Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-05-11

Then came the second question:; Do "consti-
buttons grow" 80 that women may now be
admitted as delegates by mere consent of this
body, or must the matter be referred back to
the annual conferences, who have the power
to change the ecclesiastical constitution, just
as three-f ourths of the states must act to
change the constitution of the United
Statesr And the weight of opinion in
the conference Is that the question must
be so referred, as the constitution does
not permit the admission of women, but
it may be added that at least half of those
who opposed the present admission of women
avowed their intention to support the pro
posed amendment
The question is revived by the choice this
year of a few women delegates, of whom
Miss Frances E. Willard is best known.
Among the most active and able advocates
of admitting the women at once were Rev. j.
II. Potts, of The Michigan Advocate; Rev.
William Bush, of Dakota, Rev. Theodore F.
Flood, editor of the Chautauquan, Gen.
Hurst, of Chillicothe, O.; Rev j. B. Hamil
ton and others. The opposition was led, and
very ably led, by Rev. J. H. Buckley, editor
of The Christian Advocate who produced a
letter from Senator Edmunds on the princi
Piles of constitutional law and the admission
of members on certificate to any elected body
This led to very animated discussion, in
which constitutional principles were searched
out and applied at great length. We give
but the main points, disregarding resolutions
and workings, as the matter goes back now
to the constituent bodies.
The Metropolitan Opera house is beauti
fully suited for the conference. On the
ample stage sat the bishops, secretaries and
distinguished visitors; in the orchestra the
large body of reporters; the main floor was
filed with the delegates, lay and clerical,
while back of them rose the five great circles
filed with interested spectators On the
floor are sixty colored men, representing
their branch of the great Methodist body;
also Methodist Chinaman, and several Ger
mans, Scandinavians and other Europeans.
The powers of the conference are two extern
sive to be enumerated. 1t is, in short, the
great legislative body of the Methodist
world, and takes cognizance of everything,
from an account in the Book Concern
to the character of a bishop Much interest
centers in the three bishops to be chosen,
for the selection Of a chief officer of the
church is a personal matter and easily un.
derstood. OF the present incumbents no one
has served over eighteen years. Those who
have filled this term Of years are Thomas
Bowman, Randolph s. Foster, Stephen NJ
Merrill and Edward G. Andrews; those who
have served a less time are Henry w. War
rem, Cyrus D. Foss and John F. Hurst, eight
years, and William x. Ninde, John M. Wal
den, Willard F. Mallalieu. Charles 81. Fowler
and William Taylor, four years Since 1877:
sixteen bishops have been elected, and five
of them have died-a little less than a thirt
Of the whole number. Reckoning in the fiv'
senior bishops who were already In Office a
the opening Of the general conference of 1872
out of twenty one bishops living in the perioc
from 1S72-lSSS, ten, or nearly one-half, hav'
| died