The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1916-06-30
THE METHODIST GENERAL
CONFERENCE AT SARATOGA

when the session was called to or
der at ten o'clock. The senior
Bishop, Earl Cranston of Washing
ton presided at this first session.
The devotional services were espec-
tally impressive, representatives of
ten nations participating. When the
roll was called by Secretary Hinge
ley TIT of the 1876 delegates answer
ed to their names.
1t was very impressive to hear
over eight hundred clergymen and
laymen from all over the world re-
cite in concert the Apostles Greed.
AS they ended with the words ia
milliar to all Christians, 81 believe
in the resurrection of the body and
the life everlasting, Amen" Bishop
Cranston beckoned to dark-skinned
man, who stepped to the front of
the platform and repeated the Greed,
but in a tongue understood by only
score in the great hall-Chinese.
AS he closed his expression of
belief in the Christian faith, he
stepped back and the master of the
Methodist Episcopal Mission High
School at Naini Tai, India, took his
place, repeating the Greed, but in
yet another tongue, Hindustani.
When he had ended, still another
walked forward, a Swedish preacher
from Stockholm, whose words were
strange to the delegates, but whose
faith was still expressed in the
phrases of the Creed. And so on,
another and another stood before the
audience and recited the familiar
sentences in his own language until
II had spoken. 1t reminded me of
the great day Of Pentecost when the
Holy Spirit was poured out upon the
people and they began to speak
with other tongues as the Spirit gave
them utterance.
The incident was an effective illus
tratiOn of the cosmopolitanism of
the great Methodist gathering.
Methodist leaders from the North
and South, the Pacific slopes and the
Atlantic shores, the Mission fields of
China and India, and the war-swept
lands of Europe-all were gathered
here to decide upon the policies de-
stined to govern more than four mil
lion communicates Of the faith,
during the next four years. Thirty
women delegates were called among
the 835 names, among them was
Mrs. Nancy j. Mcconnell of Ohio,
mother of one Of our Bishops. At
ter the organization was completed
the order of the day was the read
ing of the Episcopal address which
corresponds to the message of the
President of the United States in
that it is an outline of the policies
DR.. lies assisted by DIR. John H.
and plans of the Church as summed
up by the Bishops. 1t took about
three hours for Bishop Hamilton to
read this important document. While
the great auditorium of Convention
Hall was quietly listening to the
reading of the Episcopal address
the dramatic moment occurred just
when Bishop Hamilton began tC
read the proposition for organic un-
| ion of all Methodism. As the speaker
read the final lines, the delegates
shook the hall with applause. Bishop
Joseph F. Berry, who was presid
ing, arose. "This demonstrations" hi
said, "of the heart of this body, re-
garding organic union, is most sig
nifcant and it would seem most ap
Ipropriate that we bow our heads ant
silently ask the blessing and aid o.
| God, in the methods that we shall
use"
The loudest demonstration occurred
when Bishop Hamilton reached tn
section devoted to the progress o
temperance and prohibition. Afte
detailing the efforts being made il
Germany and the United Kingdom
and other European nations, to re
strict the use of spirits. Bishop Ham
ilton declared: 1--WE in America, hav
good hope for a submission of a ma
tional constitutional amendment an
the speedy outlawry of this excra
bic traffic" At these words the del
egates were on their feet. A dele
gate in one corner waved handker
chief, his neighbor followed the ex
ample, and soon the "White Salute
had spread to every part of the flool
Then a delegate started the word