The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-05-02
M. E. GENERAL CONFERENCE
The Quadrennial Session Opened in Due
Form, Bishop Bowman Presiding.
Protests Against Admission of Female Dele
gates and Objections to a Number of the
Other Ssx-A Report Expected To-Day.

New YORK. May 1.-The General Conference
of the Methodist Episcopal Church opened its
session. this morning. in the Metropolitan
Opera house. Long before the appointed hour
tho vast auditorium commenced to FL up with
the ministerial delegates. The bishops occupied
seats on the stage. The galleries were crowded
with ladies and gentlemen and the boxes with
the wives Of delegates and their friends. The
proceedings were opened with prayer. singing
and the reading of the Scriptures Bishop Foss
read passage from the Bible. and Rev. DR..
Quinn, of Wisconsin. delivered the prayer.
Bishop Bowman. the senior bishop, presided
and conducted the exercised Al the conclusion
Of the religious exercises, Bishop Bowman said:
We are at this hour in the presence of new sur
roundngs: which call for . new movement in the
election of delegates. At first each candidate pre-
scented his credentials in person, and in ordinary
this sim pie method of procedure was satsfsc-
tory. but. as the movement spread and the number
became necessary especially when information Is re-
ceived from reliable sources that number OF those
Ineligible The list Of candidate. hi. year is large
eligibility is not e. satisfactorily s stab
been lodged in our hands TO be
dealt with by the conference when the question OF the
% the :Ss +
shall not be called until quorum OF unchalleneed
delegates shall DO found to be present The confer
will then act is just and lawful. We are
that stand in the presence of several i'm
portant questions requiring our decisisor, and We
urge upon you the necessity OF patience and earnest
prayers for our guidance IN determining what course
shall be most Just and most likely TO further the In
terests OF, our church.
Al the close Of Bishop Bowman's remarks,
Rev. DR.. T. b. Medley. Of Philadelphia, gave
notice that he had statement TO make when
abe question Of the eligibility OF candidates for
delegates came before the conference.
The number OF ministerial delegates elected
il 2ss. and tho number OF lay delegates l75.
Among the lay delegates are six women. Among
the reserve delegates every State and Territory
in the Union 10 represented, and there are dele
gates from Canada. Mexico. China. Japan,
Africa; Italy, Germany, Sweden. Norway.
Switzerland and India
On motion of Rev. Dr. DIN, David 8. Monroe
was elected permanent secretary.
The delegates then discussed the appointment
OF q COMMITTEES to report upon contested seats.
Rev. Dr. j. w. Hamilton proposed that two
committees be formed, consisting of one clerical
member and one lay member from each district
respectively. and that they be instructed to re-
port at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning.
Rev. DR.. Olin seconded this, and 1t was
adopted. The leading questions TO be settled by
the committee the admission OF women a.
delegates and the admission Of delegates from
foreign countries.
Ex-Judge Enoch L. Fancher made the address
Of welcome Bishop Bowman replied and
thanked the members of the New York Confer
ence for tho hospitality extended.
Bishop Bowman afterwsrd presented papers
| containing the names of contested delegates
Dr. Nelly demanded the names Of the con-
tested delegates. and of those who had present
| ed the protests. He said he wanted TO know the
nature of the protests. and not have them FL
tered through q committee.
Amendment after amendment was offered,
| until Bishop Andrews arose and said the bishops
wanted she papers to bs read openly. and de-
| sired no delicacy to DO shown In making every
thing public. The papers were finally read.
president of the Women's Christian Temper.
jackson, Mich; Mrs Angelina F. New
man. who is prominent 10 the anti.
Of Nebraska Miss Mary Need. Mrs IA;zie d.
| Vankirk, Of PittsburR: Mrs. Henrietta Hodgetts
| and Mrs. Rose S. Harding. Of North Nebraska;
| Mrs. Sallie NJ. Logan and Mrs. Sallie N. Nee
dies, Of Southern Illinois; MIRA ]. NJ. Hart
| Colorado; Mrs. Jennie r. Preston. Mrs. c. r.
Cleveland. and Mrs L. S. Coleman.
Bishop Bowman appointed two committees, Of
sixteen each. consisting OF one from each OF the
| twelve districts and four at large to consider
the eligibility Of the women and the foreign
| delegates. The names Of the mon who have
| been protested against are John M. Cornell,
| John M. Phillips and Robert T. Pat
tisop, lay delegates elect from the con-
fsrsness Of Italy. Mexico and North
India. respectively. and John Z. Richards. from
Montana. Those who signed the protests against
| these and the women are h Z. Bentley, West
| Virginia Conference; r. p. Raymond. Missouri
| Conference; II. H Hitchcock, Detroit Confer
snce; G. Gordon, Michigan Conference; VIM
| Koenick. St Louis German; E A. Losbsr. Chi
caeo German; j. II. johnson. Norway; A.
| H. Haasensen, Norwegian and Danish;
r. s' aSsssr Central Central f iii"s,.
| A..Wheeler. Eric Conference. and Calvin Pick.
ert, Tennessee Conference. The members give
| two reasons for entering their protest against
| the admission OF the women. First on the
| ground that their admission implies and compsls
| vital Interpretation by this body OF law
not enacted by the General Confer.
| ence, but which was ordained by
the constitutional process; and second,
because their admission modifes the construc-
| ton Of the General Conference ia q manner to
| an extent not contemplated by those who gave
| tho latter its delegated power The foreign
delegates are objected to the ground that
| they do not reside within the bounds of the con-
| ferences whose certificates they bear.
John +. Richards, from the Montana Confer.
| epce, is objected to on the ground that he was
elected by q conference not convened in accord
auce with the plain provision Of the Discipline,
| both as TO time and place.
Bishop Randolph Foster presided after recess.
| The entire afternoon occupied in drawing
| the names of the delegates from q box for choice
| OF seats In the auditorium. The report from
the committee considering the eligibility Of
| women will be presented at the opening OF the
| proceedings tomorrow, and will doubtless Gre
| ate considerable discussion.