Evening star., 1924-05-20
METHODiSTS TO KEEP
BISH0PRlCS INTACT
Reconsider Action and Vote to
Fill Five Offices Instead
So of Three.
STEEL TRUST Is ATTACKED
Declared tU Desire Removal Of
: Pittsburgh Prelate.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated PreA-
SPRINGFIELD, Mass, May 90
Reversing for the second time its for
mer decision, the Methodist Episcopal
General Conference voted today to
keep intact the number of bishops,
and to elect five to fill vacancies Gre
ated by death and retirement
A recommendation of the episco-
pacy committee that Paris and Hele-
ma, Mont, be eliminated as episcopal
areas was amended to restore those
centers and was passed as amended
with only few dissenting votes.
Last Saturday the conference voted
for five new bishops. 1t reconsld-
cred yesterday and ordered the elec-
tion of three. Today's action was re-
garded as final.
steel Trust Drawn In
. A charge that the steel trust" de-
]. Mcconnell from the pittsburgh
area was made by the Rev. William
f. Conner of Pittsburgh in the course
of the discussion. when the elimina-
tion of that area was proposed.
~!.'Bishop Mcconnell was the chair
man of the committee that investi-
gated the steel trust and its treat
fnent of employees" said Dr. Conner
Movements investigation of the steel
fndustry about four years ago). III
we eliminate the Pittsburgh residence
it will be said that the church mas
bowed to the capitalists and the
money power l don't charge that,
but that will be the result
Move Is Defeated.
=. \ chorus of noes" greeted DR..
conner's remarks. The Pittsburgh
motion was later defeated.
Debate on the episcopacy committees
report ran for more than two hours
and was badly tangled in the process
Of coming to vote. Motions for the
substitution in the elimination proc
ess of Buffalo. Pittsburgh, Manila and
Indianapolis Were made ana seconded
edt We're finally tabled. The final re-
silt was regarded as a victory TOT
br. David c. Downey of New York,
chairman of the committee, who has
contended throughout that the WEI
fare of the church demanded STATUS
quo in the number of bishops Gre
ated at the last quadrennial confer
sHce.
Ballot on Bishops.
The first ballot for new bishops
was taken just before the noon
recess and the result will be an
nounced at the opening of tomor-
rows session. No nominations are
made and two-thirds of the total
The personnel of a committee ap-
pointed by the board of bishops to
Aframe a pronouncement of the
fchurch's attitude on war was an
nounced as follows:
Bishops Thomas Nicholson of Chi
cago, Ernest @. Richardson of At
slanta and Luther 3. Wilson of New
sYork: Il. e. Won Kleinschmidt. Los
Angeles; James a. James, Philadel-
phia. W. II. G. Gould, Ardmore, Pa;
Dix H. Rowland, Tacoma. Wash.
Ernest H. Cherrington, Westerville
sOhio. and Revs. Samuel Plantz of
Appleton, Wis; Ralph w. Sockman
of New York; J. w. Abel of Tulsa,
Okla: F. r. Bayley of Baltimore and
Stanley L. Jones Of India.
Amusement Ban Up.
committee report recommending
partial lifting of the church's re-
StrictionS against theater attendance
and other amusements is on the
docket, but may not be reached to-
day. Another important report slated
for action is that OF the committee
on temporal economy for the reor-
ganization of the church's card of
benevolence With reports by mi
nority groups. three different plans
will be presented for discussion.
The conference is to be asked to
limit the churchs restrictions against
4amuSementS to those which. in the
eRyords of Wesley. may be taken in
fthe name of the Lord Jesus" The
committee on the state Of the church
yesterday voted, 50 TO 80. to recon-
mend this, and If the action is con-
gffrnred by the parent body the source
.of many years OF friction and argu-
ment, delegates said, will have been
removed.
We can't put Forbes Robertson in
iHamlet, and d cheap burlesque show
Into the same class" Rev. C. Brom-
ley Oman of Califorh hia argued in
opposing the present law against all
theater attendance. We've got to
take the principle. and then put a
knowledge of Jesus into the members
jof the church so that we can trust
them"
End OF 'Unpieasant Publicity"
The Rev. Ralph w. Sokman of New
5Tork, chairman Of the subcommittee
ion recreation, said that the change
would do away with the unpleasant
publicity which has come every time
an actor or a dancer wanted to get
into the church.
& It's not q question of principle,
fbut of method" he added.
The report of the committee on Sab
bath observance, ready for submis-
sion, called attention to civil and &C.
constantly changing. We enact laws
today; tomorrow our successors
change or annul them.
The report then continued to say
divine law yas perfect and unchange-
able. ''As a church and as individ-
uals, what are we going to do-are we
going to live the life of an outlaw, or
are we going to retake the oath of
allegiance to the old constitution in
Scribed on tablets of stone and on the
hearts of the servants of God?" the
report asked. 1t then recommended
srta ff1rmation of Sabbath observance.
\ movement is on foot to recon-
mend that the report of the commit
1 tee on prohibition, if approved as
sdrawn, be sent to members of Con-
aress. This report sets forth the Cum
( berland Presbyterian Church is in
sympathy with prohibition and law
enforcement, and recommends that
sthe church oppose in every way state
3laws permitting physicians to give
prescriptions for liquors.
The report of the educational COM
smittee on the question Of modernism
fand fundamentalism is expected to-
sday.