The age-herald., 1902-05-18
NethOdists Sharply Critcise Him
 and the Book Agents
REPORT SUSTA|NS BISHOP
Approve His Proposition to Have ths Entire Amount Returned to the Government If Senators
 Were Misled.

1 Dallas, Tex. May 1.-The presentation of the majority and minority reports of l the committee on publishing house in- terests with regard to the war claim was the intensely interesting feature of today's session of the Methodist Episco- pal conference. The majority reports sustains the church and the bishop in of- fering to take steps to return the money to the government, but condemns any de- parture of the attorney of the book conn mittee from the implicit instructions given to him by the book committee in regard to the collection of the claim The minority report arraigns in strongest terms the book agents and Attorney Stahlman. The report comes up for final settlement next Tuesday
 Bishop A w. Wilson, the senior bishop. presided today. The committee on epis- copacy reported. and recommended that two bishops be elected. The minority re- port was given, dissenting. and stating that in their belief no more bishops should be elect ed. The committee on edu-
 
 be paid to training schools.
 Further Aid for Preachers.
 A minority report from the committee on finance urged further aid to superan- nuated preachers. widows and children be given, and that permanent fund be es- tablished. The time limit remains as be- fore, according to the report of the com mittee on itinerary. Dr. w. A Haven of the American Bible Society spoke on the gratifying increase in the sale of Bibles. The Cumberland Presbyterian Assembly sent greeting from Springfield, Mo.
 The general assembly of the Presbyter- ian church also sent greetings from Jackson, Miss.
 The committee on Sabbath observanc, deprecated the increase of Sunday labo | of 5S per cent in the last decade whil l the population had increased but 27 pe cent, and also the increase in Sunda, amusements.
 pr. F. Alexander introduced resolu. ton dealing with the question of child l labor In the South, particularly in the cotton mill districts. It urged that laws be passed prohibiting the employment of children under 12 years of age. Adopted. This resolution was afterward, on motion of MT. Hoss considered on the score that the statement that there were 20,000 child ref under 12 years of age employed in cot- ton mills Referred to special committee.
 The War Claim Report.
 The majority report of the publishing house committee which has in change the war claim reported. The report is con~ fined to a brief summary of the conten. tions urged by that faction. The reso- lution condemn any departure of the att torney of the book committee from the explicit instructions given to him by the book committee in regard to the col- lection of the claim against the govern ment from which instructions, it is claim ed, he did depart. according to his own statement made to the senate committee appointed to investigate these matters.
 Continuing, the report disapproves any language used by the book agents in their telegrams to Senators Pasco and Bate. which may have mislead them as to the amount of the fee the attorney was to receive for his service in collecting the claim. The proposition of the bishop to take proper steps to have the entire amount returned to the government if the Senate by affirmative action declares that the passage of the bill was due to | misleading statements Is approved In | view of the fact that the Senate after receiving this proposition discouraged the return of the money, and furthermore. l since the Senate had declared that the church is absolutely blameless in the whole transactions. it Is recommended | that this be considered a final settle ment of the question. The report Is signed by James M Robertson, chairman.
 Tha minority report took an hour in l the reading and condemned the actions of l Major Stahlman, the attorney, in most viz orous language Directly and by infer ence, the book agents and their attorney are severely dealt with.
 The Resolutions. The resolutions appended are as follows: We believe that the retention of this money is a disturbing factor in the peace and harmony of the church at present and may disquiet the membership in the fu- ture.
 Therefore. that there may be peace and harmony in the borders of our below ed church and that it may do no act that calls in question It's god name, we reconi- mend the adoption of the following res- olution:
 That the entire sum collected viz: s2SS,- 900. be returned to the United States gov-
 
 bers of the general conference be named who shall report to this conference as soon as possible plan carrying into ex- ecution the above resolution.
 ''That we heartily endorse the letter written by our bishops to the Senate of the United States. It showed their jeal- ous care of the good name of the church and indicated wise solution of the mat ter"
 The resolutions are signed by James Cannon, IT,. of Virginia. chairman. Both reports were ordered printed after much discussion. The war claim matter will come before the conference next Tues day at 10 o'clock and be continued until the matter Is settled.
 The discussion over the presenting of the minority report on the war claim caused ons of the stormiest scenes ever witnessed in a religious conference. Ow- ing to lack of space 1t is said the pub fisher of the official organ of the church declined to publish the report. which Is said to be of such nature as to come within the stringent libel laws of Texas. This declination caused the greatest ex-