Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-11
I'd EDITION.
--latest qbleglanS to The Star.
THE sUsTENTATION FUND.
A Spirited Debate On II in the Balti
more COnference To-day


more Conference To-day.
Special Dispatch to THE EVENING STAR
BALTIMORE, March 11.-As indicated in The
STAR on Saturday, the Baltimore annual NJ. E.
conference again waded into the dangerous
depths of sustentation this morning. The
question came up as the order of the day at
10 O'Clock, on resolution offered by Rev. Joel
Brown just before adjournment Saturday, but
which went over until this morning on motion
of Rev. W. A. Edwards. Mr.. Brown again took
the floor. He said he had the greatest respect
for the committee on sustentation and believed
its members incapable of willingly affecting
any member Of the conference, but, like many
other men who aimed at Interior ends and de-
sired to accomplish good, they placed many Of
the members in an unfortunate light. He was
pleading for himself as one of these.
THE OBJECT OF THE sUsrENrATIoN FUND
was to supplement insufficient salaries. 1t was
wage given for services performed, and the
members had Just as good right to it as he
had to the salary apportioned by his board
without any inquiry into the private affairs OF
himself and family and the wages earned by
his children. This was followed by applause,
which was promptly checked by the bishop.
Continuing, Mr.. Brown said the conference
could never have designed giving authority to
the committee to ask such questions as they
did, which no self-respecting man, unless
forced, would answer. The plan of sustsnta-
ton was devised in kindness to help those men
who had poor charges, but the action Of the
committee was to change sympathy to gall and
bitterness. 1t placed them in a worse position
than they had ever occupied before. He had
never known a case where man doing effective
work was subjected to such a scrutiny
into his private affairs. The tendency was to
lower the tone and manliness of the confer
ence, which it could not afford to do. 1t would
absolutely drive away from some members the
help needed, as they refused to accept it by
answering the questions. He offered the fol-
lowing:
.Resoloed, Tha. it was not the intention of
the conference to impose any such questions as
are embodied In questions /, 2, 8, 4, 5, and7."
DEFENDING THE COMMITTEE.
Rev. @. Herbert Richardson, of Washington
Chairman Of the committee, in defending its
action, said he stood as breakwater in its pro-
lection and upon his skill in defending it de-
pended largely the continuation of the susten-
tatlon fund. Every man who had put in
claim had been paid, no matter how unfair the
committee may have considered it. The con-
ference had vested the authority in the
committee and they had acted according to
their best abilities. In interpreting it the
questions were put to claimants only to ascer-
tain the most meritorious cases. Vie was told
that 1t was in the nature Of a contract but he
never heard of man contracting for his own
benefcence. As surely as the limitations of
the
DEATH KNELL OF THE sUsTENTATIoN FUND.
He did not want to serve on the committee
anoter year, but so long as he was on it he
meant to perform his full duty.
Rev. Jas. NJ Davis said he stood on the equity
side of the case. These men who had claims
on the fund we're worthy Of their hire, and
honorable men. He himself scorned such
charity. God did not put him on any such
basis. III he put in his claim it was a matter of
right and not of charity. This lawyer of the
committee, Mr.. Richardson, said that every
man had been allowed his claim. The susten-
tation fund was raised. not as a matter of
charity, but Of duty, three-fourths of which was
paid by the laymen. 1t was not to be presumed
that any man who respected himself would have
thrown in his teeth the charge that he was a
mendicant 1t was a burning shame that any
Methodist preacher should have to answer such
questions
He hurled it back, and would die in the poor
house before answering them.
Mr.. Browns resolution was lost by vote of
A to 81.
Rev. j. McKendree Kelley asked that the
parchments of Rev. Philip A. Crist, resigned by
him some time ago, be restored. Rev. w. A.
Edwards moved that the matter be referred to
a committee OF five to be appointed by the
chair.
Rev. Dr. H. r. Naylor, of Washington, op-
posed the reference, and asked that the parch-
ments be restored. After some debate DIR.
Edwards motion prevailed, and the chair ap-
pointed Revs. John Lanahan, J. A. McCauley,
j. H. Dashiell, II. r. Naylor, and E. d. Huntley
THE EDUCATIONAL COLLECTIONS.
Rev. L. F. Morgan moved that the confer
ence educational collections during the year
be paid over to the conference treasurer and
by HIM to the Woman's College of Baltimore.
Rev. j. j. G. Webster offered a substitute that
all undesignated sums go to the
woman's college and all designated
sums to the institutions for which they we're
named. general discussion followed. An
effort was made to have the matter referred to
a committee of three to recommend a suitable
distribution of the funds. But it was lost and
the question went over for consideration to to-
morrow morning.
Rev. j. l.. Hurlburt, of New York,
secretary Of the Sunday school union,
addressed the conference. He said
there were 100000 of all classes in the
Sunday schools of the church in 1887. There
were 10000 converts. There were 1,5OO 900
young people between the ages of twelve
and twenty-four in the NJ. f. church. The
Tract society put into the hands of
every emgrant who landed at Castle Garden
who would receive it tract psinted in his own
tongue. Revs. A. s. Hunt, secretary of the
American Bible society, and Geo.E. Reed, pres