The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-12

Then came the second question:. Do "consti-
tations grow" 20 that women may now DO
admitted as delegates by nero consent Of this
body, or must the matter 10 referred back to
the annual conferences, who have the power
10 change the ecclesiastical constitution, Just
as three-fourths OF the states must act 10
change the constitution Of the United
Statesi And tbe weight OF opinion in
the conference IL that the question must
be so referred, as the constitution does
not PERMIT the admission OF women; but
IL may be added that at least half Of those
who opposed the present admission Of women
avowed their intention TO support the pro-
posed amendment
The question is revived by the choice this
year Of few women delegates, Of whom
Miss Frances L. Willard Is best known.
Among the most active aud able advocates
OF admitting the women at once we're Rev. j.
H. Potts. Of The Michigan Advocate; Rev.
William Bush, Of Dakota; Rev. Theodore p.
Flood, editor OF the ChaItauquan; Gen.
Hurst, Of Chillicothe, o.; Rev. j. b. Hamil
ton and others The opposition was led, and
very ably led, by Rev. J. H. Buckley, editor
Of The Christian Advocate, who produced q
letter from Senator Edmunds on tho princi-
pies Of constitutional law and the admission
Of members on certificate 10 any elected body.
This led TO a very animated discussion, in
which constitutional principles were searched
out and applied at great length. We give
but the main points, disregarding resolutions
and workings, as the matter goes back now
20 the constituent bodies
The Metropolitan Opera house is beauti-
fully suited for the conference. On the
ample stage sat the bishops, secretaries and
distinguished visitors; in the orchestra the
large body of reporters; the main floor was
filed with the delegates, lay. and clerical,
while back of them rose the five great circles
filed with interested spectators On the
floor are sixty colored men, representing
their branch Of tho great Methodist body;
also Methodist Chinaman, and several Ger
mans, Scandinavians and other Europeans
The powers of the conference are two extern
sive TO DO enumerated. IL is, in short, the
great legislative body Of the Methodist
world, and takes cognizance Of everything,
from an account in the Book Concern
10 the character of bishop Much interest
centers in the three bishops TO DO chosen,
for the selection OF chlef officer OF the
church Is a personal matter and easily I'M
derstood or the present incumbents no one
hns served over eighteen years. Those who
hnve filed this term of years are Thomas
Bowman, Randolph S. Foster, Stephen NJ
Merrill and Edward G.. Andrews; those who
have served a less time are Henry w. War
rem, Cyrus ID. Foss and John j. Hurst, eight
years, and William X. Ninde, John NJ Wal
den, Willard +. Mallalieu, Charles H. Fowler
and William Taylor, four years Since 1872
sixteen bishops have been elected, and five
of them have died-a little less than a third
of the whole number. Reckoning in the five
senior bishops who were already in Office at
the opening Of the general conference of 1872,
out of twenty-one bishops living in the period
from 1S72-lsSs, ten, or nearly '""-half, have
died