Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-06-15

n Vigorous Letter from Presiding 4
der Nnc.

| der Noe.
| There seems to be such Il misapprchcnsior
of facts in the report of the committee ap
pointed at the late session of the Vermont
| Conference, to which was referred the qucs
ton of the boundary between the Vermont
and the Troy Conferences, and as said report
fatty contradicts the most reliable statement:
made on the floor of the Vermont Confer
cnce by such men as Samuel Huntington
Judge Carney, Hon. l.. Ii. kellogg, G.. G.
| Thrall and other laymcn as well as several
ministers, men who live in the territory in
question, and who know the actual condition
of the churches, and is made in the face of a
memorial which was before the committee
signed by large proportion of the official
men OF the district, it seems to me that truth,
justice and fairness demand that statement
be made of known facts
1t should also be stated, that the commit.
tee which prepared this report was made up
OF the most partisan men Of the conference
In this boundary question and that the con-
ference refused TO give the Burlington dis.
trict single man on the committee, al
though the custom of the conference is to make
up all committees with a representative from
each district. And when request was made
that strong and influential committee
appointed by the district stewards eff Bur
lington district who have memorial signed
by large body of the official men of the dis
lrict, have the privilege of addressing the con.
ference on the subject for which they had
been appointed, the conference endeavoied to
| send the whole matter TO this cast-rOn COM
mittee; and it was only after struggle that
Tho pryilpUn nf hnip,r h.f
was granted them.
The committee in their published report
referred to, used the following language at
has been stated in the public press, and in
debate upon this conference floor that the
former union of the Burlington district with
the Vermont conference from 1860 to 1868
was disastrous TO that district while the
Official statistics show the contrary to be true
In relation TO the spiritual, numerical and
financial condition in 1868 as compared with
1861"
am not aware that statistics show the
spiritual condition of district except indl.
rectly by the numerical increase or decrease.
Statistics do not speak of the intense excite
ment which shook the district, of conventions
held, of newspaper controversies which nee
essarily checked the tide of prosperity which
the district had enjoyed for years.
AT the conference session of 1868 the pre-
siding elder, Rev. Bennett Eaton man of
precious memory, candid, fair and noble
minded, stated in his report as published in
the conference minutes ut was an unfor-
tunale day for the district when it was sew.
cred from It's former connection and attached
to the Vermont conference" This was the
statement of the presiding elder of the dis.
tlict at the close of the eight years; and no
man was in position TO know as well US he
the exact state of things. In regard to the
statistics OF church property, had there been
church built or improvements made the
natural rise of property between 100 and
| 1870 was large. The fairest showing of sta
tlstics is the report of members and proba-
TONERS. Here are the figures. The charges
transferred from the Troy TO the Vernon,
conference in 1860 as printed in the Troy
conference minutes of that year reported
2lG1 members and PAT probatoners. The
same charges in 1868 reported 20Gj members
and 356 probationcrs 100 of those probation.
ers being In the Burlington church. Thus af.
ter eight years the district had 06 less mem
Ders and 100 more probationers while the
same district had gained in ten years pre-
vious to 1860, 5S1 members and ptobationers
The ST Adams district, which was also trans
ferred to the Vermont conference in 1860
during the same eight years to 1868 lost III
members and 1O3 probationers. The greater
loss OF the st. Adams district may have beer
owing to the fact that presiding elder ant
ministers from the old Vermont conference,
were stationed on the district during the eigh
years, while the Burlington district success
fully resisted such changes. The two trans
ferred districts in 1868, after eight years o
enforced connection with the Vermont con
ference had an aggregate of $40 less member
ana probalioners than they had in 1860. If
, De SAID; These were years of war;" hoy
does II happen that the remaining district
leit IN the Troy conference, during the sam
, years made an aggregate gain of 2734 mem
Ders and probationers 1t is also fact a
shown by the official records that while tn
7 81. Adams district in ten years from 1850 I
lo0O gained in membership 1888 more ,ha
= the burlington district did in the same time
! yet the Bullingtonldistrct during twelve yeal
( OF restored relation to the Troy confcrenc
: from lSGS to 1880, gained 220 more member
r than the st. Albans district did in 20 veal
Y from 1860 to 1880. 1t is evident to any bt
> the most prejudiced minds that the transit,
!. OF 1850 was great damage to the NJ. /
i church IN Western Vermont, as was also III
: transfer of 1880
C The second whereas of the report saws
c 1T is assumed that the feeling of oppostio
i to the present union of the Burlington di
8 trict with the Vermont Conference is SO il
tense that the future prosperity, harmony au
e spiritual good of the church is hopeessy in
periled if the union be continued wiki
e such assumption is refuted by the presel
1t condition Of the st. Adams district, once i
like condition of grievous discomfort, b
j. now IN cordial, loyal and unqucstiont
sympathy with the Vermont Conference
What strange logic is this That because
| chance OF sentiment hao lao
y Adams district, therefore similar chan!
must occur in the Burlington distnc
y Facts go for nothing in the face of su'
~ logic.
ut The next "whereas" is most remarkal
at dellverance. The committee had EMBARK
d. In such wholesale contradiction of the min
IN tiers and members of Burlington district tn
Id they slide into contradiction of themsclvt
r. They had just stated that the st. Adams d
IL trlct was 'once in a like condition of gre
IS, Gus discomfort" evidently meaning like [
present condition of the Burlington d
of trict now they state: at is assumed III
c. the people Of the Burlington district a
he afflicted by the sundering OF tender ties Il
In the breaking of sacred bonds of ATTACHING
ng by this transfer while such assumption
ge utterly without substantlation. They L
In only contradict the ministers and laymen
ed the district who live on the ground and
he presumed to know the atfliction which th
TX themselves suffer, but they contradict a
c. their own statements The latter part of I
he section evades The real issue for 1t is not
ne much the typographical" barrier Chou
rp that is not inconsiderabe) that binders
.st utilization of the district with the VERNE
he conference, as the deliberate, persistc
a reckless and repeated ignoringand override
TO OF the wishes, votes and protests of |
m, ministers and members of the district.
Nv stead Of adopting the methods which lead