Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-24

There Ia q good deal Of debate in local Meth
odism just now over the proposition which vii
be submitted to the people Of the churches il
this city next Tuesday evening. ''Shall womeI
be admitted to membership in the genera
conference" is the question to be decided
The campaign is warm, and ono Of the most in
teresting features in it is the fact that the ma
jority OF female members seem opposed to tn,
promotion Of their sex to the enjoyment Of tn,
privileges involved in the question. Tn,
women who are on the affirmative side Of tn,
question are actively at work and making al
aggressive campaign against the odds which
seem to make their chance for success NJ tn,
present time quite dubious.
Mrs. s. d. La Fetra of Metropolitan ME-
Church. in response to the query Of STAR re
porter said believe in woman's admission
to the general conference of the MI Church
because believe il Is in accordance with the
right Interpretation OF the Holy Scripturei
and ia therefore in accordance with the spirit
of religious liberty and Christian civilization
and is also on the line of justice to two-thIrds
of the membership of the Methodist Church.
It's true that all through the centuries every
advance step gained in the elevation OF human
ity has won its way against appeals to prcju-
dice and ignorance.
Jesus OF Nazareth was met on these same
grounds. The Scribes and Pharisees claiming
to be the only safe interpreters of the Holy
Scriptures accused Christ Of Sabbath breaking,
of eating with publicans and sinners and OF
irreverently speaking with the woman OF
Samaria. The most intense opposition came
to Him from ecclesiastical quarters. honor
the clergy of Professionalism as honor no other
class Of men under the sun. Yet, am forced
to confess the strongest opposition to woman's
admission to the general conference of our
n he clarOv il
q mighty force among them who are honorable
exceptions), the brethren who feel duty-bound
and heaven-appointed q speak reverently) in
their Interpretation Of the Holy Scriptures con-
corning ''womans subsection" and her
"divinely ordered subordinate position in the
church of Christ.
Rev. DIR. Buckley in the New York Advocate
Of September 10, $780, says:
$50 to speak of our church being founded
by woman, If it means more than that she
exerted so great an influence over its founder
that he would never have been what he was
and therefore could not have done the work he
did, Is TO substitute extravagant eulogy for the
simplicity and power of fact. The truly VEN
cradle woman might be called the mother OF
Methodism, and fguratively, but not in any
literal sense, its founder"
But at the centennial Methodist conference
held in Baltimore in 1884 Rev. DIR. J. NJ. Buck
ley read paper on "What Methodism has Done
for Women" Of which the following is an ex-
tract: I'm exploring this theme / shall first
trace women in the early development OF
Methodism, and the first name-the name that
stands before all other names in Methodism,
male or females that of Susanna Wesley the
mother of John and Charles. 1t is a truism
that whomsoever Samuel Wesley might have
married, if he had not married Susanna John
Wesley could not have been. But it is equally
true, if not so obvious, that if John Wesley,
born OF Samuel and Susanna, had not been
trained by his mother and sympathized with
by his mother, the John Wesley who founded
Methodism would not have been. Hence DR..
Stevens has justly said in his Women of Meth
odism' Susanna Wesley is universally credited
by Methodist writers as the real foundress OF
this mighty success She planted Its germ at
Epworth; she kept it alive by her vigiant nur-
ture when 1t was transplanted to Oxford; she
guarded and nurtured it into mature strength
In London"
These statements would seem to be contra
dictory, but then
New occasions teach new duties
Time makes ancient good uncouth"
They tell US mo precedent Is known in
church annals" Yet the Congregationalist,
the Baptist and the Christian (Campbellite)
churches all admit women to their annual
sessions on an equal basis with the male mem
bership and they vote on all questions of law
and church polity with the brethren.
All husbands, Of whom women must learn at
home if st. Paul is taken literally, are not
Christians. Often the woman is the only
Christian in the entire family. 1 claim that
have Loyalty followed st. Paurs injunction and
learned Of my husband ut home, and he has
been twenty years instllling into my mind
these ideas OF equal justice TO all without ref
erence to sex, race or previous condition OF
servitude." / believe there is far less friction
in the home where parents stand on an equal
basis of authority and where neither il
in subsection to the other. but mutual helpful
ness is the rule OF faith and practice. l do not
believe this question necessarily implies
woman's ordination to the ministry. believe
the pulpit would be as sacredly guarded from
unworthy occupants were she admitted, but
the opposition must admit that many Meth.
odists, unsurpassed in intelligence, personal
piety and devotion to the church and loyalty
to Methodsm, do favor women in the ministry
and also equal suffrage" 1t is said that in
mans struggle for recognition by the chain
and his determination TO be heard in the gen
eral conference womans voice would be lost
unless she herself first sacrificed her queenly
womanliness. II our general conference has
come to this then womans gentle, refining in.
nuence is greatly needed there and lit is moi
good for man to BIO alone"
MRS. FLATS SIX REASONS.
Mrs. Margaret B. Plat Of North Capitol NJ
E. Church said, when called upon for her rea-
sons as to why women should be eligible a
delegates: They should be eligible becaus,
women constitute two-thirds of the member
ship of said church and 1t is just and equitabl,
that they should share in shaping Legislation
for an organization so largely made up Of and
whose activities are so generally managed b,
members of their own sex. Because they oc
cupy places in the official and Sunday schoo
boards and their ability and integrity in thes,
places are not questioned. but commended b,
all. Having demonstrated their capability t,
act for the best interest of the church in thes,
minor places, they should justly be permitted
to come up higher Because i'll having dem
onstrated their ability to manage such organ
iZations as the home and foreign missionar,
societies, homes for the aged, ladies aid. dea
coness homes, &C., they have shown sufficien
wisdom as legislators and skill manager
to warrant them titles to seats in the council
chambers of the church. Because the churcl
needs the united wisdom, energy and ability o
all her members, men and women, to war sue
cessfully against the power of Satan and ad
vance the cause Of Christ i'll every possibl,
way, whether in local church affairs or in legis
latng for the whole church. Because the aver
age woman OF the church is as consecrated, a
pure, as unselfish, as able in every way Il
| tittingly represent her constituency is tn
| average layman, and by all the laws of justic
| is entitled to do so on the principle that taxa
ton without representation Is tyranny. BE
| cause woman's influence In general conference
will be for the good OF the whole church an
the whole world, and it is right that that influ
| ence for good should be welded to Its fulles