Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-19
METHODIST EXPANSION
HOW THE DENOMINATION has
GROWN IN YEARS.
Several Hundred Delegates at the
General Conference Now in Ses-
sion at LossAngeles.
Special Correspondence Of Ths.Esening Star.


LOS ANGELES, May 49, 1904.
A journey from Washington city across
the continent to Los Angeles almost stag
gers one with a sense of the vastness and
greatness of our nation. The III hours of
steam travel required to make 1t leaves an
impression never to be effaced as to our
material and mental development. But Geo.
Meredith says that lone human spirit in
fnitely outweighs in value millions of mere
material worlds" The study, hence, of the
agencies that are influencing the moral life
of the people is both as interesting and i'm
portant to one interested in our country
as that of our material domain and develop
ment. 1t is not surprising, then, to see
the statement made by one of our great
dailies that during the first few days after
the assembling of the Methodist general
conference in this city on the fourth of
May about 10000 persons had gone to the
time and expense of a visit to the same.
The influx continues. Great audiences that
fill every chair in the reserved space of the
large pavilion where the conference sets
hang on the utterances of the body. They
come from the states around and all the
way from the Atlantic, as well The pro-
ceedings of the body are telegraphed daily
to all parts of the republic. 1t is thus
strongly evidenced that this church is rec
ogniZed by the nation as one of the chief
agencies of the time and land in holding
y,
and in inspiring men with those emotions
that are dearest to mankind, those that
pertain to the essentially religious life.
There are other great churches doing a
similar work. They are worthy of all praise.
But here you have, l say, one of the most
extensive and wonderful of them all.
The great body received a striking well
come from both the authorities of the state
and city and from the people. The trains
bearing the large delegations from the east
were met miles from the city with flowers
and fruit and glowing words. A great meet
ing of welcome was arranged at which gov
ernor, mayor and prominent men gave their
heartiest greeting. Welcome to the Metho-
dists' are the words seen today in the win
dOwS of the stores, on streamers over the
entrances Of the city hall and other build
ings; they actually decorate in springing
flowers and plants the beds in the public
parks. The chamber of commerce day by
day feeds the delegates and visitors in the
foyer of the pavilion with golden fruit and
with cold beverage from lemons grown near
by
The Conferences a Study.
The conference itself is study of great
! interest. Not so elegant in construction as
that in which 1T last met, the splendid Au-
ditorium of Chicago, yet essentially the
features of Hazards Pavilion are the same
"a vast floor space for the delegates, an
| immense stage or platform for the bishops
and officers, with the specially honored and
official visitors: extensive galleries for the
public. The decorations are unique. About
a hundred banners and mediums flags
represent the countries and tribes where
Methodism is operating. All our states,
all our foreign possessions. all the mis-
sion fields of the church are designated.
Over the platform is suspended a full
length and almost life-sized painting of
John Wesley. The scheme, and detail of
decoration Is suggestive of the mission of
the church and its already partial attain
ment The world is my parish was Wes-
ley's motto 1t is still the ideal of this
church. When our revolutionary forefa-
theirs were battling with their feeble but
of freedom and the pursuit of happiness
the spiritual ancestors of this Methodist
people were but handful, led by Barbara
Heck and Philip Embury ind Robert
Strawbridge. Today the nation has devel-
oped to eighty millions; the descendants of
the little Methodist band in our land alone
are over FIVE millions, with twenty million
adherents. They are girding themselves
anew for the conquest of the world. Dur
ing the last quadrennium their Increase
the Methodist Episcopal Church alone
has been about 10000, as Bishop Foss
stated before the conference a few days
ago.
1t takes this great body long time to
get down to actual work At this writing
MAY 13) the rules of procedure are not
fully adopted. Yet much has really been
done. Vast numbers of petitions and me-
MORALS indicating the wishes of the con-
stituency have been received These have
been referred to large committees, and by
them to subcommittee. A vast deal of the
consideration of matters and their prepa-