The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-05-04
OPPOSED TO WOMEN.
The Reverend MethOdists OBJ
ject to Admitting Them
TO SEATS IN THE CONFERENCE
a 9 clay" Observation-Disclosures Dis
cussion OF the Matter-General
news Notes.
The methodists

New YoRE, May 3.-Bishop Andrews
pre- ided at the morning session of the
Methodist conference. The order of the
day was the discussion of the report of
the committee upon the eligibility OF
women as lay members. The motion
that women, whose seats are contested,
be given seats on the floor during the
debate. was defeated, after considerable
discussion. While the vote was being
taken, Mary C.. Mind. president of the
Woman's Foreign Missionary Society,
stood up to vote. Objection was made
aud her vote was not counted. Dr..
Potts, editor OF the Michigan advocate.
opened the debate.
DIR. Potts advocated the admission OF
women as delegates. He asserted that
the report did not in ,erpr-t Alright the
law OF the church. He wanted to plead
for the right over might. There is
nothing in the statutes, properly inter
preted. he continued, that would re-
strict women from exercising the sams
rights as men. More than two>thirds
of the members of the church are
women. Have they no rights2 Are
they not to have something to say in
the government of the church which
they aid most IN supporting? Without
women, half tie churches would cease
to exist. The Methodist Church is too
progressive ard democratic to enter
tain the ancient brutality displayed to-
wards women and advocate their sub
jec tion. Women eaBno. be left with
out harm to the church.
Rev. William Brush, OF Dakota, made
long and earnest plea in favor of the
admission of women.
The dore #. Flood, editor Of the
Chataaqud;. was the third speaker in
favor OF admitting women. He argued
that as women are admitted to learned
professions, the conference had the
right to admit them,
Rev. DIR. J. II. Buckley, editor OF the
Chrssttdn ADVOCATE, who is one of the
strongest opponents to the admission
of women. was the next speaker.
He said: "fhe question does not
turn UPON the rights of women, but
upon the principle. l have a claim to
some knowledge. o. Methodist history.
ard don know of anything that tells
US that women should be admitted"
DR.. Buckley referred to Episcopalians.
Baptists and Presbyterians, who did
not admit women into their confer
ences, and claimed there was not a de-
nomination in the world that would
admit women. He did not consider she
was in her place in such an Assem- blage.
There is nothing in the constitution of
the church that gives them the right
to a seat. They claimed that every
time woman was put In q legislative
body. man was put out to no advant.
age to that body. He closed with an
impassionfd plea for the support of the
committees report.
Rev. J. A. B Wilson, of Wilmington,
Delaware. an advocate for the admis-
sion of women, read long essay in
support of their admission.
Rev. DR.. Luke G. Queal, of Central,
New York, said that if women are to
come in. they must do so by the con-
sent of the annual conference.
Rev. DR.. ]. r. Hamilton, of Boston,
who was one of the committee who re-
fused to sign the committee report
against the Administers of women, said
the world was prejudiced against new
things. Those who opposed the admis-
sion of women did so from prejudice.
Women had q right to vote IN the
church, and, therefore, were entitled to
seats in the conference.
Recess was then taken, and further
discussion of the subject went over till
Tomorrow.
The afternoon was spent in the ap-
pointment of standing committees and
their organization.
All meeting of the District Woman's
Suffrage Association. this evening, the
following resolution was passed:
Resolved, That it is the duty of every
woman in the .dethodist denomination to
withdraw from any church where the pas
tor uphOldg the action of the general confer
ence now assembled in New York City, in
refusing TO receive the noble women sent
there as "lay" delegates.