The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-29

A WINEBIBBETe AND A'PUBLICAN.
There were lively times in the Confer
ence of the Northern Methodist Church
on Tuesday last when a resolution con-
demning President Mckinley for tipping
was introduced by the Rev. w p Comp
ton. of the Committee on Temperance.
The resolution read as follows:
We have learned. with humiliation and
shame, that our Methodist Episcopal Presi-
personal liberty, to SO far ignore the pub
lie good and his obligation to his church
as to indulge in the use Of Intoxicating
beverages on several public occasions.
thereby setting pernicious example to
men in high places in our land, who were
waiting to see him eXemplify the teach
ingS Of his church.
Such action by a Methodist in such
high position will naturally be quoted as
the attitude of our church, and will in
fluence the men and boys of OUT land ac-
cordingly, for if the light which has been
in us on this question becomes darkness
how great will be that darkness.
We therefore condemn this breach of
our discipline and Methodist propriety
upon the part of our Methodist brother,
President Mckinley. in publicly setting
the example of tipping before the young
and old Of the nation.
The discussion which followed the in
PRODUCTION Of the resolution was most en-
tertaining, if not instructive. Several
the trainers of the resolution had no
moral right to mention the name of the
President in their resolution, and Rev.
r. IL Adams declared that Rev. Mr..
Compton had told him that his object in.
presenting the resolution was ITO help to
defeat the reelection of President Nc
Kinley.
In reply to this Rev Mr.. Compton
made a very warm speech, in which he
intimated that Rev Mr.. Adams had
broken faith with him.
Rev. b. I. Watkins made the point that
if any charges We're to be made against
Brother Mckinley they should be pre-
ferred before his pastor. Then Mr.. Comp
ton boldly asserted that he had tried to
defeat Mckinley for President four years
ago, and that he would try Ito defeat him
again this year, because he had openly
violated one of the most stringent laws
of the church 'If we do not watch, out"
said he, this skiful politician will drive
into the presidential chair again, holding
the reins high. and with one foot on the
Methodist doctrine and the other on the
Brewers Association
We cannot but sympathize to degree
with Brother Compton, for as he is not
Republican we suppose That he is a
Democrat, and it would certainly be out
of all harmony with Jefersonian sim
plic;ty for the President to ride up TO the
White House in any such spectacular
manner as that which Brother Compton
has described.
But there is a serious side to this ques-
ton 1t must be humiliating to the great
body of Methodists throughout the land
that questions of politics should thus be
dragged into the Conference proceedings.
There is another serious question in
volved. Whatever may be said against
Mr. AIcKinley's politics. he has always
been a man of clean life, and there has
never Dcen q Whisper OF SCANDAL Against
him. HIS devotion to his wife has at
tracted the attention Of the whole coun-.
try and commanded the admirat- ton of
the people. He is model Of morality
and temperance. He loves good cigar
but smokes within moderation. He is a
healthy man with good appetite. but he
is nothing of a gourmand. No one ever
heard of his drinking liquor to excess,
and the worst that his critics in the
church can say of him is THAT he dr-eks
a glass of wine occasionally at a public
banquet, where it is the polite thing for
him to do. Yet he is characterized by
his brethren in the church as public
tippler" and a wine bibber.''
These enthusiastic church politicians
may have pleased some of Alr. Mckinley.s
political enemies and may also have
pleased some of the extreme anti-liquor
people. but in the estimation Of all con-
servative people they have brought the
cause of temperance into contempt.
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