The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-05-22
DECLARATION OF EQUAL
Rights To ALL MEN
Many Reforms Outiined-Connecti onal
Officers neutrality-suspicious. In
General Conference Remains the
Same-WilI Withhold vanderbilt's
Money.

laying down as the basic declaration of
its principles equal rights and com
plete justice for all men, the protec-
ton of families by the single standard
of purity, uniform divorce laws, the
proper regulation of marriages, the
abolition of child labor and provisions
for the education of children, the regu-
safeguard the physical and moral
health of communities, the protection
of society from social, economic and
moral waste of the liquor traffic for
the abatement and prevention of pow
erty, for the conservation of health,
for the right of all men to the right OF
self-maintenance, for the protection in
old age of workers. for the right of EN-.
ployes and employers alike to organize
for the adequate means of Cancellation
and arbitration in industrial disputes
for living wage as a minimum in
every industry and for a new emphasis
upon the application of Christian prin-
ciples to the acquisition of property
and an equitable division of the
products of industry that can ultimate
ly be divided, the general conference
of the Methodist Church, South spent
one of the most important and inter-
esting days Of its seventeenth quadren-
NAL sessions.
Plans for Unification.
Another feature of the body was the
adoption of tentative plan for the
unification of the three great Methodist
bodies in America and the selection OF
its connectiopal Offices Tor the coming
quadrennial. Three sessions we're held
today and three will be held tomorrow
and Saturday. and it may be possible
that all important business will be
disposed of by Saturday night.
Selection Of correctional officers
was the special order yesterday. A ma
jority of the old officers were re-elect.
ed Those elected to serve for the
four-year term were as follows:
Publishing agents, Rev. D. M. Smith
and A. ]. Lamar; book editor, Rev.
Gross Alexander; editor Christian Ad-
vocate. Rev. T, N. Ivey; Sunday school
editor, Rev. e. B. Chappell; missionary
secretary, Rev. w. w. Pinson.
The intervals during the ballots were
occupied by the conference with the
consideration of laymen's work. The
report of the committee was finally
amended by eliminating the provision
increasing lay representation in annual
and general conferences and then
adopted as a whole by viva voce vote.
Bishop H. c. Morrison presided over
the conference during yesterdays ses.
sion.
Withhold Vanderbilt Money.
Immediately after the opening exer.
cises resolution was adopted indors.
ing the declaration of the federal coun.
ell of the Church of Christ in America
for equal rights and complete justice
Tor all men, uniform divorce laws, prop
er regulation of marriage and other so
,ial reforms.
Another resolution was adopted III.
'tructing all boards to withhold any
money in their hands for Vanderbilt
University until the Vanderbilt COM
mission authorized under the report
adopted esterday shall authorize such
payments.
Among the recommendations pre-
'ented by the committee on episcopacy
vas one providing for the time limit on
preachers be retained except where
hree-fourths of the college of bishops
hall decide to retain man in par
ocular charge for more than four years,
{ advisable. Majority and minority
eports were presented on this report
Immediately after the devotional ex-
'rcises conducted by DR.. F. w. Bran
lon of Admission, Ala, and the reading
4 the minutes the second ballot for the
lection of secretary of the general
oard of mission was ordered.
UnificatIon Urged.
Bishop Hoss presided. During the
ounting of the ballot of the commit.
BE on church relations on unification
the Methodist Episcopal Church,
outh, Methodist Episcopal Church
nd the Protestant Methodist Church,
'as called up as the special order,
18th recommendation for adoption.
he plan provides for the merging of