The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-05-19

handsome, and no one wonders why the
veteran minister has chosen such a COM
panion for the closing years of a busy
and successful life. The venerable
groom is as gallant and as happy as if
only coming out of this teens.
I he committee on the Worlds CO.
lumhian Exposition reported, and the
report was adopted. 1t sets forth the
Christian character of the discovcrers Of
America and of III" founders Of this Re-
public. 1t recounts the expressed opin-
ions of the fathers of the nation, and of
Abraham Lincoln. and other such men.
The following resolutions in substance
were unanimously adopted:
Resolved, That to open the gates OF tho
exposition on the Sabbath would be to
afiiict $500 COO Methodist, and 1o.0Ol l00)
adhcrents. and woutd shock the moral sca-
timents Of all civilized nations and violate
the law Of God.
Resolved. That Congress should condition
all appropriations upon the written a:re,-
ment that the gates shalt be closed on the
Sabbath.
The action of the general conference
has been telegraphed to both houses of
Congress and to the President and to
the officers of the Worlds Columbian
Exposition. While tho conference is
heartily in favor of the exposition it is
heartily opposed to its opening on the
Lords day, and the u,tcrance of the
highest and most influential body in the
Methodist Church will powerfully affect
the entire denominat on, and will have
much to do with the exhibits and the at
tendance upon the exposition.
Tie great debate of the conference
upon changing the constitution Of the
| church was carried on at almost in
terminable length, extending over sew
eral days, but always with lively in
tercst. The man quest on was the right
Of repre- sentation of laymcn. The final
action was regarded as Il victory for
| those who held that the plan of lay rep
rcsentation is not part OF the consti-
| tuition, but it was not satisfactory to the
committee, because there were many
| other things in the report that they
| wished to have discussed.
DIR. J. NJ. King, of New York, lead
| ing candidate for the episcopa"y, 0 Tered
n resolution for n proposed amendment
| to the Constitution of the United States.
! 1t relates to the protection of the public
schools in the United States against re-
ligious encroachmcnts and to define tho
attitude Of the churches with relation to
| the schools. DIR. King spok. earnestly
|
| the confer nee to indorse the bill which
has been prepared upon the subject Of
the complete enforcement of church and
| state. The passage of this bill would
! save the public schools from sectarian
influence, he said. and would remove o
great deal Of politics from the churches
| The resolution was adopted.
One of the colored delegates offered
| n resolution pIodrinU the cOlOrc1
McthOdists to loyalty to the church, and
the session took place, being conducted
entirely by colored delegates. Four
speeches were made and the speakers
compared we'll with any of the white
brethren. One Of the speakers said
that the complaint named by DIR. Buckley
as bishop-phobia had attacked the col
orcd preachers as well as the white. but
as the cclored preachers were the pupils
Of the white it would be natural for the
pupils to follow the example and teach.
ings of their intructors. 1t was de-
c:dcd that there was no necessity for any
uttera1ce concerning the loyalty of the
co'orec people, as for twenty five years
they have been faithful and true to all
the inte rests of the Methodist Episcopal
church.
Nearly all the evangelical churches in
Omaha, led by their pastors. showed
marked attention to the general confer
ence. opening their pulpits on the Sab
bath and their church edifices during the
week for committee purposes. In re-
turn for this courtesy the conferen &C
voted to place chairs on the platform
with the bishops for the use Of the
pastors of Omaha.