The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-11-20
THE vIRGINSyA CONFERENCE
What Was Done by That metho-
dist Body y esterday.
Report OF the COMMITTEES on tho 1aV
Bennett and Cannon ttion.rov
sita'inx U''er"noe' Condemned.
Church Organs kequireaS to Keep On.
Of Such Controversies-TSaal O,d.x.
In the Case OF Ear. 9rf mtb-o,,
Matters. NJ


the Methodist Episcopal Conferenice me- r.
this morning the committee OF inyes,,-
CATION In the Laffsrty- Bennett Car mon
matter reported as follows: Your CO..,
mittee appointed to investigate "a
questions between R. Ell. Bennett anil,
James cannon. Jr., on one part and J.
j. La1erty on the other, beg leave TO
report: After an honest, pray erful and
thorough investigation wa I'D tina DR..
hanerty In the late unhappy contro-
versy had made state ments, the truth
OF which has not been sustained before
us, but we desire to say:
FIRST, III our judgment, DR.. Laffsrtv
mas not had the infant 70 ipiure the
good name of the late Rev. DE-. w. w.
Bennett.
second, in our Judgment the nm
authorized statsmen.s of Dr.. I,.ffer.v
are NOT due to deliberate and wiliful
design to misrepresent acts
Ihlrd. we condemn the irritating
utterances which have marked his con-
ouc' OF the controversy, and for this
reason and because Of the tier unprofi,.
sbleness ofsuch personal controversy as
we have had conducted in public. and
It's liability to ergender bitterne So snd
provoke harsh exp essions. the Virginia
conference should require and does
hereby require that such matters of
personal controversy shall hereafter be-
excluded from the columns of its orgsps
either In their regular issues or EXTRA
editions
we desire to add that In our iudg-
ment Il. d. Bennett and James Cannon,
Jr', under provocat.oa, have made in
temperate personal utterances In print
whlcn arc open to criticism, and we
would hereby also request of them n,
to Introduce such personal m tiers here.
after In the columns of the Methodist
recorder. Finally, we recommend TINT
In the matter OF inquiry committed to
us no further proceedings are necessary.
Signed by w. " Tudor. w. F Tillett,
M .: Young, l., B. Betty, M. N. Simp--
son, Richard Ferguson, j. Carson Wat
son, w. w. Lear, J. M. Burton"
An unanimous AYE greeted the cues
tton OF adoption when the bishop re-
ferred the report 10 the confer enoe.
Inc committee In the case of Rev. J.
W. Grifnsh reported, and said that after
acareful and prayeriul Investigation OF
the matter they thought 1t necessary to
order trial and reported the charges
and specifications, The bishop will CD.
point a representative OF the church
and a minister will bs chosen 70 defend
IL.
Dr.. Ray presented report of the
publishing investigation committee,
recon- mending the work OF the Nash
vile Publishing House and practically
certain late published books. including
Btshop Gallo~ay's book, The Current
OF The Globe" and among newspapers
the Richmond Christian Advocate.
bishop Galloway called the question
OF the life and character of the Rev.
Lafferty, Rev. Cannon. Jr,, and Rev.
Bennett, and after q discussion Ct tech-
nicalities they were found blsmeless
ana their character passed. All three
arose and expressed themselves as we'll
pleased with the work of the c ommistee.
Rev. r. Bennett, however, took oo-
casion to say that while the report OF
the committee satisfied him. yet ha re-.
served the right TO answer at all times
alurs or insinua.ione that m liz ht be N de-
against him or those dear TO him. He
did not propose to give up his self-re-
speot, he said with emphasis.
AT the session tomorrow the commit
tee that tried DR.. Carter will mako their
report acquistiug him. Three were for
conviction and six for scquittat. The
conference will ij,urn tomorrow,
when the appointments will be an
nounced