The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-05-14
Methodist War Claim Issue Again
Forced to Front by Its Ad-
yocates at Dallas.
INCREASED VIG0R is SHOWN.
Other Work of Session DELAYED by
Those Who Want Action
First Taken on Trouble
some Controversy.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
Dallas. Tex. May l3-The fasting, praying
and general humility observed by the dele.
gates TO the General Conference of the
Methodist Church. South, yesterday did not
seem IN any way TO tame or subdue the
spirit of the aggressive element in the war
claim issue. The fight was renewed with
more vfgor in to-dSy's session than in any
other since the conference began.
Bishop Hendrix OF Kansas city. who pre-
sided for the day. had scarcely reached the
routine order OF business after the last sem
fence OF the opening prayer had been heard,
before a delegate from Virginia introduced
a resolution recitIng that the good of the
church and the keen interest felt by all con-
cerned. demanded that the on
Publishing Interests be instructed to give
constant consideration to the war-claims
issue until II shall be disposed OF. and that
the committee be instructed TO report rs
early as possible. Five minutes of heated
debate was sufficient 10 table the resolution.
the vote being 10 to g..
The call of the roll OF subordinate confer
ences proceeded for reports OF committees.
resolutions. memorials and other routine
procedure for d space OF twenty minutes
time. when the war-claim issue was again
forced IN. ard all the tactics of the re-
sourceful opponents OF the aggressive e!e-
ment failed TO force 1t ont. 1t held the
field TIL final adjournment FOR the day.
Church Book Agents Scored.
Judge J. p. Strother of Los Angeles, Cal.
the Acknowledged floor leader OF the In
sureents." started the contest by present.
ing a paper carefully prepared and type
written, signed by himself. John Anderson
of Missouri. W. F. Glenn OF Georgia and
w. W. Ball OF Kentucky.
The signers demanded that the paper be
read by the secretary as privileged matter.
because NJ cfasarrarfo r1o1a I- Aha nthar
side at one of the sessions held last week
The paper was a strong arraignment of the
book agents of the church and the attor-
neys in making the war-ciaim settlement
with the Federal Governmet four years ago
when the congressional appropriation was
procured. Judge Strother and the men who
signed the paper with him were the minor
lily members Of the Book Committee vino
investigated the matter for the church at
the Baltimore Conference In 1898.
In the early stages Of the reading OF the
paper Doctor Whitehead of Virginia. W.
w Smith OF Virginia, Docto- Wilson Of
South Carolina. c. C. Feathers,one of South
Carolina, Doctor Moss of Nashville, Tenn;
Doctor Mann of South Carolina. B. NJ. Bar-
CHER OF Texas and others tried vigorously
TO have certain severe language. which they
characterized as supplementary, stricken
from the paper. They also tried to prevent
the paper from being read.
Reading of Paper Permitted.
Judge Strother took the floor in defense
OF himself, his colleagues ard their paper.
in an impassioned appeal the California
delegates urged the conference as fair men
to hear them for their cause" On the
vote to proceed with the reading of the pa
per in its full and unabridged form. the "in-
eurgents" won out by a vote Of LBS to ia.
The two test votes taken to-day Indicate
that there is q large element in the con-
ference that has not made up its mind on
the war-claim issue, and is willing to get
moro light by hearing both sides. The
strength of this element is conceded to be
anywhere from Atty to seventy delegates,
and It is likely to constitute the balance of
power in the final disposition of the war
claim when the fight comes before the open
conference upon the receipt of the report of
the Committee on Publishing Interests.
After the reading Of the Strother paper,
Doctor Wilson of South Carolina. repre-
senting the majority of he Book Commit
tee OF 1893. announced that he and his as
sociates would submit a reply. He also
announced that a meeting Of the majority
members OF the Book Committee of 1898
would be held at the Oriental Hotel at 5
O'Clock this afternoon to frame the reply.
The Conference was in no humor TO pro-
coed with further business when the con-
test over the Strother paper was ended.
and adjournment was taken until 9 o'clock
tomorrow morning.
Congressman Benton Kept Busy.
Congressman NJ. E.. Benton of Missouri
Is chairman of the Committee on Bounda-
ries. The committee. although the Confer
ence is a week old Only and has barely
more than got well Strengthened out for at
tending to its official duties. realizes already
that 1t will have more hard work to con-
fider and dispose of than any other
Boundary Committee has had for the last
quarter Of 4 century.