Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-05-08
Women areNotLayIn
They Are Therefore Excluded
 from the Conference.
A MAJORITY OF TWO VOTES.

A A Weeks Spirited Debate Ends in De-
 feat for the Fair Sex, but Perhaps
 They Will Be Admitted to Future
 Conferences.
 NEW YORK, May s.-It took nearly a week to do it, but the Methodist general conference has finally decided that women are ineligible to that body under the present constitution. It has resolved also to submit to the annual conference an amendment to the rules of the church that will admit them to future general conferences.
 Both these important results were accom- plished yesterday by the small majority of two votes, and the friends of the woman dele gates contemplate sadly the great things that might have been accomplished by change of one of these to their side tha5 would have tied the vote of the lay dee5a tes, and de feated the committe report against the women. Tn n the gallantry of the confer ence might have allowed the women to sit without further opposition
 Bishop William x. Ninde, of Topeka, was the presiding officer yesterday, and the Rev. J. H. Johnson, of tic Norway conference, conducted the devotional exercises. Secre- tary Monroe announced that Lay Delegate Leavitt Bates of the New England Southern conference, had died suddenly at the Sturte- want house at 5:45 o'clock Sunday evening, only a few hours after the death of his fellow delegate from Maine, the Rev. Dr. Charles J. Clarke. MT. Bates had been walking about the corri- dors few minutes previous to his death, ap- parenty in good health. The bishop ap- pointed committees to draft appropriate resolutions in relation to the death of Dr. Clarke and Delegate Bates, and resolutions were adopted expressing the sorrow of the conference at the death of the daughter of Delegate Denny, of the Puget Sound confer ence.
 The debate on the committee report against the woman delegates was resumed by a special vote. Dr. H. H. Moore of tho Erie conference, gained a hearing, and spoke in advocacy of the cause of tho women.
 Dr. Arthur Edwards, of Detroit, was for the committees report and Dr. Neely's amendment, but against the substitute offered by Dr. Moore No compromise was possible he thought. If the present woman delegates were seated, it would afford precedent that could not be overthrown.
 Judge Seneca N. Taylor, of the St. Louis Conference, wanted the women excluded.
 When Dr. Jacob Tod, of Wilmington con- ference, opened his speech with the announce ment that he presumed they were reaching the end of this memorable struggle, he was greeted with 8 storm of amens. He argued against the admission of women under the present rules of the church.
 There were loud cries for a vote when Dr. Tod had finished, but Chancellor Harrison, o1 California, managed to get ill a plea for the sex that composed two thirds of the body ol the church, the sex that Con the burning sands of Africa, in the presidential swamps o1 India, and in the leprous streets of Chinese cities was holding up the standard of the cross."
 Dr. J. H. Bayliss, of Cincinnati editor o1 The Western Christian Advocate pointed out the fact the definition of the word lay man, as laid down in the rules of the church made it possible to compose the general con ference of ministerial delegates exclusively if the electoral conferences saw fit to do so and if an interpretation SO liberal were possi ble, why could not the word layman be helt | applicable to both sexes? He wanted wome1 admitted and, by and by, he wanted to nov that committee be appointed to find ou what the constitution did mean, anyway.
 He was succeeded by Histoaian John c l Riddath, of De Pauw university. Professor | Ridpath took the woman side of the question Dr. John Lanahan, of Baltimore earne' the gratitude of the convention and of tn spectators by moving the previous question The vote in favor of the motion was almos 1 unanimous.
 Chairman Shinkle, of the committee tha reported against seating the women yielde the committees right to the final speech t ex-Senator Warner Miller, who was mem | Der of the committee and agreed to suppor its findings.
 Then a vote was ordered on Dr. Moore substitute for the committee report. It wa defeated overwhelmingly. Various parlia mentary expedients were resorted to to defe the vote on the remaining questions Finall the amendment by Dr. Neely was adopted b vote of 249 to IFS. The vote on the con mittee report as thus amended was delaye as long as possible. The leaders on tn women's side were eager to gain avery poss ble advantage. Dr. T. l.. Flood, of Th Chautauquan, moved, as a ministerial dele gate, that the vote be taken by orders The object of this was to make necessary to secure a majority of th to adopt the report. One-third of tn members of either order in the conferenc can order such vote. Dr. Floods motto was lost, but when it was offered by La Delegate Cumback the laymen carried i Dr. Kynett wanted the committees resol, lutions voted on seriatim. His motion to thu ) effect brought out chorus of sounds tn. were as near to howl of disapproval Methodist decorum will permit. Dr. Kyne
 withdrew his motion, and others of dilato1
 character were voted down. Then the yes ;, and nays were recorded on the question adopting the amended report of the commi
 tee. The ministerial delegates voted 159 f. P and 122 against the report. The lay del gates stood 7S for and 76 against the repor
 A tie, or a majority against the report
 either order, would have defeated it.
 The committee report thus adopted declar
 vacant the seats occupied by the five "ele ] ladies' The ladies declared ineligible a
 Amanda c. Ripley, of the Kansas conferenc
 Mary c. Mind, Minnesota conference; Ane c F. Newman, Nebraska conference; Lizzie ' Van Kirk, Pittsburg conference, and Franc
 E. Willard, of the Rock River conferene
 The amendment by Dr. T. B. Nicely, of Phil