The herald., 1896-09-29
4 VERY LIVELY SESSION
Ministers in Conference
Talked Politics
TEMPERANCE IND SUNDAY LAWS
Afraid of Playing Into the Pro-
hibitiOn Party
SUNDAY CAR RIDES WICKED
Sometimes Sabbath Travel May Not
Be Sinful
SUNDAY CAR RIDES WICKED
Simpson Tabernacle's Pastor Refers to
Tender Subject
New Directors Chosen For the Univer-
sity of Southern California-Dis
cussng the Propriety of Ad-
mitting Young Ministers

The morning public session of the
Southern California annual confer
ence yesterday was chiefly devoted to
educational matters, the discussion on
the report of the committee on educn-
ton being made quite interesting. This
report complimented the management
of the various Methodist schools and col
leges in Southern California for the work
done in the past year. The report also
named as directors of the University of
Southern California to fill vacancies
caused by expiration of terms of office:
Rev. G. w. White, George j. Cochran,
Rev. E. S. Chase, Judge Lucien Shaw,
Rev. j. B. Green, A. E. Pomeroy and
Rev. w. A. Knighten. The adoption of
the report elects these directors.
Following the reading of this report
short addresses were made by Presideisa
George w. White of the university;
Dean M. e. Phillips of the College OF
Liberal Arts; Rev. George Cochran and
Dean w. 7. Randall of Chaffee.
A committees recommendation that
P. II. Bodkin, the editor of the Inde-
pendent, be placed on the supernumerary
llSI was ueIleu ny tlle COllSI eiiCS diiu lS
was located" instead.
A portion of the morning was devoted
to an executive session, in which char
acters were examined.
AFTERNOON SESSION
In the absence of the bishop, who was
closeted with the cabinet in making up
list of appointments, Rev. H. S. Matthew
presided over the first part Of the after
noon session. After brief and simple
opening exercises, Mr.. Morrill, of the COM
mittee on temperance presented re-
port which precipitated one of the live
liest discussions ever seen in Methodist
conference hereabouts, and threatened
at times to incite personal feellng that
would have been disastrous to good fell
lowship. The report started out with
the usual preamble, showing the horrors
of the liquor traffic, and that most all
crime and immortality is directly due to
the liquor business, and ended with Il
formal declaration that 1.-The saloon
must 60" This was well received, but
one paragraph following stirred up the
conference This was a resolution that
the conference should send two dele
gates to the meeting of the Anti-Saloon
league at Washington.
That seemed harmless enough but
some members present Immediately
questioned the propriety of the action,
some saying it was not in the province Of
the conference to send delegates to such
@ non-sectarian meeting. Others fear
ed it was but disguised attempt to lead
the Methodist church into the ranks Of
the Prohibition party. One brother in
his remarks had occasion to refer 20
''masqueraders" and dodgers" who did
not mean all they pretended in temper
ance work, and thus melted some good
ministers who are yet members of the
older political parties to say some tart
things in reply. A brother from River
side described what he termed the i'm
becile' attempt of the Prohibition party
to secure prohibition in that place, and
how when that political attempt failed
the good people outside the party went
to work and effected the desired end.
In entering the discussion of this
question Rev. c. G. Mclean of Simp-
son tabernacle scored a decided "hit" by
alluding to his recent experience in ell
tering politics to purify elections, and
everybody present knowing that he re-
ferred to the assault made upon him by
q ward striker at the recent Republican
county convention, applauded him SO
vigorously that for some minutes he was
unable to proceed.
II have been in some of these fights"
said ne, when laughter and applause in
terrupted him. but / have no scar left.
You cannot handle these temperance
questions on party lines"
Rev. Thomas Stalker, as q champion
of the Prohibition party, came back at
Mr.. Mclean, pouring hot shot into the
camp of the old parties, paying particu
lar attention to the bad faith of the Re
publican party, that had promised so
much and done so little. Mr.. Stalker was
finally called down by the chair for eX
ceeding his time limit but his remarks
ho6 in q
desultory way by various other men,
bers will be long remembered. The re-
port was adopted as read, and a nomin-
ating committee was chosen to name the
two delegates who will go to Washing
ton.
AtSp. m. the fraternal delegates were
received and introduced, the first being
Rev. DR.. Day of the First Congrega-
tional church, and the other Mrs. Mills,
representing the w. c. T. u, both max
ing brief addresses.
The chairman named as the proper
person to respond to Mrs. Mills remarks
Rev. H. Cox of Azusa, or, as he face
tiously said, "the city of As-you-say,"
and though he pleaded lack of prepa-
ration, he made speech that kept the
audience in good humor
Next followed reports from various
committees. The one on periodicals, and
also the one on presiding elders ac-
GLE The report of the committee on
Sabbath observance, however stirred
up another hornets nest as lively as
the one that melted the political discus
sions The report began with the dec
1araton that "tNe five day 90 - =.
commonly called Sunday, is the Chris
tlan Sapoatn," proceeulng TO uenoui .e
the desecratlon of the day. Among the
acts arraigned as sinful was the riding
on street cars on the Sabbath day. As
the ensuing discussion disclosed, the
brethren of the conference differ much
as to the sinfulness OF riding on street
cars on Sunday, though some who saw
no harm in that kind of travel to and
from church, agreed that it was wrong
to ride on the steam cars on the Sab
bath Another member was qnite 70 IL
tive that in cases of actual necessity
it was just as proper to ride on the
steam cars as on the street cars and
both were necessary. One minister
knew of q man who complained that as
he had to work for street car line on