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Show h 'h THE METHODIST CONFERENCE Tho general conference of tno Methodist Episcopal church has recently re-cently been held In Minneapolis nnd many matters somo encouraging, somo othorwlso have como before It. Among tbo startling facts brought out was that of a loss of 500.00Q members during tho last six years. This lnmontnble stato of things was disclosed In the report known as tbo 'Episcopal Address" nnd wns signed sign-ed by eighteen bUhops In this country coun-try and by six bishops in foreign lands. Tho report Is regarded as the most Important document to como before be-fore tho conference as It contains tho bishop's recommendations for the future fu-ture guidance of tho church, Tho roport was read by Dlshop Earl Cronston of Washington, D. C. i Such a statement cannot fall to bo of Interest to overy christian for ns i tho worthy Bishop so aptly says: i "Whoro Is tho evidence that science , has ever regenerated ono soul or that culturo has redeemed ono llbor-I llbor-I tine, or taken envy, malice, pride, i Jealousy or greed out of any heart? 1 GR These utterances nre not reactionary unless tho world has outgrown Jesus Christ." What tho world needs 1 not more unbelievers, more luko-warm, luko-warm, Inspired, spiritless members, but men and women revcnllng in their livcsstho true imago of deity. Among the moro encouraging features fea-tures of tho conference Is the marked attention paid to the practical vital questions so urgently pressing upon tho Nation today. Not the least among these Is tho 'need of ndequate legislation to protect working children nnd to nllovlato the struggle's o,f the tolling masses. Of the proposition of child labor Mr. Henry J. Coker, of Denver, stated to tho conference: ' "In their greed for gain, employers In this country have put about 1,500.-000 1,500.-000 children under 1C years of ngo In mills, mines, factories and messenger service," said Mr. Coker. "Of the SO,-000 SO,-000 chltdren In tho textile mills, 20,000 are under 12 years of ngo, and In those mills yearly about 100 baby handB nro cut off by machinery. In the glass factories there aro 7,500 children; chil-dren; In sawmills 8,000; and In cigar factories 12,000 children hnndlo cigars at tho rate of eight cents per thousand. thou-sand. This Is an appalling commentary commen-tary on modern civilization. Who )b It we hear crying on the strcot corners, "Suffer little children to come unto Me?" Is It Jesus Christ or the greed for gnln?" It Is gratifying to rend of such vitally Important topics being brought so forcefully before the attention of the conference, nnd with, the great Methodist church, through tho medium medi-um of Its nineteen thousand ministers, minis-ters, and Its hundreds of thousands of members, nit earnestly battling for a changed condition of things in our Industrial world, wc fcol'that a truly Christian gospel Is about to prevail In tho world of practical affairs. t (W. H. James in St. LoUls Post-Dispatch.) Post-Dispatch.) , When 1JI11 and Theodore were chums And spun their tops together, They were as thick as glucose In The coldest kind of weather But now Dill's out behind"' ihe barn A-Bhyln' rocks at Teddy), While Ted rolls up his sleeves and cries: "Como on, you dub, I'm ready!" Dill says his heart Is badly wrenched; wrench-ed; Ted soys It Is his gizzard; And there they stand a callln' names In a reg'lar verbal blizzard. !! Bill's makln' faces; Teddy's tongue Is going llko n clapper-Each clapper-Each tryln' for tho championship As cplthetlc scrapper. The other boys aro hidln' out Behind tho trees nn' fences, A-wonderln' If Bill and Ted Hnvo gone nnd lost their senses. They can't see why, If talk Is all That Bill and Ted delight in, They don't go off nn hire a hall Or do some straight-out flghtln'. |