Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-05-29
THE SATURDAY SESSION.
The Debate ON Announcements Clause
BY the Confarence. G.las.s-s

Chicago, May aS NJ Methoa aists. 4stir-
Fred themselves into a frenzy OF debate
Saturday, and after hours of wrang-
ling voted a small majority not to
change the discipline affecting amuse-
ments. Consequently church mem
bers who continue to dance and play
cards and go to horse races and cir
cuses will do so in disobedience to
the church code.
Sharp words We're summoned to the
front by many of the speakers and at
times they resorted to the calling OF
names. Bishop Vincent, who was pre-
siding, had great difficulty in main
tanning order and frequently was COM
PEELED to abandon hope until the
scores of men clamoring for hearing
had shouted themselves into silence.
Finally, under orders of the previous
question, the minority report provid-
ing for no change was adopted by a
vote of 327 to 2s2. Official announces
ment of the result will not be made
until tomorrow.
Opening of the Debate.
''Let us reason together" said DR.. B.
P. Raymond, president of the Wesley
an university, in opening the debate
on the amusement topic Saturday, and
then he proceeded. ''My experience
comes from dealing with young people
lin our colleges twenty years. We are
losing many young people and they
go to other churches. 1t is not fair
to say they are not spiritual. A large
number comes into the church and
does not keep the regulation, which is
a dead letter. This cultivates duplic-
ity and undermines honesty. Thus we
compromise all other virtues.
From the study Of pedagogy an
argument may be made. We strike a
point about the sixteenth year Of age
where the will appears. # we would
follow nature. we can't build fence.
around man, for he rebels. The more
you educate the less you dictate.''
This was one of the strongest
speeches against paragraph 24s.
For Majority Report.
"We made mistake in 1872" he de-
clared. LET US be brave enough to
correct it. There is better way of
dealing with the young people. In
the one case you appeal to authority;
in the other to principle
DR.. John Handley opposed driving
out of the church those who indulge
in the forbidden pastimes. ut is a
question if we shall persuade them by
love or compel them by force" he
added. ''The best way to save souls is
to throw around them the mantle OF
Christian persuasion
From fifty voices came the cry, mfr.
Chairman" and while all vociferously
endeayored to get an opportunity to
express their opinions the bishop call
ed attention to the fact that it was re-
cess time. But it was too late, and
under the rules of order of the day
took precedence over the recess. lay
man G. E. Ashley thereupon moved the
previous question and his motion pre-
vailed.
Ex-Governor Pattison, chairman Of
the committee on the state of the
church, made the closing speech, fol-
lowing the Arter incident. He declar-
ed that no change was wanted in dis,
cipline. The specifications are simply
taken from the penal paragraph, and
4 put in n lecture on special advices. The
attitude of the church on the question
of amusements is unchanged, and
there remains the same power with
TIE preacher as before. The action of
the presiding bishop cut short any fur-
ther argument. Under the call Of the
yeas and mays the vote was taken 1.