The Savannah morning news., 1904-06-26
WHISKY DRINKING;
CORRUPT ELECTIONS
FIGHT IN M. E. CONFERENCE
OVER REPORT OF THE TEMPER
ANCE COMMITTEE.

Rev. L. +. Morgan of Savannah Lead
the Fight to Strike Out the Charge
Against Church Members and Of
ficials of whisky DrinISing-Rev.
A. NJ. williams Opposed the AdOp-
tiOn of the Report With the
Charge That $4,000 Had Been
Spent in the Last EIectiOn.-His
Reasons for 1t.
Considerable comment has been
caused by the temperance report
adopted by the conference of the Sa-
vannah District Methodist churches,
and the vigorous fight made to strike
out certain statements from the re-
port.
Rev. A. M. Williams, pastor Of
Trinity Methodist Church, made COM
plete statement Of the contest in the
conference yesterday. He lead the
fight to strike out the clause charging
that $4,000 had been spent in the
last election for whisky" The fight
to strike out the clause charging
church members and officials with
drinking was lead by Rev. E. F. Nor
gan, pastor of Grace Church. In speak
ing of the fight lead by Rev. Mr.. Nor
gan, DR.. Williams said:
Several members OF the conference
objected to the statement that church
officials and members were using IN
toxicants, and Mr.. Morgan led the
movement to strike that clause from
the report. His position was that the
charge was general and, while guard
ed, left every official open to suspicion
as being the one referred to.
He also claimed that 1t reflected on
the pastors, as they had the right to
nominate every official of their church.
If they appointed drinking men they
were responsible. The case, he claim
ed, should be met directly, and the
member arraigned for violation of the
rules of the church,
when the issue was made, my posi-
ton was that 1 knew no such official
and that / was not willing to vote
condemnation on eX parte, and hear
say evidence, especially as the charge
belonged to the judicial department OF
the church. The matter was decided
against us by small majority.
The Use of Whisky in Elections.
During the discussion Of this ques-
tion," said DR.. Williams, the chair
man of the committee undertook to ask
me some questions, indicating that the
decision of the committee ought to be
accepted as final. He asked me if /
knew of blind tigers. l told him yes,
l could easily prove their existence.
HE then asked me if l knew that
900 had been spent for whisky in the
last election. This called my attention
to specification in the report. /
promptly replied that 1 did not, and
that did not believe the charge. Later
l moved to strike the charge of $4,000
spent for whisky in the last election
from the report.
IT took the ground that this was a
specification of fact that could not be
proven. From circumstances surround
ing the charge 1 thought that 1t re-
ferred to some special election, and
knew it was altogether improbable that
such an amount could have been spent.
/ did not believe that the conference
should take up gossip, embody 1t in a
formal ecclesiastical document and
make ii permanent record. My mo-
ton to strike was lost by a vote of
q to "a.
Is Against Use of whisky.
THE report sent the Morning News
as to the action of the conference gave
no specific amount, but only the gen.
eral charge of the corruption of the
ballot by the use of whisky. The mi
nority would have voted unanimously
for that proposition. The use of whisky
to influence an election, whether 81
or $4,000 is spent, is to be condemned.
Everybody knows that this evil ex-
lists" said DIR. Williams. TT is, how
ever, another thing to undertake to
say as part of deliberate report, how
much is used and the moral effect of
the whole is weakened. 1t is perhaps
true that the report is guarded by
saying it is reported but why make a
dignihed ecclesiastical document the
vehicle of random reports.
IT am sorry our conference passed
these Objectionable features on so i'm
portant a theme. While regretting 1t, /
see no reason why the public should
| not know there was opposition to it.
The suppression of the clause debated
from the report given the Morning
News looks as though we were right
in our opposition, as the majority did
not seem to wish our specific action
known