The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-06-25
Methodists and Amusements.

1Eethodists and Amusements.
Before the meeting of the General
Conference of the Methodist Episcopal
church at Chicago, last month, the
amusement question was agItoted to
such an extent that It was supposed
that the inhibition in the Discipline
would be eliminated. When the sub
ject was brought before the conference
1t was most earnestly debated. The re,
port of the committee favorable to the
elimination was lost by small ma
jority. so that the Discipline stands as
1t was. The attitude of the church and
those who favored the removal OF the
items has been misunderstood. and the
Pittsburgh Christian Advocate seeks to
correct any wrong Impressions that
might have been conveyed to the world
through the debates and the stand
many men eminent In the church coun-
ellis took with regard to the matter Of
amusements. 1t quotes the report of
the committee. as follows:
your committee has carefully con-
sldered large number Of memorials
from all parts of the country bearing
specially with paragraph 24s of the Dis
clpIine. and generally upon the relation
Of the church to certain forms Of world
ly amusements. We recommend:
'Flrst-That the following words be
omitted from paragraph 24s. beginning
with the eighth llne-namely: playing
at games of chance, attending theatres,
dancing. circuses. horse races. dancing
parties or patronlzlng dancing schools
and the words or and other in the
clause Immediately following. so that
the paragraph when amended shall
read:
In case of neglect of duties Of any
kind, imprudent conduct, indulging In
sinful tempers or words. the buying,
selling, or using Intoxicating liquors as
n beverage, signing petitions in favor
Of granting license for the sale Of in
toxicating liquors. becoming bondsmen
for persons engaged in such traffic,
renting property as a place in or on
which to manufacture or sell intoxi-
eating liquors, taking such amuse,
ments as are obviously Of misleading OF
questionable moral tendency, or disobe-
dience to the order and discipline Of the
church: FIrst-Let private reproof be
given by the pastor or leader, and IL
there be an acknowledgement of the
fault and proper humiliation. the per-
son may be borne with. On the second
offense the pastor or leader may take
one or two discreet members Of the
church. On third offense let him be
brought to trial. and II found guilty and
there be no sign OF real humiliation, he
shall be expelled
The special indulgences craved by
those who opposed certain restrictions
In the above section were card play
ing, attendance on theStres and dane !
ing. Many contended that inhibition OF
these amusements was n dead letter,
but It stands there to-day as 1t was
before. The Advocate maintains that
those who oppose the repeal Of the.
items on amusements do so because
they think this action cannot be taken
without making the impression that the
church has receded from its opposition
to these forms Of amusemants. Those
who favor repeal do not do so because
they favor the things forbidden. OF
all the speakers at the General Confer
ence not one defended any Of these
things. On the contrary. every man
spoke against them. They favored TAX
ing these items out Of the penal code,
where they are IN an imperfect and
most unsatisfactory form, emitting
a number of things just as objections
BILE as those they Include. and leaving
the penal part under the general
rules, which are broad enough to cover
all. That is their whole contention.
The church got on well when under
this rule. better than It does now.
This whole question was most earn
estly debated in the General Confer
ence. One thing impressed US, namely,
that those who have most to do with
the teaching of the young favored the
removal OF these items. College pres
ldents and other teachers were. so fur
as we can recall. Of one mind; and
not because they favored these indul-
gerces, but because they believed there
was better way OF preventing them,
It was believed that solemn admoni.
ton and earnest Christian example
would accomplish more than an im'
perfect enactment never enforced"