The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-04-24

Methodist conference today was fea-
tured by vigorous exposition by
Bishop Cooke of the laws Of the Meth
odist church respecting the morality
of its ministers. This came about as
the result of one of the disciplinary
questions which has to do with super
numerary ministers.
The case of Vivian F. Hendee, for
merly of Montpelier, brought up the
discussion. 1t developed that two
years ago charges were preferred
against him and last year a special
committee made the following report:
'tWe, the undersigned, committee APP
pointed at our last annual conference
by Bishop Henderson to inquire into
the case of Vivian f. Hendee, have
examined the allegations and com
plants against him and find sufficient
evidence of conduct unbecoming
minister of the gospel to warrant this
conference TO ask him to locate. and
we so recommend. = This was signed
| by a. Fl. Webb, l.. Olin Sherburne, W.
G. Johnson, w. S. Smithers and Peter
Black.
Such report should never have
been allowed - declared Bishop Cooke
How do you propose to maintain the
morals Of the ministers of the Metho-
| dist church if YOU investigate case,
| find the man guilty and then allow
| him to slip out? This man was either
| guilty or not guilty. IF he was guilty
he should be forced into retirement
under charges and not permitted to
| slip out of the conference and con
tinue in the Methodist ministry a
Methodist minister has nothing be-
tween him and Heaven but his char
acter.'
Referred Back to Committee.
All this had followed the reading of
a letter from Mr. Hendee in which he
said that he had met with an accident
on April in which his skull was frac-
tured and that he had only left the
hospital last Sunday and was unable to
attend the conference and stand trial.
He asked that the conference continue
the matter against him until he could
appear Various members of the con
ference took part in the discussion
which followed and Mr.. Webb, who
was chairman Of the committee hat
made the report year ago, explained
that Mr.. Hendee was in Cleveland, o..
at the time of the investigation and
that such allegations as were made
had been in the main from that city
and of necessity they had to be by
correspondence
1t was finally voted that the matter
Ishould be referred back to the original
committee with instructions to report
at the next annual conference. As
Rev. Peter Black of that committee is
not now a member of the conference
Rev. George A. Martin of ST. Johns
bury was substituted for him on that
Icommittee.
Rev. DIR. C. S. Nutter of Boston, a
former member of the conference and
now retired, conducted the opening
session instead of Bishop Cooke, speak
ling on the meaning of the l23d Psalm
Taking up the business where it had
been dropped at the close of yesteT-
days session, the following were ad
vanced to studies in the second year:
Walter H. Gould, Arthur J. Green
Robert Haseltine, Isaac Mellor, Fred
erick w. Smith, George ". Turner
THE following transfers were reported;
F. Fl. Blodgett to the Troy conference
| Rev. John Jones to the North Indiana
conference. These had been trans
ferred into the Vermont conference
Rev. George H. Redding from Nortl
} Indiana and Verne IT, Smith from the
: New England Southern conference
|
, Ephraim H Bartlett of Waterville, re
tired, was reported and Bishop Cooke
offered special prayer.
Invitation Is Accepted
t Rev. William Shaw, pastor of Trim
Iity church of Montpelier, extended thu
Q invitation for the conference to NEE
! with that church next year and it wa
: accepted. No other invitation was re
) ceived.
a Following this business session Bish
/ Top Cooke introduced United State
/. Senator William P. Dillingham; o.
Montpelier, who spoke briefly and wa
lapplauded vigorously. He confined hi
remarks largely to his connection
with Montpelier seminary and sal
There was great missionary field fo
: that institution in Vermont. He sal
there were 200 towns in the stat
(which had no high school and that
: the work of the Methodist church wa
u to be carried on in Vermont iha stat
. unjust maintain a school where the boy
land girls could be surrounded by hom
2 Influences. He said there was not
!, missionary movement in the churc
q THAT could compare in Importance wit
u the work of the seminary. Senate
J, Dillingham; said he purposed to sta
p through the conference and 1mbib
/ some of the spirit of the occasion
Ho was followed by Chancello
Franklin Hamilton, d. d., of the Gn
Is versity of Washington. DIR. Hanliito
o paid high compliment to Senate
n Dillingham; because of his loyalty I
lie his own people and his devotion TO HI
Ichurch. FThere is no man in Coz