The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-05-12
METHODIST CONFERENCE.
The Church Ship Emerges from
a Stormy Debate in Safety
BUT THE oCEHN is NOT STILL.
characteristics of the Discussion on
the Woman Question-Analysis of
the vote-Personnel OF the
Conference-Commlttees.

. the woman IlueStiOn-AnalyslsO OF
the Vote-Personne OF the
Conference-Commlttees.
Special Correspondence Orae IatcuignoT.
NEW YoRE, May lO.-The Conference
at this time reminds one of ship re-
Gently emerged from severe tempest.
She has had a fearful shaking up, but
the timbers hold together and the ma
chinery is all right. She is slightly dis
flgured-how could it be otherwise
after the hard knocks given her, and es-
pecially since, in the exclusion of the
fair sisters, she has lost the most orna-
mental part of her rigging? But the
good ship still holds on her course. She
will be little belated by the storm, but
she will go into port all 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 passenger" for she has deliberate
| ly pitched overheard quite number
who had engaged berths, and, most sad
to relate, while the brethren were
taking this action with reference
to the women, the Grim Yisaged Mons
ter enfolded in his icy embrace two OF
the most honored OF the brethren, both,
by singular coincidence, hailing from
New England, both dying on the same
day, at the same hotel, and, us is COM
monty believed, OF the same malignant
disease. The death OF these two dele
gates has cast n gloom over the proceed
ings far greater even than 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 connection with the |
death in this city but two days before OF
the beautiful young lady who had come |
to the Conference with her father,
delegate from Washington Territory, a |
record OF mortality for the first six days |
of this great gathering which has no
parallel in past Conferences, and which |
all must fondly hope will find none in
future assemblies Of the kind.
TIE OCEAN NOT ENTIRELY STILL
But if the storm is over the ocean is
not yet entirely still, nor has the NUT
tering thunder ceased to remind this
stately craft Of the perils she has braved.
II, as in the ballad, the strains OF ia
nous harp echoed through historic halls |
long after the hand evoEing them had
Crumbled into dust, SO do reverberations
OF the recent debate still echo through |
this great Opera House, and will doubt |
less 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 as to put every fel-
low OH record. Doubtless, too, some |
were marked for the slaughter by that
operation, II this Conference may |
be judged by its predecessors, =Inl
the debate itself most OF those who
have been mentioned prominently for
the episcopacy were conspicuous for
their silence. There were, however, four
notable exceptions to this rule, viz. {:
Drs. Buckley and Day OF New York, DR..
Neely OF Pennsylvania, and DR.. Hamil-
ton 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 ag-
gressiveness, did so several times, incur
ring on that account, it is feared, the se-
Cret displeasure OF at least two hundred |
OF the delegates, who tried in vain to
get an opportunity to speak once. But
DR.. Buckley, as usual was on the side
that won, rs were also Drs. Neely and
Day, the sole champion in the debate OF
woman's side among those who are re-
garded as prominent candidates for the
Bishopric being the Chiyalric BostonIan,
DIR. Hamilton,
A LENGTHY DEBATE.
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 common remark, too, that never
before was subject contested In this |
body with such obstlnacy, not to say
bitterness. The struggle to obtain recog-
milton from the chair was a revelation to |
those who did know previously how
fond Methodists are OF speaking in
meeting. The instant the chairman's
gavel fell, announcing the termination
OF one speech, fifty delegates or more
were on their feet, and from fifty stento-
rian voices rang out the pitiful appeal,
"Mr. Chairmanm This was the order OF
affairs from the beginning OF the debate |
to the close. One delegate who was
finally recognized proved to be so hoarse
from his protracted efforts to get the
floor that Il was with difficulty he could
be heard when he did getit. Another, on
being recognized, said that the hercu-
lean labors OF two days were at length
successful and that his wife in the gal
lery would no doubt telegraph at once to
his constituents that the kindly recogni-
ton had come just in time to save him
from insanity.
VOTE on THE WOMAN QUESTION.
The final vote, excluding the women
from this conference and submitting the
question OF their eligibility to the annual
conierences, stOod-to exclude and sub
nit 237; against l9S, making a majority
OF thirty-nine only of the total vote,
while the laymen were so evenly divided
that the change OF one vote would have
tied them. II now, the annual confer
ences shall decree by athree-fourths vote
OF all the ministers present and voting,
that women are eligible, and il four years
hence, the general conference by two
thirds vote shall ratiiy that decree, the
fair sisters will thereafter have free
course in that body. Otherwise they
will be still tolerated only as mere
lookers-on. From the fact, too, that
many who voted to submit the matter to
the annual conferences did so, not be-
cause they wish the women TO come in,
hut merely as the best method of getting
rid OF n troublesome question for the
time being, it looks us though their
chances OF gaining admittance MS dele
gates four years hence were little better,
II any, than in the present instance,
THE STANDING COMMITTEES.
All interest centres now in the Stand
MI .