Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-06-03
METHODIST UNION
WARMLY FAVORED
BY BISHOP MOUZON

OF the COMMISSION on unlllCdlIOu 1oi
the Methodist Episcopal church,
south, today gave to the press the
following interview on the essential
features of the plan of unification to
be considered at the special session
of the general conference which will
meet in Chattanooga July 2:
"In a recent interview given the
public press, my distinguished col
league Bishop Warren A. Gambler,
writes as follows concerning the ac-
ton of the general conference of
the Methodist Episcopal church N
approving the plan of unification of
American Methodist:
"'The plan gives the Methodist
Episcopal church mOrth) so much
over our church that most
naturally they leaped to seize the
prize which, they thought they saw
in sight, apparently forgetting all
other considerations
This statement from the pen of
our honored bishop does not result
from a study of the plan. 1T has no
relation TO anything in the plan. 1t
cannot be supported by one single
argument. The plan itself, in it's en-
IRE concv o- an nd desi N, is in di-
rect contradiction and denial Of the
statement made by Bishop Gambler.
The Voice of the Church
"In Bishop Gamblers opinion,
northern MethoGists are not fit peo-
pie for southern Methodists to con
slider uniting with in the work of the
Kingdom of God. He plainly says
that they are not Of the right spirit.
Well, unfortunately for the good
bishop, he is out of harmony with
his own church. The Methodist
Episcopal church, south, speaking
through three successive general
conferences, has declared in favor
of unification.- The general con-
ference Of our own church meeting
in Oklahoma City in 1914, initiated
the present movement for unifica-
ton and appointed a commission to
negotiate with the northern church.
The general conference of our
church, meeting in Atlanta, Ga, in
1918, expressed appreciation Of the
work of the commission and in.
structed the commission to go on
with its work. The general confer
ence of our church, meeting in Hot
Springs in 1922, went even furthef
and expressed warm appreciation of
the faithful efforts of our commits
sion on unificatibn to bring to pass
on proper basis the unification of
the Methodist Episcopal church and
the Methodist Episcopal church,
south, and gave to our commission
full liberty to work out new plans
of unificatiOn.' l submit that when
three successive general conferences,
composed from time to time of the
most ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and
Iaymen in the church, speak with
one voice touching the unification of
Methodism, we may be perfectly sure
that we have heard the voice of the
church. 1t Is t. be regretted, there.
fore, that Bishop Gambler finds him.
self out of sympathy with the will
and purpose of southern Methodism.
The will to unity our Methodist
forces is fixed and settled, and the
bishop had as we'll prepare himself
for the inevitable
"A Southern Plan
Having been for three o11adran-
NUNS member of the commissions
on unlfication, and knowing perfect,
~ well what went on in the meet.
lngs Of the commission, / may be
pardoned for letting out a secret.
The plan which is now before the
two churches is, as a matter of facr.
southern plan. The essential prin-
clples contained in it were suggested
by the southern members of the Joint
commission. If we reject this plan,
we Will reject our own plan of uni
tlcatlOn. Three southern men had
most to do with writing this plan.
Flrst, during the last quadrennium.
when negotiations were hating.
Judge H. II. White, Of Alexandria,
La, drew from his pocket "A paper
which contained a broad outline of a
plan very much like the one now
under consideration. Nothing came
of it at that time. Later when the
present commission settled down to
work, DR.. Paul Fl. Linn presented
paper of some length setting forth
the same principles, and DR.. r. D.
Ellis offered a paper suggesting a
plan embodying the same general
scheme. Upon the basis of these pa
pers, the joint commission built the
plan which has been approved by
tWo-thlrds Of each commission, and
by an almost unanimous vote Of the
Episcopal church
Judge Gamblers Speech
TN this connection, I quote from
the memorable speech made at the
Hot Springs general conference by
Judge John S. Gambler, of Atlanta
Georgia:
" I believe that the greatest thing
that could be done for the Methodism
of the world, the greatest thing for
the Church of God in the world.
would be a joint effort by these two
great churches to get together for
the purpose for which they were or
ganized. If two-thirds of your
commission, two-thirds of their COM
mission, and two-thirds Of their gen
eral conference adopt it Ga plan of
unificatiOn) don't you think you are
ready for a meeting down here? >
Earlier in his speech, Judge Can
der had said:
Before any action shall be called
for on the part of the general confer
ence of each church. two-thirds of
each of these commissions voting sep
must agree on plan of uni
fiCatiOn by reorG. niZation. 7 feel
very much tonight like saying to
these brethren what Lincoln said to
a commission once on great Occa-
sion when the two great sections of
our country were divided. He said:
"If you let me write union at ,the
bottom OF the page, YOU may write
anything above it," (See Daily Ad,
vOCate. PAGE 177D
Southern Conditions Met
"The fact of the business is. south.
ern Methodists laid down certain
and these conditions have
now been met Here are the facts.
The plan itself is in a peculiar sense
a southern plan. We ourselves said:
The plan must first be approved by
two-thirds Of each commission vOt-
ing separately 1t has been 50 ap-
proved. Then we said: Before we
vote on it. the general conference Of
the northern church must approve
it by a twO-thirds vote It has been
approved by them by an almost unan-
imous vote. What if southern Meth