Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-14

| reading OF the minutes of yesterdays proceed
| ings, which were adopted after a few correc.
| tons. Secretary King OF the business commit
1 tee reported a number of resolutions. one Of
| which was with reference to n memorial asking
the appointment of fraternaI delegation from
the conference to the pan-Prcsby terrain confer
ence, which meets in Toronto In September
| 1892.
The business committee also moved that the
| ecumencal conference hold love feast and
| brotherhood meeting at the seat of the confer.
| ence, the Metropolitan Church, next Sunday
| afternoon at 2 o'clock. and that Rev. Mr.. Ar.
thur OF London be the presiding officer on that
occasion. The suggestion was unanimously
| adopted.
SUNDAY AT THE WORLDS FAIR.
Rev. Mr.. Curtis of Chicago, of the committee
to draw up resolutions with reference to the
proposed opening of the worlds Columbian
exposition on the Sabbath, made a report. The
! resolutions that were embodied in this report
were as follows, after few corrections were
made and inserted:
To the United States Commissioners Of the
| Worlds Columbian Exposition.
The ecumenical Methodist conference COM
| posed OF five hundred ministers and iaymon
representing the Methodist churches through
out the civilized world respectfully petition
| your honorable body to prevent the proposed
! opening of the worlds Columbian exposition
| on the Lords day. We make this petitioa foz
the IoiiowlnR reasons:
| L. 1t liz the religions conviction of the great
| majority of Christian people that God COM
nands and man needs the observance of a Sab
| bath.
| 2. The Opening of the exposition on Sunday
would violate the Sabbath-keeping traditions
of the American people and their Anglo Saxon
ancestry. and also the laws Of the United States
| and of Illinois.
| 3. The Columbian exposition ought to ex-
hibit to visitors from other lands character
istic American Sunday rather than weekly
| secular holiday.
| 4. The proposed opening on Sunday would
deprive the thousands OF employees in the SER
vice of the exposition o: their right to one day
| In seven for rest and worship The same in
justice would be done to the many thousands
| in the service Of transportation companies. 1t
would also furnish excuse to employers for
| refusing to grant holidays for the purpose Of
visiting the. exposition. which would otherwise
| be granted to their employees.
D. The spirit Of the movement to open the
| exp osition on Sunday is not philanthropic. but
mercenary. 1t is not primarily to give the
workinSmen chance to visit the exposition,
| but to increase the gains of the transportation
| companies and others who are large stock
holders i'll the exposition.
As an offset to the plea that the stockholders
will lose money if the exposition is not open on
| Sunday, we beg leave to remind you that the
centennial exposition of Philadelphia was a
| financial success with the gates closed.
| Z. We lave reason to believe that many of
| the exhibitors from Great Britain and other
! Christian lands will refuse to expose their eX-
| hibits on Sunday. thus rendering the Sunday
| exhibit very unsatisfactory to visitors and at
| the same TIME silently rebuking the mcrceuary
| spirit that wonld open the gates on that day.
Resolved, That copy OF this petition, duly
| certified. be forwarded by the secretary OF the
| conference to the secretary of the United States
commissioners of the worlds Columbian expo
sitiou.
! The resolutions were signed by Lewis Curtis.
| W. j.. Gaiucs, Thomas Shape. Henry John
Farmer Atkinson. NJ. p, Jas. II. Carlisle aud U.
p. Fitzgerald, bishop of the NJ. Z. church
south. lheir adoption was practically unani-
nous, there being only one voice raised in
dissent.
METHODIST FEDERATION.
The report Of the committee appointed to de-
wise some means of federation for the various
branches of Methodism gave rise to consider
able debate, which was opened by MIR. Thomas
Shape of Liverpool, and was closed by motion
| from Or. Stephenson that the debate be ad-
| journed until after the devotional exercises to-
| morrow morning. The report was signed by
Thomas Shape and I. Morgan Harvey, and read
| as follows:
| /. That the conference recognizes with graft.
| tude to God the growing desire for closer CO.
deportation among the evangelical churches OF
christendom and especially halls with devou,
| thankfulness the extension OF that desire
among the various Methodist churches.
! 2. The conference, though the time may no,
be come for the organic union Of the different
Methodist bodies, cannot doubt that concerted
action upon many questions would be greatly
! to the advantage Of the Kingdom of God. The
| conference would suggest that such concerted