The Portland daily press., 1900-04-16
The Subject Of Dancing, Card Play.
ing and Theatre Going.
What Portland Pastors
Say Concerning Them.
Their Opinions as TO Methodist
Books and Discipline.

The Maine Msthodist conference meets
ct Gardiner this week and II its dsliber-
ati,us follow the Inns laid down In sew
the state, one Of the questions which
will be discussed will be that Of the pro-
vision Of the Methodist book Of Disoi-
pline which relates 20 dancing, card play
Ing and attendance 81 theatres. things
which are now forbidden By rule which
IL In many GASES utterly disrssarded.
Several Of the Methodist pastors Of
che city wsrs asked Saturday fog IN ex-
preston Of opinion concerning the mat
ter. The statements they made ars %
foilowsi
REV. W. s. BOvARD.
.:Probably no definite action will be
taken on this matter at the Maine Confer
ence which convsnes At Gardiner, on
Wednesday" said Rev. W. S. Bovard,
the pastor OF the Congress street Metho-
dist church. on Saturday. "But 10 will
very likely be brought mp By the COM
mittee ON the state Of the church Offering
resolutions to remove from the Disoi-
piins the specific references 10 the for
hidden amusements. These resolutions
will be as Q memorial 70 the general
conferences which meets In Chicago next
month. II these resolutions are brought
up think that they will be voted down
a. believe that the majority OF the
Methodists Of Maine approve OF the pres
emit Discipline. Those who want these
references removed, however, are no more
In favor OF dancing, oard playing and
theatre-going than are those who wish to
have them retained In the Discipline.
''In this connection" continued Mr..
Bovard, ''I wish to right here make
point which has not before bean consid
cred. minister may get up In the pull
pit and teach Of the evils Of playing cards.
attending dance halls and going to the
theatre and yet his words may not carry
weight for the reason that hts people win
say that he has to preach against these
things because they are In the Discipline.
His congregation will perhaps quite
naturally say that personally he does
not favor the enforcement OF these rules.
So It Ii that some of the people think
that they may have . moral right 20
attend the thestre, to dance and play
cards. say that as long a. these rules
are in thu Discipline they should be en-
forced Just the same as any law on the
books should be enforced. These rules
regard ing forbidden amusements. how
ever, are not enforced; and thsrs 10 not
one minister or presiding bishop In
thousand who brings q member OF the
church 20 trial for violating any Of these
rules.
''But suppose that you take these rules
out Of the DisoiplineS At once the re-
port will be circulated that the Metho-
dists have become more liberal-a thing
which would NOT be true. The church.
II this action should be taken, would
simply take the stand that 1t was not
wise to specify Al to these particular
ruln. My own view OF the matter IL
that We shall sue seed best II we let mp
telling the people what they should not
do and tell them what they may do.
We want a positive instead Of negative
teaching. The great trouble In playing
CARDS and frequenting the dances and the
theatres 10 the effect that 1t has upon
others. / don't believe that We oan lag
isIats the Individual Christian into the
hest type Of moral character.
az would be In favor Of placing these
rules In sn appendix 20 the Discipline.
Then We would have the force Of an
Illustration Of forbidden ADJUSTMENTS
without the force Of law. This have
repeatedly preached. 1t 10 q solution.
I think. nf the problem. 1t will, per-
maps, not DO done this year. The Metho-
dist church is onservative and changes
are not made until after years Of agits-
ton. But there are many In the church
who already look up on these rules a.
dead lettsrs. although think that You
may safely say that the Methodists are
not habitual patrons of the theatre and
that the same Is true regarding card play
ing and dancing. When they do 60 20
the thsatre 1t Is on some special ocoa-
sion."
stThe rules regarding dancing. GARD
playing and theatre going" said Rev.
E. +. j. McAllister, the pastor Of the
Pine strsst Methodist church, "comes