Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-05-14
GIANT
IN CLASH
BIG MEN IN METHoDIsM DISPUTE
SELECTION OF JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE.
BUCKLEY is BEATEN

Committee on State of Church Divides
81 to s4sin Favor of Modifying the
Amusement Clause in Discipline -
Seems Sure OF Adoption.
Los Angeles. Cal, May 1S.-Two of
lhe glantsso Methodism. DR., ]. NJ
buckiey and DR.. L. B. Neely, crossed
swords in yesterdays session of the
general conference on the question to
give the bishops the power to appoint
I'VE nVe out OF the nineteen members of
the judiciary committee DR.. Neeley,
VINO opposed the proposition, won by a
decisive vote.
oil many former occasions these two
men nave crossed swords, but the OUT
come was never $50 decisive. Inas-
tnuch ,lil, as pr. Neeley is a candidate for
plshop, 1T is! question as to what DR..
Buckley, chairman of the episcopacy
committee, will do.
Dr. y. M. Buckley, chairman of the
committee on fepiscopacy, made a par
tial report to the conference, which
Will come up for discussion today The
report relates to a passage in Bishop
-Merrill's request for retirement. The
committee recommends that superan-
nuated general superintendents be re-
iieVed of the obligation to travel at
large and be permitted to choose their
own place of residence; that they shall
not be assigned to an annual confer
ence, but may take the chair at an an
nual or a general conference upon re-
quest of the president; that they be
placed in an advisory relationship to
xltr r<,r lxs L.
bers of the different boards of which
bishops are ex-officio members.
Test Vote on Amusements.
A test vote ON the Methodist Episcopal
amusement question, in the committee on
the state of the church, disclosed that thir.
ty-seven We're in favor of modifying the
present disciplinary paragraph, on amuse-
ment, and that thirty-four We're in favor
of keeping it as 1t is.
The report came from the subcommittee
to which the matter had been referred.
The subcommittee had recommended. in
place OF the eSlsting Paragraph. the follow
ing: 81
In cases OF neglect of duties of any kind,
imprudent conduct, indulglng in sinful tenn
pers or words, the buying, selling or using
of Intoxicating liquors as a beverage, sign
Ing petitions In favor of granting Il license
for the sale of intoxicating liquors, becom-
traffic. renting property as place in or
on which to manufacture or sell. intoxicat-
ing liquors, taking such amusemcnts as
are obviously Of misleading or questionable
moral tendency. or disobedience to the or
der and discipline of the church,
Private Reproof for First Offenses.e
First, let private reproof he given by the
pastor or leader. and if there be an ac-
acknowledgement of Tue fault and proper hui
initiation the person may be borne with.
On the second offense the pastor or leader
may take one or two discreet members of
the church. On third offense let him be
brought to trial, and If found guilty and
there be no sign of real humiliation he
shall be expelled.
This is substantially the paragraph as it
exists at present but omits the words
tdancing, playing at games of chance, at
tending theatres, horse races, circuses,
dancing parties, or patrOnizing dancing
schools. These specifications are regarded
as Objectionable on the score of not in
Guiding enough.
The report also called for insertion in
the chapter on special adyices the clause
on amusements from the episcopal address,
which says:
Improper amusements and excessive in
diligence in innocent amusements are seri-
Gus barriers to the beginning of the rell-
gious life and fruitful causes Of spiritual
decline. Some amuSements In common use
are also positively demoralizing and furnish
the first ensy steps to the total loss of
character
We therefore look with deep concern on
the great increase of amusements and on
the general prevalence of harmful amuse-
ments and lift up solemn note of warning
and entreaty particularly against theatre
going, promiscuous dancing, and such
games Of chance as are frequently associ-
ated with gambling. all of which have been
found to be antagonistic to vital piety, pro-
motive of wordliness, and especially perni-
cious to youth.
Amusenents Subject for Prayer.
We affeetionately admonish all our peo-
ple to make their amusementS the iect
Of careful thought and frequent prayer, to
study the subject of amusement in the
light of their tendencies, and to be scrupu-
lously careful in this matter to set no in
furious example. We adjure them to re-
member that the question for a Christian
must often be not whether certain course
of action is positively immoral but whether
| II will dull the spiritual life and be an un-
wise example.
We enioin on all our bishops. presiding
elders and pastors to call attention to this
| subject with Solemn urgency in all our an
| nual and quarterly conferences, and in all
our nulpits and on our editors and Sunday
! school officers, Epworth league offcers,and
class leaders, to mid in abating the evils
we deplore. We deem it our bounden duty
to summon the whole church to apply a
thoughtful and instructed conscience to the
i choice of amusements, and not to leave
tbcm 10 accident, or taste, or passion, and
we affectionately advise and beseech every
member of the church absolutely to avoid
| "the taking such diversions as cannot be
| used in the name of the Lord Jesus
Last Advice Sure of Adoption.
This paragraph will undoubtedly be
adopted, whatever become of paragraph
o4S The phrase "promiscuous dancing
was modified by omitting the word promis-
cuous, on the ground that it might be in
social circles while prohibiting it in others.