Methodist Marriage

Day after day last week, 900 Methodists sat in the blue leather chairs of Kansas City's big Municipal Auditorium, soberly seeking God's guidance in the building of their new, united Methodist Church. In their deliberations there was evident pride in what they were doing, and a homely pood-fellowship which transcended sectional differences. Even the Negro Question, a fearsome lurker, was accidentally hauled out of its dark corner and given a pat on the back.

The Conference secretary was a Southerner--Rev. Dr. Lud H. Estes of Memphis. Booming out a point of law, Dr. Estes forgot himself, said: "As the old nigger says, 'I don't want to seem to be persnickety, but. . . .' " He stopped short. Two Negro delegates--one of them Florida Educator Mary McLeod Bethune--started for the platform to demand an explanation. Blushing, Dr. Estes seized a microphone, said: "Coming from the Deep South as I do, perhaps I am prone to use such words without realizing that they may give affront. I will say to the Conference: when there is a marriage and the first misunderstanding arises, what happens? We make up, of course. I say now, let's make up."

Everyone applauded. Then the Conference resumed its work, which it had agreed to speed up. The delegates had voted themselves a modest, Methodist $4 per day expense money, but even that, they discovered, would exhaust their Conference treasury by May 10. Accordingly, they resolved to finish by then. Week's work:

> Formation of a Methodist Board of Temperance, to replace the famed M. E. Board of Temperance, Prohibition and Public Morals in Washington.

> Passage of a request (not a law) that Methodist ministers refrain from smoking and chewing tobacco.

> Decision to hold the first General Conference of the church next year--sooner than had been expected.

> Establishment of a single Board of Education with branches in charge of educational institutions, religious education in the churches, educational printing.

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