The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-19
FTatcrnaI Delegates Address
Crowd Which Taxed Capac-
lily Of the First Church
HUNDREDS TURNED AWAY
UNABLE TO GAIN ENTRAN(
The Theme of DR.. Matthew's Address
Was Also Union of the North
and South Methodist
Churches.

Hundreds of people were turned away
from the First Methodist church last night
when Vice President Fairbanks, lay dele
gate to the general conference of the
Methodist Episcopal church. SOUTH from
the Methodist Episcopal church, and the
Rev. w S. Matthew, clerical delegate
from the same church. delivered their
fraternal addresses.
The church was packed to its utmost
capacity and as early as 7:30 o'clock peo-
pie realized that they could not enter and
began going away. There was constant
stream of disappointed people from that
hour until long after o'clock
Amusing Incidents.
The addresses of both speakers were lis
tened to with great interest. and the ar-
plause long continued and frequent.
Several amusing incidents occurred during
the addresses. one of these caused a
storm of applause. The vice president was
In the midst of stirring sentence in
which the word "Methodism" occurred.
and in the warmth OF earnest speech he
said 'republicanism" Instead. With
Bishop Wilson and offered his apology.
! While speaking DR.. Matthew laughing
: Is told Mr.. Fairbanks that he had already
read his speech week ago in the New
York papers, which caused much amuse-
ment. In a happy manner the vice prcsi-
dent responded TO this sally. The speech
had slipped into New York paper
through an accident
The speakers were introduced by Bishop
A. w Wilson, who presided, Or. Matthew
spoke first in part us follows:
Mr.. Chairman. Dear Fathers, and
Brethren:
Il count myself happy this day, be-
cause in company with my distinguished
colleague | am permitted to bear to you
the sincere and affectonate greetings OF
three millions of your brethren in the
Methodist Episcopal church. We thank
God at every remembrance of you. maxi
Ing mention of you In our prayers. and re-
joicng that the God Of our fathers is
still among you. and that the amounting
of the Holy Ghost abides with you even
as the dews of Hermon And. speaking
FOR myself alone, but confident that I
represent great and increasing eonstit-
uency In my communion, and In yours
as well. ! say definitely and unequivoeal-
ly, that If | could have my way these
two severed communions should be one.
Had | the power under God to bring II
about, they should be reunited this very
day; then standing in this holy place
| would lift my hands in benedicton and
say, "Those whom God hath Joined to-
gether let no man put asunder.' But sir,
/ am confident that ! cannot do IT, No
man can now bring about that cOnsumma-
ton, devoutly as it may be wished. Some
things In themselves pre-eminently good
can only be secured through the lapse
of time-which being interpreted Is the
Providence of God. The reunting of all
these sons of John Wesley into one great
Episcopal Methodism Is to multtudes
more than a dream or Il hope; it is daily
prayer. But it win take time-and the
abundant grace of God | judge we cam
not hasten II; but it will come: in Gods
good time 1t will come.
How Waters Divide.
"In my adopted state there is a glorious
river breaking out of the mountains and
flowing westward into the sunset sea.
For a thousand ages past the waters OF
that stream, fed by the eternal SHOWS in
the Sierra Madres. had been cutting out
that mighty gorge so loved by the dis
ciples of lzaak Walton, and building up
the alluvum of as fair and fertile a
men. But one day in the long ago when
the waters were at their food, that beau-
tfn and erstwhie peaceful channel be-
came clogged with great boulders and
giant trees torn from their rootings on
the mountain side All in vain the
ters roared and churned their sides: they
could not remove the obstruction. One
wonders whether II some wise engineer
had been there with modern appliances
he might have dynamited those obstruc-
tions away and set the angry waters free
to flow on untrammeed to the sea. Who
knows? But he was not there; and GER
tain 1t Is those waters rose In their wrath
and tore out the banks on either side and
cut two channels to the sea. SO now the
farmers and orchardists of. that famous
valley have to reckon with two rivers
the old river and the new river,
so years before most of us were born,
the mighty stream of Methodism got
clogged. and its waters were divided. Two
streams now flow through the land in
stead of one. but both, dare believe fed
from the living waters of the mount OF
God Going back over the history to
where that break occurred. ] have often
wished that some celestial dynamite had
then and there been possible to break
away the distractions of that day, and
that our glorious stream had never been
divided. But so II was not Two streams
there are, flowing side by side, now near.
now far, their waters sometimes COM
mingled as have seen the waters of that
same dual stream In the Golden West;
sometimes fretting their banks, and some
times, I am sorry to say roofing up fair
orange trees in the garden of the Lord:
but on the whole blessing the land with
their waters and fertilizing erstwhile
sterile soil for many a golden league.
Well. some day. please God those two
streams shall be one. II you ask me how
or when, l say frankly cannot tell. But