The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-14


natl, and edited by Rev. Dr. Bayliss, u.s. In
this weeks paper DR.. Bayliss feels the neces-
sity of drawing the proper distinction between
principle and the methods by which it may
be supported. and in one editorial commends
the late letter of Bishop Merrill, while in
another he editorially says: "While standing
for the principle, the church was not commit
ted officially to partisan prohibition and neither
was the Western"
But the matter came up very squarely, nee
essarily in the Cincinnati Conference of which
Rev. A. B. Leonard, the candidate of the Ohio
political Prohibitionists, is a member. The
committees on temperance and on the state Of
the church were brought face to face with the
question, and the heated debates and the Sow
eral votes upon the reports Of these commit
tees demonstrated what the Journal has so
heartily deprecated-the divisions and dissen-
sions that such thing as the candidacy of
DR.. Leonard would naturally and inevitably
introduce into the church DR.. Leonard
himself has no hesitancy in attempting to use
his church as party machine. In a speech
delivered at Urbana, he said:
II have beneath my feet the platform of
the Methodist Church and the platform of the
Prohibition party. Now, the Republican
party has declared in favor Of regulation and
taxation. No Methodist can vote the Repub-
llcan ticket and be true to his church. He
must come into the party that has Endorsed
the platform Of his own church OF be false to
his church."
For such an utterance, and for such an at
tempted ''dragooning" of the church, he
should have been "silenced' by the church
authorities and, if we mistake not the temper
Of the membership of the Methodist Church
essentially rebellious against priestly domino
tion-it will yet be found that such a
course would have been the wisest
But the conference charitably thought
that milder measures would answer, and that
they could, by other means, place the church
fairly before the public and relieve it of the
scandal DR.. Leonard would try to put upon it.
The report Of the committee on temperance
reiterated the action of the General Confer
ence in terms; but an effort was made to have
an expression, unequivocally, upon the po-
litical phase of the question. In the interests
of harmony this was defeated but the preach
ers would not rest without some relief, and the
following resolution, offered by Rev. Mr. Lee
was unanimously adopted:
Resolved, That the vote taken to-day on
the proposed amendment to the report on
temperance is not to be considered as com
hitting this conference to any political party"
The report of the committee on the state
of the church was very strong and explicit. A
number of memorials, protesting against the
effect of such candidates. as DR.. Leonard, was
before them, and in abiding to these the
committee said
eve deem it expedient to reaffirm our DO
sition as non partisan church No attempt
of politicians or others can commit us to any
political party. Our preachers and people
should enjoy without censure the right of
voting according to their conviction of duty.
The Discipline of our church does not in any
way attempt to control the votes of our peo-
pie. Our mission is to save men of all parties.
The needs Of the hour call for thoughtful
consideration of each others rights The law
of wisdom and charity should rule in our hearts
and lives in order that all unholy tempers
and bitter words may be avoided and
so the peace of the church preserved In re-
gard to the subject matter of these memorials,
we would respectfully suggest that while we
cannot lndorse the participation in politics Of
any of our ministers by becoming candidates
or public advocates of any party, yet in view
of an honest difference Of opinion as to the
best methods of reaching the same desirable
end, and in view of the past tolerance of this
church, we advise that no action be taken"
There were some few verbal alterations
made by the conference in the latter part of
the report, which so directly refers to DR..
Leonard; but the document, as it stands is a
strong, impregnable and unanswerable exposi
ton of the real attitude of the church. and a.
wholesome, singing rebuke to those who
would profane its affairs and prostitute its
power to unworthy purposes. Dr. Leonard's
political candidacy certainly got no com
fort from his own conference. It NAV
be added that Rev. William Herr, one of the
oldest and most devoted ministers of the con-
ference, had prepared set of resolutions of
the most uncompromising character against
DIR. Leonard's candidacy, but was persuaded
to withhold them, in view of the action al
ready taken. DR.. Herr's paper began with a
whereas to the effect that '"this conference
has become appraised of the fact that one of it's
members has entered the political arena, and
become candidate for office and the leader
of political party, thus contravening the
long established sentiment of the church"
and ended with resolved ''that, in the
'godly judgment of the Cincinnati Confer