The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-05-04
Because He Allowed Wilson to
Attend Brewers Convention
TO RAISE AMUSEMENT BAN
Bishops Believe Members Should Decide
for Themselves, and the Bish-
ops Recommend
Change.

+i'ihS"BpiA7 -NAiii'' -'AANt - ASSN%N
ton which in effect places Methodism on
record as opposed to President Taft
shared the interest with the wind-up of
the episcopal address and it's declaration
for more liberal amusement policy, in
the Methodist general conference yester
day.
The Taft matter came up in a resolu-
ton introduced by the Rev. j. w. An
derson OF Cahoka, Mo. The resolution
recited that Secretary Wilson had been
made honorary chairman of the brewers
congress in Chicago last October, and
"Whereas, The president Of the United
States the secretary of agriculture and
the secretary of state, his authorized
representatives, were petitioned by the
millions Of Christian people of the ma
ton, individually and through their re-
spective representatives to desist from
all national Endorsement Of said brewers
congress and that the secretary Of agri-
culture decline said position of honorary
chairman because of the Endorsement
such position would give 10 the business
represented and the evident purpose in
view by said meeting; viz, to increase
| and extend the sales of beer and thus
encourage the increase Of drunkenness.
"TheTefore. Be it resolved by the gen
! eral conference of the Methodist Epis-
copal church, in conference assembled,
that, while we pledge ourselves to remain
/ Ioval citizens TO the United States and
| to support those in authority in every
! laudabe lawful and legal way, we do
1 hereby announce rs our conviction that
1 in so aiding the beverage liquor traffic by
! their persistent endorsement OF the said
brewers congress in the face of our most
earnest protest, those in authority have
| forfeited all claim to future franchise OF
the Christian and sober manhood Of the
nation
"Whereas. The said United States au-
thorities utterly disregarded the ex.
pressed wish and prayer of the Christian
manhood and womanhood of the nation.
with the exception OF the secretary of
agriculture sent out in reply most friv-
olous, falacious and stereotyped excuse,
and,
Whereas, The reply is an insult to the
| intelligence of Christian people, inasmuch
as the writer must have known that the
sole and only purpose said congress had
| in view was to secure the seal and APP
prevail of the United States authorities
/ To their part in the beverage liquor traf-
| hc which is the greatest curse and blight
TO the nation
| The reading of the resolution caused
storm of protest and efforts were made
| to postpone action. II was pointed out
| that the resolution was direct slap at
the president, but the anti-brewery ele-
ment carried all before il, and the resolu-
/ tion was adopted with cheers on rising
vote.
The gist of the report of the bishops
on amusements was:
"The American people are too far adj
yaneed longer to be restricted by church
rules as to what their amusements shall
be. The rule prohibiting dancing, card
playing, gambling and going to theatres,
circuses and horse races therefore should
be abolished"
The bishops report was delivered by
Bishop Earl Cranston OF Washington,
d. G.
1--WE would joyfuly acclaim the day
when every Christian would abstain from
the amusements which have been prohib-
tied. but we cannot repress our convic-
ton that Wesley dealt more wisely with
the danger.
The bishops therefore recommend a
return to the consistent treatment of
this subject by Wesley, and the more
earnestly because we are dealing with
tho American people and the intelligence
| Of the twentieth century.
Gas a church we cannot approve dane
| ing and theatre-going. They are ques-
tonable amusements To us, as to sew
eral of our sister churches, they who
| Justify these amusements ms consistent
with the spiritual life seem to manifest
a deplorable lack of spiritual perception.
again we stand unitedfy against
gambling and we recognize clearly that
/ il is the same sin in Wall street that
| it is in the lowest resort, but we have
never ventured legislatively to fix the
point where the racktrack gambler, pass
/ ing from the turf to the stock market,
becomes respectable business man eli
| pible to church membership and the
chairman of the board of trustees.
'Tn our absolute helplessness before
this question. we must continue to allow
tic world to suspect that the larger the
stake and the more reckless of public
veal the gain, the less vicious the crime,
provided the winner pays tithes to reli-
eion or benevolence."