Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-05-29
IN AN U[PROAR
Methodist Conference Consid-
ers Amusement Clause.
CHURCH RULE RIDICULED
Delegate AFTER Wishes to Include Bull
Fighting, Cock-Figbtin. and One-
Old-Cat In the List of Allow.
able Amusements.

0ld.Cat In the List of Allow.
able Amusements.
Chicago, May 26.-{By Associated
Press. IA long list of standing com
mittees of the church and a committee
to select delegates to attend the ecu
menical conference. at London in 1901
were agreed upon by the Method st
general conference today. A resolu-
ton was adopted allowing all the Of
ficers of the general conference who
were not reelected half Of their sal
arv until the meetings of the ANIMAL
conferences. Rev. w. p. Thirkold, for
merry general secretary of the Eo-
worth League, was declared elected
one of the secretaries of the Freed
mems Aid and Southern Educational
society. Dr.. Levi Gilbert, of New Hav-
en-, Conn.,, editor of the Daily Advo-
cate being published here during The
conference, was declared elected to the
editorship of the Western Christian
Advocate, and DR.. G. B. Spencer, form
erly editor Of the Rocky Mountain Adj
vocate, to the editorship of the Central
Christian Advocate. H. Karroll, form
erly editor of the New York Independ-
ent, was elected assistant secretary OF
the missionary society.
The report of the committee on the
state of the church, involving the
standing of the church on dancing,
card playing and other prohibited
amusements, was then taken up Dr.
III. p. Redmond, of Boston; DIR. e. j.
Tray, Of Pennsylvania; DR.. Buckley ana
DR.. j. w. Bashford spoke in favor of
the majority report and the previous
Iquestion was ordered. Frank AFTER, of
New Jersey, started an uproar by
reading an amendment proposing TO
insert in the paragraph opera, grand
opera, prize fight, bull fight, cock fight,
checkers, backgammon, football, base
ball, one-old-cat." Here his voice was
drowned by fifty delegates demanding
recognition and cries against such
ridicule of a rule of the church. FL
nelly amid much confusion AFTER
withdrew the amendment and Govern
or Pattison closed the argument in ia
vor of the majority report. A demand
Tor an aye and nay vote carried.
Minority Report Favored.
1t was evident before the close of the
roll call that the minority report
would carry. The conference adjourn
ed without hearing the result.
4 Report on Amusement
| The report of the committee recon-
mends that the paragraph prohibiting
amusements be taken from the penal
code of discipline and added to the
chapter of advices. The report reads
as follows:
Your committee has carefully con-
sidered a large number of memorials
from all parts OF the country bearing
j specially upon paragraph PAS Of the
discipline and generally upon the
relation of the church to certain forms
of worldly amusements. We recon-
mend:
81. That the following words be
omitted from paragraph 24S, beginning
with the eighth line,. namely, playing
at games of chance, attending thea
tiers, dancing, circuses, horse-racing,
dancing parties, or patronizing dane
ing and the words or and other
\ Immediately following, so that the
paragraph when amended, shall read !:
1, Paragraph 24S-In case of neglect
of duties of any kind, imprudent con-
/ duct, INDUCING in sinful tempers OF
! words, buying, selling or using intoN-
icating liquors as a beverage, signing
petitions in favor of granting license
for the sale of Intoxicating liquor, be-
coming bondsrnen for persons engaged
in such traffic, renting property as a
place in, or on which to manufacture
or sell Intoxicating liquors, taking
such amusements as are obviously of L
misleading or questionable moral ten
dency or disobedience to the orders OF
the discipline of the church-frst, lie;
private reproof be given by the pastor
or leader and if there be an acknowl-
edgment of the fault and proper hui
initiation, the person may be borne
with.
"'On the second oense the pastor
or leader may take one or two dis
Greet members of the church.
"'On the third offense let him be
brought to trial and if found guilty
and there be no sign of real humilia-
| ton he shall be expelled
NTelhodists Select officials.
4 Chicago, May 25.-By Associated
Press -Nominatio and balloting for
editor of the official Methodist publ
cations, secretaries, assistant secreta-
ries and the various benevolences took
up nearly all of the time of the morn
!, ing session of the Methodist Episcopal
; general conference. Trustees were
4 elected by acclamation as follows:
Ministers Frank G. Mitchell, S. j. Tai
bott, John Pierson; Laymen Jesse r.
Clark, N. w. Harris, James M. Gam
BILE, George b. johnson. Dr. j. RBer-
ry was unanimously elected editor of
| the Epworth Herald. The result of
the other elections will be announced
late this afternoon.