The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-05-21
WAR CLAIM QUESTION TO
Be SETTLED AMCABLY
Thlrty.three Delegates Get Together
and Form a Substitute for Both
Majority and Minority Reports.
Take Middle Ground.

Dallas, Tex, May 20.-Peace and com
promise hovered over the morning ses-
sion of the Methodist Episcopal church
conference today. Where a bitter, acri-
nonious debate had been expected,
compromise measure which met with Ia
yor was presented and harmony was more
prevalent than at any time during the
conference. Thirty-three delegates, led by
DR. McMurray. presiding elder OF the ST.
Louis conference, met last night and for
mulated a substitute for both the majori-
ty and minority reports on the war claim
which takes a middle ground.
While the morning session was har'
monioug and indicated a settlement OF the
day was apparently undone.
The attendance today was the largest
since the conference convened. There was
plenty of life to the debate, but 1t lacked
the acrimony which had been expected.
Nothing of wide Importance occurred
in the proceedings until the war claim
discussion began. The efforts of those
who have been working for harmony
were made apparent at once and a COM
promise was presented by DR.. McMur-
ray. The conference was opened by DR..
Godbey CT Little Rock with devotional
exercises.
After the reading and approval of the
minutes, Bishop Cranberry read oriet
note asking to be put on the retired
list. The paper was referred to the COM
mittee on episcopacy Bishop Hargrove
took the chair and copies of the minority
report on the war claim, which had been
printed during the night in pamphlet
form, were distributed.
Salaries of Bishops Fixed.
The committee on episeopacy fixed the
salary of acting bishops at $500 per an
mum; retired bishops, $4,000, and widows
of bishops, $1,000. .,.s..5
The committee on publishing interest re-
ported in favor of a Methodist museum
for the preservation of rare relics con-
nected with the church. The report was
referred to the book committee.
Much other business along routine lines
xas Dassed on and sent to the calendar.
The conference voted to omit the read
ing of further reports in order to get 10
the war claim matter, the special work
of the day.
The first action on the war claim began
when DR. James Cannon, Jr., of the Vir-
which constituted the gist of the minor
itv report to the conference and moved
their adoption A motion to consider them
seriatfn prevailed and Section L was read.
It condemned Major Stahlman and the
hook agents. The first test came on
motion to table the resolution. 1t was
n close contest and the yeas and nays
were ordered but the tabling was accom-
plished.
TIL other resolutions preamble and all,
were disposed of in the same way.
II became evident that thrty-three del
ecates who had presented the McMurray
compromise, held the balance of power.
After the discussion of the compromise
began, its strength developed and the
first section was adopted. The minority
defeated on their own battle line, then
falI in behind the standard of Dr. Nc
Murray.
Draws Wide Distinction.
The compromise measure draws wide
distinction between both the majority
and minority reports. It wants the church
to keep the money voted 1t by Congress,
hut ii wants the entire claim to be kept
intact as a superannuate fund. 1t is ap-
narentIy more to the liking of both ex-
tremes. w. r. Mahon of Memphis moved
that the majority report be read. This
was done. DR.. G. c. Rankin arose to
a question of personal privilege. He said
be wished unanimous consent to change
,ha verbage Of the majority report slight
iy IT was granted and he made a few
Jerbal changes In the report concerning
tbe statement of the United States Sena-
tors that there was no necessity for fur
thor action in the matter. AT the request
of B. F. Lipscomb, the resolutions con-
totued in the minority report were read.
Tr Iipscomb moved that the minority
ta5 In nj nf ms
tority. A motion to take up the resolu-
,ion se1iatirr prevailed. The paper of
Dr AJcMurray was then read. The first
~ fine McMurray resolutions reiterated
the iustness and validity of the claim OF
+be church against the government for
The abuse of its publishing house at
Nashville during the civil war; says the
claim was for a much larger amount but
that $685., 900 was finally accepted by rep
r.sentatives of the church In full set
tl.r,ent Of all demands. The fact that GER
tain senators criticised the means by
which the settlement was reached Is de-
nlorablc, and insofar as the agents of the
church are alleged to have departed
from instructions, their actions dis
claimed
Church Has Been Injured.
nh. Senate investigation committee af-
..r fun review of the facts. having
decided that the church has been in
1ure1 bv the misconduct of its agents."
hut that the church itself was entirely
b,ameless and the bishops had offered
to take steps to return the money ''if
tbe senate by affirmative action de-
.,iares that the passage of the bill was
due to misleading statements on the part
of repres essntatives of the church," 1t is
resolved as the diversion by which
large percentage Of the claim of the
church was unexpended an6 unknown
10 members Of Congress who voted for
the appropriation, the church distinctly
repudiates any misstatement or unfair
mss used on the part of any person rep
resenting the church in the prosecution
OF the claim before Congress. either in
tertinnally or otherwise.
Z is resolved that the church pledged
itself to raise as soon as possible, by
such means as the bishops may devise.