Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1908-05-14

fouc years last past. Is $32.67S.-
900, while the total valuation
OF churches and parsOnages Is =
$1,S6.924.OOO and the membership =
in the whole world. 1907. 275.
Baltimore. Md. May 9.-The feature
OF today's sitting OF the ~quadrennial
general conference of the Methodist
Episcopal church was the presentation
bishops.
The reading OF the address by the
venerable Bishop Goodsell was fire.
Quentiy Interrupted by applause. When
he had read the scathing denunciattOn
OF the liquor traffic contained therein.
he called upon the delegates to Rise
here, now. and with the bishops pledge
eternal eYlnity to this foe of man n
God"
The entire ~assemblage sprang to it's
feet. uttering cheer after cheer. One
ca" The great throng caught up the
hymn n 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 vas Il new outlet for enthusiasm,
WHICH, SCcittcQ ~ SIOW.
Vigorous handclapping greeted the
announcement Of the position of the
bishops on the subject of amusements.
w are moved by a profound con-
viction OF duty in again calling o u
attention to the subject of popular
and conduct Of spiritual life." says the
address. I'VE regret that the general
prevalence of harmful amusements does
not diminish. We still firmly hold that
they are antagonistic to vital piety.
promotive Of worldliness and especial
iy pernicious to youth.
recommend not that paragraph
246 be stricken out, but that it be
amended by striking out the con-
fessedly partial list of worldly muse
ments found therein. beginning with
the last word in the. eighth line. and
eleventh line. mentioning card play
ing. dancing and theater goingl which
wore inserted in 1872. leaving as the
ground for. church trial in case such
trial becomes necessary. that portion
OF the paragraph reading: Taking
misleading. Of questionable tendency
or dtsobedience to the order and dis
cipline Of the church, and especially
u rule to taking such diversions as
i. cannot be used in the name Of the
ord Jesus b..
a. ~ VA NC jill j "
this recommendation is interpreted as
an abandonment Of our early opposition
to worldly amusement. Indeed it Is a
return to the principles and to the
x words furnished in the writings
OF John Wesley"
Great Social Changes.
In the course Of q discussion of
civic righteousness the address says:
We Sec clearly that within. the next
DnrSnSo%1AsNt thA~A r~A % 11 ~n4~ <~4S~1
changes. The influence of wealth on
political life and measures is to grow
less. whether 1t be in the hands Of
individual or corporations. The work.
ing men are to have more power. the
idlers less. With q restless and icono-
lead and restrain both religious forces.
The social philosopher a detect injus-
tees and wrongs. but he can never
create h desire to remedy the wrongs
which are h issue Of greed"
w hold 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 n the trade unions>s should
seek each others help for the uplift
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-
to any one who processes its
principles and better life be he either
capitalist or laborer.
by SO much as capitalist ia selfish.
exacting. has the church business with
him. She cannot throw him of and
away until the last day of his desicated
and shrunken life brings him before
God. She must hold before him the
-n,Sr. ~ tt~ ,.n~~Il1L~ SVl-a-ka.-A -
hope that In his light he will see how
p he is from the Kingdom Of God.
PoIysamy q Disgrace.
1.-THE consecutive polygamy permitted
by the divorce laws Of some Of our
states is q disgrace to our country. It
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 M~ormonism, the bishops de-
clare: I'VE believe, from the best evil
dence we can obtain, that the polyg-
ANGUS marriages Of the past are still
found In the states n territories occu-
pied In part by representatives Of the
have such political strength and furnish
such sympathetic iuries 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 a be reached with SUFFICIENT
vtgor to punish them as they deserve.
We trust. therefore. you will consider
whether II IL not wise for o to advo-
cate come constitutional amendment