Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1884-05-06
The General Conference.

The General Conference.
a slowly Moving B0dy-Bishsp simp-
sOn-Something About Other Bishops
OrGaAizaston-WhO May be Bfshops-
The Editorship OF the ChrIstian AdvO-
cate.
PHILADELPHIA, May 8.
Te the Editor of the JOURNAL AND CeURxER:
1t is proverbial that large bodies move
slowly, and We have an illustration of this in
the fact that 1t has taken the General Con-
ference Of the NJ. E. Church three whole
days to get itself in shape for work. 1t did
not take long to determine that the mantle
Of the late secretary, the genial, but now
deceased, DR.. Woodruff. sheuld fall by courte-
sy upon the shoulders of his first assistant,
DR.. D. s. MunrOe, for this was done by &C.
clanation. Then came the formality of
welcoming the conference, which, but for
the little fun injected into it by General G.
B. Fisk, Of the Newark Conference, who
was called upon to respond for the laity,
would have passed off in the most sedate
manner imaginable.
The General observed that he believed all
the good things that had been said of Phila-
dslphiai indeed, he did not see how she
could help being . great and grand city
when she was just ON the borders of his own
State Of New Jersey. Playfully. he then be-
spoke for his fellow-delsgates the best furni-
ture and the best meals their kind hosts
could offer, and in return he promised the
ladies that none Of their visitors would chew
tobacco or smoke cigars in their rooms, add
ing that If any had intended to do this he
hoped they would reconsider and swear off,
at least for the present, promising if any
spare boxes of cigars were sent by these to
his room he would see that they were pat to
good use. This was all Jolly fun for the con-
ference, and many hearty laugh was in
dulged. ~
In having as delegate the youthful Gov
ernor of this State, who is the son of Meth
odist preacher, the body was very fortunate,
and naturally the Governor took part in these
reception ceremonies. His speech was short,
but quite to the point. He Welcomed the
delegates, he said, not simply in behalf of
the city, but for the whole State, which was
more proud OF its pre-eminence in education
al and religious matters than of either its
mineral resources or its manufacturing inter
ssts. Referring to the early beginnings of
Methodism, in contrast with its subsequent
trIumphs, he said that at first it was a little
flame, which breath might have extin-
guished, whereas now it was great lamp,
giving light to all the world
The pleasure of the conference at having
its senior episcopate, Bishop Simpson,
present at the opening services was very
manifest But it cost the venerable man q
great eHort to be there, and he looked but
the shadow of his former self The church
begins to realize now that Bishop simpsons
work is almost finished, and that the one
who was ranked for years as the most slo-
quent of Americas pulpit orators must soon
join the silent majority. After the opening
ceremonies the distinguished invalid left the
conference and was driven back to his home
To-day he Is reported to be a little better.
The bishops preside in the order of senior.
ity in Office. Upon Bishop Simpsons retire
ment Bishop Bowman took the chair, and
since then it has been occupied successfully
by Bishops Harris, Foster, Wiley and Mer-
rili Bishop Bowman had severe illness
seIne time ago, but he looks fresh and well
now, and doubtless is good for many years
of active labor. He is q small, thin man,
with sharp, clean-shaven features, and looks
the very picture of refined intellectually
Bishop Harris is low in stature, but built
right up from the ground-a solid, heavy,
forcible and good natured man of business
Twelve years of episcopal work seem to have
left him none the worse for wear, though his
hair has whitened under the ordeal. Bishop
Foster has all the dignity necessary to the
episcopal Office, but he has other qualities as
sen-culturs, strength of character, broad
acquaintance with the world, and, withal, it
is said, a very kind heart. This bishop finds
the details Of his Office irksome as years creep
on; but for the general and essential work of
the episcopscy he is as well adapted as ever.
Bishop Wiley has gained in fash lstterly, and
has better color; but his health is by no
means good. Still, he does his work, and
does it well. A man of fine attainments and
ripe scholarship, he is nevertheless unassum-
l1kl s. 4 L.
liest of Methodist preachers have no difficulty
in approaching him. In the qualities of con-
descension and plainness, however, the palm
must be given to Bishop Merrill Upon him |
honers sit as easily as we'll trained jockey |
upon thoroughbred, which reminds nae that |
this is just what Bishop Merrill is-a |
gentleman, straightforward, |
honest, kind, and yet not nanby-pamby, nor |
in the least unmindful of the responsibilities |
of his high Office. The other bishops have |
yet to appear, and I reserve comment upon |
them for future letter.
There was naturally great anxiety on the |
part of the delegates to get good seats. Those
sitting near tho platform not only hear bet
ter what Is going ON, but stand better
chance than others of catching the speakers |
eye" when they wish to throw light upon the
subjscs under debate. It is customary for
The delegates from each conference to sit to-
gether, just as they do in political conven-
lions, and, to determine their location, cards
bearing the name of each are drawn from
hat. the first to come out having first choice,
and so on until the process is complete. This
is fair enough, and the lucky ones never com
plain. The others, however, are liable to be
and in the present instance the
delegations from the Wilmington, Minnesota
and Northern New York Conferences, whose
cards were the last three to leave the mystic
rious tile which served the purposes of q
UhAA1 0f fortuna waPnIV favor nf |
having the drawing all done over again.
Finally, however, they got seated, and then
commenced the tug of war in regard to or
ganization.
The General Conference appoints twelve
standing committees, as follows: On Episco- |
paey, on Itineracy, on Boundaries, on Re- |
vivals, on Temporal Economy, on State of the
Church, on Book Concern, on Missions, on
on Church Extension, on Sunday |
Schools and Tracts and on Freedman's Aid |
and Work in the South. These committees |
really do the work of the conference, all me- |
morials petitions, appeals, &c, being sub |
mitted to them. besides the routine matters |
relating to the different departments indicated |
by their several titles. Hitherto they have |
consisted of one representative from each |
but for some time there has been |
a movement for making them smaller. The |
contention has been that under the old ar
rangement they were un ~isldy, and that |
many of the members did not attend. As q
matter of fact those representing small dole
cations could not attend all the meetings. for |
frequently two or more committees OF which
they were members would necessarily be
holding sessions at the same time The old |
fight, to effect q reduction, which resulted in
atthetwo preceding conferences,
came up at this, and once more, in the final
ssue, the project was defeated. The larger
delegations were nearly all in favor of the
proposition to allow one man to sit upon only
hres committees, but the smaller ones OPP
posed it on the ground that it would lessen
heir influence in legislation, and these worked
70 hard and found so many tender-hearted
that. although on the evening