Babson's Revolt

"She should suit 28;* because she is blind, deaf and dumb, and a good Congregationalist."

With this rabbit punch at his foes, white-goateed Statistician Roger Ward Babson last week rudely suggested that famed Helen Keller be elected to succeed him as moderator of the general council of the Congregational and Christian Churches. Shocked bigwigs of the church council, which was holding its biennial convention in Beloit, Wis., hastily apologized to Miss Keller for "the public use which has been made by Mr. Babson of the name of Miss Helen Keller in a most unkind and undignified manner. . . ."

At odds with the church administration because he thinks it has introduced too much business into religion, Businessman Babson arrived at the convention with a plan to reduce the church officials' power. At the opening session Dr. Charles Emerson Burton, retiring general secretary, replied to Moderator Babson's charges, agreed that Congregationalist ministers' salaries (average: $1,663) are too low, but declared the remedy is more businesslike money-raising, added: "Our men are not whining much."

Instead of Helen Keller, the convention elected as moderator Dr. Oscar Edward Maurer, pastor of the New Haven, Conn. Center Church and long a member of the denominational boards Mr. Babson has been attacking. Undiscouraged, Roger Babson demanded an increase in the salaries of 75% of the church's pastors ("to raise them to the level of bricklayers'"), called for a vote on his plan to give the 6,000 Congregational and Christian churches in the U. S. a delegate to the council. Thereupon sober churchmen resorted to a mediator. They succeeded in suppressing a sharp reply to Mr. Babson, which had been printed for distribution to the delegates, and winning from Mr. Babson a promise that he would "do nothing and say nothing which will disrupt the good-will of this gathering."

By week's end Mr. Babson had agreed that a vote on his representation plan, offered as an amendment to the church's constitution, should be tabled until the 1940 convention. But Mr. Babson still had a few more pearls to cast. In his official address as retiring moderator, he predicted a new revolt in Protestantism, back to primitive Christianity. It will include, said he, "a revolt against a few socialistic or capitalistic delegates, at national church conclaves, passing resolutions pretending to bind the entire membership." But the pearls lay where they fell. The convention proceeded to do just what Moderator Babson had been inveighing against: It adopted a resolution* condemning sale of war materials to Japan, and one asking the Government to respect conscientious objectors in time of war, adjourned impenitent.

*Congregationalist headquarters at No. 28; Fourth Ave., Manhattan.

*Also approved was a plebiscite in which 1,000,000 members of the church will be polled in November on their attitude toward Government action for job security; Government ownership of utilities: labor organization; capitalism.

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