The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-05-29
NO CHANGE
IN THE RULES.
Methodist General Conference
Accepts Minority Report.
ON DANCING, CARD PLAYING,ETC
The Report Was Subsequently Laid on The
Table BY a Vote Of 256 TO rs.
REPORTS ON TEMPERANCE QUESTION.
That Of Majority Condemned President and Ator-
nsJ GsnsraI-MlnofIy Report Was Adopted
With Amendments After Long Debate.
The Report Was Subsequently Laid on the
Table BY a Vote Of 256 10 rs.
REPORTS ON TEMPERANCE QUESTION.

Chicago, May 29.-The Methodist Gen.
erai Conference yesterday took unex-
pected action in regard to the commit
tee reports on card playing. dancing
and other prohibited amusements.
The official vote by which the mi
nority report was accepted, recon-
mending no action, was announced as
1888 ayes and 290 noes. Then. 10 the sur
prise OF the large audience, on motion
of DIR. Buckley, the minority report
was laid on the table by. a vote of &c
TO 253.
Bishop Fitzgerald then ruled, how
ever. that the question was no longer
before the house. liz is extremely i'm
probable that the matter Will again be
taken up for action. so the standing OF
the Methodist church for the next four
years in regard to fobidden, amuse-
ments VIII be unchanged.
Samuel Dickie OF Michigan then pre-
sented the report OF the committee on
temperance. and for the first time the
great Methodist body took on a strong
political appearance. The majority re-
port contained a strong arraignment
of President Mckinley and Attorney
General Griggs for their attitude on the
the Conference debated all the morn
ing. The majority report on that point
read as follows:
I'VE are chagrined. Inundated and
exasperated by the puerlle and absurd
construction placed on the Anti-Can-
teen law by the Attorney General of
the United States, and with all due re-
spect 10 the exalted stations we record
the fact that we are panied and disap-
pointed at the course of the president
I'm accepting as finaf and satisfactory
an opinion without binding force. Such
an abuse OF power is nullification in
it's most dangerous form.
Upon the president as chief of our
army. rests the responsibility for the
existence of the canteen saloon, an evil
which he had ample power to suppress:
a more deadly foe 10 the soldiers than
the bullet or the tropical heat"
DIR. j. ID. Price of New York pre-
sented the minority report. which
struck out all of the majority report
in which President Mckinley was con-
demned.
This is not simply question" he
said. "of whether or not the president
of the United States is at fault. i hold
that the cause OF temperance and pro-
hibition and the cause of the Church
of Christ cannot be advanced by this
personal arraignment OF our Chief
Judge Lore of Delaware in speaking
in favor of the minority report. pres
sented a strong tribute to the presi-
dent. with whom he served four years
in Congress.
DIR. A. Il. Leonard made an impas-
stoned plea for the adoption of the ma
jority report. fr
Rev. +. ID. Lynch of Philadelphia.
Rev. +. n. Lynch OF West Virginia.
Gov. Shaw of Iowa and DIR. Buckley
also took part in the debate.
DIR. Buckley offered an amendment
to the minority report. which was ac-
cepted by DIR. Price. which among oth-
er things appealed to the president to
use all his influence TO promote the
passage of the amended .anti-canteen
law now before Congress.
Dr.. Frank r. Bristol OF Washington
President McKinley's pastor. aroused
tremendous enthusiasm by protesting
against what he termed an 'unbrother-
ly, unjust. unpatriotic. unprotestant at
tack upon the president of the United
States. He is today the most distin-
guished Christian layman in the
world"
II object to any man making cam