The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-06-10
CID LAWS STAND.
insly Vote Against Any Change
In Church Discinline

in Church Discipline.
Los Angeles, Cal, May 31-By th-
decisive yea and nay vote Of AL to
1873 the Methodist general conference
decided not to make any change in the
church discipline in the matter of pro-
hibited amuSemenlS.
The question is one which agitated
the minds of the delegates to the pres
ent general conference perhaps more
than any other single problem that has
been before it. The church at large
took a wide interest in the subject of
proposed striking out Of the specified
prohibited amusements from the dis
clpline, and many memorials and petit
tons from all parts Of the country re-
Elected popular opinion in the church
on the matter In all s1xty-tve have
been received ffty-tive Of which op-
posed any change in the discipline on
this point and ten favored various
changes.
The question came before the con-
ference today in the report of the COM
mittee on the state of the church on
this subject There were two reports.
The majority report recommends as
follows:
The Report as Adopted.
Your committee declines to recommend
the striking out of the specified amuse-
1t recommends that the following para
graph be inserted in the discipline under
the chapter on special -advices:
''Amusements = Improper amusements
ard excessive indulgence in innocent
amuscments are serious barriers to the
beginning of the religious life and fruit
full causes Of spiritual declines. Some
amusements in common use are also posi-
lively demoralizing and furnish the first
easy steps to the total loss of character
We therefore look with deep concern on
the great increase Of amuscments and on
the general prevalence Of harmful amuse-
ments and lift up solemn note of warn
| = tI,,,l
theatergoing dancing and such games of
chance as are frequently associated with
gambling, all Of which have been found
to be antagonistic to vital pietX, pro-
nicious to youth. We affectionately adj
momsh all our people to make their
thought apd frequent prayer; to study
the subject of amusements in the light Of
their tendencies and to be scrupulously
careful in this matter to set no injurious
| example. We abuse them to remember
that the question for Christian must
often be not whether certain courses of
1t will dull the spiritual life and be an
unwise example. We deem 1t our bounden
duty to SUMMON the whole church to ap-
ply thoughtful and instructive con-
science to amusements and not to leave
them to accident or passion. and we af-
| fectlonately advise and beseech every
member of the church absolutely to
| avoid the taking of such diversion as can
not ne used in the name Of the Lord ="
The conference limited the speeches
| upon this proposition to five minutes.
Nearly a score Of speeches were made
| on both sides.
On the order of the previous ques-
ton a nay and yea vote was demanded
| for the first time during the present
conference. This same subject was the
only question precipitating nay and
yea vote in the general conference Of
| four years ago at Chicago.
! The calling of the roll occupied
the remainder Of the afternoon session.