Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-10-20
THE METHODISTS
Discuss the Possibilities Of Legal Re-
Straint on Crime.
THE LOTTERY LAWS GOOD EFFECT
Cited as an Instance Where Largs Number Of
People Fave Bsen Restrained From Wrong
Doing BY the Legal Removal
Of Temptation.

menical Methodist Council opened with
Mr.. VIM. Marden. President of the
Wesleyan Reform Union, England, in
the chair.
Through Mr.. McLaren, the Commit
tee on Methodist Statistics, made a re-
port which, in substance, states that
returns had been retained from all
churches repreSe- ted in the conference
and tabulated, first geographically, and
second enthusiastically. The term "ad-
herents" included in every case minis
ters and members as well as families
connected with the congregations.
In some cases estimates were made,
but in no case do they exceed the figures
given in the Government census, and in
some cases they are below. While no
official statistics were adopted by the
London Ecumenical Conference, the
figures show that since that conference
there has been an increase of thirty per
cent. in Methodist believers.
The business committee acknowl-
edged the receipt Of memorial con-
cerning the recognition of the visit of
the President of the United States to
the Conference.
A resolution was adopted making to-
morrow's session the last OF the Confer
ence. DR.. Hamilton presented the re-
port of the committee on an executive
commission. The executive commission
of the eastern section shall be distribut-
ed among the various branches OF
Methodism represented in that section
as follows.
Wesleyan, eleven members; Irish
Methodists, ,, Methodist New COnnec-
tion, 2, Primitive Methodists, 4; Bible
Christians, 3; United Methodist Free
Church, 3; Australian Methodist, /;
French Methodist, l; Wesleyan Reform
Union, |; United Free Gospel Churches,
/; South African Methodists, l; West
Indian Methodists, 1.
The western section shall be distIib-
uted as follows among the various
branches of MethodiSm represented in
that section: Methodist Episcopal,
eighteen; Methodist Episcopal South,
eight; Methodist Church in Canada,
four; African NJ. L. Church, three;
African NJ. E. Zion, three; Colored M.
E., one; Methodist Protestant, one:
United Brethren in Christ, one; Amer
lean Wesleyan, one; Union American
NJ. E., one; African Union NJ. e., one;
Free Methodist, one; Congregational
Methodist, one; Primitive Methodist,
one; British Methodist, one; Independ-
ent Methodist one; United Brethren in
Christ (Old Constitution), one; Evan
gelical Association, one.
Among other duties the commission
Is to make the necessary arrangements
for the next Executive Conference, sub
ject to the approval Of the several
churches represented. Mr.. Atkinson,
of England, hoped and expected that
the next Ecumenical Conference woald
be held in Australia. After some dis
cussion the further consideration of the
report went over until tomorrow, and
the topic of the day, '"The Church and
Public Morality" was taken up. In
the unavoidable absence OF Hon. w. Is.
Hill, of Macon, Ga, his essay on Legal
Restraint on the Vices of Society" was
read by w. V. Tudor. OF Richmond, Va.
We are sometimes told, he began, by
those who admit that legal restraint of
the vices of society is within the juriS-
dictiou of the State, that such legiSla-
tson is nugatory. "You cannot make
men moral by act of parliament. So
runs the threadbare pathos of this worn
out pastoral Now II this means that
law cannot generate inward righteous
ness. it is true; but those who saw the
air with this Old saw very well know
that the friends of moral legislation do
not propose to accomplish by ii any
such results, for statutes or every kind
assume 70 deal only with mems acts
not with intentions or motives.
The rules Of the churches never ere
ated inward holiness, that is not their
function in church economy, but they
serve as an inferential and wholesome
discipline of conduct, and thus they
help to make men moral by law Can
there be doubt that the act OF Con-
press which has closed the mails and
press to the nefarious schemes OF the
lotteries, has diminished this immoral
ity aud therefore made moral with re-
spect to this vice the conduct OF many
whose conduct the opposite state OF the
law made immoral.
May the law precede or must II sim
q, follow public sentiment in attempt
ing to control the vices OF society?
There are two schools of thought. One
insisting that the law should hold aloft
n standard Of conduct sufficiently above
the level of average opinion to become
a guide an a beacon; the other insisting
that the standard should be below the
average public sentiment or almost only
parallel with it, in order to avoid the
scandal which arises from breach or
law in it's non-enforcement.
Rev. Jos. PoSnett, of the Wesleyan
Methodist Church, Hull, Engian0, de-
livered the first appointed address OF
the morning session. His special sub
iect was Legal Restraint on the Vices
Of Society,""
Betting and gambling, he said, is
nresent day question, and is OF all con-
rerning Importance. Possibly one of the
very worst forms of gambling, gambling
practiced on a colossal scale, aud gamO-
ling indulged in by not few Christian
professors. is the gambling of the stock
exchange. Talk of a frantic, fanatieal,
uproarious enthusiasm on matters re-
Iigious as something to be condemned
For my part have never seen or heard
ANYTHING in connection with the widest
religions excitement at all comparable
with what saw for the space OF half an
bonr In Wall street in New York. No
doubt the gambling Of the street eX-
change differs widely in form and ex
preston from the gambling OF the turf
and the dice. But in spirit the manifes-
tatiou of an ever-grasping, ah-devour-
ing. all-consuming covetousness tits one
and the same thing,
Judge H. L. SibleY, of Marietta, o.,
whose topic was Marriage and Divorce
Laws. said: The gist Of it all is in the
principle, deducible alike from reason