Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-06-24
De SCR|PI|VE TALK
IF L Convis Recently Returned
From Baltimore Addressed
Congregation at M E Church
LAST SUNDAY EVEM|MG
The General Conference of the Meth
odist Church Had Over Eight
Hundred Delegates.

Last Sunday evening at the Metho-
dist church in this city, F. l.. Convis,
who was a delegate. from the Lansing
district of the Michigan Conference to
the General Conference recently hel d
at Baltimore. gave a description of
this, one of the largest ecclesiastical
bouies In the world. Mr. Convis said
in-part:
As Won all very well Know on Nav
4th we left the beautiful little city of
Alma for Baltimore. We were met at
the depot in Detroit by DR.. and Mrs.
Potts and went with them TO their
very pleasant home for dinner and
spent very pleasant afternoon. At
1895 the Michigan Central train left
that CITY and we found ourselves very
pleasantly situated among our brothers
and speeding our wav for Baltimore,
where for one one solid month we were
engaged In the most responsible work
ever given to man. We arrived in Bal
timore at 5:l5 Tuesday night on time.
We started Immediately to find the
place that had been assigned to us but
which did not prove TO our liking and
Immediately we set ourselves TO work
TO find another place and the next
morning when we met the rest of our
delegation they soon Eelped us to more
satisfactory quarters and right among
many of the brethren of our. delegation
and then we were perfectly happy.
AT ten o'clock Wednesday morning,
we for the first time in our lives were
permitted to see the General Confer
ence of the Methodist Episcopal church
in session. 1t was interesting to watch
old friends meet. some who had not
seen each other for years All races
and nations and tongues were repre-
sented in the throng which crowded
Lyric Hall that morning. They had
come from all ends of the earth, from
China. Japan, India, Germany, Italy,
Switzerland. Africa Canada and North
and South America. there as delegates
or as fraternal delegates to bring to
our church fraternal greetings and
many of them / wish you all might
have been able to have heard. The
spirit of the greetings they brought
were the finest ever given to any peo-
pie / will give some sketches later
on
When Bishop Warren called the con-
ference to order and roll was called. III
delegates answered to their names. fill
ing nearly all the seats inside the bar
of the great hall. Delegates were all
seated by themselves within the bar
The Michigas delegates were very
fortunate in drawing seats s-they
the fifth and sixth rows
back from the chair on the main
aisle. The ministers occupied the
fifth row and laymen the sixth row.
Many were not so fortunate as we.
Some could hardly hear at all. especi-
ally when there was some moving
around In the hall.
One of the first things the confer
ence did was to 20 en- record against
the saloons. DR.. Leonard, secretary of
the Missionary Society moved that
there be telegram sent to Joseph
Cannon, Speaker of the House of
at Washington, ask
ing for a continued exclusion of in
toxicants being sold in and near the
Soldiers Home and as that
question was reing considered in the
House that very day it was necessary
hat action be taken at once, notify
ng them that not only all of the gen.
'ral conference desired il but that it
represented about three millions and
! half of people.
We were blessed with many noble
men in the delegation: two were gov
rnors. Gov. Hanley. of Indiana, Gov.
lock, of Kansas, Senator Dolliver,
4 Iowa, Congressman j. G.. Andrews
f New York, and Henry w. Rogers,
Jean of Yale Law School. and many
right lawyers and judges from all
YER the United States. But there
'ere not only men of great minds that
'ere present. Presiding Elders and
minister's and many laymen of great
linds were present. This was the
rst twentyffth quadrennial session,
,aking just 100 years since the first
ne was held. and by the way our
rst Sunday waf spent in the old
tab Church.
Two of the delegates were present
1872, Dr J M Buckley. editor of
ew York Advocate apd Mr. Summer
I'D Baldwin. lsyman Il was found
lat there were many new men in the
inference and for that reason it was
little more difficult to organize and
u in running order Only 175 men
at was ever present at a general
inference before we're there