Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1911-11-17
FOR RESIDENT BISHOP
Methodist District Association
Goes On Record
Resolution to General Conference.-The
portant Meeting In 8rattIeboro-stlr-
ring Address by Congressman Plumley.

portant Meeting In BrattIeboro-stlr-
ring Address by Congressman Plumley.
With spiritually uplifting addresses,
discussions and devotional exercises the
Montpelier district association of the
Methodist denomination held a fall meet
ing in the Methodist church here Mon
day evening, Tuesday and Tuesday
evening, similar to the one held last
week in South Royalton. The services
were well attended, especially the clos
ing one Tuesday evening, when the
speaker was Congressman Frank Plum
ley of Mortified, a prominent and en-
thusiastic Methodist layman. An i'm
portant feature of the meeting was that
the association went on record as ia
voring a resident bishop instead OF an
~itinerant one. The regular choir rem
dered pleasing music. ,
H.. p. Sweet of Bellows Falls conducted
Monday nights devotions and Rev. W..
s.. Smithers of Randolph, district super
intendent and a former pastor, preached
the sermon, the keynote of which Is
found in the theme, They had a mind
to work"
Following devotions Tuesday morning
led by A. D.. Simpson of Bondville In
terest in the forenoon centered 10 a
large extent in a debate on the question,
Resolved, that the best interests OF
the kingdom as a whole, and OF vernon
Methodism in particular, would be ub-
served by the turning of. the money and
energy now expended by Montpelier dis
trict Methodists in maintaining the
union camp meeting at Claremont juno
ton, N. H., into sustaining a series OF
tent meetings in the more neglected
portions OF the district, or in some
other form of evangelistic effort where
more needed" The affirmative side was
taEan hy n Il NeWtOn of Williams
vile and H. P. Sweet of Bellows Falls,
the negative side by H. C. Hoyt of Wes-
ton and L. F. Holway of Perkinsville.
Good argument was made on both sides
and in the discussion following 1t was
the consensus of opinion that the camp
meetings ought not to be given up, but
that more effort ought to be expended
in the neglected parts of the district.
Rev. f. A. Wells of Brattleboro gave an
interesting essay on why is the mem
bership of Methodism in general and
Vermont Methodism in particular so
nearly stationary" TIL two main rea-
sons, he said, were the leakage in the
supply, due to removals without letters
and the failure of ministers to follow up
those who go into new parishes, and
the shortage in the harvest, due to
fewer special efforts than there should
be.
The devotional service Tuesday after
noon was in charge of Rev. E. w. Sharp
of Brattleboro and Windsor and was
followed by a discussion of the ques-
ton, What constitutes cornerstone" led
by Rev. w. S. Smithers. Rev. Alfred j.
Hough of Proctorsville, another former
pastor, ave a ~forceful essay on Mar
rage and divorce; evils and remedies"
Too hasty marriages and too little rev.
erence for the marriage vows were
among the things considered as respon-
ei111 fnr GO wanna Jitrarnac Tho
met the hearty approval of the audi
ence.
Rev. Walter r. Davenport of Bellows
Falls gave a talk on Desired changes in
polity which the coming general confer
ence might effect" He favored having
resident bishops in charge of certain
prescribed territories instead of having
itinerant bishops. Upon Rev. Mr.. Dav-
exports motion the association memo
rallied the coming general conference
to enact such legislation as should pro-
vide for continuing residential Episco-
pal supervision in ~quadrennial periods.
An able essay on rs democracy doomed
to failure?' by William II. Butler of
Springfield closed the afternoon pro-
gram.
Congressman Plumley was given the
entire time Tuesday evening except for
brief opening exercises, Rev. Mr.. Day.
export presiding. The Men and Reli-
gion' movement was the theme of the
address, but in particular Mr.. Plumley
showed historically that man is a reli-
gious being. Back to a period 1000 years
before Christ there has been lifted out
of the ruins recorded proof of that fact,
and man religious character accom-
panies tradition back as far as ira
dition goes. The strong faith of the an
cient Egyptians is shown in the pres
ervation of mummies for their resur-
rection in person. 1T is a happy
thought" he said, that in the brain of
every person on earth there is a sus-
ceptibility to religious impression"
Mr.. Plumley painted the vastness of
creation and said that man stands in
humility before the presence of the ma
jestic mind that moves and masters the
universe. "Never in the history of the
world" said he, has there been a time
when man was so permeated with reli-
gious thought as he is today" The con-
ception of universal peace and a par
liamentary union which shall make laws
for all mankind is not a dream of dream
ers, but a practical certainty in the
progress of civilization. IF you would
take heart he said in closing, lift
you eyes from the dirt and place them
on the stars" : On motion Of Superin-
tendent Smithers the audience gave the
speaker a rising vote of thanks, to which
Rev. Mr.. Davenport added a personal
word of appreciation, and the meeting
closed with the singing of America"