The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1902-05-08
AMONG THE BIG METHODlS1S.
Innocence Abroad Attends the
General Conference.

/ have been travelling over Ellis
county for about five years, telling
our readers in the county and out of
it, about the people who live In this,
the best county in Texas, and /
have to the best of my ability not
only told who lived here, but what
each and every one of them was do
ing. Now / have set apart some of
this year to tell something of what
can find on the outside of the
county. The general conference of
the Methodist church, South, met
In Dallas yesterday. This Is the
supreme law making body of that
denomination. meets every four
years and is composed of three hun
dred delegates, divided equally be-
tween the preachers and laity, be
sides the twelve or fourteen bishops.
Each annual conference elects its
ablegt men to represent 1t In this
conference. A fellow like me who
has all the spring been running
around dabbling in politics, which Is
very corrupting TO a pious youth,
one of which / am, needs To associ-
ate with some good people, after all
/ have been doing. The reunion
week with the grand old heroes
helped me powerfully and now this
week finds me running with the
bishops and big men generally who
belong TO a great denomination. /
do fully believe that there Is saliva
tion for a fellow who runs part Of
the time with good people.
The conference meets in one of
the large buildings at the fair
grounds. 1t has been handsomely
decorated and comfortably seated
for the accommodation Of the con-
ference. Governor Sayers came up
from Austin and delivered splen-
did welcome address to the confer
ence. Mayor Cabeli, Judge Per
kins and Rev. q. e. Rankin, editor
of the Texas Christian Advocate,
all delivered welcome addresses In
a happy vein which made the dele
gates feel at home. Bishop Gallo
way, who lives at Jackson, Miss,
and who Is said to be one of the
finest orators I'm the South, re-
sponded to the addresses of welcome
and bis effort was master flow of
oratory. Large delegations are in
attendance from all Of the southern,
western and northwestern states
aud territories, from Korea, Japan,
China, Brazil, Mexico and from
and r q IA every o t h r sec
tion Of the world where the South
arn Methodist church has mission
aries
AS this is the supreme law max
ing body of the church delegates
from each charge in the whole
boundaries Of Methodism must re-
port to this body So that IL may act
intelligently In framing laws TO gov
ern the churches for the next four
years. There are now more than
100 900 members of the Southern
Methodist church and when this
great number is taken into consid-
GRAFTON something of the Importance
OF the legislation Of this body may
be realized. With SO many souls
enlisted with this denomination it
is of momentuous Importance that
wise and iudicious laws be passed
by this body for the furtherance of
of the Masters kingdom on earth.
frequently heard the remark dur
ing this first session that il was in
deed a fine looking body of men and
ia all the past history of this church
this body has proved Itself equal TO
it's responsibilities T h rapid
growth Of the denomination attests
10 the truth of this statement.
During the war the Federal troops
captured Nashville, Tenn, and CON
fiscated the Southern Methodist pub
fishing house, A few years since a
prominent lawyer of that city reeov-I
cred damages from the United
States government To the amount
of 500, 900, which hasibeen paid over
to the conference. There are sever
al members of the conference who
do not like some of the means enl-
ployed by this attorney aud some Of
his witnesses In collecting this mon
ey and they are in favor of return
Ing the full amount to the govern
ment. These delegations believe
the claim was just one and ought
To have been paid, but do not like
the method employed in securing
It's payment. IL reminds me of one
of Bill Arp's statements. He said
he did not give "A darn about the Mig
gers being freed but be didn't like
the way they did it. Some of these
delegates don't like the way Ii Was
done and there will possibly be some
warm debates in their deliberations
in the conference when the subject
is reached. The conference will be
in session for "a month or more and