matter here presented
nas Deen growing for many months
throughout the bounds of our Church.
The direction of the different
branches of the Church work, has been
placed in the hands of Executive Committees.
Each committee is expected to
give its most earnest and careful attention
to the special work entrusted to its
charge that that work may be wisely
extended and solidly built up. As the
committee studies its specific field of
labor its view of the importance of that
field grows and its efforts in pressing its
claims eorresnniuHwcIv trmrtr 1
. o-rf o>wn. *? C I1CCU
not be surprised, that in the expansion
and development of our work there
arises the need of some regulative
agency or balance wheel to prevent
friction, and to secure the harmonious
and effective movement of all the parts
of the Church s machinery.
Such regulative agency is here proposed.
First note the name. Committee of
Adjustment. This is not an ambitious
name, but one that carries with it
flclent dignity for the work to toe performed.
The duties of this committee are restricted
to two matters, (1) fixing the
amount of money that each executive
committee may ask of the church, and
(2) the determination of the measure of
time to be used by said committee in
Its effort to secure the sum asked.
}.
E PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOU'
This committee is thoroughly Presbyterian
in character. ami net rlnthoH
with any undue authority. The Committee
of Adjustment is to have no power
to act independently. Its province is to
consider the matter placed before it, and
report its recommendations to the Assembly
for approval, amendment or rejection.
In this it will be seen that it
occupies the same position as that held
by tne executive committees of the
church. Indeed, the position is lower
so far as independent action is concerned
for an executive committee acts
in many matters, and reports to the
Assembly not proposed action but action
already taken.
It Is necessary that the Committee of
Adjustment should be permanent. The
relative financial needs of all departments
of the church's work, and the time
necessary for pressing those needs upon
the attention of the people would have to
be considered. This would be impossible
for any standing committee, though composed
of the ablest and best men. A
permanent committee, however, such as
is suggested, would have adequate time
for gathering and considering the necessary
information.
The amendment introduced into the
original overture, and adopted by the
Presbytery would fail, -we believe, to
meet the needs of the case. According
to this amendment the work of an Adjustment
Committee is to be referred to
the Committee on Systematic Beneficence
of the General Assembly. The
Presbytery would make this committee
permanent, as has been done in the proposed
Adjustment Committee.
This would not answer because the
Committee on Systematic Beneficence already
has as heavy a burden as any
one committee should have imposed
upon it. The matters of detail to be
considered are very many, and the principles
and methods of giving are to be
passed upon. The consideration of such
matters would greatly embarrass and
hinder an Adjustment Committee in its
great work. Such a committee should
be left free to give its entire time and
Q t ton t O ~ 1 "* ' '
u?vunvu lu tuc querouuu Ul tHlJUBUng
the relations of the executive committees
in the two very important matters
named.
Again the Committee on Systematic
Beneficence has a certain standing and
history in the mind of the church. While
possessed of importance it is not. regarded
as one of the committees of highest
importance in the Assembly and the old
name would tend to keep it from rising
to a position of first importance.
Further it would be found difficult to
get the best and moat mmnotont mon tn
serve on a Committee of Systematic Beneficence
loaded down with the great work
proposed, and In addition cumbered with
the multitudinous matters belonging to
the old Committee on Beneficence.
What is gladness without gratitude,
And where is gratitude without a God?
He is rich w>in Vioa anm.orW
u??o vuuugu 'IU IA?
charitable.?Sir Thomas Browne.
In every person who comes near you,
look for what is good and strong; honor
that; rejoice In It. and, as you can, try
to Imitate it.
rH. 17
RATES TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
The Southeastern Passenger Association
has authorized a round-trip excursion
ticket from specified points to Savannah,
on account of the General Assembly.
On sale May 17, 18 and 19 and for
trains scheduled to arrive in Savanna a
before noon of May 20; also for all
trains May 24. Tickets will be good to
leave Savannah, returning, up to and
including, but not later than, midnight of
June 2. Going tup must begin on date '
of sale indicated on each ticket by selling
agent, and must be used by continuous
passage to Savannah. Return trip
must begin on the date stamped on back
of ticket by agent at Savannah, and
ticket must be used by continuous passage
to original starting point. Tickets
must be signed by purchasers in presence
of selling agents at time of purchase,
and that they may be honored for
return passage, they must be stamped
by authorized validating agents in Savannah.
They must read by same route
going and returning. Stop-overs will be
allowed in accordance with the regulations
of the carriers over whose lines the.
tickets read, as on file with the Interstate
Commerce Commission.
Price of these round trips is virtually
three cents a mile, and only from
specified stations, and at prices listed
in circular of the Association. Joint Passenger
TarifT, Excursion number. 4.021.
The Atlantic Coast Line, the Central of .
Georgia, the Seaboard Air Line and the
Southern railways will also sell at stations
intermediate to those named in the
tariff circular, the rate being the same as
as frnm nort mnra - * - *1? *
... Mvrtv; uioinn i mcilIUIl iruill
which fare is shown in the published list.
Rates are available to visitors as well
as to commissioners. Children so at
one-half rates. .
It is important that each party intending
to make this trip should, by inquiry
well in advance, ascertain if the
agent at his station is authorized to sell,
and if not, inquire at some larger station
near, and ascertain rate from that
point. Any one writing to me for rate
from his or nearby station, and letting
me know his road, will receive information
promptly.
It will be noticed that tickets will be
on sale Monday, May 24. This is to accommodate
visitors who wish to attend
after Sabbath, or after the routine of the
first lew days, devoted to receiving and
referring business-, has been completed.
This is the first time I have ever asked
or the ronds have ever given a special
sale for the second week.
Application has- been made to the
Trans-Mississippi lines for union rates
villi iho OKAWA ?,n %
...v? ...v iwuic, aim rcsuua win ne published
as soon as secured.
W. A. Alexander, S. C.
There was never a night without a day.
Nor an evening without a morning.
And the darkest hour, the proverb goes,
Is the hour before the dawning.
?C. Markey.
The doctrine ot environment had its
death-blow in the garden of Eden.?G.
Campbell Morgan.
It is faith in something, and enthusiasm
for something, that ronkes a life
worth looking at.?Oliver Wendell
Holmes.