The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-04-26
Al Phllsdelphla-The Hospitality OF the Qaakti
CITY hailsned-Ths H,prssenta!iou Of Mint
nrlal and Lay Dslsgatts-0nlee OF tho
Confercnce-E Elections 10 DO lItld.
Special Correspondence Of The In,ellgctctr.

visitors, but to find delegates enough to ill
the many openings. Still It Is felt here, nc
lees than at Cincinnati, four years ago,
that the entertainment Of body ui
tho size and importance OF a Methodist
General Conference ought 10 be paid out
Of the general funds OF the church, and
doubtless, the Conference itself, at its com.
ing session, will gee the matter in the Same
light, Under euCh an arrangement ne that
It's meetings could be held anywhere,
whereas now they are necessarily restrict.
ed to few OF the largest cities. Philadel.
ptlia, however, can well stand the strain.
Methodiam is very strong here. There are
within the city limits nine,y.four churches
OF the Methodist Episcopal persuasion,
having an aggregated membership ofnearly
10000, and an estimated Methodist con-
stituency Of not less than 10000. =
The approaching conference will consist
OF about 45O members. These will come
from all parts Of tho United States, and
some OF them from Mission stations abroad
The ninety.nine annual conferences OF the
church will all be represented in the ratio
OF one ministerial delegate for every forty
five members, and one ior every fraction
OF forty.fve. The basis on which the lay
delegates are elected is as follows: Where
the apnusl conference sends only one
minister to the general conference, it can
send only une layman, but where more
than one minister is sent, two laymen are
sent. tho number OF laymen, however, uev.
er exceeding two, even though the minis
terial delegation consist, as 1t frequently
does, Of as many as four or five. The pro.
portion OF lay delegates at the coming
gathering will be about one-third OF the
whole number.
| TIE GENERAL CONFERENCE.
Tho General Conference meets quad.
rsnnially. 1t has nothing to do with the
appointments Of pasters. It's functions arc
largely, though not entirely, Legislative.
l: is the only body competent to revise the
laws OF the church and to originate changes.
1t is also the only body to which the Bish.
ops are amenable, and no small part of It's
work consists in reviewing the administra.
ton OF these high officials. The business
done in the annual conference is also re.
viewed by this general body, and indeed it
exerciees, as its name indicates, a general
supervision over nil the affairs OF the de-
nomination, censuring and reclifying what
may have been wrong in the past and de-
vising ways and means for the church's
advancement in the future. When it ia
remembered that the Methodist Episcopal
Church las nearly two million member;
that over twelve thousand i.inerant min
listers are enrolled in its conferences, and
that in addition to tho capital invested in its
immense publishing houses, it owns church
and parsonage property to the value OF
nearly $50. COO. .000,your readers will see how
much vf responsibility rests upon the gu.
preme tribunal OF this great church, and
will understand why the quadrennial ses-
sions Of its General Conference are looked
forward to with such deep and widespread
interest. The church represented by this
gathering is the largest OF the Methodist
bodies. In all, however, there are fully three
million Methodista on the American cont.
nent, and in England and America toseth.
or, with their mission Stations four mill.
ions. There are actual members ofthe Meth
odist constituency throughout the world,
including Sunday School scholars, and
those who attend Methodist services but
are not members, being estimated at over
twenty millions. a."|
TUE ELECTIONS.
The elections are always the most inter-
esting feature OF a Methodist General Con.
ference. 1t is proverbial that when these
are over the attendance wanes and the
delegates get anxious to 80 home. This
may indicate prevalence Of the oflceseek-
ing fever among Methodist ministers, or it
may be merely the development, under
our peculiar system Of Government, which
makes elections 80 frequent, Of one Of the
weak points in our irail human nature.
The reader can take his choice Of these
two views, and your correspondent will
keep his own couusels in the matter, at
least ior the present. This conference will
have to elect or re.elect book agents for
New York and Cincinnati, secretaries for
all the great church societies, such as Mis-.
sonsry, Church Extension, Freedman's
Aid, Sunday School Union, &C., and
editors for the many publications OF the
Church. These are all fat Offices, giving
the incumbent no end Of influence and
glory, besides putting into his pockets
handsome salary. 1t is too early 10 ven.
ture into the realm OF prophecy, though
one runs no risk in saying that, should any
of the present incumbents be requested to
lstep down and out, or have the call to q
higher post, there will be no scarcity of
brethren who would be willing to sacrifice
; themselves upon these various positions.
It is even said, that some are anxious for
such immolation. Such as these, however,
are doomed to disappointment for the
General Conference seldom gives an office
to man who wants it badly, and besides,
in the present case 1t is absolutely certain
, that most OF the men nov in will be given
another term. But more Of this anon.
THREE BISHOPS PASSED AWAY.
Since the last General Conference three
Bishops have passed away-Levi Scott, E
l o. Raven, and jesse T. Peck-all Crane
men, as Methods! Bishops almost invaria
! bly, arc. These deaths have reduced th'
Episcopal force to eleven, which makes
certain that the coming Conference vii
elect several new ones. Not more than 81,
;. will be chcssn, not lass than three. Th
last Conference elected four, and for SOM
d months prior to the Conference it wa
4 generally known throughout the churcl
v who three OF that number would be. Thi
4 time there is painful degree Of uncer
tainty surrounding the mattes-painful, a
least, to those particularly interested.
: reserve my forecasts for future lettel
= y merely giving in this the names OF thoa
y !, who have been mentioned to me ss gentle
l. men who hava been talked Of for Il,
le Episcopacy by admiring friends. These al
g. J. Il. Vincent the great Sunday School ma
10 and Chautauqua hero; J. NJ, Walden, boo
10 agent at Cincnnati; W. X. Ninde, Pres
le dont Of Garrett Biblical Institute, Eva1
sion, ILL.,; J. NJ. buckley, editor New Yor
v, ADVOCATE; @. II. Payne, President Obi
10 Wesleyan University; A: 8; Hunt, agel