New-York tribune., 1901-09-05
ECUMENICAL CONFERENCE.
BISHOP wALTERS'S PLEA FOR THE Ne
GRO-DEBATE ON IMPERIALISM

London. Sept. 4-The most striking feature
of the Ecumenical Methodist Conference. which
opened to-day, was an impassioned plea Of the
cOlored Bishop Walters, of Jersey City. who
received the heartiest welcome of any of the
American delegates. He declared that there
was a systematic effort on foot on the part OF
white Americans to destroy the good Opinion
which the English people had of American ne
groes. He recapitulated the lynchins figures of
the year 1900. and declared that. though ninety
negroes were lynched, in only eleven cases had
assault on white women been proved.
The English people have always been our
friends" declared Bishop Walters. You gave
us a refuge. and now, when struggling
to improve ourselves. we look to you. our old
time friends. TO give sympathy and encour-
agement. you cid in the past
The Bishops asseverations of negro morality
ELECTED loud cheers from the English part Of the
audience. and several of the many Southern
delegates went out. while others did not conceal
their disagreement with the speaker.
Another incident which attracted comment
was declaration Of Sir Charles Shelton. for
merly Mayor of Sheffield. who in welcoming the
Americans. severely criticised the war in South
Africa exclaimng Hell is let loose in South
Africa" He appealed to the visitors to go back.
and by preaching and example. 10 make such
wars impossible.
The Rev. Joseph Odell, in welcoming the dele
gates in behalf of the Primitive Methodists,
struck the same chord. declaring that the United
States represented a sovereign people. and hoped
they would speed the time when military science
would be lost art
DR. Potts. OF Toronto. replying in behalf OF
Canada. contested. in a heated. patriotic and i'm
perialistic speech. against the statements maze
by Sir Charles Shelton and Mr.. OdeH
w 70 on
friendliness Of the British and American na-
tlons. and conveyed to the delegates President
McKfnley's hearty good wishes for the success
Of the conference. which were cordially received
President Dawson, in welcoming the delegates
paid a touching tribute to the memory of Presl-
dent Harrison.
The session began with devotional exercises
IT. the course of which King Edward and tresi-
dent Mckinley were prayed for. Bishop Joseph
O. HartzeU Missionary Bishop of the MethodlsI
Episcopal Church in Africa, male the opening
nraver and Bishop Galloway. of Jackson, Miss.
preached a sermon. setting forth the aiHia ol
Methodists throughout the world ana er1Rhdslz- ;I
ing the value of the tenets OF John Wesley
Communion followed. The Archbishop OF can
terbury the Most Rev. DIR. Frederick Temple
ard the Bishop of London. the Right Rev Dr-
F w Ingram sent friendly messages, the
Archbishop of Canterbury praying that G0u
blessing might rest on the generations. me me
Bishop of London sent similar fnesSa5e' uul @
aCding the hope that soma day the Methodlsts
would be reunited with the Episcopalians
The Ecumenical Methodist Conference Is meeting
in the city Road Chapel. built by John Wesley in
17e0 1t Is sometimes called the Cathedral OF
Methodism and is filled with memorials OF all
denominations tracing their origin 10 wesley
Marble columns representing Methodist branches
in the North and South OF the United states and
Canada. are among those supporting the gallery
They were presented after the first conference. that
assembled here exactly twenty years ago to-day
The representation. which is a basis OF one
delegate 10 20O00 members. gives the United states
and Canada 500 out of the 800 delegates composing
the council The chairman will be changed daily.
so that nearly all the divisions represented Will
have n chairmanship. For convenience in arrang-
ing business the conference Is divided into eastern
and western sections
The eastern section. which takes in all branches
Of English Methodsts together with affiliated con-
ferences I'm Australasia. South Africa and the
West Indies consists OF ~ members. apportioned
as follows. Wesleyan Methodists. So; New Connec+
ton Methodists TO- Primitive Methodists. 81: United
Methodist Free Churches. 20. Bible Christians. TO-
Irish Methodsts 10: minor Methodist bodies. o;
French Methodists. .; West Indian Methodists o.;
Australasia Wesleyan Methodist Church, Il, and the
South African Methodist Church. To-
The western section includes American and
Canadian Mcthodisn and because of its relatively
greater strength has three hundred delegates The
Methodist Episcopal Church of the United States
sent 10 representatives. among them Bishops
Hurst. I. Fl Vincent. J. W. Hamilton ana l. =
HartzeU. The Methodist Episcopal Church South
Is represented by seventy delegates. including
bishops o. Z. Fitzgerald c. r. Galloway, l. c.
C;ranberv and Or Alderson The Methodist Church
81 Canada among its twenty representatives has
Or Briggs Or Potts, Professor J. Z. Antlih and
Chancellor Browuash, Of Toronto The colored
Methodist churches of America are represented by
ffty-eight delegates. including twenty cOloTed
bishops.
Thoush the conference does not have legislative
and administrative power over the churches repre-
Santed their policy will probably he affected both
directly and indirectly ny the discussions on the
religious and social problems that Will come be-
fore a.
Among the subjects that viii he considered are
..The Present Position of MethOdism,' The In
Nren,e Of Methodism in the Promotion of Inter-
national Peace" Biblical Criticism and the Chris
tjar F1ith .'PrincipleS OF Professionalism versus
Ssacer1ota alisn ''Methodsm and Education"
..t,bristionitv and Modern Unbelief. Modern In
5Narertisnn Methodist Literature and Journal
ism and practical Methods of Dealing with the
: public meeting will be held. at which The
Moral Unity OF the English Speaking Peoples will
be the subject discussed.