The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-13
TASTED AND PRAYED
,,rTHODISTs DID LITTLE WORK
YESTERDAY.
FRATERNAL MEMBERS HEARD.
~oRTHERN MESSENGERS WERE
WELL RECEIVED.

.uuded only GuardedIy to POSSIBLE
uv Reunion of the Two Wings of
the Church-SenatOrs, in Their Let
TOR Advising Retention of War
Claim, Fund, Did Not State That
hook Agents and Attorney Were
innocent of Deception, hut That
the Wnr Claim Was just and
church should Retain the Money
Despite the Conduct of Its Agents.
Dallas, Tex, May 12.-To-day had
heen appointed as a day of fasting and
rraver by the members of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, South, and the
session of the conference this morning
vas unusually short. There was moth
ing to be done in conference beside
,bA usual order of business, and after
less than two hours of work the gath
ering adjourned until this evening,
when the fraternal delegates presented
their addresses from the Methodist
Episcopal Church.
The fraternal messengers from the
Northern church were Rev. D. w. C.
Huntington, D. D., of Lincoln, Neb.,
and Lieut. Gov. Bates of Boston, Mass.
Bishop Galloway of Mississippi pre-
sided to-day. The Committee on Tenn
perance handed in a resolution that
the International Lesson Committee be
instructed to issue lesson helps on
temperance.
The addresses of welcome delivered by
the fraternal delegates were attentively
received and heartily applauded.
After the night session an important
statement with regard to the letters
pertaining to the war claim" and
sent to Bishop Gambler by Senators
Bacon and Clay, was given to the
Associated Press.
A resolution for the payment of trav-
cling expenses of the delegates was
adopted with suspension of the rules.
It was amended by inserting travelling
expenses of bishops also to be paid.
W w. Smith, a lay delegate from
Virginia, moved suspension of the
rules for the consideration of a resolu-
ton to adjourn Immediately after the
regular calls for memorials and resolu-
tons. The resolution was read again
by request and motion was made to
lay it on the table. A point of order
was raised and sustained by the chair
and Mr.. Smith was given the floor. He
made an appeal for careful considera-
ton on the serious matter of the settle
ment of the war claim, and for time in
which to pray and deliberate on the
subject.
He believed that not many were well
informed on all sides of the matter.
Heard FrnternnI Messengers.
At the night session of the conference
nearly the entire delegation strength of
the body w as pfesertt to 3tstep ito the
fraternal addresses Of the messe n ers
from the Northern Methodist Episcopal
Church. Both messengers made I'M
pressive and brilliant efforts. While
neither. in direct language, advocated
a reunion of two churches as expressed
previous to the division of 1874, sill
there were sentences and sentiments
that were readily identified as suggest
ing the hope of such an ultimate re-
suit .--.,.
Fraternal messengers from the
Church South, to the Church North for
the general conference to be held two
years hence, will be announced IN due
time.
What the Senators Said.
From a statement issued by one of
the prominent bishops of the church
late tonight it appears that the first
press dispatches were in error in say
ing that the letter of the senators TO
Blshop Gambler affirmed that the book
agents and attorney for the war claim
were innocent of deceptive methods be-
iore the Senate. On the contrary the
letter of the senators is said to de-
clare that such misleading methods
We're practiced by the book agents and
attorney.
The point of the letter of the senators
was that the money should not be re-
turned to the government by the
church on account of these alleged de-
ceptlVe acts of the book agents and
attorneys, that the claim was a lust
Cialm and should have been paid, and
thal the church was not to be cen