The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-05-24
Too Many Lightweight Memoirs
Now, Says Preacher.
ARGUMENT OVER AMUSEMENT
Methodist Conference Discussed Most
Vital Question; What Shall
Be Done?

Minneapolis, May 18.-The attitude
of the Methodist Episcopal church
toward the amusement problem
considered by many churchmen the
most vital question before the Min
neapolis general conference-wasd dis
cussed today on the conference floor.
From the committee on state of
the church had come a majority and
minority report on the question. The
majority report favors the retention
in the Methodist discipline of para
graph 260, which names as impru-
dent and unChristian conduct play
ing at games of chance, attending
theatres, horseraces, circuses, dane
ing parties, or patroniZing dancing
schools or taking such other amuse-
ments as are obviously of mislead-
ing or questionable moral tendency"
A minority report favors the elimi-
nation of the paragraph and the re-
turn to John Wesleys original rule
placing the ban on "such diversions
as cannot be taken in the name of
the Lord Jesus"
Verbal Warfare Over Reports.
Chancellor James r. Day of SYRIA
cuse university and Lieutenant Gov
ernor A. j. Wallace of California led
the fight for the minority report.
They were backed by Mrs. Katherine
l.. Stevenson of Massachusetts and
other delegates, and they based their
hot
was no attempt to enforce the para
graph and that the matter of amuse-
ments should be left as matter of
conscience, and that there was
question of the constitutionality of
the paragraph
Vigorous attack on the plan to
eliminate the paragraph was made.
Delegates from different parts of
Europe and colored delegates joined
in the attack, declaring that the
withdrawal of the paragraph would
lead people to believe MethOdism
was changing its position against
sinful amusements."
Rev. Matthew w. Dogan, d. D..
colored, Texas, opposed the chang
ing of the paragraph. He said it
would lower the standards of the
church, and declared 1--WE have too
many lightweight church members
already"
Declaring that the Scandinavian
churches both in America and Eur
ope are opposed to change in the
~ ho
wegian and Danish conference urged
that the old rule be allowed to re-
main.
Chancellor Day in Argument.
Chancellor Day argued against
paragraph 26O. He said that John
Wesley followed closely in the foot
steps of Christ and gave simple
rule so complete that it cannot be
amended. He said people of Metho-
dsm are largely keeping no rule at
all and most ministers have declar-
ed that the rule is unconstitutional
and it is not enforced.
A. j. Wallace declared that the
church was wrong when in 1877
chapter 26O was made part OF the
ritual. He said that the church had
no right TO place a barrier on the
door of the church, which was not a
barrier to the kingdom of God.
1--WE are not letting down the STAN
dard," he said. 1.-THE bishops have
advised the removal of the ban. The
secular press will not convey the
idea to the world that the church
has compromised itself, for 1t is
understood everywhere that men
shall allow their own conscience to
govern them in all rules OF life.
DR.. X. A. Jansson of Sweden said
that $4,000 members of the church
and $4,000 members of the Epworth
league in Sweden demanded that no
change be made in the discipline.
"Methodism entered Europe as
protest to worldliness in the state
church" he said. "The secular
press of the continent are watching
the action of this body, and IL you
remove this ban to social entertain
ment you will do the church great
harm"
MunhaII Objected to Worldliness.
DIR. l.. w. Munhall, evangelist or
the Philadelphia conference, urged
the delegates to support the major
ity report as the means of prevent
ing wave of worldliness from
sweeping over the church all over
the world.
Mrs. Katherine Stevenson OF Mas
sachusetts, tho woman who advocat-
es a rule which will permit the
ordination of women Methodist mimi
sters, made an eloquent plea for
the minority report. She said she
talked as mother and as a woman
who had been active in temperance
work in her state for years.
1--WE are confronting condition
and not theory" she said. ut Is
because l am against worldliness
that l urge you to eliminate this