Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-05-15


Baltimore, Md, May 9.-The feature
OF today's sitting of the quadrennial
general conference of the Methodist
Episcopal church was the presentation
of the Episcopal address prepared by
bishops.
The reading of the address by the
venerable Bishop Goodsel! was fire.
quently interrupted by applause. When
he had read the scathing denunciation
of the liquor traffic contained therein,
ne called upon the delegates to Rise
here. now. and with the bishops pledge
eternal enmity TO this foe or man ana
God
The entire assemblage sprang to its
feet. uttering cheer after cheer. One
of the delegates started to sing "Ameri-
ca" The great throng caught up the
hymn and the hall resounded with its
strains. AS at last the refrain ceased,
someone began the hymn, Glory, Glory,
Halleljah, Our God is Marching On"
This was a new outlet for enthusiasm,
Which seemed to grow.
Vigorous handclapping greeted the
announcement Of the position of the
bishops on the subject of amusements.
we 61C pNC W 1" Noi
Viction Of duty in again calling your
attention to the subject of popular
statements in relation to the spirit
and onduc Of spiritual life" says the
address. w regret that the general
prevalence of harmful amusements does
not diminish. We still firmly hold that
they are ~antagonistic to vital piety,
pronlotive Of w~orldliness and especial
~ pernicious to- youth.
We recommend not that paragraph
246 be stricken out, but that II be
amended by striking out the con-
fessedly partial list of worldly amuse-
ments found therein, beginning with
the last word in the eighth line, and
ending with the word other in the
eleventh line, mentioning care play
ing, dancing and theater goingl which
We're inserted in 1872, leaving as the
grOund for church trial in case such
trial becomes necessary, that portion
OF the paragraph reading: Taking
such amusements as are obviously of
misleading, OF questionable tendency
or disobedience TO the order and dis
cipline Of the church, II especially
u rule TO taking such diversions as
cannot be used in the name of the
Lord Jesus
Grave injustice will be done if
this recommendation is interpreted as
an abandonment OF our early opposition
49, " 49, ~ - 80 ="
return To the principles n to the
exact words furnished in the writings
of John Wesley"
Great Social Changes.
In the course of a discussion of
civic righteousness the address says:
we see clearly that within the next
generation there are to be great social
changes. The influence of wealth on
political life and measures is to grow
less. whether it be in the hands of
individual or corporations. The work
Ing men are to hav more power, the
idlers less. With a restless and como
elastic future before us, we must both
lead and restrain both religious forces.
The social philosopher can detect %injus-
tees and wrongs, but he can never
create the desire to remedy the wrongs
which are the issue of greed"
we old the right of those working
men who desire to do so to form labor
unions FOR the advancement of their
interest, as We hold the right of the
individual workers. who prefer to do so,
to seek the control OF their own labor.
The church and the trade unions should
seek each others help for the uplift
of mankind. This world is a workshop
to which all who are willing Ito work
out their salvation without fear and
trembling must be admitted" The
church cannot refuse its help and coun-
tendnCe 10 any one who processes it's
principles and better life be he either
capitalist or laborer.
by so much as capitalist is selfish,
,exscting, has the church business with
him. She cannot throw him off and
away until the last day of his desicated
and hrunken life brings him before
God She must hold before him the
image of the unselfish Christian, the
hope that in his light he will see how
far he is from the kingdom of God.
Polygamy a Disgrace.
THE consecutive polygamy permitted
by the divorce laws Of some of our
states is a disgrace to our country. II
continues to undermine family life and
to break up into helpless and warning
factions That which God means shall be
a unit. We greatly rejoice that the
conscience of the nation is being quick
ened and that the demand for uniform
divorce laws increases"
As to Mormonism, the bishops de-
clare: w believe, from the best evil
dence we can obtain. that the polyg-
amous marriages of the past are still
found in the states and territories occu-
pied in part by representatives of the
Mormon body. In several states they
rave such political strength and furnish
such sympathetic juries that the law
against such polygamous practices can
not be executed. We believe that, as in
divorce, these must be brought within
the scope of national legislation before
the evils can be reached with sufficient
yigor 10 punish them as they deserve.
We trust, therefore, you VIII consider
whether il is not wise for you to adyo-