Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1900-05-18
ABLE METHODIST COUNCILS.
The Quadrennial Conference of
the Church at Chicago.
ReTRENCHMENT IS DEMAN DED.
Church Has Message Concerning
Trusts and Labor-visitOrs Preach In
Chicago Churches Sunday Honor
Memory of Dwight l. Moody.

The quadrennial conference of the
Methodist Episcopal church at Chica-
60 is remarkable for the changes
and reforms suggested and inaugural
ed The great body of delegates, num-
boring over 700, and gathered from
all parts of the earth, with many races
of men represented among them,
seemed to delight in the work of pro-
gress which came before it, and which
made its present sessions more inn
portant than any of the past genera
ton. That there might not be even
a shadow of discrimination against
laymen, not only were the restrictive
rules, which form part of the consti-
tuition of the church, changed, but the
Professionally elected lay delegates
were admitted TO seats in the present
conference, the laymen were given the
right to an equal number of members
with the clergy on each of the four
teen great standing committees of the
conference, and it was agreed to so re-
arrange the allotment of seats on the
floor of the auditorium that the newly
admitted delegates would be side by
side with the other representatives of
their respective conferences Unani-
nous as they were, these great
changes in the organization of the
church were accomplished only by a
display of tactics mastery enough tC
pass in a political convention, and had
it not been for the withdrawal at the
last moment of Mrs. NJ. Y. McMahan.
the woman provisional delegate from
Griggsville, H., whose appearance
would have complicated the situation
in a possibly disastrous way, bitter
fight might have resulted.
The reading by Bishop Andrews of
the Episcopal address, an official ex-
preston of the high executive board
OF the church, resembling in scope the
annual message of the president of the
United States, was the event of
greatest interest at the opening ses-
sion. 1t outlined the position of the
church on the great questions of the
day. political, temporal and ecclesias-
tical. Many of the leading men pres
ent characterized it as the great ex-
preston of present day Methodism
that has been uttered. 1t was signed
by thirteen of the board of bishops.
The address, among other things,
expressed the following points: Hearty
concurrence in the equal lay represen-
tation act. The conclusion that the
time is not ripe for formal Christian
unity. That the church has message
concerning trusts. labor unions,
lockouts and strikes, capital and la
Dor, tariffs and taxation, currency and
the colonies, but it is not one of dicta-
ton and observes no class. The church,
aroused at the agressions Of the Ii
quor traffic and ineXcusable miscar-
riage of the anti-canteen law, will
pledge ministers and people to a more
determined struggle. Divorce Stats
tics indicate that the glory of the pure
family is suffering eclipse and if need
be the church law should be amended
to conform with the New Testament
rule of marriage. Amusements are
being degraded; the attempt to en-
force absolute abstention from rec
reative amusements reacts toward UNI
restrained Indulgence; the amuse-
ment question deserves careful atten-
ton of the conference. Sabbath desc
Grafton is increasing and the church