The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-08
M. E. CHURCH SOUTH
QUADRENNLAL CONFERENCE BE-
GINS AT DALLAS.
MANY CHURCHMEN PRESENT.
COLLEGE OF BISHOPS PRESENT
ADDRESS.

Something Radically Wrong, Say
BIshOps-Only 3S,OS5 Additions to
Church In Last Four Years-POIi-
ties in Church Publications Strong
1y COndemned-OfHce of Deacon
ness to Be Applied fOr-Publishing
House War Claim Reviewed-COn-
ference May Accept Statement of
Senators and Drop Matter.
Dallas. Tex, May THE first session
of the fourteenth quadrennial confer
ence of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, South, was called to order by
Bishop Wilson of Baltimore at $40
O'Clock this morning in the old audi
forum of the fair grounds. Distin-
guished churchmen and laymen were
present from all parts of the South. All
the bishops with the exception of
Bishop Keener of New Orleans and
Bishop Fitzgerald of Memphis are in
attendance.
After the singing of a hymn Bishop
Hargrove of Nashville prayed for
unity, moderation and conservatis in
the deliberations of the conference, and
hearty "Amens" punctuated his words.
Passages of Scripture were read by
Bishop Hendrix of Kansas and Bishop
w. A. Gambler of Georgia.
Prayer by DR.. Arson West of the
North Alabama conference was fol-
lowed by addresses of welcome of Gov.
Sayers, Mayor Cabell, Judge E. b. Per-
kins and Rev. G. C. Rankin, all of
which were enthusiastically received.
The roll call developed the absence
of many delegates.
By unanimous vote DR.. John ]. Tt
CERT of Nashville was elected secretary
of the conference. He nominated fI'
his assistants, Rev. A. f. Watkins of
the Mississippi conference and ]. VI.
Bacus of the Northwest Texas Confer
ence. Gov Savers was presented to
the conference by Bishop Wilson to
make the address of welcome, the dele
| gates rising to welcome him. The Gov
ernor was listened to very attentively.
He devoted most of his speech to the
! history of Methodism.
Bishop c. P. Galloway of Jackson,
Miss, replied to the address of well
come. He said all were glad to be
here. He knew Texas was great state
and had a great people, because the
best people of all the old states had
| come here
Or. E. e. Hoss of Nashville moved
that the conference send its sympathy
| TO Bishop Kenner on account of his
! infirmity, and to Bishop Fitzgerald on
account of the death of his daughter.
! Mrs. Banks, few days ago. The mo-
ton was carried unanimously.
The rules of the last general con-
ference were adopted and the appoint
ment of committee of five to revise
the rules was authorized.
A motion by Rev. Horace, Bishop of
the Northwest Texas Conference, that
the sympathy of the conference be
wired to DR.. B. NJ. Palmer, the cele-
,brated divine of New Orleans, who was
recently injured by a street car, was
adopted. A motion to fix a committee
of six on credentials was carried.
Address of the Bishops.
The Episcopal address, signed by the
College of Bishops was read by Bishop
w. w. Duncan of Spartanburg, S. C.
The address was a lengthy one and
two hours were consumed in it's read
ing. 1t recites that only 38,0S5 addi-
lions to the church have been made
since the last conference and says
| something is radically wrong. The
bishops also appeal for a better
equipped ministry. Politics in the
church publications is strongly con-
demned. The bishops say the office
of deaconness will be applied for and
they entreat the conference to act
wisely and Well
An earnest plea was made for the
better support of superannuated
preachers, and widows and orphans
of deceased preachers; that plan be
adopted whereby a fund of 100000
be secured for this purpose. The mat
ter of local preachers working as evan
gelists was mentioned. The work of
the mission boards, church extension
Epworth League and Sunday schools
and the literature of the church was
commented upon. Large space was
devoted to the schools and colleges of
the church. 1t was shown that the
publishing house during the past four
years transacted a business of $780,
600, or an increase of $1S6,000.
The publishing house war claim"
was reviewed, showing that the
church was free from any blame in
the matter. hope was expressed
that this conference would finally set
tie this mooted case. The election of
two new bishops was asked for.
Bacon and Clay on War Claim.
Immediately after the reading of the
address, Bishop Gambler of Georgia
read a letter from Senators Bacon and
Clay, which hes had received in reply
to a letetr relative to the course which
should be pursued by the Methodist
Church in regard to the money which
was paid under an act of Congress in
settlement of the war claim of the
publishing house. This letter was
signed by eight senators. The last
clause reads as follows:
THE report of the committee and
the resolution. both adopted by the
Senate, in explicit terms exonerate the
-, oil 1a,a fC
criticism for anything which occurred
in connection with passage of the bill
and is a clear expression of opinion
that there is no obligation on the part
of the church to pay the money to the
government or to make further offer
to do So"
The conference adjourned until
O'Clock tomorrow.