The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-11-29
he Resolution De1ouncing
the Use Of Cigarettes
Debated,
Mr.. F. c. RO6BIESSPfAkS
sTATI2TlCs s4ov PRuGaEss NAL LINES

b. Bought efby large 0ona ions and
has close h Houh Of
III ii .thod sts."
Winston, y. C.. November 23.-(Spe-
cial.l@The session Of the Methodist Yves
tern \. c.. Conference closed at ) o'clock
yesterday. 1t has been an in
tereSting session. and the reports show
large gains i'll membership and progress
in all departments Of church work. The
hospitality has been Observation-Disclosures,
delightful and on 4 generous scale. The
preachers all cnyy DR.. Greasy who is the
chief Methodist pastor of this great and
growing young city.
There were only two or three matters
that brought about conflict n the Confer
encc, and their disposition is not salts
factory to all the members. Before Con-
ference met it was thought that the
Trinity Collge matters would cause a
heated debate. That was happily avert
ed when President Kilgo early in the
session announced that 100000 of the
endowment of the college. which had
been in cigarette stock, had been changed
into clean cash Chat was an expressive
term by DR.. Kilgo and many thought it
might mean that cigarette stock was not
"~'clean'). Trinity College was endorsed
and the threatened conflict was averted.
1t is very certain that if the college aN<
thorities had reported that the church
owned stock in the American Tobacco
Company, there would have been some
of the p~lainest talking against co-part-
nerShip with illegal trusts ever heard out
side of Cyrus Watson's famous speech
in the Legislature against the Cigarette
Trust.
The matter of cigarettes, however,
came up in another shape and provoked
a heated debate Last year his Confer
ence passed a resolution ~dcnounclng
cigarettes. That has never pleased the
Dukes who thought it was aimed at
them. Yesterday when the Temperance
committee brought in its report, 1t added
thereto this resolution:
Resolved. That in view OF the mani
fold evils resulting from the use Of the
cigarette. we express ourselves as OPP
posed to the manufacture sale and use
Of the same. In the spirit of Christian
charity we lovingly urge our younger
preachers to abstain from the use OF to-
bacco in all of its forms.
No sooner had this resolution been
read than It was seen that it had throWn
the fat in the fire. 1t was Il little ire
hut it kindlcd a great contlagratlon OF
debate. Somebody moved to adopt the
report. and there was objection. Dr. {.
W. Byrd. the able pastor from AsheVliie.
was the first to speak for the resolution.
He pointed out that at the last Confer
cnce Il similar resolution had been adopt
ed and that to now vote down tins reso-
luton would put the Conference IN the
attitude of being bought OF by large
donations, thus shutting the mouths ct
the Methodist ministry. He poured hot
shot into the cigarette evil and believed
if ought TO be denounced even If Duke
did give Trinity big gifts. Or. ByrdS
vigorous speech aid not suit DR.. ChrcltZ-
berg. who resented i'll plain language
tho intimation that large do
nations shut his mouth. Mr..
W. X. Odell said this whole cigarette
matter had been introduced merely to
get in the papers and create STRIFE.
There were other speeches, all bristlmg
with the points raised by the discussions
heretofore about Mr.. Dukes donations
and the cigarette trust. Dr. ChreItz-
berg moved to strike out the reference
to cigarettes. and his motion prevailed by
= vote of 61 to 81. This Conferences.
said DR.. Weaver goes on record Ill
favor of cigarettes" After the cigar
cue I1ltIi illh - tiNiI Sh1 ~ .
majority Of three. Rev. Ii. l.. Atkins
offered the following resolution:
I'VE recommend that our preachers
and laymen should ~prudently discourage
tie use Of tobacco in all It's forms, cs-
p~ecially among young people.
That we do all we can to enforce the
laws Of the State against selling eli
@arctteS to minors
This brought about some parliament
+ ,ry sparring, but when the vote was
taken. it was adopted. and its passage
about ended the thing up.
The matter that caused the most in
teresting debate was over the resolution
against taking the S2SS,OO0 which Con
greSS had appropriated through Stahl-
mans. Barboe's and Smiths deceptions.
following resolution was first Of
fered:
"Whereas. In securing the payment of
the Publishing House claim OF S2SS.00o
the book agents Of the NJ. T.. Church.
South. made evasive and misleading
statements which will compromise the
honor of the church and inflict a stigma
upon her good name unless the wrong
thus lone be condemned and said money
returned:
"Therefore. Resolved. 1st. That said
sum Of &2SS.OOO should be returned with
the least delay possible to the Treasury
of the United States. although we IN
sist said claim is a just and valid one.
'".2nd. That we recommend that sald
hook agents be suspended from office,
.::,rd. That any action taken by our
bishops and other legally constituted
authorities Of The church looking to the
accomplishment of these ends. will re-
ccive the endorsement and cooperation
of this Conference.
18th. That we also hereby express our
condemnation of the falsehOods told by
T.. 3. Stahlman. agent Of the Book Com
mittee, in his efforts 70 procure the
passage of said act through Congress.
All Of which is respectfully submitted.
(Signed.)
II. ATKINS.
j.. K. SCROGGS,
~ - IA0