New-York tribune., 1872-05-22
FIVE NEW BISHOPS IN ONE DAY.

The Methodist General Conference gave 10
Brooklyn audience yesterday the parlia-
mentary sensation of "feld-day." The
Academy of Music was crowded from floor to
roof with an eager company of delegates and
snectators. assembled from all parts of the
Republic, TO witness what is always the crown
ing dramatic scene of that quadrennial San
hedrim-the election of bishops. The five
living Tor acting) bishops of the Methodist
Church Yesterday had five others added to them
Imagine five Senators chosen by single legs-
lature in one day! What caucus and cabal, what
bargain and sale, what promise and threat
would such an event imply And ecclesiasti-
cal politics and churchly electioneering are
based on the same principles of human nature
which govern the civil breast. The election of
five new Bishops yesterday, to a life-tenure of
the chief Office which the greatest Protestant
denomination in this country has to bestow,
was the elimination of four years Of talk, cor
respondence, consultation, and caucus. Per-
haps, however. we should not say elimination,
since, to the five of yesterday, three others are
to be added to-day.
Yesterdays Episcopal additions to the bench
include some Of the most eminent admins
traitors in Church noted for its executive
success Thomas Bowman, D. D., the first of
the elect, has been for more than a dozen
years President of Indiana Asbury University,
where he has honorably achieved one of the
first ecclesiastical regulations in the West.
He is rated in his own State one of the most
eloquent of its preachers and most successful
of its educators. DR.. William l.. Harris has
for twelve years fulfilled something like epis-
copal functions in his supervision of the
Methodist Missionary Society. DR.. Ran
dolph S. Foster is the President of
the Drew Theological Seminary, having
succeeded the late DR.. McClintOck to that
freshly-endowed and opulent chair. DIR. S. NJ.
Merrill is the Editor of The Western Christian
Adrocate of Cincinnati-one of the leading
official organs Of the denomination man
whose fortunate fame came suddenly upon
him in the p ling Conference, as the re-
ward of sugl, out splendid speech on the
right of lay nen 10 voice and vote in the
church. DR.. Isaac w. Wiley, Editor of The
Ladies' Repository, goes from the same toll
some profession TO the same honorable pro-
motion.
Moreover, not o. ly wore these two journalists
made bishops, yestcrday, but third stands at
the head of the list OF candidates for to-day. The
result of the last ballO gs left the three highest
(but still unelected nominees) as follows The
Rev. Gilbert Haven. editor of ZiOn'S Herald,
who received 1872 votes; the Rev. DR.. Jesse T..
Peck, 17S votes, and the Rev. E. G. Andrews, 1B.
Moreover, the fourth in ORDER DR.. E. o. Haven,
spent tho larger part of his life in journalism.
So that tho testimony of the religious as
well as the political press is, that the profes-
sion of journalism naturally disciplines and
qualities its votaries for responsible admins
trative Offices. The Methodist Church, more
than any other, has been built up by the news
paper press-we refer to its Own multitudinous
and denominational papers, and yesterdays
election of two editors, to be followed possibly
by to-day's election Of one or two more, shows
that the Church, like the Republic, despite
the proverb,) is not ungrateful.