Morning journal and courier., 1888-05-19

means. Some of the brethren too are SO lit tie mindful of Episcopal prerogatives tha they will not even consent, without protest
 to have a bishop enjoy good cigar if h. wants to. Actually resolution has been in troduced on this subject-in fact ssvera
 have. It is supposed too that these resolu
 tions cut both ways, having reference no
 only to some who are in the office, but t.
 some of the outs who want to get in, but
 whom some of their more punetilious
 brethren think should not be allowed to dc
 so until, as the resolution expresses it.
 they swear to forever abstain from the
 use of tobacco"
 The only occasion since the woman ques-
 ton was settled when there has been a fnl1
 house was when Bishop Taylor reported his
 work in Africa. In appearance this man is tall and gaunt, with long patriarehal beard deep set and lustrous eyes, and the air of man who believes implicitly both in God and in himself. By mu1titudes he is re- garded as one of the greatest heroes of modern times. His pet idea is the chris tianizing of heathendom on the self-sup- porting plan. On this plan be has estab- lished great mission in India and anoth. or in South America. Owing to the pres- tige of these achievements the last confer ence elected him by an almost unanimous vote missionary bishop to Africa, and in the vsry heart of the dark continent he has planted missions on the same plan. He has disdained to use missionary money, except- ing as he could use it without dictation from headquarters, and has refused to draw his salary from the missionary treasury. though three thousand dollars year kaye been offered him. His contention is that he is as muck bishop as the rest of the fellows, and that he ought to get his psy from the same fund. He always objects to having his sef-supporting missionary work controlled by the regular missionary board, his reason for this being, as he character istically expressed it in his report. that
 "their methods and his would no more harmonize than coal yard and a millin- cry store would work in harmony" What the conference will do with this heroic genius remains to be seen. Probably, how ever, they will send him back to Africa
 with increased authority, though desper- ate effort will be made by some to have his term of Episcopal service brought to 8 speedy and inglorious termination.
 Echoes from the great debate on the ad- mission of women are still heard occasion ally It is said that great genius once obs served to his wife, "Woman, with all thy faults love thee stili;' but the trouble is here, as it was there, that woman won't be still; nor will the knights errant who have entered the lists as her champions. It is now alleged that the contest on this question was secret fight for the third party, Prohi- bition, in which, by the defeat of Miss Wil- lard and her fellow delegates of Wo- mems Christian Temperance Union fame. that clause came to grief. It is also alleged on the other side, that personal spite and official jealousy had much to do in keeping the women out, some who worked against them doing so in settlement of old scores cherished against the fair applicants, and others laboring to keep them out for fear that if they got in they would run of with some of the offices, as for instance, so these people aver, the editorship of the New York Christian Advocate. Really, however, such allegations and rumors are unworthy of cree dence, and what is more they are disoredita- ble to the side which organizes them. The status of the question now is that, to make woman's admission legal, the annual confer ence are to pass upon it. But there is a pro- position now pending, and likely to be adopted, which will give the entire church an opportunity to be heard on the subject. The plan is to allow every member, male or female, who is over twenty-one years of age, to vote upon this new departure, just as was done when it was proposed to admit laymen to this body.
 The question of Methodist nnion is com manding attention. Great strides have been made in this direction in recent years. The Methodist bodies of the world, after long period of separation, marked by various de grees of hostility, first looked into one an others faces and felt the throb of com~ mon Methodist heartbeat in 1881 at the great Ecumenical conference held in Lon- don. Shortly after that gathering a union of all the Methodist churches of Canada was announced. Then in 1884 came the centennial Methodist conference in Balti- more, aHording the American brethren an- other favorable opportunity of shaking hands and exchanging greetings. Since then there has been strong movement towards organic union in Great Britain; in fact the Irish Methodists have effected such union. And now come two or three propositions before the present conference for a union of the Methodist Episcopal church with the body which went off on the slavery question for. ty-four years ago, when the general confer ence was last held in this city. body which now has fully half as many members as this church. These resolutions, which are re- ferred to the csmmittee on the state of the church, call for the appointment of com mittee of thirteen, consisting of five laymen and five ministers, with three bishops, to confer and act on this great question with a similar committee which it is hoped the church South will appoint.
 What the immediate outcome will be is not yet apparent. It is settled, however, that a second Eeumenical conference will be held three years hence, and that it will convene on this side the Atlantic. It goes without saying too that such gathering will help along this holy cause of Methodistic union And meanwhile -Methodists both North and South will rejoice to know that this cause is being sensibly advanced by the wise and ge- nisl ministrations in private and public of Rev. S.. A. Steel, D. D., who comes from the this body. H. T.