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

in this country use of winning the people
over to their views, these leaders nave ncy,l
sought to create statement in favor OF forming
the whole State into one conference. Not 81
much as a circular has ever been sent to The
churches, or a canvass made, but they have
simply sought by the powers OF the genera
conference to chain the district TO them. II
is no strange thing in this country that sucl
methods have driven men into united, tifm
and successful resistance.
1t seems strange that any honest, truthful
man can question the statement, so offer
made that large majority of the people Of
Burlington district are opposed to union witt
The Vermont conference, in view of the fol-
lowing facts First-Just previous to the
general conference of 1880, in view
of the request of the Vermont con-
ference for commission to transfer
the district TO them, every quarterly con-
| ference on the district but one voted against
such a transfer. (These quarterly confer.
ences contain all the official members of the
churches.) Sccond-The electoral college,
which met that year, made up of one dele
gate from each church, voted unanimously
against such transfer. Tbird-Two years
ago memo ial signed by large number of
laymen was sent to the Vermont conference,
praying that body to appoint Il commission
w tttiOSNuC tuC uiotiItls Oh'th INV JN"'
ago a resolution, prepared by n committee of
the district stewards, expressive of the con-
tinucd and united opposition of the laymen
of the district to the transfer, was adopted,
in most cases unanimously, by nearly every
quarterly conference of the district. Fifth
AT the last session of the Vermont confer
cnce memorial was presented, signed by a
largc part of the official members of the dis
trict, in which they strongly express their
firm conviction "that continued attempt to
ooerce these churches TO an alliance that
they have from the first objected to will not
only be damaging to the interests of the sew
cral churches of the district, but will be OF
no advantage to Mcthodism in Ner-
mont" A committee of six prominent lay
men, accompanied by 10 other laymen, were
present, seven of whom addressed the con-
ference. These men stated that there was n
remarkable unanimity in the district against
the transfer of the district TO the Vermont
conference, and that TO continue to hold the
district would work harm TO the churches,
with no good result to the conference.
There has been evidence given to the Yer
mont conference showing the strong and firm
opposition Of the laymen of the district suill-
cient to send 100 men to the gal
lows if they were tried for murder and
had as strong evidence against them,
and yet the committee who prepared that
report assert that these statements, made by
laymcn and by ministers, Of their own per-
sonal knowledge and feelings, hat the people
of Burlington district are sorely afflicted
with this transfer, is ''utterly without sub
sanitation
Much of this report is an insult to the
ministers and laymen of the Burlington dis
trict, and can only tend to further ALLEVIATE
the churches from the Vermont Conference.
1t is no pleasure for us 10 bring these mat
tiers before the public; and but for the re.
markably reckless statements referred to and
to the fact that the vcracity of number OF
ministers and laymen was thus called in ques-
ton, we would have been silent.
JonN j. Noe.