Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-03-19


DEAR EDITOR: Through the col
umns of your valuable paper, and re-
published in others, appears an article
on Primitive Methodism " which in
my humble opinion does serious inius-
tice to the above church, ard presents
its most faithful and able ministers in
Il very improper light.
The article has been read by most of
these men, and all receive it as an in
suit, and either treat it with silent con-
tempt or with the most perfect indig-
nation. And especially when it comes
before the public with no name, and
the author has to hide behind Com, :"
and assails class of men who occupy
the most sacred and servitve of all
positions, and are expected to bear all
things without murmur or retaliation.
Such treatment reminds one of the
kiss that sent the greatest and grand
est Of teachers into the hands of the
rabble and the mob.
If changes have to take place in our
church life, and the conference sees
that it is to the best interest of Gods
work and humanity, let it be done
honestly and without SO much abuse
and misrepresentation as appears in
that article
| cannot believe it is the work Of
anybody well acquainted with the his
tory of the church or the character of
the men he SO ungenerously assails, or
he never would make such statements.
The "secret caucus" as he terms it,
held one day before conference, met to
consider the action of a certain church,
which action every minister and sta
ton thought to be illegal and uncon-
stitutional according to the church dis
clpline, and as the above church was
considered the head of Primitive
Methodlsm in the west, and rumors
were alloat that the said church was
going to "secede, or become indepen
dent" 1t naturally raised the ques-
ton of our future as a conference
and on motion, one of the minist ers
was appointed to bring the matter be,
fore conference, and after lengthy
discussion by that body, the following
resolutions were carried:
That each minister bring the matter OF
considering the ACCESSIBILITY or otherwise OIL
dissolving the western conference before the
quarterly conference of his respective
charge for action, and report to the third Scs,
sion of the general committee.
This was all done in the open con.
ference, which may be found in the
annual minutes of conference, on page
10.
Then why charge this upon the min
listers. when it was done by the confer.
ence. If Com" is in any way &C
quainted with the discipline, he must
know that the ministers did not, anG
could not dissolve the conference.
Again he states that This commit
tee met in Dodgeville last week, wher
it was found that out of a member
ship of 1900 in the conference, mos,
of the small churches, having an ag
gregate membership of over 800, ia
vored no change, while the larger
churches with over zoo members de
sired to dissolve the conference rela
ton and be free, or were indifferent. A
motion recommending the conference
to continue was lost on tie vote. st
the matter remains pretty near as il
did"
1t is perfectly evident to my MIND
that Com was not at that meeting
and | am sorry to say that he is not al
all particular in his figures. The rea
facts are: Is churches reported to that
meeting; l., with u membership OF
1914, voted for continuance; 3, with 4
membership of ego, voted for dissolu.
ton; and >, with Il membership OF
1870, did not vote on the question; to.
tai, 1864.
These figures are taken from the
sccretary's book and the minutes OF
the last conference, and it may be pos.
slhle that Com" has made a light
mistake without any purpose what.
ever.
The emotion la>, on tie vote he
speaks of, is another Misrepresentation
Of the whole thing, for the above no.
tion was amended, and carried by the
following: