The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1906-02-03
DR.. D. A. Graham.

Ter OF bad men. and in the condoning
or the crimes OF these men. For in
stance: bishops know certain men to
be drunkards. yet they will pass them
around from one conference to another
often giving them the very best charg-
es and try to find excuse for such &C.
ton by saying that no charges had
been filed against the brother.
They often transgress the law in the
handling OF finances of the annual con-
terence. With many Of them, the law
is never considered. Hence the widow
and the orphan are neglected, and the
superannuate is oppressed. This is seen
over and over. and who dares to say
word about the law?
The liberty thus taken with the law
by the bishops individually. is continu-
ed by them collectively when they
meet in council. Note the gross in
fraction OF the law in the so-called set
Element of the Pittsburg trouble and
almost as bad in the New York case.
l. simply mean to say that the law was
wholly disregarded, and the. work Of
the general conference annulled in
each case
In previous communications, | have
called attention to the utter disregard
OF all law by the financial board, and
need not repeat it here. | will say,
however, that | have tried to detract
attention from the lawless actions Of
the board by defending DR.. Hampton.
That will not work. Criticism is not
board, but on the board itself. For
several quadreniums, it has been a
law unto itself 1t has paid out
thousands of dollars. without the au-
thority of the Discipline, and then
come to the General Conference to
have it's actions endorsed. It is now
expanding thousands of dollars annu-
ally, positively contrary to the publish
ed laws OF the church. Who dare to
deny it,
To sum up this point everybody
does as he pleases in our church 50 long
as he pays, or raises his dollar money.
The End great cause of our condition,
is the influence and power OF secret
societies in the church.
1t is not easy to seperate this from
what l have already said. Nearly all
the officers of the local church belong
to societies. When we desire to bring
the member to justice we often find
that the offender is bound to the officers
by secret ties which they consider Of
more Importance than the church rules,
and 1T is impossible to secure any
earnest effort at prosecution This
is as true in the ministry as in the
laity. Preachers and bishop are gen
orally Masons Odd Fellows or some
thing Of the kind. and it is impossible
to convict or punish one who belongs
to such an order when the bishop be-
longs to- the same. | have seen this
tried. and when the evidence seemed
overwhelming. the bishop found a way
to save him. That oath. binding BIZ
shops. gamblers. ministers, saloon
toughs and Christians into one grand
fraternity, was regarded as stronger
than their obligation to God and the
church. and the adGlterer and seducer
were continued in good standing and
transferred to another good appoint
ment. AS shocking as this is. it recurs
over and over, and everybody knows
it. This will be denied Of course. by
the devotees af secretism. but can be
substantiated by giving names and
dates in abundance All bishops are
not guilty of such ungodly actions.
Thank God there are several who are
weeping day and night over these
things and who would almost give their
lives to change the awful drift of