Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1896-05-22
M, &. CONFERENCE.

No Change Made in the Discipline of the
Church-Debate on the Prohibition OF
Amusements.
CLEVELAND, O., May 20.-Bishop Fos-
ter presided at the session of the gen.
eral conference of the Methodist Epis-
copai church Wednesday morning. The
feature of the session was the discus
sion of the amusement question.
Nearly half an hour was consumed in
changing the method of nominating
candidates During the debate on the
subject DIR. Buckley said that the
Cleveland papers were right in saying
that the excitement and con fusion of
Tuesday during the nominations was
unsurpassed in the history of Cleveland
conventions.
Lewis Curtis was elected on the first
ballot as agent of the Western Book
Concern, with headquarters at Cincin-
natl He, with the other agent to be
selected, will have charge of the Meth
odist book business at Cincinnati, Chi
cago and st. Louis.
A resolution was unanimously adopt
ed, reciting that the sale of liquors in
the national capital was a national
disgrace, and asking in the name of
1O, 900, 900 people that congress abol-
ish the practice. The committee on
state of the church drew the confer
ence into an exciting discussion by
recommending that the part of the
discipline relating to specific amuse-
ments be not changed. Under the
present law persons indulging in intox-
icating liquors as beverage, renting
property to or becoming bondsmen for
liquor dealers, dancing, playing at
games of chance, attending theaters,
horse races, and indulging in many
other popular amusements, shall be ex-
PEELED from the church, unless the Of
fender exhibit real humiliation.
Levi Master, of Michigan, said that
he thought the specifying of alleged
sinful amusements was great mistake
for the church "All Christendomsis
divided on the question:" he said. II
do not believe that it is always wrong
to go to theater or to play cards If
you forbid horse race why not forbid
football game? This question should
be left entirely to the individual judg-
ment of the members of the church.
1t is better to allow individual judg-
ment than to prohibit amusements that
Christendom is divided on. We can
not afford to follow the lead of the
Church of Rome by crushing individual
judgment This amusement law is a
dead letter. You can not enforce it.
Therefore, move to strike out all that
part of the section that relates to
amusements."
DR.. j. B. Grow, of New Jersey, said:
'oThis is an age of worldliness and sim
full pleasure. If this paragraph is re-
moved it will be regarded as a move-
ment toward worldliness Is there
anyone here who is willing to say that
any one of these sinful amusements
shall be practiced by our members? I
hope that paragraph will stand I
stand for God and Methodism and not
for the world"
j. F. Berry, editor Of the Epworth
Herald, said: "This is a question in
which the young people of our church
are specially interested, and they are
against the proposed change Sin null
tiplies fast and we can not watch our
young folks too much"
Rev. DIR. John ID. Walsh, of Ken.
lucky: ''This is an unfortunate chapter
in our discipline, but we can not
change it now. The world is looking
at us, and If we take out some of the
sinful amusements the world will say
that we do not object TO them"
The conference, by an almost unani-
nous vote, refused to change the dis
capline on the subject Of amusementa
Viotoria's birthday.
LONDON, May 2a-The queens birth
day was officially celebrated in Lon
don Wednesday. r. The Prince, OF
Wales,----the-.D Duke--of- Cambridge
and Gen. Lord Wolselcy attend.
TEA q military parade vat a., White
hall Wsdne esday aftern6 on, ,sand . num-
b}r 81 eficiai dinnsrS Ii honor of the
Occasion were given Wednesday night.
Lord Salisbury gave dinner to the
diplomatic corps.
| Racing In England.
I0Nn0N Nav oQ-Tha Rafh and