St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-04
The Proposed Division Of the
Minnesota Methodist
Conference.
Feeling Is Very Much Divided
for and Against the
Change.
Is It a Scheme to Freeze Out
the Northern Coun-
ties?
How to Drive Skepties and
AgnoStics From Their
Positions.

ference opened yesterday morning Win
a regular service, at the Central Park
church at $50, Bishop Mullileau pre-
siding. There were 215 delegates an
swering to the roll call. The reports OF
presiding eldcrs-Revs. Howe, of Man
kato; Haihsley, of Sank Center; Chat
fee, of Winona; Stafford, of Minneapo-
lis, and John Forbes, of st. Paul-Oecu-
pied considerable time at the morning
session, and were finally adopted as
read. The principal business OF the
forenoon was the discussion OF the pro-
posed division of the conference. There
seems to be considerable difference of
opinion as to the wisdom or ACCESSIBILITY
of such a step. DR.. Chaffee, of
Winona, opened the discussion
with an address favoring divi-
sion, giving as his principal reasons
that it would be an advantage to the
North Minnesota conference in aiding
it to obtain money for missionary pur-
poses. a..
The report of the committee ap-
pointed at the last annual conference.
to agree on line for division of the
existing conference. was submitted and
its discussion was continued until the
noon adjournment. The report favors
A DIVISION LINE
starting from the thirty-third parallel
in AnOka county and running directly
west across the state. Arguments in
favor of the division is that
the vast extent of the territory
its phenomenally rapid growth
are fully sufficient to make the change
necessary. Those of the proposed
Southern division claim that the size of
the present conference makes 1t I'M
wieldy, and that great difficulty is ex-
perieneed in finding suitable place Tor
the accommodation of SO many dele
gates. The good that comes from the
presence of conference in a city is de-
feated. because of its size in the case of
the Minnesota Methodist conference,
and the impOsSibility of small town
being able to entertain SO large body.
The delegates from the northern
counties are unanimously opposed
to division as proposed. claiming
that it is scheme TO freeze out the
northern counties, and render the north
ern conference weak by contrast with
the southern. which according 10 the
proposed line takes in the cities of st.
L
gates from the north favored cOmprO-
mise line which should divide the terri
tory of the church east and west. the
line to divide the cities of st. Paul and
Minneapolis, thus leaving each half
equal in strength.
Rev. Mckinley, of Hamline, went
with the opposition as to the proposed
line of division. He thought the time
was
NOT YET RIPE
for a separation. Judging from the
remarks of some delegates, their desire
was to make one conference weaker than
the other, and that was extremely un-
desirable. He favored an equitable di-
vision, if such division could he accom-
plished. but condemned any scheme
which tended to weaken either the
Northern or Southern division. Elders,
Gilbert, of Winona; McCleary and
Showers, of Minneapolis, spoke against
| division. giving practically the same
reasons for their objection as those pre-
viously given. A compromise is sug-
| gested by Rev. d. Morgan, of the King
Street NJ. E. church. His suggestion is
that line be run north of Saltwater,
directly west to the western line of
Hennepin county, thence south to Hast.
! ingS and the Dakota road, and west on
that road TO the state line. The two
cities will still by the terms of this
proposition be in the southern division.
| The proposition seems to meet with
| favor and may be adopted.
An adjournment was taken at IL
o'clock, nothing definite having been
| accomplished, and the subject will come
up again this morning.
THE OLD STORY.
ha of n nv
Educational society's anniversary, and
that of the Freedman's Aid society.
Rev. Peter Clare, of the Zumbrota dis
| trict, delivered an address on the de-
STABILITY, results and advantages of ed
ucatiOn. Education, he said, was
visible in everything modern; not
alone in the men and women of
the age. but even in things mani
mate. The difference between now
ore in the rough and the steel rail over
! which shrieking locomotives ran at
high-pressure speed was difference of
education. The educated man would
never be afraid of science. He would
never never lie awake of nights fearing
| that science was going to overthrow the
! Bible. The time was coming when the
ministry of this country would be SO
| educated as to take the same weapons
| now used by the Skeptic or agnoStic and
| drive him from his position.
1T will be remembered" continued
| the speaker. that Washington said on
! one occasion, we must have none but
| Americans on watch tonight | tell
you, brethren, the time has come when
we must have men of broad and liberal
views, if YOU like. but men of undoubted
Christian principle in our colleges. The
fault is sometimes found with education
| that many educated men fail in their
lives and professions. Aaron. l think
! it was, who put his gold into calf.
! Well, a good many parents
| PUT THEIR GOLD
| into universities nowadays and the
bows upon whom the gold has been ex-
! pended, have come out well, not dis
| similar in many respects to Aaron's pet.
[ say that the wealthy laymen of this
! church ought not to send their children
to Eastern colleges. Children should
| not be sent to colleges in which their
parents have not the assurance that the
same professors who instruct them in
the recitation room will kneel with
| them in the prayers of the day. Educa-
ton is the proudest thing man can
strive to gain, and the greater his edu-
cation. the greater his power to serve
| the master in the most understanding
| and perfect manner. L say that With a
college at HamlIne Of such excellence
as the one we now have, none of our
| children should be sent to Eastern col
leges. They can be educated nearer
home"
Rev. Cowgirl. of Mortified. spoke in
favor of high education for the coming
generation. LAS regards the university
at Hamline," he said. Il will give
little item of my own experience. L
went to a state university. 1t was
new era In my life. 1t brought me into
contact with many minds of character
| had not known before. l was sur
rounded by things that brought me to
mental expression. l began to doubt
| things l had always believed. 1 fell
into the firmest kind of doubt. said
! to myself must
STOP READING
and investigating or shall become an
unbeliever. l said to myself, l must
| avoid the pursuit Of this sort of study
or shall be an infidel. l made up my