Evening journal., 1914-03-24

ulation. for their pastoral assign
ments and the churches in the rural
sections that contain some of the
most godly and loyal men and wo-
men, as we'll as some of the finest
type would be neglected and would
suffer perpetual loss This kind Of
result is the tendency anyhow in the
management of very large enterprises
to neglect the details aud certainly
the minuter details A unit enter
prise, great in extent. is almost al
ways at cost of intensive operation
of it, and at cost of most widely in
elusive results.
Why Make Change7
But why enlarge the boundaries Of
either conference in this manner.
anyhow? Why unite these two al
ready great conferences? Other
things make for greatness much moro
than mere scope of territory. And
either conference. for that matter. Is
large enough now in geographical
extent Our conference is not a
small conference as il is-neither in
| territorial extent, in membership of
the conference, in membership of the
church. in numbers of interested ad-
herents, nor in achievements, local
or for our great benevolent enter
prises abroad; and Il needs no rare
prophetic vision TO see that the future
for US, as we are, glows with impend-
/ ing greater achievement and develop
ment than in our great past. And
that will make this conference a
great conference in volume as well as,
as has always been true, in the quail
ity Of its men, women and children,
worshipping at our church affairs.
These are the things that make a
Methodist conference great
5. Lastly, / am opposed to this
proposition because our laity of this
territory are almost unanimously
against it. We all came from their
ranks and believe most of us keep
in sympathetic touch with them. They,
you will concede. have a right to be
! heard and to have large place with
: us in the solution of this matter at
issue. They are against this proposal
= doubtless for some of the reasons I
have given for my opposition to It,.
But whatever their reasons for this
opposition their opposition itself
ought to steady and deter us from an
action not known 10 be wise by any
and known positively TO be unwise and
retrogressive by many.
So now, plead for the multitudes of
our people living in the towns and wis
lagos and rural sections TO the remotcst
points of our territory. and Tor theW
posterity in the coming years.
ii we take this action after a history
Of forty wears as conference unit and
after an almost unparalleled ratio OF
growth in that period. there ought 10
be- not practical unaunniiy" in the
preachcrs' meeting. which ! 10 not con-
cede but this with cmphasi in the con.
ference membership and very general
support OF il among the nearly fftg
thousand of our church membership
, Otherwise II would be we'll nigh sacri.
lipious and dcsecratinc 10 The memory
OF our heroic fathers Whose policy after
lpravcrful deliberation our conference ini
, tegrity is, and whose wisdom in that
momcntous action las been richly at.
: tested in the quadruplc. and quintuples
! of increase in many oi the main features
of the church and Christian progress.
: warn YOU, therefore my brethren
beloved who are advocates of this
change to stand aside with barred headg
. and in silent, prayerful reelection bcfort
YOU begin your interference with this
; choice work OF our glorihed fathers
! that has been 50 signailN owned of Cod
/ ] warn you TO pause with becoming awd
. before You lay yoW disturbing hands on
/ this ark OF the covenant ol the Lord
God which was carried -n reVercntly
by our sainted spiritual sires while ih
Methodist hosts ON this classic tcrsitor
( followed TO successful and mountiu
o. triumphs of achievement and which d.
E made full proof that the sacred yolum
p with Aaron's rod and the pot of mann
. was within IL and that the chcubi
; and the heavenly shechinah stood OVER
t and shown around IL.
: fraternally yours
4 {. NJ Morgan.