Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-05-04
The 4orkpille Guql1irer,
YORKVILLE. S. c.:
THURSDAY MORNING, MAY 4, 1882
RLAIyE AND BELMONT.

HUNDUh1 MUnNlNu, mnA 7, loo"
BLAINE AND BELMONT.
There was a slight breeze in the room of the
committee on foreign affairs at the Capitol
last Thursday. The committee had met for
the purpose of taking testimony in the lnvestl-
cation of the Peru-Guano-Shipperd scandal,
Mr.. Blaine being the witness for examination.
Mr.. Belmont, of the committee, subjected the
ex-Secretary of State to a severe cross-eXaml-
nation. which became irritating to Blaine as
it progressed, and he finally stated that as Bel
mont, after being warned Oh Monday, had
persisted in entirely misquoting his dispatches
and putting upon them a construction utterly
foreign he was compelled to change his opm-
ion of him, which had heretofore been that he
was a gentleman. An exciting colloquy en-
sued which the committee were unable to IN
terrupt. Belmont intimated that he would
deal with Blaine in private and followed it up
with the words, 81 believe that you are a bull
ly and coward.' Blaine, addressing the
committee and ignoring Belmont, replied
'sMr Chairman, his young man has disgraced
himself he has Deen put forward by those
who are behind him to insult, but he is incap-
able of doing so.'' The scene was most re-
markable one, notwithstanding the efforts OF
the chairman to smooth the troubled waters
and obviate the necessity for any misunder-
standing The impression prevailed at the
adjournment of the meeting that the dispute
had by no means ended.
SOMEBODY ELSE'S OK.
The Baltimore Sun, paper which does not
fy off at Tangent, and is remarkable for its
level-head conservatism in the discussion OF
political prosecutions now going on in South
Carolina, says:
"The remarkable spectacle is presented in
South Carolina of the general government
waging war on special grounds against per-
sons of the opposite political party. The frauds
which occur at every election in New York,
Indiana or California are not looked into.
There is no sectional animosity to it in those
States. Nor were the notorious frauds perpe-
trated annually in South Carolina prior to
1876, in the interest of the party to which At
torney General Brewster belongs, closely scru-
tinized by the United States courts No crusade
was then waged to preserve in South Carolina
the absolute purity of the ballot box. The
result was then satisfactory, and when atten-
tion of the officials at Washington was called
to the means employed to carry elections in
favor of the Republican party, the easy an
swer was The government is not more call
ed upon to interfere in South Carolina than
elsewhere, there are frauds in every State and
we do not interfere; why should an invidious
distinction be made p
s'The reasoning is different now. Somebody
else's OK is being gored. The alleged frauds
of to-day are supposed to be committed IN
the interest of the party in opposition, and
they are consequently viewed with the virtu-
GUS indignation of person whose State has
ever been the scene of frauds more fragrant,
but less investigated. 1t is, of course, right
and proper that fraud at the polls should lie
punished everywhere. 1t is the invidious
discrimination which prompts vigor on the
part of the Attorney General in one State only
that converts a prosecution into persecution
and excites deeply felt indignation through
out the country Under the forms OF justice
a general wrong and hurt to the sentiment OF
a whole people is done. Even if the parties
accused are guilty, their punishment in one
State under law not enforced in twenty
other States is substantial injustice and against
good policy"
GENERAL CONFERENCE NJ. E. CHURCH.
The ninth quadrennial session of the Gen
eral Conference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church South, convened in Nashville, Tenn,
Yesterday. 1t will be composed of 152lay dele
gates, from 80 annual conferences represent
ing SOIL travelling, 1866 local preachers, and
lay membership of S50,Sl1. In addition
there are five bishops who preside over the
body alternately. The General Conference is
the only law making body in the Church, and
it's acts govern throughout the connection.
Since the meeting of the Conference in 1878
in Atlanta, Ga, two bishops have died-viz.
D. S. Dogget and w. NJ. Wightman. Among
the important work to be done at the approach
ing Conference will be the election OF from
three to six new bishops, as three out of those
living are far advanced in life and very feeble.
At the General Conference held in the city
of New York, May, 1871, then representing
the whole Methodist Episcopal Church in the
United States, the church was divided into
two separate ecclesiastical bodies, on "a plan
of separation" agreed upon by the General
Conference. The occasion of the separation
grew ont of the disposition of Bishop James
O. Andrew, d. d., from the Episcopal office
on account Of his connection with slavery.
A line of division was agreed on, and the
great Methodist family parted North and
South. The Southern division held conven-
tion in the city of Louisville, KY, in 1915,
and proceeded to organize an independent &C.
clesiastical body, under the name and title Of
"The Methodist Episcopal Church Sohh"
The first General Conference of the South
ern Church was held in the city of Petersburg,
Va, May, 1916. The session was held in the
old Union Street Methodist Church, near jar
rats Hotel, now occupied by a congregation
of colored MethodiStS. At that first General
Conference Bishops Soule and AndreW-the
two bishops who adhered to Southern Metho-
dism-presided. The conference was COM
posed Of 81 clerical delegates from u annual
conferences in the Southern States.
But few Of the men are now living who
were members of the General Conference of
1916. The great pulpit orator, Rev. Henry
Bascom, of Kentucky, and that wonderful
man, the Rev. LoYick Pierce, ID. D., of Geor-
gia, together with such men as the Rev. VIM.
Capers, d. D., of South Carolina Rev. A. L..
Green, D. D., Of Tennessee; Rev. Hezekiah
G. Leigh, d. d., Of North Carolina, and many
others of kindred ability, now no more, were
members of that body.
At that conference the Rev. Robt. Paine,
D u, then president of La Grange College, in
West Tennessee, and the Rev. VIM. Capers,
D. D., of the South Carolina Conference, were
elected additional bishops in the Southern
church. Bishop Paine is still living Bishop
Capers is dead.
There has been awonderful growth of South
ern Methodism since that day, now thirty-siX
,.o,,re ooro Tbon fhora Iyprp but fiftpaO 0OOuol