The Wagner post. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1912-current, 1912-05-10

n
don its anti amusement rules was
made in q resolutions offered at
the. general conference today by
Benjamin r. EdsaIi, of Newark,
): The resolution wa referred
to a committee. 1t declared:
THAT compulsory good behavior
is not the essence Of religion" and
that the present rule is Ineffective"
Minneapolis, Mimi, May 6.-Two
proposals to throw restrictions about
ministers in the choice of their church.
es promised to arouse lively debate at
the Methodist Episcopal general confer
ence which began he fourth day Of its
Quadrenrial session here today. The
statement Of the bishops that ministers
should discourage a growing tendency
to go where the salaries were highest,
rather than to where their services
were most needed" was scheduled to
bring out discussion as to the differ
ence between the cost Of living and the
salaries paid in many parts of the
country. The bishops in their message
to the conference described bargain
ing for salaries a form Of commercial
ism Inconsistent with M~ethodism."
Another recommendation to limit to
five years as the longest time any min
lister shall remain in a given pulpit
uAoo 10 rSApcClCu u uSVelOp OppOSlIlOn.
Opinion appeared to be equally d.
vided today as to whether the proposal
would PASS the conference when 1t
comes to a vote. =.
cranston Well Received.
A demonstration which greeted
Bishop Earl Cranston's reading of the
recommendation was taken as indi-
eating a lively debate on the question
when 1t ZONES up for vote of the $50
delegates. A motion declaring that the
rule always had been a source Of
constant irritation and unrest in the
church" and asking that it be referred
to a committee was promptly voted
the full conference was 'going to
settle that question and no one else."
No sooner was the motion made than
James. /. Bartholomew, Of New Bed
ford, Mass, took the floor.
II knew of a high school boy who
in studying English went to see
Macbeth 1t was the duty of the pas
tor without option to expel that boy
from the church on the ground that
he had violated this supposed law. A
jury acting under the rule would have
to expel, bat a jury acting under
Wesley's rule would certainly not
expel."
Against the Rule.
. Arguments against continuing the
Embarrassment rule as presented
were:
That the majority of churchgoers
never have refrained from dancing and
theaters because of the church n the
violation of this rule has tended to-
bring all church discipline into con-
tempt.
That many people regard Shake
speare on the stage as good as hak
.speare in a book.
THAT many people refuse to con-
denim all plays because some of them
are bad just as much as they would
refuse to condemn all novels because
IS some novel were not proper.
THAT gambling is fundamentally
had ignored appeals that 10 govern
ment official attend the congress. Sec
Against abolishing the rule, the
arguments We're:
TT would give the impression that
the church was tending toward laxity
and that the church was indorsIng the
things that it formerly opposed. 1t
would revive the restrictions which
held people from these forms of amuse-
ment.'
Wilson Condemned.
In adopting a resolution offered by
James w. Anderson, of Keokuk, Ia,
~denouncing Secretary Of Agriculture
James Wilson for accepting the honor
ary craftsmanship Of a brewers con-
gress in Chicago last October, the con-
ference declared that President Taft,
Secretary Wilson and Secretary Knox
have forfeited all claims on the future
franchise of the Christian and sober
wrong and does not need a rule to
manhood of the nation, because they
prohibit it."
rotary Wilson'S explanation that he at
tended the: ongres because he was
interested in the growth of hops and
barley was described as IAN insult and
frivolous"
The conference today appointed a
commission of 80 delegates to consider
the demand of some of the negro dele
bishop to supervise the affairs of $685.
600 members of their church in south
Bishops Report.
The bishops report was delivered by
kgishop Earl Cranston. of Washington.
%. C.. and it formed the second section
Of the episcopal address, the first half
of which had been given the day De-
We would joyfully acclaim the day
when every Christian would abstain from
the amusements which have been pro-
hib;ted but we can't repress our convic-
zion that Wesley dealt more wisely with
The danger. The bishops therefore recon-
mend a return to the consistent treatment
Of This subject by Wesley and the more
earnestly because We are dealing with
the American people and the intelligence
of the twentieth century
and theater going. They are questionable
amusements. To us, as to several of our
sister churches. they who justify these
amusements as consistent with the spirit
ual life seem to manifest a deplorable
lack of spiritual perception.
Again. we stand unitedly against gam
bling and we recognize clearly that it is
the same in Wal street that it is In the
Lowest resort. but we never ventured legis-
iatiyely to fix the point where the race
track gambler, passing from the turf to.
the stock market, becomes a respectable
business man eligible to church member
shin and the craftsmanship Of the board
of trustees.
In our absolute helplessness before this
question we must not continue to allow
the world to suspect that the larger the
stake and the more reckless OF public
wealth the gain the less vicious the crime.
provided the winner pays tithes to re-
ligion or benevolence.
The bishops report stated that 1856 of
the 2,O57 district superintendent had pro-
nounced ineffective the amusement para
graph in the church discipline. The bish-
0nS further recommended.