The Midnight Church Feud of Tacoma

The trouble that has long been brewing between the pastor of the Baptist church and a portion of his flock culminated last night, on the occasion of the regular covenant meeting of the church, in an open rupture between the two parties. The difficulty seems to have had its inception early last fall in a misunderstanding between Mr. Traver, a deacon of the church, and Mr. McCracken, the pastor, regarding the Sunday school management. Matters grew from bad to worse until the 30th of April last, when Messrs. Traver and McCracken were expelled from the church and Mr. Ward suspended. The three gentlemen in dispute, with their friends, who, it is said, number one-half the congregation, claimed their overthrow was brought about by the high-handed, imperious ruling of the pastor. They also assert that he has systematically ignored the bylaws of the church and has attempted to force upon it bylaws of his own, highly repugnant to the spirit of the church. It was this circumstance that gave rise to the affair of last evening. Mr. Traver and his friends were present, still claiming to be members of the church, but were refused recognition by the Chair. A new set of bylaws was introduced by the pastor, when a controversy arose as to their legality. The opposing faction claimed the validity of the existing bylaws, and that under a strict construction of them neither Mr. Traver nor the other gentlemen could be expelled from the church. The main cause of the opposition to the new set of bylaws came, however, from the fact that they propose the organization of an advisory committee, which it is claimed would destroy the distinctive features of the church. The new set were finally declared carried. Immediately upon their adoption, a motion was made and the doors ordered closed, with the exclusion of all who were not admitted to be there. This, of course, included Mr. Traver and his friends, who were requested to go out. They refused to do so, and the meeting was temporarily declared adjourned, but still no one left the hall. The apparent purpose evidently being to reassemble when the objectionable persons had left. But they stayed too, and the expedient of putting out the lights was resorted to, but even this did not accomplish the desired result. Finally, someone thought of the City Marshal, but when he arrived nearly all of the parties had gone home. The predicament assumed is one very much like that in which the 'house that Jack built' was placed. It is the purpose of the read-out members to appeal to a conference of the neighboring Baptist churches for a settlement of their difficulty, which, for the peace and good name of a Christian people, it is devoutly hoped will be attained.