Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-05-18

Debate on the Woman Question list %
Debaters--Ihe Calm After the storm.

The conference at TINS time reminds one
of ship recently emerged from u severe
tempest She has had Il fearful shaking
up, but the timbers hold together and the
machinery is all right. She is slightly
dsngured-how could it be otherwise
after the hard knocks given her, and es-
pecially since, in the exclusion of the feir
sisters. she has lost the most ornamental
part of her rigging? But the good ship
still holds on her course. she Will be II
little beated by the storm, but she will
get into port ali the same. She will not,
however, be able to boast. at the end OF
her voyage as one of the steamship lines
does that she has never lost pass
ger" for she has deliberately pitched over
board quite n number who had engaged
berths, and, most sad to relate, while the
brethren were taking tins action with
reference to the women, the grim vsa9ed
monster EMBODIED in his icy embrace two
of the most honored OF the brethren, both,
by singular coincidence. hailing from
New England, be tb.dying on the same day,
at the same hotel. and, rs Is commonly be
lieved, of the same malignant disease.
The death of these two delegates has cast
a gloom over the proceedings far greater
even thar that which fell upon some OF
the more ardent spirits in consequence OF
the exclusion of the women, and the two
occurrences make certainly, taken in con
nection with the death in this city but
two days before Of the beautiful young
| lady who had come TO the conference with
her father, a delegate from Washington
| Territory, a record OF mortality for the
first six days of this gathering which bias
no parallel in past conferences, and which
! all must foudly hope will find none in fu
I ture assemblies Of the kind
| But If the storm is over the ocean is not
yet entirely still, nor has the mutterinS
| thunder ceased TO remind this stately craft
| of the perils she has braved. If, rs in the
| ballad, the strains of a famous harp echoed
| through historic halls long after the hand
evoking them had crumbled into dust, so
do reverberationS of tue recent debate
still echo through this great opera house,
and will doubtless continue to do till the
very close 1t is the judgment OF many
that these echoes will play an influential
part in the impending elections. This, no
doubt, was one reason why the final vote
was taken in such way rs to put every
fellow on record. Doubtless, too, some
were marked for the slaughter by that
| operation, If this conference may be judged
by its predecessors. In the debate itself
most OF those who have been mentioned
prominently for the epiScopacy were con
spicuous for their silence. There were,
however, four notable exceptions to this
rule viz Drs. Buckley and Day of New
York, DR.. Nicely of Pennsylvania, and DR..
Hamilton OF Boston. These evidently did
not think that discretion was the better
part of valor; at all events they sailed in.
DR.. Buckley with his accustomed agrees
iveness, did so several times, inculrlng
on that account, it is feared, the secret
displeasure of at at least 200 of the dele
gates, who tried in vain to get an oppor-
tunity to speak once But DR.. Buckley
as usual, was on the side that won, as wei {
also Drs. Nicely and Day, the sole cham
pion in the debate Of woman's side among
those who are regarded as prominent can
Il LOFT fnsf hn hiGh nil hnin hn obi oil
ric Bostonian, DR.. Hamilton.
This debate was one of the most lengthy
in the history of the church. 1t occupied
the time of the conference during the
larger part of six sessions. 1t is the com
mon remark, too, thar never before was q
subject contested in this body with such
obstinacy, not to say bitterness. The
struggle to obtain recognition from the
chair was revelation to those who did
not know previously how fond Methodsts
are of speaking in meeting. The instant
the chairman's gavel fell, announcing the
more were on their feet, and from 80
stentorian voices rang out the pitiful ap
peal, Mr.. Chairman ~ This was the or
der of affairs from the beginning OF the
debate to the close. One delegate who
was finally recognized proved to be
hoarse from his protrActed efforts to gel
the floor that it was with difficulty he coulC
be heard when he did get it. Another, OF
being recognized, said that the herculeaI
labors of two days were at length success
full and that his wife in the gallery would
no doubt telegraph at once to his c)nstitu
ents that the kindly recognition had come
just in time to save him from insanity.
The final vote, excluding the wOmeI
from the conference and submitting tn
question of their elig bility to the annua
conferences, stood: To exclude and sub
nit 237 against 1913, making a majorit,
nf n Ia "a w "a
men were so evenly divided that tn
change of one vote would have tied them
If now, the annual conferences shall de
cree by a three-tourths vote all OF the min
listers present and voting, that women ar
( eligible, and If four years hence, the ger
eral conference by tWo-thirds vote shall
, ratify the decree, the fair sisters vii
! therefore have free course IN that body
I Otherwise they will still be tolerated onl
, rs mere lookers-on. From the fact, toe
that many who voted to submit the mai
, ter to the annual conferences did So no
{ because they wish the women to come il
Il but merely rs the best method of gettin
D rid of a Troublesome question for the tim
r being, 1t looks as though their chances c
d gaining admittauce as delegates four year
Y hence were little better, if any, than il
. the present instance.
. For the benefit of their numerou
friends and as an interesting matter c
u record, ! give here the names of those VIII
took part in this great debate, indi latin
both the side they championed and tn
order in which they severally spoke. l
favor of excluding the women address,
were made by Drs. j. NJ. Buckley of Ne
York, Alfred Wheeler of Pittsburg, Il.
Queal of New York, John NJ. Miley {
Drew seminary, j, r. Day of New Yorl
g. j. Little of Philadelphia, j. koti
Nicely of Pennsylvania, II. Graham {
New York, Alden SpeaTe, ESQ, of Mass