The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-09-16
Laylnen Close Their Conyen-
ton With an Appeal for
the Old Ministers
A GREAT FUND IS IN SIGHT
Treasurer Moehlenpah Hints at Gifts
Which May Total $4,000 and Which
Will be Given Before the End OF
the Present. Years

The g.eat gathering of the laymen
of the Wisconsin conference closed on
Saturday evening with banquet and
mass meeting held at Park Avenue
Church at which more than four humid
red people were present. In keeping
with the program the entire evening
was given over to the presentation of
the claims of the worn out ministers
for better support from the conference
and the church at large. Eloquent
men both from the ministry and the
laity presented the claims of the old
ministers and the meeting closed with
a ringing declaration on the part of
the laymen to wipe out this . shame
of Methodism' before the meeting of
the next general conference. Secre-
tary and Treasurer the Hon. H. A.
Moehlenpah Of Clinton, who present
ed the appeal of the laymen announced
that great gifts would be given of five
thousand dollars coming from at least
two men among the Wisconsin Metho-
dlsts and that it was expected that
the fund would be increased to the
amount of $250,000 before the end of
the year. His plea was for a fund
Of 100000. Laymen present at the
meeting led by DR.. Stevens Of Jefferson
made pledges to aid the fund to the
amount of several thousand dollars at
the end of the meeting. The gift of
DR.. Stevens of $500 was the largest
gift announced at the meeting.
The question of the care of the old
ministers is now interesting the Metho-
dists of every conference in the coun-
try and the meeting on Saturday even
ing proved to be one of the most popu-
lar Of the conference week. An I'M
usually large number Of Kenosha peo-
pie attended the meeting. President
G. w. Jones of Appleton, presided at
the meeting and the musical numbers
were furnished by the Y. M. G. A.
quartette of Milwaukee. There were
speeches by representatives of the min
istry and the laity. Bishop Mellow
ell declared in short address that the
world could never be saved by the
ministry alone and that the evangeli-
cation of the world would only be made
possible by more earnest and united
work among the great body of men
making up the laity of the church.
He declared that the aid of the laymen
was needed in all the great movements
Of the church and that without it these
movement should not attain their
highest success and produce the great
est good for the church and for the
enlightenment Of the world.
DIR. E. L. Eaton of Evanston, based
his remarks on sympathetic editorial
from one of the Chicago papers which
he declared was a disgrace to Metho-
dism The speaker showed that the
minister in the Methodist church con
socrates his life to the work with the
understanding that the church would
care for him. He declared that the
contract was mutual one and that
the church must meet its part of it by
providing an ample support for the men
worn out in the service.
The last address of the evening was
by the Rev. Frank NJ Hall of Madison
who told of the condition of the super
animated preachers and declared that
the conference needed at least $4,000
annually to provide these men with
the necessities of life. He declared
that the conference at the present
time was in debt to the old ministers
more than 100000 and that while it
could never hope to meet this indebted
ness it could provide against the re-
currence of such. an indebtedness in
the future.
The meeting Chased with the vigorous
appeal Of Mr.. Moehlenpah.
At the business session Of the Lay
mems Association at the Congregation
al Church on Saturday afternoon, G
w. Jones was reelected as president
of the association, H. A. Moehlenpah
as secretary and L. M. Alexander of
Milwaukee as treasurer. Most Of the
laymen left for their homes late Sun
#urday evening, but few remained in
Kenosha for the final sessions of the
conference on Sunday and today.
HoLzEMER IS ARRESTED