The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-04
TRUSTEES IN TROUBLE.
Grace Church Officials
VIII Be Disci-
plined.

There will undoubtedly be an ad-
1ourned meeting of the quarterly con-
ference of Grace Methodist church
either tonight or tomorrow night, to
consider the action of the trustees who
refuse to carry out the instructions Of
the conference in reference to the
granting of liquor license to the State
Mutual restaurant. The meeting can
only be called by the presiding elder,
DR.. J. H. Mansfield of Brookline, who
will no doubt act through the medium
of Rev w. j. Thompson pastor of the
church.
The disobedience of the trustees will
be severely dealt with, but just how
far the laws of the church will permit
the conference - go in diSciplining
them, could not be learned last night.
Mr.. Thompson said to Spy man that
he had asked for a ruling from Bishop
Mallalieu on that very point, and that
he expected an answer in day or two.
AS regards the question of authority,
the bishop has already written the pas
tor of the church that the trustees are
a subordinate body and must obey the
instructions of the conference in every
respect. This evidently means that
the board of trustees have not much
latitude of action when the conference
lays down the law.
1t so happens that Mr.. Thompson has
mo connection whatever with the board
of trustees other than courtesy, while
he is eX-officio chairman on every other
committee in the church. THE trus-
tees" says Mr. Thompson, did not at
first understand the strictness Of the
church rules. but they do now The
whole matter has stirred up consider
able feeling among the members of the
parish, but on the whole, the pastor
seems to have the support of his peo-
pie, In speaking of the matter and
outlining the attitude of the church,
Mr.. Thompson says:
THE Methodist church has always
stood for temperance as Solidly as on
any moral question with which the
church has to deal. Temperance work
ers everywhere look upon this church
as one Of their staunchest friends. We
believe the attitude of the church has
been correct in the past on this sub
iect; therefore, the Methodist church
must never be neutral in the matter.
To fail to protest against the grant
ing of the license to the State Mutual
would be neutrality. Here is a chance
to strike a blow in favor of the cause
of temperance, and the church can do
nothing else consistently"
The reasons assigned by the trustees in
taking the action they have in the Ii
cense question are that a certain num-
Der of licenses viii be granted by the
commissioners and in their opinion the
granting of a victualler's license at the
top of the State Mutual building will
do less harm than one on the east side.
| They think the east side has enough
| saloons already and that if there must
be that one license somewhere in Wor-
| cester the State Mutual is the best place
| for it. They think that if the young
men in the State Mutual want a
spread" they are as likely to go to the
| Bay State house or Lincoln house as to
| the top Of the State Mutual. They fur
| Their declare that a second-class victual-
er's license In the State Mutual would
not be half as obnoxious as one on the
east side, where advantage would be
taken and the second-class license be
used practically as a first-class one.