The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-12-15

pieaclieisI ooioooi IucInDcrS III lull, j, i21,
l45; probationers, l777,236; total conlnu
nicants, S,05l ,02G. For the whole world
tho figures he gave were: Travelling
preachers, 3,9S0; local preachers, 77,O53;
communicants, 5,3l0,943.
EDUCATIONAL AND FINANCIAL.
Tho educational and financial statistics
were presented by DR.. James II. Carlisle,
OF the Church South, who said that within
the conferences represented in that cen.
tennial gathering there were 10 unirersi.
ties and colleges, with, perhaps, rs many
classical scminaries; about 100 female col.
leges, and 10 theological schools. Metho.
dsm had now $1,000 Sunday schools, will,
more than 100000 teachers and 2,O0O,O 900
pupils. Her churches numbered 30, ,OOO,
and were increasing ut the rate Of five for
every working day in the year. These
houses OF worship would accommodate, he
said, about l0,O0O,0OO attendants, and their
money value was about S30,0OO,OO the
parsonases OF Methodism being estimated
at S20,UO0,000. In all its bounds the
church paid yearly about Sl2,O0O,OOO for
salaries and kindred claims. The arpre-
gate amount raised last year for all Dur
poses by the M. L. Church alone was
stated by the speaker to be not less than
Sl7 1000 900, which, he said, was probably
more than half the aggregate sum raised
in that year by the Methodist Church at
large. gE
THE COLOR QUESTION.
At the session which brought forth the
above papers the chair was occupied for
tho first time by n colored man, in the
person Of Bishop Campbell, of the African
NJ. J.. Church, and by ono OF those coin
cidences, tho why's and whereforcs of
which no fellow can find out, it so hap
pened that on the very occasion when
color was promoted 10 the platform the
irrepressible colored question came TO the
front on the floor. DR.. J. L. Edwards, of
the NJ. l.. Church South, pastor OF fifty
years experience, who chcrishes pleas
ant rccollections OF the times when color
ell people formed n large portion OF his
congregation, wanted 10 know how his
dark skinned brethren had been getting
along since altered circumstances Ind set
them off by themselves, and he was sur
prised that the able statisticians had
thrown no light upon this subject. Could
not some one, he asked, still give them the
desired information? Well several thought
they could-:ndeed, many thought SO
and the anxiety Immediately betrayed by
almost every colorcd man present to pour
illumination upon the Conference with
reference 10 this subject was no less 4
source Of embarrassment 10 the dark faced
and white haired gentleman in the chair.
AN E1lIlLERATISo SCENE.
The scene was quito exhilerating and
nobody was sorry that the figures given,
Substantially those contained in my pre-
llminary letter., were spiced with little
darkoy humor. DR.. Price, one of the
blackest Of the black brethren, had not
expected, he said, to give any color to the
proceedings beyond that which he must
necessarily impart rs silent spectator,
but he could not resist the temptation
now presented, and, following this sallv,
Dr.. .. S. Smith, n bright, shnrp.featured
mulatto, added fuel to the fire Of merri.
nent by observing that he thought he
might reasonably hope 10 throw light upon
both sides OF this color question.
Others spoke, and tho discussion was
carried into tho next session, when un.
fortunately the play which had opened
with light comedy, assumed an ASPECT
which threatened to create feeling and re.
open old strifes. The fear was that some.
thing might be said which should convey
m implied reflection upon the treatment
Of the colored people by their white co.
religionists in the South.
TI1RRE AS METIioDIsrs, NOT SEGRoEs.
This fear found expression from tho
colored Secretary, DR.. B. T. Tanner, who
deprecated the course which had been
taken in making specially of tho sta
tistics Of the African portion Of the Con-
ference. They were there, he said, not as
negroes, but rs Methodists. In heart and
soul they were true to the cause Of Meth
odism, and he felt that the less said with
reference to the color line, "the soonest
mended." Bishop Campbell, however,
who was now on tho floor again, thought
differently, and this experienced darkey
diplomat, in continuing the debate, re-
lieved the anxiety which had arisen, by
declaring unctously that Methodism had
done more for tho colored race East, West.
North and South, (the South being espec.
tally emphasized), than MI other religious
denominations combined.
Excluding the representatives OF the
colored churches, the Conference is vir.
tually composed Of representatives Of two
bodies-the N. E. Church and the NJ, L,
Church South, 49,
m DANGERS TO FUTURE METHoplsy.
DR.. J. II. Vincent's elegant paper Oh
1.-THE Possible Dangers to Future Metho,
dism" brought on an interesting discus.
sion. DR.. Yarrow, of the Primitive Meth.
odist Church, thought that dancing par,
ties in Methodist parlors, and the ton.
dency OF Methodists 10 think moro OIL
Sunday newspapers thnn OF class meetings
were practices fraught with peril. Dr.
Scarrett, OF tho Church South, saw rocks
ahead in the tendency OF Metholists tc
neglect sound doctrine. Dr.. Sandford
Hunt, N. +. Church, thought tho children
OF the Church should receive more atten,
ton. John W. Ray, OF the same Church
who spoke in n voice that made everybody
think OF Gabriel's trumpet, which is tc
wake the dead, agreed with DR.. Yarrow
TINT one Of the greatest dangers was in the
neglect OF the class meeting. For himself
he said, he knew that without the clas.
meeting he should fall from grace il
ninety days He would have al! Metho