The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-05-11
Sackcloth Falls Upon the Metho-
dist Church Conference
at Dallas.
APPEAL FOR DIVINE GUIDANCE,
Controversy Forced Itself to the
Front and Was Quickly Dis
posed Of-Ministers En-
gage in Lively Debate.
REPTBLIC SPECIAL,

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
Dallas, Tex. May 1o-while the "war
claim issue was not presented to the
General Conference of the Methodist
Church. South. at its session to-day in as
heated spirit as 1t aroused in the three
preceding sessions. still there was the same
determined attitude maintained by the con-
tending forces as heretofore ~
The session opened with suggestion of
montonous routine to be the order of the
day. In less than half an hour the war
claim issue had crowded everything else
aside and was once more the all-absorbing
topic and had the conference in a nervous
fever Of uncertainty. ...: 49,; "a.
A demand was made to have the status
OF the war claim matter definitely de-
,termined. as the statement had been semi
authoritatively made that il had, been
ruied out from Investigation by the Com
nlt.ee on publishing Interests. 1t was soon
made clear that this was not the case az
the Publishing Committee announced its
intention to begin an investigation, in ex-
next Monday afternoon
one or TWO minor matters Of routine only
f haa oeen disposed of when a resolution
up to be read. and the reading caused the
Storm to break anew In aggravated force
Inc Inc resolutions In substance called upon
the conference to fix day of humiliation.
fasting and prayer" that everything done
! by the conference on the war cIa. M is
sue sue might be done right and to the honor Of
Element of Opposition. shown.
A strong element of opposition to the
resolution took the position that praying
and fasting could and should be done at
any and all times when necessary by indiv-
idual choice and for every issue In which
the church was interested. and that the
war claim was the only issue before the
conference On the ground that the reso-
luton was loaded down with 'fmpract.ca-
to sa. 700 A""''' 'a''eo' Ia
The conference then returned to routine
work, but had made practically no progress,
fasting and prayer, on Monday. May i2.
for divine guidance on the 'war-claiIn' ia,
sue" was presented from Virginia. There
this resolution, as there had been in the
Little Rock effort and It had to be faced
Doctor Tigert Of Nashville. Doctir Kelly
OF Nashville, Doctor Hoss OF Nashville Doc
tor Hutchison Of Baltimore Doctor Cofer Of
North Georgia and score Of others spoke
Tor and against the resolution. Doctor IT,
CERT declared that there was no use trying
to belittle the situation.
There has almost been a fatal breach
caused in the church over this war-claim
matter already" he declared. land 1t Is not
fanaticism to ask for day for fasting and
prayer and for divine guidance to help US
Both Praying and Lying Charged.
Doctor Cofer, opposing the resolutions, de-
clared: There has never been an issue in
the church over which as much praying has
been DONE
'Or as much lying" quietly remarked
Doctor Hutchinson.
Doctor J. ]. Laferty- of Richmond, Va,
declared the resolution absolutely reversed
the situation from what it should be.
Instead Of humiliation fasting and
prayer, favor day of feasting and re-
5oicing. regular frolic. We've got our
money: we were entitled to 1t. and I'm in
favor of celebrating" enthusiastically de-
clared the veteran editor of the Christian
Advocate of Richmond.
After nearly two hours debate along
these lines, the previous question was or
dered and the resolution adopted, 142 to 90.
So next Monday is to be day of humilia-
tion, fasting and prayer on the war-claim
issue
The general opinion is that. in the final
fight in the Committee on Publishing Inter-
ests. the Book Committee and the church
and its agents win be eXonerated. and the
majority OF the committee will report to the
conference favorable to that view
A minority report has been determined
on by the opposition. ard Judge Strother
Doctor Kelly and their followers have de-
clared that this minority report shall have
full consideration in open conference, II
they can bring about such result.