The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-05-14
OPPOSED TO
DIVORCE LAW
METHODIST BISHOPS IN GEN.
ERAL CONFERENCE AT BAL
TIMORE CONDEMN PRES
ENT LAWS WHICH PER-
NIT & ENCOURAGE
POLYGAMY.

That the divorce laws of the Unit
ed States not only permit but actually
encourage polygamy was asserted be-
fore the Methodist general conference
at Baltimore, Md. Not only is that
SO, but the address of the bishops,
which was the chief feature of the
session Thursday, declares that fam
lily life is greatly imperiled as re-
suit. In the address Methodists gen.
orally are advised to do all in their
power to secure the enactment of uni
form divorce laws with but one
ground-adultery-as the cause.
The address also condemns Nor
monism, declaring that the church
still permits if it does not encourage,
polygamous practices and declares
that the political strength of the
Mormon church prevents the enforce
ment of the laws in the states where
the church flourishes.
The address reports great gains in
every line for the cnurch, both in
point of new communicates, finances,
preachers, etc. The total membership
of the church in the United States
now is 1896, 900 and the foreign COM
municants number $4,000.
The total valuation of churches and
parsonages in the United States is
s1s6, ,s24,024
The address goes on record as op-
posing the investigation of charges
of heresy by the bishops, recommend
ing that such cases should be passed
on by the regular conferences. An
urgent appeal tc the church at large
is also made to have the compensa-
ton of preachers increased.
The practice of certain churches
appealing to have individual ministers
appointed to charges is condemned
"Growing interference of ministers
ard laymen with the judgment of the
bishops as to what is best for tie
work. since ministers demand that
they be kept within the range of the
more lucrative churches because they
have had one or two of that sort and
they feel Inundated and degraded if
they are sent even to small reduc-
ton, is responsible for increasing dif-
fculties. The entire matter has
reached such a PASS that the bishops
are accused of tyranny and self-will
if they do what the law of the church
demands of them. We keenly feel
the embarrassment thus created by
both ministers and churches by pro-
ceedings without the law" is the way
the bishops put it.
The amusement provision is DIS
cussed at length. The bishops finally
recommend that the subject matter
of the book of discipline be amended
to read as follows:
Taking such amusements as are
obviously of misleading or question
able moral tendency, or disobedience
to the order and discipline OF the
church and to taking such diversions
as cannot be used in the name of the
Lord Jesus"
Explaining this the bishops say:
"Grave injustice will be done If
this recommendation is interpreted
as an abandonment OF our early OPP
position to worldly amusements. In
deed. this is a return to the principles
and to the exact words furnished by
John Wesley"
Child labor and the liquor traffic
are denounced and the right of work
ingmen to organize trades unions IS
admitted in emphatic terms.
"The church and trades unions
should seek each others help for the
uplifting of mankind
"The church cannot refuse its help
to anyone who processes to accept its
principles and to seek better life
whether he be capitalist or laborer.
By so much as a capitalist is seihsh,
miserly, exacting, oppressive, has the
church business with him. She can
not throw him of and away until the
last day of his dessicated and shrunk-
en- life brings him before God. She
must hold before him the image OF
the unsel6sh Christ in the hope that
in his light he will see how far he
is from the kingdom"