The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-02-15
GENERAL CONFERENCE.-The DEL
EGATES
Lay Recommendation.

uO any W. S-
words:
LIST. By way of instruction to a large class
(outside of our church, who Notwithstanding
the prevalence of information, seem despite
it all, to be wholly ignorant of the make
up" of this most important body OF the
Methodist Episcopal ehurch-the General
Conference.
I'd. By way of advice (by no means author
itatively) to the annual and lay conferences,
as to the persons who should be selected (by
them) to represent us (the people, in that
body.
To the former we would say by way of
General Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal church answering to
the General Assembly of the Presbyterian
and the General Convention of the Protestant
Episcopal church, meets once in four years,
upon the LIST of May. 1t is composed of del
egates, ministerial and lay, from the annual
conferences, the former being elected by the
members in full standing of the annual con-
ference and the latter by an electoral confer
ence or convention of laymen Zone from each
charge elected by the quarterly conference)
which electoral conference is held, at the
seat of the annual conference, upon the third
day of its session. The number of ministerial
delegates consists of one for every twenty-five
members of the annual conference. The lay
delegates number two from each annual con-
ference, except such as have but one min
isterial delegate, when they are entitled to
but one delegate each. These delegates,
ministerial and lay, form the general confer
ence of the church, and it requires two-thlrds
of the whole number of ministerial and lay
delegates to form quorum for the transac-
ton of business. The general conference is
presided over by the bishops, day after day,
alternately according .(by custom or courtesy
at least) to seniority.
So much for instruction. If any desire
more, we refer them to the discipline of the
church, which is a small book costing about
forty cents.
And now as to who should be selected as
delegates to the general conference:
AS this is Gas already intimately the highest
and therefore most important ecclesiastical
body of our church, it is but natural to sup
pose that those composing it should be, as far
as possible, representative men, with all that
term implies. This perhaps is always true
in the aggregate but not in the abstract.
Some are selected because of their elOquence
This is wrong because eloquence is not neces-
sarily concomitant of business qualifca-
tons. Some of the most eloquent of men
preachers and otherwise-have been the very
poorest of business men imaginable. Others
are selected because of partisGnship. They
represent a certain inner circle, that has
special personal ends in view without regard,
at times, to the general good of the whole
church or conference. We do not believe
this spirit obtains very largely, but wherever
it does it certainly is productive of great
harm AS DIR. Buckley wisely observes, "Of
all things the most to be dreaded is cliques"
Again, others (he majority heretofore) are
selected simply because they are presiding
elders We do not say presiding elders should
not go; we believe they should, but not
simply and only because holding this import
ant, toilsome and often thankless position.
Presiding elders are not necessarily repre-
sentative men, either in ability or business
management. That they generally are, we
admit, but not always. Some men are put
into the eldership at times, as sort of COM
promise, there being no other suitable place
where they can be easily and without friction
placed. Of course such have no valid claims
to general conference honors.
Still others are selected because of an
opinion entertained by the conference that
neeo men are needed and hence new men are
selected without regard always to fitness in
any sense. Now, it is our opinion new men
should be brought forward, young men,
iloiuR, pIOlni5lLS hSu, anu tduo dO1OiC0,
because it requires training and experience to
become efficient general conference workers
but not solely on the ground that they are
new and that by going, some one else will be
crowded out. This is false policy.
Who then should be sent? We answer,
the men best fitted by ability, business quail
fcations, coupled with sterling religious
character, whether presiding elder, young,
middle-aged or old. But says one, should
the same men be returned year after year !?
We answer, yes, most certainly if they have
proven themselves the proper men.
Upon this principle New England has for
many years controlled the legislation of this
nation They find the right man, elect him,
and then keep him there until he learns to be
statesman and yields commanding in
fuence.
There are such men in every conference
and they should be continued, until from old
age or feebleness they become incapacited
The conferences, SO represented by these
veterans in service, have the controlling in
fuence in the church to-day.
But enough of this. We want now to make
lay recommendation. AS but two laymen
can be selected it is important that the best
men are brought forward and thus honored.
1t is not every conference that has within its
bounds men of national and church reputa-
tons. Some, however, are so blessed. We
rejoice that the New Jersey conference is
numbered among these. Already has it got
ten to itself honor by honoring the gentleman
whom we would now recommend. Do you
ask, Who is he? We answer, He is gentle
maintained without ostentation; of i'm
portant public positions without arrogancy !;
wealthy without pride or stinginess; true