The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-10-11

The pittaburg Leader OF Snndu
says that within I : bosom OF the Pats
Dlfg M, n, conference there has lleel
imoulderlng for q 10 a year u suns
lion OF no little magnitude, The pi,
per states that within that organize
ton there has existed clique 80 pOg
effnl that the action NJ the conference
Ia making VI appointments, election q
delegates 10 tho national cOnferrnn
aud the selection Of presiding elders I
entirely governed by tho clique, OWN
10 the fact that tho PittAburg and lls
Ohio conferences hre 10 closely hldrd
that similar charges have been made
against certain ministers IN this NJ J.
conference, and that 4 number OF lh
ministers charged with belonging b
tho clique IN tho Pltlaburg cOnfertnc
nave been ktatiOned In Canton on vi
Unity, aud arc well-knOw here, a hrie
iynOppla OF q reporters investigation
VII DO read here with lntereHt.
The story goes that Rev, Reese Man
iel, who several years ago exchange
pulpita with Canton and MaaaIllOn n'u
lalorn, aud who 10 q leading exponent OF
MethOdiam, took II upbn ,hlmsen
f0ute q clique having entire control o.
the movements. OF the body. He Open,
ly charged tho ihinihtera with the W n
Il the conference at New Brighton, Pa,
,nd II was seen that he was 80 much NJ
EARNEST aud the uprising back OF hin
20 great that no was given a good ap
continent and other leading minister
who were 10 have been relegated tC
minor appointments we're placed In ap
pOlntmehta commensurate with theli
,billty. A decided stir was the result
DR.. Smith, OF the Christian Advocate
and formerly OF Canton, DIR. Boyle, DI
Holmes, well known here, DR.. H. "A
Miller and others Of like MethOdisllC
prominence In the community, wre
accredited with having been thus uct
ng IN the interests Of self and lmmedi'
10 friends, Tho bishop and the fy'
presiding elders OF the five district
which compose the Pittaburg confer
enee, constitute the cabinet which ere
ties presiding elders and conalgns min
laters 10 fat or lean pulpit positions.
This power can make or unmakl
preachers, can crush or Initiate ambition,
and while II existed the kissing, 80 a.
speak, went wholly by favor, and Who'll.
y dlsregarded fitness and ability
Something had 10 be dole by the
clique, and 80 one day when Rev. Man
VI visited the book room OF the faith,
0n Smithleld street, seven ministers OF
the gospel, who daily preach the gospel
f"Poace on earth and good will TO
ward men, metaph0rlcally speaking,
aid Violent hands on him and hustled
him into Editor Smiths room. Their
he was charged with having made vii
lul mlastatementa affecting the charac'
GERS Of certain Of the brethren. There
he was badgered and threatened with
the dire vengeance Of the ring should
he not recant and place himself on
record aS u aelf'cOnfeaaed liar. Tht
vengeance threatoded was 10 take the
shape Of u church trial on charges OF
lying ana slander, and OF an utter lack
OF church advancement In the futur.
as particular bright and shining ex'
ponent of Methodism. Rev, Mansel
was one, and the clique was strong and
made up Of many. The result
was that he signed q paper
drawn up by Reys. Smith aud Boyle 10
the effect that the charges made by
him were without foundation. Accor.
ding 10 his opinion the men he had by
word OF mouth charged with being cor.
rupt were aS pure as the driven snow,
and had been done great injustice by
the accusation made by him against
them. There are two reasons assigned
why Mr., Mansel made the recantation,
One Is that ho was actually Induced TO
believe for the moment that he had done
the right brethren an injustice, and the
other was that no feared for the safety
of his personal advancement, as the
ring had, by these presents, set itself up
In opposition 10 him individually,
However that may be, the recantation
was signed and Mr.. Mansel was per.
mitted 10 depart aftermany a "youre u
good fellow" slap was deposited on his
back and shoulders as an evidence that
the very cream OF good fellowship then
existed between him and the seven who
but u short time before had laid such
rough hands on him. lie later recant.
ed and wrote such vigorous letter TO
Rev. Smith and others who had kidnap.
ped him that they returned him the pa.
per, fearing exposure through legal
proceeding, This determined action
badly crippled the clique.
Another sad blow was given at the
conference In session at Latrobe.
Heretofore II has been the custom for
the presiding elders of the districts 10
nominate the standing committees for
the year DR.. Nesbitt, we'll known
here, Introduced a resolution providing
that the standing committees should be
nominated by Il Clergyman from each
district 10 be chosen by the conference
This resolution was carried. This takes
away from the presiding elders the
power TO push their friends pr minently
Forward In committee work.
Rumblings for u year or more past In
the East Ohio Conference may soon
culminate In bringing forth state Of
affairs as equally sensational.