Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-13
.OR[NOV[ CHUR|jHBAN
Methodist General Conference
Will Likely Vote to Remove
Recreation Restrictions
RADICAL cHuRcH RULE CHANGES
Penalty of Members For Dancing,
Card Playing, or Theater Going,
May Be Rendered Entirely Optional
With Authorities-New Candidate
Out For Bishopric Honors.

Out For Bishopric Honors.
Los Angeles. Cal. May 13.-Busi-
ness moved very slowly in the Metho
dist general conference. The morning
hours We're taken UP In a tiresone dis
cussion of the report of the committee
on rules of order, which occupied part
of Wednesdays session.
The committee report on this section
| finally prevailed in spite of opposition
on some points.
| Immediately after recess Joseph c.
Hartzell, missionary bishop to Africa,
read his report to the conference. 1t
was full of interesting details of his
work In the dark eontii./lt. and he
made a strong appeal for additional
| funds TO further prosecute his labors
/ in the Christianizing OF the natives.
| Statistics OF the church in Africa
/ showed membership OF 5000. There
are 1l5 schools. says Bishop Hartzell,
with $50 teachers and 5000 scholars.
The total value of the Methodist
churchs property In Africa is $4,000,
an increase of S15O.01O in the last quad
| rennium.
| Tribute to Rhodes.
| Bishop Hartzell paid an eloquent
/ tribute to the character of the late Cecil
Rhodes.
DIR. j. NJ. Buckley. chairman of the
committee on episcopacy, made a
partial report to the conference which
will come up for discussion today.
The report relates to passage in
Bishop Merrill's request for retirement.
The committee recommends that SUI
perannuated general superintendent
be relieved of the obligation to travel
at large and be permitted to choose
/ their own place of residence: that they
| shall not be assigned to a national
conference, but may take the chair at
an annual or general conference up
on request OF the president; that they
be placed In an advisory relationship
to the body OF bishops ana become
members OF the different boards OF
which bishops are ex-officio mem
bers.
| A committee was named to carry the
l
conference Of locomotive engineers now
in session in this city.
| Remove BAN on Cards.
/ A question of Importance which has
come prominently to the fore in the
Methodist general conference proceed
ings during the past twelve hours Is
| that involving a change in discipline to
/ the extent of entirely removing the
church ban on the pleasures of dane
| ing, card playing and theater going
1t seems not unlikely that the confer
| ence will vote to remove the present
rigid restrictions regarding the indul-
gence of these recreations. The sub.
committee Of the committee on state
! of the church, Of which Judge II. >.
Sibley is chairman, has reported back
| to the main body its recommendation
upon this matter, In which 1t urges
radical change in the church rule on
| the subject making 1t simply an adyis-
Dry restriction. instead of mandatory
prohibition, as at present. Under tie
| prevailing rule. the member of the
/ church who attends dance or theater
is guilty Of direct infraction of the
rules of the church and may be pun :
ished by expulsion, but il the recon-
| mendation now proposed is adopted
| this penalty will he rendered entirely
optional with the, authorities. The
committee on stats, of the church has
not decided definitely just what form
the recommendation of the committee
to the general body will take, but it
seems assured that it will propose
some radical charges in the discipline
along the line outlined.
| This committee is also considering
other important questions, among
which is one investigating the ratio
| of representation In the general con-
ference. The plan which has been pro-
posed which has met with favor It
adopted. will reduce the membership
| of the general conference from 74S -
500
/ The absorbing topic OF conversation
among the delegates yesterday was the
| announcement lrade the previous
night of the candidacy of Rev. Dr..
/ Robert Mcintyre. pastor of the FRS.
| Methodist church of Los Angeles, for
| bishopric honors.
! The announcement came as a conf
plete surprise to the delegates and par
| ticularly to the Pacific coast contin
gent, which have under considerati ton
] the name of but che candidate. DIR. G.
F.. Bovard, president of the University
| of Southern California. The Pacific
| Coast delegates will caucus this
evening to select q candidate on whom
| they can concentrate their united sup
port 1t is generally conceded that
the Pacific coast will be allowed .
| name one OF the bishops.
|
| A Sure Thing.
| 1t Is said that nothing is sure except
death and taxes, but that is not alto
gether true. DIR. Kings New Discov-