The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-16
CONFERENCE SIDELIGHTS
INNER WORKINGS OF METHODISM
AT THE BRAZIL MEETING.
sundays Programme of Big Meetings
Great Crowds Attend the Friends
Gathering at PIainfiefd.

BRAZIL. Ind, Sept l5.-The meeting of
the Northwest Indiana Conference in
this busy little city is quite an event which
the people greatly enjoy for many rea-
sons; ii gives them chance to dispense n
generous hospitality and to show off one
of the prettiest churches in Indiana, with
more cuddies and side rooms than any
other church l have seen and all within the
cost of less than SAC, 900, all paid for, with
$4,000 left in the treasury.
The proceedings are much like those in
all other conferences. Yesterday was de-
voted chiefly to reports from the commit
tees. Some of them were unduly verbose
and the secretary was instructed to edit
some of them down before publishing them
in the minutes, much to the disgust of the
authors, who had spent hours in prepar-
ing them. Those that related to the regu-
lar work of the church were all optimistic
and indicated that every church interest
was we'll in hand and prospecting. Some re-
lated to matters not purely ecclesiastical,
such as the state of the country 1t would
be good reading for the Journal but il
was too long. Stewed down it would read
Resolved, That approve the admins
tratiOn Of Mr.. Mckinley in the manage
ment of our home and foreign affairs ex-
cept that too many saloons have sprung up
in the wake of our army"
They deplore the prevalence of divorces
and ask for a national divorce law. But
the fun came in on the temperance report.
The author happened to be a pillar in the
Prohibition party. OF course, it was tinged
all through with party crotchets at which
the majority only laughed for every
Methodist preacher is a Prohibitonist,
differing from these who claim to be the
whole thing only in how to get there. But
one phrase that was intended to commit
the conference TO the Prohibition party was
too much for the majority. 1t ran about
are controlled by the saloon interests,
therefore,, ETC. This brought a brother
TO his feet with protest that that was too
hard on the prohibition party. The author
of the resolution saw the point and
apologized by saying he intended TO say
the leading parties and he would like TO
amend, but IL was too late; besides one
wished to humiliate that party by insinuat-
ing that it was too insignificant to count,
and the matter was set al rest by inserting
seek to control all parties and with its
teeth extracted 1t passed The vote on this
and the proposition to recognize the Anti
saloon League as an efficient temperance
agency showed there were not many Pro-
hlbltlon party men here.
The assignments" are in quite a chaotic
state, as they are apt to be until almost
the last hour of the last day. Ii is morally
certain that a great many will be returned
TO their late charges, but some who want
TO will not be- and the bishop has as much
as said that some who did not want to re-
turn We're liable TO go back for another
year. But that is not the most interesting
condition. For instance, DR.. Schell, one of
the best preachers OF the whole lot is an
uncertain quantity. He has practically been
without an appointment since the General
Conference In the matter Of the secretary
ship of the Epworth League, his confer
ence is loyal to him. For a while he was
supposed to be in sympathy with the noted
Forward Movement in Chicago, of which
DIR. Thomas is the center, and at one time
ne consented to take place in il, but he
finally determined to spend his life in the
pastorate. Just where to begin its re-
sumption is the problem with which the
bishop is wrestling. could tell where it
probably will be, but that might embarrass
him. He will make his mark anywhere.
Another problem is yet unSolVed What is
TO become of DR.. Cissell. the late presiding
elder in the Charlottesville district? He
may be the pastor of King-avenue Indian
apolis; but few days Will tell the story,
and the Journal readers can afford to wait
Another hitch is made more interesting
to the general public, not so much on ac-
count of the persons or the places inter-
ested as because il illustrates one phase of
Methodist machinery. Within a week or
two negotiations have been going on look
ing towards the transfer of the Rev. c. w.
Tinsley, the present popular pastor at
Broadway, Indianapolis, to Centenary
Church, Terre Haute, and the transfer of
the Rev. Worth n. Tippy. who has served
1 -.
parently all things are satisfactory, and the
swap could easily be made but for a bit of
needful red tape. The two charges are i'm
separate conferences, which have different
bishops in charge. If the negotiations had
been complete few weeks earlier each
| bishop might have transferred his man to
the other conference and the arrangement
| could have been carried out, but Bishop
| Fitzgerald cannot transfer his man into
| the Indiana Conference without the consent
of the Indiana Conference bishop, hence
| Mr.. Tippy must be returned to Terre Haute
| for the time being at least What will ulti-
mately come of il depends on contingencies
not easily foreseen, and the incident is I'M
worthy of notice in this connection except
as 1t illustrates one phase of Methodist
economy.
Very appropriate resolutions were adopted
on the death of the President Bishop
| Fitzgerald, who said before the election
! that he would rather see any one of the
other candidates elected than Mr.. McKin-
| ley, prayed earnestly for the recovery of
| the President Evidently it was the office
not the man. that he was interested in.
l. L, SEE