New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-04
WOMEN AND METHODIST LAW
,,y CONFERENCE DEBATE BEGUN.
,pospEcr OF A SHARP CLOSE CONTEST.

.-rurxa LIKE A TEsT voTE-THE CONFERENCE
Almost EVENLY DIvIpED-THz DEBATKRs
AND THEIR sTYLEs-TRAvERsING
THE EPISCOPAL ADDRESS.
x,..,or nremeditatedly or not it is difficult to
hut those delegates who are interested in the
~ .ortest over the right of women to take
-, IN the deliberations of the highest delegated
"a ~ the Methodist Episcopal Church managed
80. a COMMIT of votes yesterday, which added
- aoa, Of interest to the debate on the report
shich was the order Of the day. 1t was early in
~ forenoon session ana about half hundred
eats on the aoor reserved for delegates were
,acant So far as appearances go, there was no
alan TO precipitate test vote at the time, and the
mocon on which the vote was taken was made
~, n delegate who has not been identified with
either side Of the controversy.
The Conference however, is quiok-witted body,
and il did not take q moment for the parties to
aivide in q manner which indicates that the final
vote on the question of the eligibility of women
will split the Conference very near the middle.
On the previous day the report Of the committee
nm the case of the women delegates was made the
order of the day Immediately after the reading
Of the journal Before it was called for of
the friends of the women moved that the " elect
ladies' as the bishops called Them be permitted
To occupy seats on the floor of the house. Two
points were developed by the two short speeches
made on this motion. DR.. Nelly asked to be put
ON record as unwilling to give as courtesy seats
that the women were entitled TO as rights. The
bearing of this was shown later when 1T was
asserted that the calling of the names of the women
delegates on Tuesday had fixed their rights as
members OF the body. A moment later the Rev.
C. +. Creighton caused sensation by stating that
one of the women on the previous day had been
denied access to the floor and had been compelled
TO view the proceedings from such a scat in the
gallery as had been occupied by the colored people
in the Christmas conference. This allusion to
convocaticn in Baltimore before the coored man
had achieved recognition as a man and brother
was well understood, and the parallel was required
to aftcrward by other speakers.
So far the preliminary slirmishing had pro-
reeded when the Rev. DR.. Reid brought matters
70 an issue by a call for the order of the day.
vote by show of hands was taken and Bishop
Andrews decided that the order was taken up.
There was a call for division and count which
disclosed somewhat Unexpectedly that zoe del
egates were in tho affirmative and 203 in the
negative All through the debate the feeling
had grown in intensity and IL was not lessened
when Bishop Andrews asked for the sense OF the
meeting 80 whether or not he should enforce
the rule against demonstrations OF approval or
disapproval. He put the question Immediately
after the applause which followed the Rev. Mr.
Creightons remarks There was scarcely any
response and the little war divided evenly 1t
was pretty proof of the restraining power
Of the sense of propriety and fairness prevailing
In the Conference, which soon after had stronger
confirmation than ever in the circumstance that
an effort made by Mrs Mind, one of the women
against whose eligibility as a delegate protests
had been received, to vote, was permitted to pass
With the simple remark of the Bishop that the
secretary would not count the vote.
Much discussion of the question had been had
IN tho Church journals; both sides recognized its
gravity, and both sides were anxious to begin the
debate 1t was begun, and occupied the rest OF
the session. Six delegates favored the cause OF
the women; three opposed 1t The oratorlcai
honors were harvested in greatest abundance by
the champions of the fair sex, for theirs was the
cause which appealed most to the spectators IN
the boxes and admitted most to imprisoned APP
peal The sociological question involved IN the
matter was ammunition for their magazines but
not for the opposition. The latter could but as
sert their galantry, admiration and reverence for
the SEX and then argue on the significance OF past
Church legislation and the principles of legal in
terpretation. DR.. Buckley alone attempted TO
meet the impassioned appeals Of the womenS
champions with satircal thrustS, yet the acerblty
That was in his style of augmentation called out
nc rejoinder of its kind.
There was infinite variety in the debate. DR..
Potts, Editor Of THE Michigan Christian Advo-
cate opened it. He is deaf man, with pro
file and pose of the head that recall memories OF
Charles Sumner. Not o sound did he hear of the
applause which his graceful oratory and his mel
low musical yet sonorous voice called forth. lie
discussed the legal proposition but it was when
he left the discipline that he best held his audi
cnce Like another after him, he disclosed inc
fact that there are many in the Conference VINO
are disposed to resent the attitude oil the bishops
IN the controversy. His references to The rule OF
conservatism that he said had been felt IN tho
Conference ever since it opened and his sehteh-
tious appeal :" Better relax your grip NUE.
were instances of the enjoyment or the freedom
with which Methodist General Conference speaks
TO the superintendentS of the Church VINO arc
permitted neither voice nor vote III us ueiioef"'
tons. ,. A. oosos
of the women and the coored men, Whlch hau
been ingeniously suggested by the re-; wi, Mr'
Creighton, and the Rev. Dr.. Hamilton, OF Boston
IN a speech which united the earneSthess .! ~;
Potts's manner with the quick lnteLectuany VI
the Rev. DR.. Buckleys, and added to the union -, -
charm Of its own which came from BESIDES
making its own argument and appear, prougIIC
forward its own protest against the very supele
faacy' which ne ioa6d IN et the Bishops Which
he did not wish to call and yet was a part art OF
the debate. Between the spirited speeches. OF
prs Potts Buckley and Hamilton there was as mu id
legal augmentation, happily relieved IN ne niu
die nv the Rev. Dr. Hugheys eminently Mlleslan
touching the effect Of substituting the n w f5a
aymeno for men, wherever 1t S occurs IN th bv
s sSs pf to enoy hearing their address
s Freely Bishop AnG5sws fS5 at G Ss sD oVa
bt X dohate went on without calling for sin
S SSV ruling. Twenty minutes had been assigned
and all but avS one r oSaU f tbe Pe
by SnS ,,iu no continued The closeness of the test
vote. however, has brought to attention the fact
that the party in opposition to women delegates
,oav call for q separate vote on the main ques-
ton bv the Law and ministerial delegates. In
sncb case. there must be 3 majority against IL IN
each Conference before the report against the
women can be rejected.
u.Ny CHAMPIONS OF TIE FAIR SEX.