The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-05-10
THE WAR CLAIM WAS UP.
II Appears TO Be The One Thing the
McthOdists Are Interested In.
BISHOP GAMBLER READ LETTER TO CLAY
Or. Morrison Displayed Feeling When He
Stated that He Had Not Been Con-
suited as to Letter from Senators.

Dallas, Texas, May 3.-The celebrated
claim collected by the publishing house of
the Methodist Episcopal church, South,
from the Federal government for damage
done to the church property during the war
between the States, together with all mat
| tiers pertaining thereto, are before the com
| mi;tee OIL publishing house interests. That
| committee, while still incomplete. has or
gauized by the election Ut James NJ. Rob.
crtson OF Meridian, Texas. as chairman,
aud held its first business session this after
noon. There is little telling when the COM
inittee will be ready TO report on the war
claim That It will not be for some timc
however, is rot doubted. stenographer
for the use Of the committee has been used
! during the conference. and all the evidence
will b. put in writing and kept for ref
| ercnce.
The war claim matter bobbed up frequent
| ~ in the conference proceedings today, and
| several times it looked like the zeal strug-
! gle over the matter would ensue But the
leaders, backed by n majority, apparently
| found a way OF sidetracklng tho whole at
| fair by referring all questions relating
| thereto to the committee ON publishing III
! telCsts.
Bishop Gambler read the now famous let.
| ter that he had written to senator Clay of
| Geotgia. motion to request the bishop
| to read the letter had been made, but II,
| too, was drowned In a parliamentary wave,
| 1Icn the Georgia churChmah asked per
! mission Of his own motion to read to the
| conference the epiStle he had indited to the
! Georgia statesman. He read IL with EN-
! phuSis aud 1t anplaudCu.
Some of the delegates-those who are for
war-had appeared 20 be ready to crlticlse
| Bishop Gambler for failing TO give publicity
! to his own letter. and his manner WHITE
| before the conference was rather aggres-
| sive.
Another feature of today's session Of the
| conference was the appearance of Bishop
| Morrison. He took occasion to say, which
| is DECLARED to have been unusual that he
/ had not been consulted about the presenta-
/ tlon of the scna toria letter in the Episco-
/ raj address ana that he cid not ndorse 1t.
/ There is undoubtedly a considerable num-
! her OF delegates who Will insist on Il thor
/ ugh airing of all the doingS Of Barbee aud
4 Smitl ana Of Major r.. II. Stahlman, who
/ engineered the big claim through congress.
! They are persistent and aggressive, ana
/ the conference lacks as much of being har-
monious as did the one held AT Baltimore
/ IL 1925
| being INDUCED. There seems to pe no
! doubt whatever about the selection Of DR..
T. y Hcss, editor of the Christian Adyo-
| cate, the church organ. If tho Texas del
ogatlon, tie biggest on ;hc floor Of the con
! ference. could agree on candidate, ne, too.
| wculC bc elected. But the Texans can not
agree and little hope of a new bishop from
/ Texas is now entertained,
Tile election Of Or. George G. Rankin "
| Dallas as editor of the Texas Christian Al.
vocate, to succeed Dr. iloss In the event
/ of the latter's election ms bishop, however,
| is confidently expected,
Dr. Niece Of the South Georgia confer
ence opened the session today, with prayer
! and Bishop itargrovc prS ided.
DR.. Gross Alexander moved that Bisl~p
Gambler be requested to furnish a copy OF
the new famous letter. written by him ia
Senators Bacon aud CLAY. to the conference
and that the latter he published,
Bishop Gambler interrupted Or. Alexander
| aud asked permission to make a statement
lie said he had rendered the letter to the
| conference. that he had nothing whateNc'
to conceal, and all who wanted the letter
might have it.
| was y plain request TO n senator, who Is his
personal friend. for information concerning
The opinions of senator's as to whethCr me
! scnate had been deceived by the publishing
| house agents. Tho statement "f c,EhtI
senators that no misreprcseutations had
been madc, has already hccn published.
I Applausc greeted Bishop Gambler rs he
closed The matter was referred TO the
committee on publishing Interests.
r W. boswell Of the Mississippi! confer
cncc obtained the floor and withdreE hi,
challenge against the right OF II: {. Mo.
rison of Louisville to delegates seat,
Reports Of standing committees were tlcd
and referred. These included the report
on church extension board IF missions
Judge strother of Los angeles confer
- II
Of the committee on publishing Interests
Of tho conference of 1905 desired 10 sub
nit statement, saying the book commit
tee had not been very accurate IN thei
statement on the war claim matter. ant
that he and others would make more *
tenSlve reply later
committee, challenged any man - slow
him one single inaccuracy in the state
mcnt Of the book committee.
T. G. Reeves of Johnson city, Tenn.
| nroduced the record. signed by Judge
Strother himself
4 motion by H. f. W. Palmer Of At
lanta providing for stcnographer to TAKE
down all the evidence heard nv the pun
fishing committee, was discussed II 3oln'
length, and after much debate overwn I'm
ingly adopted. This means that all state
/ ments made before the publishing commit
tee will be written out In fun ft1 future
Rev p. II. whistler. secretary of ~,
board OF church extension. submitted ".
quadricnnial report Of the board TO-DAY; :
summary Of twenty years work lesl-l'~Z
shows handsome increaSe In money COZ
| lcctions Progress Of missionary work u
China, Japan. Koren. Mexico, Brazil, Cuba
! etc is said to he marked.
After some unmportant routine huSnes
! IN" delegates aud the audience sang ~
/ "DoXology" and adjournment was takel
until o O'clock tomorrow.
. Congressman Benton OF missouri was 70
day made chairman Of the committee NJ
boundaries, one Of the most important
l the conference. at least SO far rs lars
] NNlNllt Oh Nblh II NphNtA Ai''i' Nhis ''N'''
said tonight that he expects many import
ant changes will he made in the houndarie
4 Of subordinate conferences particularly v
I Northwestern Texas Western Texas. okla
, homa Indian Territory md Georgia, an
: perhaps In New Mexico Arizona and Call
i fornia He said he does not expect an
+ changes to be made In the boundaries o
I the Missouri conferences.
! Rev Josephus Anderson, d. D., OF n
$ Florida conference. who Is here rs n dele
cate from that State. is the only delegat
\ present who WAS member OF the genera
conference I'm 1858 Mt Nashville Tenn, r.
| last general conference held hctore the wa
e between the States That historic confer
I euco was held I'm the Tennessee state hous
. | at Nashville
3 The oldest Of the bishops present
O Risbop Wilson Of Baltimore. He was elect
/. | cd In 1882 at Nashville. Bishops Granhur
r and Hnrgroye We're also elected ut that ger
/, eral conference hut Wilson Is the senior.
n