Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-03
MEETING OF MINISTERS.
The Annual General Conference OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church Being
9 Held In New York.
The Opening Address R-ad-rhe Growth
OF skspsicisun, the Sunday News-
paper and the L. uor Traffic.

NEW YORK, May 2.-The secon days.
session of the twentieth Annual General
Methodist Conference opened promptly
at 9 O'Clock this morning at the Metro
poiitan opera house. Bishop Stephen NJ
Morrill, occupied the chair. the pro-
ceedipgs opened with prayer aud residing
OF the scripture. Bishop Morrill, then
read the address of the Bishop extending
to the delegates the episcopal greeting
aud blessing. The address reviewed the
revival work that has been going on in
the church since the last conference four
wears ago. Since then not less than
4s0, 900 souls have been brought into the
church. The membership has increased
from 1,768,5 to 2,093,93 There has
been great Improvement in the architect
ursI designs of the churches. The edu
cationsl work of the church has made
grI st strides.
Pace reigns throughout Msthodism
ana no serious agitation threstens the
unity Of the denomination. Considera-
BILE correspondence has been had with the
English church about the conference be-
tween the English and American churches
to be held in the United States in 1891.
Delegates were urged to support only Of
fetal book concerns and papers.
After celebrating st length on the
growth of sKepticism the address advice
that only men OF scholarly minds who are
able to cope wita the srgum ants of the
SCOT rs should be placed in the pulpits.
Attention was called to the standing CT
missionary bishops. The number OF
delegates to the quadrennial conference
was spoken of and it was suggested tina,
some change should be made thst would
limit the representation. The increas
ing arrival on our shores Of members
of the Roman Catholic church makes
It'll imperative that the members of the
Methodist church should work to con-
vert them. The bishops are Of the opin-
ion thst the Church OF R )me is snare
to the people, and threatens our institu-
tions.
The struggle between capital and labor
is referred to in the address, and it was
denied that the church hiss any right to
take part in political struggles, or had
taken part IN them. Il WAS advised that
steps should be taken to adopt some
regular order of WORSHIP, so that all
church forms would be the same.
The bishop severely criticised Sunday
newspapers The liquor traffic was de-
preea ed sld total prohibition advised
The liquor traffic, 1t was held, could not
be 9 leg,lizsd sin. Members OF the
church were advised to work for the
destruction of the insidious traffic.
Report of the committee ap-
pointed to report on the
eligibility of women as delegates
WAS then brought forward. 1t WAS pre-
sented by Rev. DR.. Shinkle. The clm-
mittee reported that after serious discus
sion they have become convinced that
when the rule was passed relative to the
admission of lay delegates to the general
conference, the church contemplated the
admission Of men only as lay delegates.
Under the constitu ion and laws
women are not eligible and the confer
ence agreed that q protest against
it should be sustained, and that the con-
ferences from which they were sent be
notified that the seats are vacant. The
report was signed by eleven members OF
the committee, and six Of the members
refused to sign. 1t was resolved that de-
bate on the subject should be stopped
until tomorrow, when 1t Eshould be the
order of the day.
Rev. Barnes of Michigan offered reso-
lution to the effect that the previous
question shall not be called for tomorrow
until sill delegates had had q chance to
speak upon the question. The resolution
was not adopted.
This evening the delegates were enter
tained:in the opera house by the Method
lists Social Unicn.