St. Paul daily globe., 1888-05-05
IMONG THE METHOD|STS.
bishop Foss Presided at the Conference
Yesterday.
HALL THE WOMEN VOTE?
The Discussion Becomes Warm--An
Amendment to the General
Laws.

ference, opened with prayer. The order
of the day, continued from yesterday,
was the debate on the report OF the
committee on the eligibility of women
Law delegates to the conference. There
was large audience present. The de-
bate was opened by Rev. DR.. A. B.
Leonard, of the Cincinnati conference.
An effort was made to pass resolution
closing the debate at II O'Clock, but IL
failed. Rev. DR.. Leonard began by say
ing he had received a number of anony-
mons letters warning him not to speak
in favor of admitting women. He was
a strong advocate of the admission OF
women. Replying to DR.. Buckley
speech, he cited the laws of the church
and argued that they favored the
women's side of the case. He said that
certain insinuations in the addresses of
the bishops were surprising. Women
have been regarded laymen from the
beginning. They are allowed 10 Fote III ~
the Law conference for delegates, ana IL
fhey are entitled to vote they are en-
titled to seats. 1t was understood III
1872. when it was agreed TO admit lay
delegates to the general conference,
that the door was opened for the ad-
mission of women. Dr.. Leonard claimed
that DR.. Queal had made certain state
ments about the laws OF the church
which proved the stand he the speaker
had taken was correct. Dr. tlueal arose
and said that DR.. Leonard had mlSrep-
resented him. DR.. Leonard closed by
saving that if women were not to be
recognized they should not
BE ALLOWED TO VOTE
for the election of lay delegates. Rev.
John Milev. president OF the Drew heO-
logical seminary OF the New York con-
ference. spoke against the ADMISSION OF
women. lie said that if the laws OF the
church were properly interpreted tney
would prOVe that women are not ellSl-
BILE. and then. besides. no one wanted
them III the central conference. II the
question of the admission of women
were submitted to vote of the women
in the church, nine out of ten would
vote against the admission OF women
delegates Rev. }. Il. Day, of the New
York conference, argued against the ad-
mission of women. ''When the law was
passed for the admission OF lay dele
gates.'' he said, lit was never intended
that women should be delegates TO the
general conference" 1t was proposed
To-day to make one of the most Stupend-
Ous pieces of legislation. that has been
known to ChristiandOm. He was not
opposed to women dong the WORK tlat
she is capable Of doing, but he did not
think that she should intrude upon the
general conference. The question had
never been submitted to the general
vote of the church. Before the question
was settled it should be submitted to
vote. Nothing should be done Incau-
tiously. We do not know what place
we want women to occupy. If women
are admitted just so many men Will be
displaced. The force of the lay dele
CATION would be weakened. Woman
has not
THE NECESSARY EXPERIENCE.
If she Is admitted she should come in
as an added force and not as weaken
ing force. Gen. Samuel Z. Hurst, dairy
and food commissioner of Ohio, the first
lavman to gain the floor, defended the
right of women to admission. He allu-
ded to the opponents of the women as
''old 1ogies" He criticized the bishops
address. The Episcopacy, he said, did
not interpret the law of the church, but
the general conference does. The con-
ference is to be considered as the su-
preme court, sitting as body to enter
pret the law. Woman does not come
here as a Strong-minded person demand
ing admittance, but she comes as the
representative of the lay conference.
The word "laymen'' was Interpreted to
mean all members of the church not
represented in the ministry. That is
the law, and if women are 'laymen"
they are entitled to admission. Women,
he continued, do more work in the
church than the men. They are more
numerous than men. The spirit of the
age is against the opponents of woman,
and the law is against them. The gen
eral conference of 1874 settled the queS-
ton of the rights of the slave, and to-
day the church will settle the rights of
the women. Prof. C.. J. Little, of
Syracuse university. followed Mr..
Hurst. He said he was not
in favor of the admission of
women at the present time, because the
church at large had not expressed an
opinion on the subject. He wanted
women to sit there. but when they came
he wanted them to come conStitutionally
and by the consent of tie whole church.
Rev. +. B. Nealy, of Philadelphia, said
he was in favor of submitting the queS-
ton to the annual conferences. He Of
fered
THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENT
10 the report of the committee: But
since there is great interest in this queS-
ton, and since the church generally
should be consulted in regard to such
an important matter, therefore,
Resolved, That we submit to the an
nual conferences the proposition to
amend she second restrictive rule by add
ing the words land said delegates may be
men or women" after the words two
lay delegates for an annual conference"
so that it will read: Nor of more
than two lay delegates for an annual
conference, and said delegates may be
men or women"
The amendment was seconded by DR..
PaXs0n, and will be voted on at the
lawyer from DeS MoineS, argued that
women are eligible. lie urged that
they should be seated at the present
their eligibility be submitted to the
annual conferences afterward. Alden
Speare, of New England, spoke in
favor of DR.. Nealy's amendment, and
LOniS r. FiSle, of Detroit, president of
Albion college. opposed it. Gov. p. c.
Lounsberry, of Connecticut, moved
that vote be taken on the amendment
on Monday at II o'clock. The motion
was ruled out of order. Dr. Buckley.
who had seconded it. got the floor
There were objections on the ground
that he had already spoken to the
question. lie said he had not spoken
to the amendment, and was permitted
by the chair to proceed. Then num-
berleSS points of order were raised with
the object of shutting DR.. Buckley off.
The effort was successful. as before he
could get an opportunity to speak the
hour of adjournment for the day arrived.
Hopelessiy Insane.