New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-05
GENERAL FISK AND THE METRODISTS
THE REV. DIR. DORCHESTER IMPOSES CAM
PAIGN ROORBACK.


To the Editor Of me lrtbune.
Sir special dispatch from Ncw-York to The
Boston Herald" appeared In a recent issue Of that
paper which liable to do much harm. 1t is tissue
OF false statements and dIscrcd able to General FISK
and 10 the Methodist denomination that, knowing
do all the matters referred to, feel called upon
40 make public correction
The dispatch says General Fisk has performed
remarkable feat of political campagning;'-" has set
the machinery OF the Methodist Episcopal Church to
grinding out and thoroughly disseminating a manifesto
for him that in the late General Conference, he
advocated and official expression Of Methodist
policy as to alcoholic beverages and. in consequence
OF his exerions a committee appointed to for
mulatc a doctrine;7 that d" the General was not
member Of that body but 1t was his pen that wrote
the rcpor; that a resolution was proposed and
rapidly pressed through, ordering the Tract Society
print the report in tract form, ctc -and that this
last action " the privocd point OF General Fisks
wheel within wheel that edition of 100000
copies IS be printed by the end of August" to be
sent into every Methodist household "-and that the
intention is that It (this tract shall appeal, ~ 10y
church authority, Methodsts to vote for General
Fisk as the Prohibition candidate for the Presidency
Wonderful wonderful Is thcrp any patent on the
machine that forged this rooiback Is 1T not early In
the campaign for roorbacks Certainly, any machine
that can grind such forgeries must be tremendously
ovcrstrained, and mus speedily break down. There
would say les in the twenty lines of manuscnp,
in which I have summarized the roorback.
1t is not true that in the late General Confer
ence General FISK advocated new and Official
expression of Methodist policy to alcoholic bev-
erages7 Nor did any member advocate any new
expression the subject for the Methodist Episcopal
Church has held the most radical doctrine OF io:h
abstinence, for half century. and has repeatedly
and officially renewed that expression, in over dozen
successive General Conferences This year the Confer
ence, as the dispatch truly says, renewed It's Time
honored testimony in favor of total abstinence etc
language quoted from the report
2.-The Committee on Temperance and Prohlb-
tom was appointed TO formulate doctrine on
this subject
3.-Nor was the committee appointed in con-
sequence of his Fis's exeriions' but on the motion
OF other persons il has been the invaiiablo custom
Of the General Conferences for about one hundred
years TO have a Committee Temperance; and, this
year, as always It came up as matter Of course.
1T is Incorrectly said that General Fisk was not
member of that body" Ghc Committee on Temper
auce and Prohibition. General Fisk was a member OF
the committee, but he held no official position In IT,
BIT is not true that 1t was his (Fisks pen that
wrote the report General Fisk wro'c nothing on
Temperance and Prohibition that came before the
General Conference except response to q memorial
from the National Woman's Christian Temperance
Union. was myself chairman of the Temperance
Committee. The committee when 1t met, appointed
sub-committoes 10 whom separate items were re-
ferred When the subcommittee reported
TO the General Committee, 1t was voted that all the
napers be put into III hands Of the chairman. and
that ne have full power to draft the report to the
General Conference using his judgment freely In the
matter. Accordingly I took all the papers prepared
the report alone and presented the next day to the
General Conference.
Gas to the resolution nstructns the Tract Society
10 print the report in the form Of tract for general
circulation wrote that resolution. The Idea originated
IN nS own mind. II was part OF the report a
presented to the Conference No other person had
any share In II.
7-Furthermore, there was nothing In the report
which favored the Third" Prohibition Party
either directly or by any possible honest construction
General Fisk said hope no one will be so I'M
wise as TO endeaver commit this General Conference
in favor of the Third Party We do not want to
attempt TO bind the Church 10 any partisan action
The most conservative Republicans. well men Of
other parties voted for the report and II was adopcu
with little dissent. . =,
we have ultramonane hierarchy In the
Methodist Episcopal Church dciatng political action.
or ais posed 10 do 1t would not be tolerated Tor
mon for Office because they are Mcthodists. IL pol
flies political issues determine votes and goOd Meth
odlsts sometimes champion unwise political measures
and do not receive the potcaI 5upP@TuI r 90 Ror
brethren. DANIEL DO4'Oiii@7A-'''
Boston, Aug. %, 1888.