The Washington herald., 1911-09-16
Ofthnhtat

| Church people throughout the Middle
West are still hammering at Secretary
of Agriculture Wilson. for accepting the
honorary presidency of the brewers con-
gress. Following the Presbyterian pro-
| test, Methodists have taken up the cud-
gel The Chicago Tribune reports:
A nation vide campaign against
President Taft and Secretaries Knox
and Wilson by the 5000 ministers of
the Methodist Episcopal denomination
and the Christian Endeavor Union,
representing various denominations and
600 Individual societies, the pur-
pose Of which is to secure a reversal OF
the action OF Secretary of Agriculture
Wilson in accepting the honorary presi-
dency Of the brewers congress, which is
TO meet next month in Chicago, or fail
ing in this. to at least register a rebuke
TO President Taft II ii be found that Mr.
Wilson acted with his knowledge and
consent
Resolutions voicing this protest are said
to have been simultaneously introduced
IN. the Methodist ministers meetings in
every city Of any considerable size
throughout the country and arrange
ments were made whereby this concerted
action will be sent to President Taft,
Secretary Of State Knox, and Secretary
Ot Agriculture Wilson.
The various annual conferences now
in session also will pass the resolutions
and the agitation will be carried on by
the entire Methodist Church press
The Methodists OF all nations are now
looking forward to such a world con-
vention of their own religious fellowship
as the Baptist enjoyed in Philadelphia
in June. The "ecumenical conference" of
2 he ATaFh@IEeS- =
every decade. The first Of them as
sembled in the summer OF 1881, in the
chapel where Wesley preached in London
1t is a rather startling coincidence that
as this first conference while in ses-
sion received the news of the assassina-
ton of President Garfield, so the third
conference meeting, twenty years later
in the Identical place, was overwhelmed
with the equally startling news of the
assassination Of President Mckinley. 1t
is certainly to be hoped that no such evil
event will coincide with the date of the
fifth assemblage of the great series,
which is called to convene in Toronto, on
October 4. and will continue until Octo-
Der II.
A former Chicago minister, the Rev.
A. c. George, pastor at the time of the
Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church.
was the originator Of the plan of hold
ing the first ecumenical conference. The
first conference was held in London in
1881, and subsequent conferences have
been held every ten years The second
ecumenical conference was held in Wash
ington, D. c., in 1891. The third was
held in London in 1901.
Church union and international peace
are among the subjects to be discussed
and practical results are expected to
follow. AS evidence that such results
will follow. the leaders of the church
point out the fact that the union OF the
various branches Of Methodism in Canada
into the Methodist Church Of Canada
and a similar union in Australia followed
former conferences. In ENGLAND, also,
three Of the Methodist bodies united, and
In japan a like union has resulted in the
establishment of the Methodist Church
of Japan. which is the first instance of
the establishment Of an independent ma
tive church among the Oriental nations
by the Methodist denomination.
Religious reciprocity between the Meth
odist Episcopal Church, the Methodist
Episcopal Church South, in the United
States, and the Methodist Church of Can
ada is one of the results hoped for, so
that exchanges of ministers can take
place between the various conferences
without the necessity of withdrawal from
one body before entering the other, as Is
now the case.
Women delegates will be admitted for
the first time at this conference. The
is not large. but Is includes Mrs.
Lucy Rider Meyer, principal of the Chi
cago Training School for city, home, and
foreign missions, and founder Of the dea-
coness work in America; Mrs. Katharine
Lent Stevenson, national president Of the
Christian Temperance Union,
and Miss Clementina Butler, Newton
Center, Mass One session will be given
to the women for the discussion of wo-
mems work. Mrs. w. /. Haven, Summit,
N. J., viii preside.
The opening sermon will be preached
on Wednesday morning. October 4. by
the Rev. Henry -Haigh, president Of the
English Wesleyan Conference. The two
Sunday morning sermons will be preach
I'd by the Rev. James R. Day, chancel-
cr Of Syracuse University, New York,
and Bishop w. A. Gambler, Atlanta,
Ca, of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
South.
The general titles Of the subjects for
discussion during the conference are
'The church and modern thought" The
church and modern life" THE church
Ind the nation" THE church and the
'grhe church and social serv-
ce." THE church and men," ''The
:hurch In the household" and Union
- .s,