Smyrna times., 1912-05-08
METHODIST CONFERENCE
OPENS IN MINNEAPOLIS
LARGEST ASSEMBLAGE OF THE
M. E. DENOMINATION EVER HELD
Has Delegates From All Over the
World.-Election of Bishops and
Amusement Question

Eight hundred and fifty delegates.
including twenty-one bishops from
North America, and bishops from
Europe, Africa. South and Central
America. and the Philippines who
are said to constitute the largest
assemblage of that demonstration
ever held are attending the twenty
fifth quadriennial general conference
of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
at Minneapolis. The oldest active
leader, Bishop Henry W. Warren OF
Denver, COL, who was consecrated
bishop in 1880 opened the conference
and Earl Cranston, Of Washington
the next active bishop, oldest in
point of service, delivered the
Episcopal address. The program
contemplates a business session by
the general conference each morn
ing, committee meetings in the
afternoon and reports in the even
ing. Probably the principal thing
to come before the session during
the month is the election of eight
new bishops. Three of the present
are to be retired. Another ques-
tion which will be discussed, say
churchmeu, is the so-called. amuse-
ment question and the alteration of
the church discipline which now
forbids dancing, card playing, theatre
going and similar forms of amuse-
ment.
The Amusement Question up Friday
The amusement question came up
prior to the reading by Bishop
Cranston of the second part of the
report on Episcopacy, in which the
bishops recommended the repeal of
the amusement paragraph of the
Discipline. James l. Bartholomew
of New England Southern Confer
ence, offered a resolution referring
the amusement paragraph of the
Discipline to the judiciary commit
tee for an opinion on it's constitu-
tionality. The point was made that
|
of the Discipline in violation of the
constitutional rules and that the
question of its validity should be
determined. The delegates, how
ever, saw in this move an effort to
keep the discussion of the question
off the floor and after some debate
tabled the resolution by vote of
394 to 272. 1.-The American people
are too far advanced 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" is
the gist of the report on amuse-
ments. In recommending this
radical change, however, the
twenty-four active bishops stipu.
lated that the church should not be
indifferent on these subjects, but
that the people should be left tt
Judge for themselves what is righr
or wrong in amusements, having be-
fore them only the injunction o.
John Wesey which torbids 9Th,
taking of such diversions as canno
be taken in the name of the Lore
Jesus"
Stock Market Ranked With Turf
The portion of the address ol
amusements reads: 1--WE shoult
joyfully acclaim the day when ever.
Christian would abstain from tn
amusements which have been pro
hibitet, but we can't repress ou
conviction that Wesey dealt NOR
wisely with the danger. Th
bishops. therefore, recommend
return to the consistent treatmen
of the subject by Wesley and tn
more earnestly because we ar
dealing with the American peopl
and the intelligence of The twentiet
century. AS church we canno
approve dancing and going
These are questionable amusements
\ To US, as to several of our siste
. churches, they who justify thes
amusements as consistent with th
spiritual life seem to manifest
deplorable lack of spiritual perceI
tion. Again we stand unitedl
against gambling and we recogniz
cleary that it is the same sin
Wall street that it is in the lowei
I" resort, but we have never venture
.egislatively to fix the point whel
the race track gambler, passir
from the turf to the stock mark
becomes a respectable busine
man, eligible to church membersh
and the chairman of the board
trustees. In our absolute. helples
ness before this question we mu
'as continue to allow the world to So
pect that the larger the stake a
the more reckless of public veal t
gain, the less vicious the Grim
provided the winner pays tithes
religion or benevolence.
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