The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-06-01
Was THROWN OUT
REV. c. ". CREIGHTON'S APPEAL
WAS NOT HEARD.
He Gives His Version of the Action
of the Committee That Refused to
Hear His Side.

/ ne lOllOWlDS statement is UI5Oe
by the Rev. C. ". Creighton in the
Christian Appeal concerning the &C.
! ton OF committee Of the Methods:
General Conference in reference to
his appeal from the action OF the
South Carolina Conference il expeli-
ing him from that body:
There were two cases on appea!
10 that body-that Of the writer and
one other. At the first meeting of
the Committee OF appeal the las,
mentioned case was taken up frs,
by order Of the bishop who acted as
chairman OF the committee. That
appeal was not pressed by the op-
pellant and it might have very prop
erly been postponed until ours was
heard. but 1t was not
OF the nature Of shat case We
are compelled TO speak. that our
readers may gather an idea Of the
method pursued in our case though
We regret TO do go. The appellan,
had been charged with seduction
and being party to subsequent
crime which cost the life of the
girl invo;vsd-a school teacher. On
the first charge he was convicted
and appealed; on the second he was
acquitted by the trial commit
tee. No objection was raised to
hearing his appeal; it was heard and
a new trial ordered.
After waiting nearly week our
appeal was entered upon: The charge
and specifications were read. then
;ae notice and groun OF appeal.
At this point the bishop asked.
Shall the appeal be entertained?
The prosecution objected to hearing
1. on the ground that We had preach
ed pending the appeal: We frankly
said, ''yes, as layman We have
done such work as We could, but We
have performed no act or function
OF a Methodist preacher" The bish-
op objected to any statement from
US. but We had strong papers from
good men and we persisted IN read
ing them. This was surprise, they
had expected to take US by surprise,
but We were ready. The bishop held
that we had lost the right to appeal
and on this point hot argument
followed which lasted for more than
two hours.
The discipline provides that the
General Conference shall never pass
any act taking away the right OF
tria. by committee and appeal. AND
it was therefore held that II any
conditions attached 10 an appea!
those conditions were void, not at
,ached. it was a constitutional right.
absolute and that the only way by
which 1t corld ae defeated was by
death or voluntary abandonment. by
the appellant. The appellant insist
ed that no conditions attached to an
appeal form a judgment OF expul-
sion. that be knew OF none, and
had he known OF any he wou':a have
performed them. In reply the bishop
read the notice and grounds af ap-
peal. called attention to the care
with which they were drawn. said
appellant was a lawyer and should
have known it and held bis posi-
ton.
A member OF the committee CALI
ed his attention 20 the case refecr-
ed to above and reminded him that
no such point was raised in tha
case. Another member pointed out
the fact that the appellant had work
ed only as layman and turning to
the bishop he said: follow yoa'
position to It's logical conclusion and
i: amounts TO this. layman cant
pray In the Methodist church.
question. he continued. the right or
authority OF the Methodist church to
say tha. any man who feels moved
70 liz, his voice in behalf Of the Mas
ter and fallen humanity shall not
do II.
The bishop held that by preach
ing the appellant had lost the right
to appeal and that the appellant
should have known this although 1t
is not condition imposed by the dis
cipliae. The bishop Is trustee OF
vanderbuilt University. the trustees
Of that institution violated the plain
ly written requirements OF the dis
cipline in electins TO the Office OF
trustee men who are not members
OF the Methodist church and thereby
the church is IN danger Of losing
$4,000 worth OF property. That
bishop stood up before the committee
-, o1,cor;oo ouS \ crowded aSSS IN bly