The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-10-17
Ecumenical Methodist Council.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16.-Rev. F. w.
Bourne, president Of the Bible Methodist
church Of England, occupied the chair at
to-day's session of the Ecumenical Metho-
dist council The resolution present ted
yesterday in relation to Methodist fedora
ton was again taken up.
After few remarks the question was
put on the adoption of the resolution and
1t was agreed to unanimously. Among the
resolutions adopted was one demanding
complete suppression of the opium trade in
all parts of the world.
The topic for the morning session.
Social Problems" was then taken up.
Hon. Alden Spears, president of the Boston
chamber of commerce, read an essay on
The Church In her Relation to Labor and
Capital
MIR. Spears, in the course of his remarks
said the church, by spiritual changes which
IL has wrought in the lives of millions of
her membership, has elevated them from
habits and conditions that lead only to pow
erty and crime. In return for such price
less benefits, labor and capital should give
their first and best efforts 10 the church for
its extension and prosperity. The elective
franchise should not be given any foreigner
till he can read and write the language of
the country OF his adoption and has been
long enough a resident to become thor
oughly conversant with the laws and Gus
soms Of the land, be that time ten or
twentY-one years.
Spears thought the question of hours
that should constitute days labor more
vital TO the wage-earne than to capital
For the last ten years the average return
TO capital had not been per cent II fur
Their pressed, the goose that now lays the
golden egg'' of constant and well remuner-
ated employment is killed; manufactures
must be closed and the laborer left without
pmnlOVmant in the anhapf.ad cost OF -aro
duction is not added to the goods produced.
and which must be paid by the consumers,
OF whom wage earners and families are the
great majority.
Rev. ]. Berry, of New Zealand, dwelt on
the strikes question. He said the position
of Methodism in the twentieth century
will depend largely upon her attitude to-
ward the labor movement in the past de.
cade of the nineteenth. There can be no
peace between the employer and employed
until the principle of profit sharing is re-
cognized as an equitable settlement of the
wage question and adoption wherever
practicable. Let US make haste to wipe
out the reproach that the Christian pulpit
hardly touches upon the duty of the rich to
the poor, except by an occasional sermon
upon the duty OF being charitable. Until
justice is done there is place for charity
l. r. Inch, of the Methodist church in
Canada, spoke on moral Aspects of Com
binations of Capital" Hs dealt severe
blows to trusts.
Congressman J. d. Taylor, of Ohio, said
he had been a workman himself He had
concluded there was no adequate remedy
on the face of tie earth for the complain Is
Of labor except the Christian religion and
abolition of the liquor traffic Numerous
other addresses were made on the subject
and in the afternoon 1.-The Obligation of
the Church in Relation to the Social Condi-
tim of the Pa0nla'' was discDssa6
At the evening session the subject of
missions, foreign and domestic, was exten-
sively discussed. Rev. William McreIy. of
New Zealand, Rev. Mr.. Townsend, of Eng
land, suggested that a great extension OF
the mission field was demanded, especially
In African and China.
Rev. r. A. Leonard, of New York, dwelt
on missions in Christian lands. The vast
Influx OF immigrants into the United States
and Canada makes those countries in par
ticular missionary grounds. There is little
hope OF relief from stringent immigration
laws; no political party is likely to adopt
such policy as would lead 10
certain defeat. The time has come
for the evangelical churches to take
up TO the time CT march for foreignized city
centres. On both sides of the Atlantic
there are common foes to be yauquished,
The advocates of all fakeisms-matsrial-
ism,s agn sticism, spiritualism and atheism
are disseminating their poisonous teach
ings in every possible manner.
DIR. Leonard was severe on the Catholic
church. This hierarchy, said he, would
stop all men from thinking Independently
close all places Of Protestant worship de.
stroy free government, place q priestly
censorship over the press and priestly su-
pervisicn over the public schools. To sue
cessfully combat all enemies, Methodist
federation is necessitated