The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-15
Riding on Bicycles or Trains on
the Sabbath Declared
Ungodly.
APPOINTMENTS ARE DELAYED
Adjournment Postponed Until the
Assignments to PastorateS
Are Made.

EAO1rI ~ OhOf FL CAL's DSDI' II AhS
Methodist Conference opened with prayer
this morning, Bishop Foss presiding. A
heavy days business was transacted,
morning, afternoon and evening sessions
being held.
Rev. August Patterson, whose present
whereabouts seems to be unknown, was
reported as not having located in COM
pliance with the instructions OF last years
California conference, and it was again
ordered that he locate or be put on trial
next year for unacceptab ility. To locate
minister means to change him from
regular 10 a local preacher. Rev. ]. E.
Bailey was also requested to locate. Rev.
W. P. S. Duncan was withdrawn from the
ministry and membership in the confer
ence. He is suffering from malady which
units him for work. Rev. n. r. Peck,
superannuated minister, said he had an
swered to his name at the first rollcall for
forty annual conferences, and that it was
very hard to be a superannuate and I'M
able to preach for the Lord.
Rev. NJ. C. Briggs offered to the minis
tiers for circulation petitions for the
passage of a Bible law. The conference
requested the Bishop to appoint him field
secretary of the State Sabbath Association.
Rev. J. E. Wickes of Richland. who became
INSANE LnC year lICIu OfCTWOEh, anu
Rev. John Appleton, were placed on the
superannuated list.
The conference next year will be held at
Pacific Grove.
The committee of Lay Association dele
gates, Mrs. G. q. LON bard, Mrs. William
Abbott and Mrs. DR.. Cronemiller, was re-
ceived by the conference, Mrs. Cronemiller
making an address. In reply, Bishop Foss
said that the reception of lay delegates
into the general conference would greatly
augment the work of the church. This
was appiauded.
II want to say to laymen," said the
Bishop, you can never get this reform
with your fists doubled up. We have al
together too many voting in this country
now who cannot read. Applause.1 l
want to see equal lay and ministerial rep
resentation. Applause.] You ought to
welcome all pastors whether you preferred
them first or not. You must remember
that ministers surrender their right to
choose appointments and you must sur
render your right to choose, or else the
system cannot survive"
The conference trustees appointed are:
Revs. Wesley bennett. II. b. Heacock, J.
d. Hammond, Z. K. Ollie, +. ID. Bovard
Robert Bentley, T. p. Hopkins, W. W.
Case and w. S. Urmy.
A resolution commencing Rev. w. r.
Goodwin of California-street Methodist
Church, San Francisco, to the fellowship
of the Southern California Conference was
adopted. A collection for Miss Donia
Winning for services as conference organ
list Melted SIS 20.
Rev. Z. +. Jewell presided at the after
noon session, the Bishop and his cabinet
being engaged in fixing appointments.
Chaplain Macomber, U. s. A., OF Angel
Island, offered the opening prayer.
The committee on Bible cause recon-
mended increased zeal in the circulation
of Bibles and Endorsed the American Bible
Society. The committee on Chinese mis-
sions reported year of hard work and
spiritual progress. Progress was also re-
ported by the committee on church extern
sion. Conference and State league con-
ventions during the conference year were
recommended by the committee on Ep-
worth League, which reported that the
young people of the California conference
were, almost without exception, enrolling
themselves under the Epworth League
banner. The new officers of the Confer
ence League are: President, +. d. Bovard; ;
vice presidents-Napa. Z. J. Norton; Sac
ramento, George d. Kellogg; San Fran
cisco, ii. Z. Shook; Oakland, A. w. Bene-
dict; financial secretary, G. w. Beatty.
The committee on evangelist work re-
ported the recommendations that a con-
ference evangelist be not appointed, as
there were ministers in the conference
who could do the work.
The freedmen's aid and southern edu-
cation Com mittee recommended that
whole day of the conference ought to be
given to that cause. It reported 5000 stu
dents and expressed q need for more
money to carry on the work. The report
stated that $4,000 would not be too
much.
Progress was reported in Japanese mis-
sion work.
The committee on missionary society
urged more collections and wider distri.
button of missionary literature.
Rev. E. r. Ollie of the committee on
Fred Finch Orphanage reported a pros
porous year: III inmates, 500 admissions
of orphans during the five years the or
phanage has been open, the need of kim
dergarten, accommodations for total of
140 children, cash on hand September 1
inst. $2908 o. and recommended the ap-
pointment of an orphanage committee in
each conference charge. Rev. Robert
Bentley, president of the orphanage, ad-
dressed the conference and said the or
phanage needed money.
A lively debate followed the report of
the committee on Sabbath observance.
condeu ming railroad and bicycle riding
on Sunday, the newspapers and every
thing else that was regarded as desecrating
the Sabbath. Rev. Wesley bennett called
attention to the fact with emphasis that
presiding elders ride on railroad trains on
Sunday, and said the conference would
stultify itself by adopting the report. DR..
M. ID. Buck spoke earnestly against Sun
day travel. This brought Rev. Alfred
Hummer of Oakland to his feet. He SAID
That portion af the report was IAN at
tempt to legislate for the individual con-
science" and he was opposed to that. He
moved to strike out that part of the report
which unquatifiedly condemned Sunday
travel.
Rev. DR.. Ollie said that the use of street.
cars and other public conveyances on Sum-
day was proper; if not, where would DR..
Cases Howard-street Church and Central
Church be2 Rev. DR.. Case arose and said
he would rather that the Howard-street
Church went into the ground and the Cen
tral Church went out and all streetcars be
abandoned than break down the Sunday
laws. The debate ended in the adoption
of the original report
The Sunday-school Union committee re-
ported an average attendance at Sunday
schools of the United States during the
year of 1858, 523. Six hundred and forty
six new schools were organized and thou
sands OF converts made during the year.
| It recommended that the annual confer
ence give half day or an evening to con-