The Washington times., 1920-04-11
HE'D PUT pep
INTO CHURCH
Pastors Son Would Lift Ban on
Theaters, Horse Racing,
Dancing and Circuses.

j. Henry smythe. jr., OF New YORK;
Red Cross worker. slogan expert In
recruiting and liberty loan campaigns
and son of q Methodist minister has
swooped down on the Methodist Epis-
eopal Church conference here ana
within the next forty-eight hours ex-
poets to start the ball rolling to put
'.jazz'' into Methodism.
In brief, j. Henry says Methodists
should rub out their "blue laws, ana
remove the ban from innocent world
ly amusements, by repeating para
graph No. ESQ OF the church disci-
pline.
This important paragraph 10 forty
eight years old. For the past genera
tion there have been Indifferent at
tempts to have II stricken out This
year memorials from a dozen or more
conferences will go to the general
conference, meeting in Des Moines,
next month. urging its repeal.
Text Of 'BIue Law
Here 10 the paragraph in question.
which J, Henry says Is keeping mil
lions OF folks out OF the Methodist
church:
Trial OF a church member, impru-
, dent conduct; in case of neglect OF
duties of any kind; imprudent con-
duct: indulging sinful tempers or
words; dancing; playing at games of
races, circuses or dancing parties;
patronizing dancing schools or taking
such other amusements as are OBJ
viously Of misleading or questionable
moral tendency; or dlsobedience to
the order and discipline of the church:
On first ofYense let private reproof be
given by the pastor or class leader;
and II there be an acknowledgment
OF the fault and proper humiliation.
the person may be borne with.
"On the second offense, the pastor
or class leader may take with him one
or two discreet members Of the
church. On the third offense. let him
be brought to trial. and IL found
guilty, and there is no sign OF real
humiliation. he shall be expelled"
Didn't Miss . Game.
The night for a more liberal Method
Ism during the past twenty years has
waxed sarcastic at times. For In
stance, back In 1900. at the general
conference in Chicago, Rev. +. A.
Arter offered this resolution:
II want to offer an amendment: To
amend by inserting the following
after the words or patronizing dan
cling schools opera, grand opera. liv-
nights, bull fights, dog fghts, cock
Nights, yachting. roller skating. foot
ball, baseball, curling and playing
the follow ing games: Backgammon.
billiards. checkers, chess, dice. GRO
quet, polo, pool, golf, lawn tennis
cricket, one o'cat, skinney. lacrosse.
old sow, pillow. Denmark. blind mans
buff, prison goal. tug-o-war. crok-
mole, metadore, rafting, craps shoot
ing, pitching auoits, archery. tenpins'
shuttle board, bicycling. grab bags,
basketball, houseball, hand-up. baltic
collie, crackabout, over-the-barn'
house-over or hollow-over, cornerbaii,
black baby, marbles, game OF authors;
and that dangerous game OF chance'
casting lots for seats of general con-
ference delegates"
Mr.. Smythe already has laid his
appeal before the memorials commit
tee of the conference. He Will seek
to get the floor tomorrow before ad-
iournment, SO that he may make
personal appeal to every member be-
fore final action is taken on the pro-
posed memorial to the general con-
ference.