Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-29
METHODIST CONFERENCE.
DIVORCE AND THE COLOR LINE
UNDER DISCUSSION.

Adultery the Only Ground on Which
Divorce should be Granted and the
Guilty Party Denied the Right to Re
marry-COlored CburcImen Not to be
Disseminated Against
/ PHILADELPHIA, May 29.-In the Metho-
dist General Conference to-day the Com
mittee on the State OF the Church called
up its report for final action, and Gov.
r. E. PattIson, Chairman Of the commit
/ tee, presented a report on marriage and
divorce. 1t recommends that no divorces
| should be granted, except on the
| grounds justified by the Scriptures, and
| also that a commission should be ap-
| pointed to confer with the Governors ofall
1 states to endeaYOr to secure tbeenactment
of uniform laws on this subject. The first
part was amended, making it the sense OF
| the conference that divorces should not
be granted but for adultery, and any one
divorced for such reason, if guilty, the
party can not be married again by any
minister OF the church. On this question
several of the delegates desired TO exer-
else their privilege of calling for the ayes
/ and nays, and they made this demand.
No notice being taken of any one of them
they clamOred enough to create some con-
fusion and repeated their demand. but the
Bishop declined to acknowledge their
right. The report, as amended, was
adopted.
THE COLOR LINE.
The portion of the report Of this COM
mittee which il was expected would
| cause considerable debate, was that re-
ferring to the color line, as tits called.
1t came up in two ways. The committee
presented a report declaring it to be the
policy of the church that no member of
any society within the church shall be
excluded from public worship in any and
every editice nf the denomination, and
that no student shall be excluded from
any and every school Of the church on
account of race, color or previous
condition of seryitude. The minority re-
port stated that in view of the action al
ready had on the question further action
was uncalled for. The minority report
was voted down. Gov. PattisOn made
warm argument in defense of his report,
and was frequently interrupted by hearty
applause. A layman called for a vote by
tellers. 1t was not sustained Then a
clergyman did the same thing with the
same result. A motion to postpone was
made and lost. and finally the report was
adopted by an overwhelming majority,
The committee then reported series Of
resolutions denOuncing p0lygamy and de-
claring it to be the sense Of the represen-
tatlYeS of MethOdlsm in general confer
ence assembled that it Is the duty of the
legislative department of the govern
ment TO proceed without further delay TO
enact laws such as will summarily depOse
from political and official power in the
| territories of the United States those who
either practice or advocate polyga-
my as a civil or religious right.
An effort was made by Revs. Drs. Buck
ley and Curry to amend the report BY
striking out the clause which proposed to
deal out summary chastisement, not alone
to those who practice, but those as well
who advocate the Utah system. Gov Pat
tisOn made a strong appeal for the adop-
tioR of the report. His remarks had
telling effect upon the delegates and the
audience, and the report was adopted
with applause. The most important of
the papers thus far presented was the re-
port of the Committee on the Book
Concern, which shows that the
profits accruing in New York
and its repositories were $2s1, ,O22.
In Cincinnati they were S101, 092, making
S3S2, ia as the total profits. In addition
to this sum, establishments which are
known as the Eastern aud Western
houses paid dividends to the annual con-
terences amounting to $1,000. In sum-
ming up, the report stated that the affairs
Of the Book Concern during the past
quadrennium were more prosperous than
ever before. This report, as well as a
number Of others submitted by the same
committee, were adopted, after which a
recess was taken.
The conference adjourned sine die to-
night.