Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-05-13

and teachers In 1872 IN Methods
Episcopal Sunday Schools is 4,003, Al
ut is the age of the child" says tn
report. 1T is the era Of the Sunda.
School. The Sunday School of tomor
row will be new institution. Tn,
church that appreciates and utilize
the age spirit holds the future"
Methodist Conference Notes.
(By Staff Correspondent
The Amusement Question.
| MINNEAPOLIS, May 13.-One O.
the instances of the traditional con
servative attitude of the Methods
Episcopal on any question of her &c
onomy is found in the amusement
question. From the Gays of Joh1
Wesley till 1872, the only rule on the
question Of amusements was the one
adopted for the Methodist SOCIETIES by
the founder, John Wesley himself
This rule forbade the taking of such
diversions as could not be taken in
the name Of the Lord Jesus. The de-
cision as to what diversions these
were, was left to the opinion of pas
tors and people. In 1872 however, the
church legislature decided to enumer
ate what in their opinion, were such
diversions, and paragraph $50 (Disci
pline of 1909 was adopted. After a
few years an effort was made to re.
move this paragraph from the disci-
pine. and fall back agin to the old
rule used by Wesley. This rule of
Wesley being one Of the general rules
OF the church, cannot be altered with.
out constitutional action. The effort
to remove paragraph 260 has failed
for the past twenty-five years. At
the present session the same ques-
ton is up again, and is being thresh-
ed over on the same grounds as in
former days. Judging by the past, it
will again fail; but owing to the
strong movement from the more lib.
eral east-it may be successful This,
If done, would remove the matter
from the compulsory position that
threatens one guilty of violation, to
that Of advices, which declares that
the amusements prohibited in this
paragraph are strongly apprehended
by the church, but that the churca
does not feel called upon to actually
expel members who practice these
reprehensible amusements, as the
law OF the church requires today. The
more spiritual lement fearing the mis-
representation that would probably
rsult, are opposing the removal of the
paragraph, but the more liberal ele-
ment would remove at all hazards.
Foreign Work Advanced.
The "far flung battle lines of mis-
sions in receiving attention from all
OF the superintndents who have had
supervision in foreign lands. A
mighty review of these interests show
great advance in Europe, IN Asia,
In Africa, in South America, and in
the Philippine Islands. Missionary
exhibits from all these lands are dis
played in all the spacious Hobbies of
the auditorium, and native delegates
from many of these fields are present
In their native costumes, and are re-
presenting "the ends of the earth" in
this great legislative body for Metho-
dism
Less Official Papers.
There Is a strong feeling in the
Methodist General Conference that
the member OF official papers, known
as the "Christian Advocates" and
That are now scattered from New
York to Puget Sound, shou.u be les.
sened. This is desired solely on the
ground of expense. The custom now
followed is for the Book Concern to
make up the deficiency for any OF
these official papers when they are
not able to support themselves. This
extra support comes Immediately
from the fund used for the sustenance
OF the worn out preachers, who are
the regular beneficiaries of the prof
It's of the Book Concern, after the
necessary expenses are paid. Forl
the past four years the sum needed
for the support of these official M
pers, to make up the deficiency was
the appalling sum of $4,000. This
FEARFUL drain on the worn out preach
ers leads the conference to plan for
not more than three and possibly not
more than one advocate. This mat
Ter IS now being threshed out in COM
mittee' but some deliberate action in |
this line is quite certain.
WILL GET LIGHTING System.
DICKINSON, N. D., May -s.-That |
Dickinson will shortly be numbered
with progressive cities to establish a
modern system of street lighting with
ornamental posts on which incandes.
cent cluster lights are mounted. that
ados much to the appearance IN a
city both in the daytime and at night.
seems to be an assured fact as the
city council took favorable action IN
a petition for these lights, signed by
an out few Of the property owners
concerned, at their meeting.