The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-05-02
THE METHODIsTS.
The Fifty-Seventh Annual Confer
ence.
FOURTH DAYS PROCEEDINGS.

Bishop Peck was in the chair promptly at
$50 a. m. The religious ex cercises were con-
Quoted by N. c. Clifford.
| VIM. j. Murphy was granted sapernumef-
airy relation.
5. NJ Emerson was continued supernumer-
| AIRY, with request that he locate
| Inc relation of J. R. Masterman was chang
Gu from supernumerary to effective.
Elbridge Gerry, Jr., was located at his own
request.
The second question was taken up, "Who
are admitted on trial?''
wilbur +. Holmes, Lee W. Squier, Thomas
L. Jones and Joshua M. Frost were admitted,
ana L.. W. Squier was elected tosdeacon's
orders Under the missionary rule.
Ine committee on marriage and divorce pre-
! sented the following report, which was adopt
ed:
| Whereas, The practice 6f divorce is becom-
| ing alarmingly prevalent, aud that for causes
which We believe to be both unscriptural and
| unnatural, and
Whereas, We believe that our ministers and
people should heartily dscountenance such
practice both by precept and example, and
| whereas, A petition presented to our recent
State Legislature praying for more stringent
legislation on this matter, failed to receive a
| passage, and
| Whereas, We are of the opinion that an eff.
lori should DO made to give sacredness and
confidence to the marriage VOW, therefore
| ReSolced, I. That We believe it to be I'M
scr1ptural and unchristian to solemnize any
marriage where one or both of the contracting
parties have been divorced, except for breach
| OF the seventh commandment
ReSOtUed, IL. That our presiding elders he
requested not to employ as supply any per
son who has been divorced except for the
cause specified by our Divine Master
ReSotCed, Ill. That we appoint a committee
to take action with our sister churches in en-
deavoring to effect such reform in our laws
as shall bring them into conformity with New
Testament teaching, being positive that such
reform is imperatively demanded by the high
est Interests OF humanity, pure morals and our
holy religion.
We recommend as the members of that COM
mittee: S. F. Wetherbee, 1. Luce, Joseph
Colby.
The committee on temperance reported as
follows, and the report was adopted:
We are more and more and more alarmed as
we contemplate the ravages of intemperance
More than two-thirds of tho murders commit
ted can be laid at runs door. Fifty per cent.
OF all the insanity of our land comes from
strong drink. Seventy-fve per cent. of all
criminals become such while crazed by drink,
and 96 per cent of all the tramps and worthless
youth of the land swarm from drunken homes
1t costs for the support of 63,000 churches So
OOO ministers, all public schools and colleges,
al missions, all benevolent work in the United
States, and the support of the national govern
ment not over 500 millions year.
1t costs for $50, 900 dram shops 100000 LIQUOR
sellers, over 100000 criminals 1000 pauners.
$4,000 idiots. nearly 10000 drunkards' funerals
ana to maintain the orphan asylums. reforma-
tories, &C., more than one billion year.
Costing twice as much to SupDort the drink
traicas it does to pay all the preachers salaries
MISSIONS schools, colleges, and our,general gov
eminent, the former costing billion and the
latter 800 million year.
Who is responsible for all this waste of
money and health and life? The church of
Christ is largely responsible, for the Master
has said to His church, ye are the light of the
world, ye are the salt OF the earth; therefore
Resolced, |. That when the church shall do
her whole duty against all that intoxicates,
the land and the world will be filled with the
salvation of temperance
Whereas, Thousands fill drunkards graves
who would not have come to this eternal doom
but for the use of tobacco; therefore
Resotced, II. That the use of tobacco is a
crime against ourselves and sin against God
ReSotUed, Ill. That as ministers of the Cos
pei OF Christ and of the Methodist Episcopal
church, we will be faithful in the Sabbath
School, the family and in the pulpit in promot-
ing the cause of temperance
Resolced, ~. That we rejoice in the iefforts
Of the National Temperance Society and Pub
LEGATION House to supply pure literature on
all phases of the temperance question, and
commend their books. tracts and papers to our
people and the public generally
Rev. Mark Traitor, ID. D., of the New Eng
land Conference was introduced and addressed
the conference.
D. W. LeLacheur, I. G. Sprague and John
Collins were elected delegates to the national
temperance convention at Saratoga.
The committee on Freedman's Aid present.
ed the following which was adopted
AS conference we rejoice in the success of
the Freedman's Aid Society; that during the
last year the society has received more money
than during any other previous year aud more
than S15, 900 in excess of last year: also more
preachers and teachers have been sent out
from the various schools to enlighten the
masses which are in ignorance and sin than
during any previous year. But more money is
needed and more preachers and teachers are
it merits-that Of lifting up into intelligent
Christianity race that has been by us SO base
ly downtrodden.
The ballot has been given this people, and if
we would have them vote intelligently and for
the general good, the church should see to it
that they are educated and Chrstianized
The souls of this race are worth Just as much
as those OF India, China or Japan, and while
wo ought not to love the Heathen less than we
do we ought to love the Freedmen more.
In view OF the great importance of this
work and the needs of the society in order to
prosecute 1T vigorously; therefore
ReSotoed, That we as pastors inform our con-
gregations on this subject as we do on that of
foreign missions, seek to get them interested in
it and urge them to give of their wealth for
the support of the work.
The Committee on church extension present.
ed report which was laid on the table, in Or
der to take up the order of the day, which was
the memorial service.
Parker Jaques was called to tho chair to pre-
side at this service. He announced the death
during the past year of S. NJ. Vail and Benia-
min Lufkin, members of the conference, and
Mrs. Henry Butler Mrs. B. Lukin, Mrs. John
Allen, and Mrs. Harrington, wives of members,
present or past.
G. G. Cone announced the 991st hymn.
which was sung, and led the conference in
prayer.
Stephen Allen read the memoir of St ephen
M. Vail, and B. f. Tefft, d. D., and Mark
Trafton, D. D. spoke approximately and elo-
quently of the intellectual ability and excep-
tional moral worth of DR.. Vail
Kinsman Atkinson read the memoir of Ben
jamin Lufkin, and Charles Munger, D. B.
Randall and Eaton Shaw followed with re-
marks expressing the love and esteem in
which Mr.. Lufkin was held by the speakers,
the conference and all who knew him.
On motion of S. F. Wetherbee the memoirs
were adopted.
The Bishop resumed the chair.
The committee on the case of o. NJ. Cousens
reported through D. B. Randall, the chair
man, that in view of charges against him
that are sustained, he, o. M. .Cousens, is ex-
PEELED from the ministry and membership of
the Methodist Episcopal church. 1t is under
stood that the charges Of which he was con-
victed were cruelty to his family and defraud-
ing Messrs. Hoyt, Fogg & Donham.
Wilbur F. Berry was continued on trial.
Rev. Mr.. Dalton, Of the St. Stephens Epis-
copal church, Portland, was introduced and
addressed the conference in the interest of the
Maine Bible Society.
AFTERNOON.
Every part Of the house was filled at 2
o'clock to listen to sermon by c. B. Ptblado,
a former pastor of the church in which the
conference is held.
X. Atkinson conducted the introductory SER