Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-05-26


favored the license system.
Judge Lawrence offered a substitute
for the report. His substitute stated
that the church did not propose TO take
n hand in politics and that every man
had a right to vote as he pleased. His
substitute embraced vigorous and
comprehensive statement favoring tenn
perance in accordance with the address
OF the bishops.
Judge Lawrence addressed the con-
ference upon the substitute. lie held
that the report of the committee was
cunningly worded so as to commit the
church to the support of the prohibition
or third party indirectly, and at the
same time to hit the republican party u
smash in the same cunning way. In
conclusion he said "The Methodist
Episcopal church cannot afford TO in
dorse the prohibition party or any other
political party" Great applause
'Let us keep aloof from politics." ZAP
plause.)
A motion to lay Judge Lawrence's
substitute on the table was put but
failed TO pass The prohibition leaders
in the committee began to grow anxious
about the fate of the report.
DIR. Evans, chairman Of the committee
on temperance and prohibition of the
liquor traffic, got the floor and declared
that the report was not worded in n
manner TO lend support to any political
party. The report, he said, simply
sought to place the Methodist church
squarely against the perpctuation of
the liquor traffic. lie was applauded.
Judge Lawrence's substitute was de-
feated by "a vote-200 TO 2I0
Then came the vote upon the report
Of committee. The laymen called for
vote by orders. The call was not sus-
tanned. The report of the committee
was then adopted amid applause,
The Jules were then suspended and
the conference passed n resolution in
troduced by DIR. Little, of Illinois, stat
ing the adoption of the committees re-
port did not commit the church to any
political party. The resolution was
passed by very large majority.
IL was noticed that the laymen voted
mittee. When the report was adopted
the applause was deafening and several
temperance women in the gallery Hut
tered their handkerchiefs in the air.
The resolution was followed by an
other declaring that the adoption of the
report did not mean the Endorsement of
any political party. IL threw n chill
over the prohibition element The ap
plause that followed was from the con
servative and cautious members of the
conference.
The report of the committee on
Chinese exclusion was then taken up
II was an earnest protest against the
certain portions of the bill recently
passed looking TO the exclusion of the
Chinese. The clauses which the report
protests against are: First, that which
denies the Chinaman bail on habca,
corpus proceedings; and second, that
which permits none but white men tC
give testimony in supporting the claim,
of Chinese to citizenship. The report
was adopted.
The report of the committee OF
itineracy was taken up and j. NJ
Caldwell, Of Chicago, got the floor. He
held that the removal of the time limit
would wipe out good deal of clerica
politics. DIR, j, NJ King, of New York
declared that the removal of the time
limit would be the greatest advance
step taken by the Methodist church IL
fifty years.
After Dr. King and half dozen other
speakers in succession clamored Cor the
removal of the time limit, DIR. Buckley
got the floor and declared that the time
limit was first adopted TO relieve Bishop
Asbury in trying 10 get stubborn
pastor removed. He declared that the
conference was in too great hurry Il
abolish the time limit. The time was
extended 10 five years at the conference
of 1888, and now, before a solitary mar
has had time to live out a five yeal
term, this conference rushes in to re
move the limit entirely.
DR.. Riggin, Of Montana, spoke II
favor of the time limit. He held tina
the country churches were in favor o.
holding on TO the time limit.
DIR. Bridgeman, of Michigan, Offered
a substitute TO provide for special casei
in which the bishops might disregard
the time limit. The substitute wal
tabled.
A long squabble took place over III,
closing speech of the debate by tn,
chairman of the minority The chair
man, DIR. Edwards, wanted TO introduc,
DIR. Palmer TO make the closing speech
BY remarkably shrewd move thu
friends of the minority report got the
minority report introduced as substi
eute and II was railroaded almost Il
completion before the friends Of thu
majority report were aware of II, Wig
orous efforts were made by those VIII,
wished to see the time limit removed
but they were completely outstrippe'
by the shrewdness OF the opposition
The minority report was adopted by
vote Of eos for TO 1872 against, and tn,
five year time limit will remain as 1t Is
!, aha raafarence than adjourned