The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-05-20
ADJUSTMENTS SINFUL
The Methodist Conference
Refuses to Change Its
Article of Discipline.
ARGUMENTS FOE AND AGAINST
Dr. Grew Stands for God and
Methodism and Not for
the World.
ARGUMENTS FOB AND AGAINST

CLEVELAND, May 20, lSs6.-Bishou
Foster presided at the session of the Cen.
eral Conference of the Methodist Epis-
eopal Church this morning. The feature
OF the session was the discussion of the
amusement question. Nearly half an hour
was consumed in changing the method
OF nominating candidates. During the de-
bate on the subject. DR.. Buckley sad
tnat the Cleveland papers were right in
saying that the excitement and confusion
Of Tuesday during the nominations was
unsurpassed in any history of Cleveland
conventions.
Lewis Curtis was elected on the first bali
lot as agent of the Western Book Con-
Germ, with headquarters at Cincinnati.
He, with the other agents TO be seleet4
ed, win have charge of the Methodist
ST. Louis.
A resolution was unanimously adopted
Iecltlng tnat the sale Of liquors in the
National Capitol was national disgrace,
and asking, in the name of ten million
people, that Congress abolish the prac-
The Committee on the State of the
Church drew the Conference into an ex-
citing discussion by recommending that
tnat part of the discipline relating 10
specific anusements be not changed. I'm
DER the present law persons indulging in
Intoxicating liquors as a beverage. rent
ing property to or becoming bondsmen
FOR liquor dealers, dancing, playing at
games of chance, attending theatres.
morse races, cireuses and indulgfng in
many other popular amusements shall
be expelled from the church unless the
offender exhibit real humiliation
Levi Master, of Michigan, said that he,
thought the specifying of alleged sinful
church. All Christendom is divided on
the question:" said he II do not believe.
that it is always wrong to go to a theatre
las a.71
race, why not forbid a football game?
This question should be left entirely 10
the individual Judgment of the members
Of the church It is better to allow inli-i
vidual judgment than to prohibit anuse-.
ments thar Christendom is divided on
we cannot afford to follow the lead of
the Church of Rome by crushing individ-
uai Judgment, This amusement law is q
dead letter. You can't enforce it. There
fore, l move to strike out all that part
OF the. section that relates to amuse4
DR.. ]. b. Grow, of New Jersey, said
Inns IS an age OF worldlinesS and sim
Iul pleasure If this paragraph is removed
u VIII pc regarded as a movement toward
Worldliness Is there anyone here who is
Wiling to say that anyone of these sinful
amusements shall be practiced by our
stand. I stand for God and Methodism
and not for the world"
Joseph IF. Berry, editor of ssEpworth. -
said;-'This is a question in which the
young people of our church are especially
interested, and they are against the pro-
posed change. Sin muldplies fast and we
cannot watch Our young folks TOO much -
The Rev. John D. Walsh, of KentuclSv..
This is an unfortunate chapter in our
dlsclpl1ne, but We cannot change it now.
The world is looking at us, and if we
take out some of these sinful .arnusements
TO them.''
BY an almost unanimous vote the Com
ference refused to change the discipline
on the subject Of amusements.