Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-11
TIE METHODISTS.
The Conference Discusses the Question
OF the Admission Of Wsmsn. as
Lay Delegates.
1t Was Foolish to Say That IL women We
Admitted Men Would BE Ex.
clud.d-A Vote.

NEW YORK, May 5-The interest in tn,
Methodist Episcopal general conference
increases daily. To-day there was I
larger audience present than on any pre-
vious day. Bishop J. F. Hurst presided
and the religious services were conducted
! by Rev. J. S. Wilson of South Carolina.
Rev. Dr.-J NJ. Buckley claimed tn:
floor. He said he only wanted to sci
himself right in regard to certain remark:
he had made In regard to the eligibility Of
women as delegates. He claimed that as
the house had adjourned yesterday with
out fixing any special order the rules
would have to be suspended before the
debate could be continued.
The rules were again suspended and
Mr.. Clinton 3. Fisk took the floor to ad.
voCste the admission of women. As
women were made class-leaders, preach.
ers and members of the quarterly con-
ferences they were entitled to seats in
the conference. Their cause was holy
one.
General Fisk commended thst there was
nothing in the law of the church which
says lay delegate shall not be woman.
II would be revolutionary to turn women
outside of the general conference and tn
church could not afford TO exclude them.
1t YVES foolish to say that if
women are elected men will be
excluded. No lawyer would
deny the right of women to seats in the
convention, for tho law of the church
entitled them to admission. "Are we 80
cowardIy," asked General Fisk, "that we
would refuse to admit women for fear
che would fill the place of a mann"
Rev. A. j. Killet of lows, secretary of
the Church Extension Society, favored
the admission of women and said that
Baptists and Congregationalists admitted
them to their conference.
R9v. 81. D. Moore of Colorado said
that women should not he admitted. In
closing DR.. Moore offered the substitute
previously submitted. It WAS in effect
that as the eligibility of women
as lay delegates had been challenged as
unconstitutional, 1t wss of the utmost
Importance that no dou5s should exist in
regard to the admission OF women with
out giving Interpretation to the rule of
the church and discleimlng all intention
Of establis ing precedent By the action
now proposed by the resolution. The
substitute further provides that during
the month of October, 1890, general
convention Shall be held IL each church
and that all members be called
upon either to vote for or
against the admission of women
as lay delegates. The election shall be-
held under the direction of the preacher
and II it is determined by this vote to ad-
NIT women the rule shall be amended so
as to read "men or women" Should q
msjority of the church be in favor OF the
ad mission OF women as lay delegates then
the general conference in 1892 can COM
plete the change. The substitute bears
signatures Of David Moore, John Frey and
General Swindel.
Rev. C. Pendleton moved the previous
question. The motion was seconded and
it locked as II the question would be
settled then, and considerable excitement
existed while the vote was being taken.
When the announcement was made /. was
discovered that the motion WAS lost.
The vote stood 1872 against l79.
Rev. " N. McElroy was in favor Of
women.
Rev. D. Gray, president OF the DIckln-
son Female Seminary of Williamspore,
Pa, was opposed to women being present
willie the vote WAS being taken on ques-
ton.
After some desultory discussion an ad-
journment was had until Monday.