New-York tribune., 1900-05-08
METHODIST NEWSPAPERS.
DISCUSSION PROVOKED IN GENERAL
CONFERENCE BY SALE OF DAILY
ADVOCATE" ON SUNDAY
BY MISTAKE.
TRr TELEGRAPH TO THE TIIBUNE.1

| Chicago, May I-That satan with malicious
art watches each unguarded part was brought
| home to-day to the General Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. when it learned
| that il had innocenty been a party to the sale
| of a Sunday newspaper. Because the official
| organ of the Conference offered on the
streets of Chicago like worldly Sabbath news
| paper yesterday. being hawked about by news
| boys in front of the place where the ser
| vices were held. the Methodist delegates were
| exceedingly worked
| Soon after the session was opened at the
Auditorium, DIR. A. B. Leonard, general secre-
, tary OF the Missionary Society. arose to ask
| why The Daily Christian Advocate" was ped
/ died Sunday in the vestibule of the building
where the principal services of the day were
| held, and why 1t was hawked about the streets
| of the city. Something should be done he de-
clared in most emphatic tones, to put stop to
! this and to prevent recurrence of the offence.
| DR.. Leonard closed with moving that the pub
| fishing agents to 1t that THE Daily Ad-
vocate" be not again sold on the Sabbath
DR. Lewis Curtis, of the agents Of the
| Western Book Concern. spoke for the first time
! before the Conference, and explained that the
selling of the paper had been without the
| knowledge consent connivance of the
publishers We told the printer on Saturday
to let no packages go out Sunday,
nounced DR. Curtis. 'It was done in spite of
l.
motion" said DR.. Leonard.
d. D. Thompson, manager Of THE Daily Ad-
vocate" obtained the floor, after Dr. C. ]. Little
intervened so that he could be heard. "I wish TO
say, declared Mr.. Thompson, that we gave
| specific orders not to sell The Advocate Yes
! terday people called for the papers. The news
man in the hall asked what he should do and
| some without authority told him to sell the
papers. No more of papers will be sold on
| Sunday
| To set the Conference right before the public
motion was introduced that the General Con-
| ference and the Church were in way respon-
| sible for the sale of papers the Sabbath Day
| The motion was not seconded and the Bishop
shut off the discussion of the subject
CRITICISM OF DIR. BUCKLEY.
| But the delegates had not finished with their
| newspapers One of the interesting incidents of
| the proceedings the effort to sit on Dr. J.
| NJ Buckley, Editor Of The New-York Christian
Advocate" who is heard oftenest at every Gen
eral Conference and is the most active among
! the delegates. The opportunity came when Dr.
! Buckley introduced a resolution to instruct the
| editors of The Daily Advocate to exclude from
! their columns communications tending to con-
! troversy.
In the debate that followed several speakers
waxed sarcastic regarding the leading editor of
! the Methodist denomination. j. II. Potts Editor
| of The Michigan Christian Advocate charged
! that there was a tremendous disposition among
| the official editors to suppress informa ton"
| Other speakers pleaded for publicity and so
| many wished to be heard that Bishop Hurst be-
came visibly confused. DR.. Buckley did not rel
sh the thrusts at his editorial policy and began
| to reply. Points of order shut him off in the
midst of his talk. He declared he had been
misrepresented and had a right to explain. Bish-
| op Hurst didn't know whether or not to sustain
| the point of order until Governor Shaw. OF Iowa
explained that DR.. Buckley might speak after
| the motion had been disposed OF. The previous
question demanded. Thercupon. by a vote
| OF a23 to 279 it was decided not to lay the mo-
| tion Of the New-York editor the table. and
| the original motion was adopted by the raising
| of hands
, DIR. Buckley had triumphed, as usual. and
| then he answered the men who had made in
! situations against him. Il wish to say" de-
clared the speaker, with expression OF
| casm that the charge that there is disposition
among the official editors to suppress informa-
| tion is born only in mind which cannot equally
1 has been suppressed in The Advocate in the
last twenty years As for DR.. Potts, his paper
is official. and there is the spirit of competi
| tion in what he says.
| Is AMUSEMENT PARAGRAPH LEGAL,
new line Of attack was begun on the famous
! Paragraph No 24S OF the Book OF Discipline, for
| bidding dancing, attending theatres and circuses
| and other amusements. DR.. J. f. Price. Of the
| New-York Conference handed to the secretaries
| of the Conference resolution that the Commit
| tee on Judiciary be instructed to consider the
| contents of Paragraph No. 24S and report to the
| Conference whether or not it is constitutional.
| In explanation DR.. Price said: II do not believe
| the paragraph is constitutional, because 1t is a
| judicial ruling, but not delivered in a case
| on trial The paragraph adopted in 1872
| and not the result of a trial.
| Hearing Of resolutions and memorials from the
| annual conferences continued to-day, and
! consideration of the papers occupied OF
| the session. President Crawford. of Allegheny
| College, presented important resolution to
prevent the Epworth League from becoming a
| money making institution" he put it. The
resolution which referred to the Committee
| on Epworth League asked it to consider the ad
visibility of preventing leagues from taking
| prOmiscuous collections. The rules of this large
auxiliary organization Of the Church forbid col
| ections, but it is said the rules have been vio-
| lated and appeals from various sources for
| money have received attention.
WHEN BISHOPS ARE TO BE CHOSEN.
| G. E. Ackerman presented resolution that
| the Committee on Episcopacy be instructed to
| report not later than Saturday. when bishops
| are to be elected. and how many The resolu-
| tion passed. An important resolution
| adopted earlier in the session. orders that the
| question of consolidating the missionary So
cieties be referred to the Committee on the E,ps-
| copacy. This is done because the authority of
| the Bishops effect this consolidation has been
| questioned in the civil courts
| How many of the ministers consider individual
| communion cups necessary was shown promptly
| when a resolution demanding the use of then,
! was laid on the table by a unanimous vote Ex-
Congressman NJ. n. Johnson of North Da kota
| presented the resolution.
| So that matters of interest might not be s,p-
| pressed by the committees. resolution was