Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-04
THE BATTLE OPENED
Between the Opposing Forces on the
Admission of Women
TO THE METHODIST CONFERENCE.
Lively Debate in the First of Three
Days Exciting Fight.
sTPAUL AND THE BIBLE OFTEN QUOTED


NEW YORK, April 3.-The forces IN the
New York Conference for and against sd-
mitting women as lay members to the Gen
eral and Electoral conferences took their
places ior three days pitched battle to-
day in the First Methodist Church in Yonk-
ers. For more than 20 years women have
been clamoring at the doors of the confer
ences for admission, but the ministers have
been able until now to keep tine sisters out.
A popular vote taken as test last year
shows that the denomination at large is not
sufficiently interested to poll full vote on
the subject, while of those who have voted
large majority favor admitting women.
The vote taken indicates that the Eastern
church members are not SO eager for the
change as those in the West. The contest
is whether one or two women shall be ellgl-
BILE from every conference to seats in the
General Conference, two laymen being now
elected from each conference to the chief
representative body of the denomination
and ecclesiastical court of last resort.
The Artillery Opens Up.
All the conferences will vote on the sub
ject either this spring or next fall, and in
Omaha, in 1892, the General Conference,
guided by the conferences, will decide the
whole matter by vote.
As in all pitched battles, there was con-
siderable skirmishing at the session before
the heavy artillery began to boom. There
was long debate over whether the brethren
should vote openly or by secret ballot.
Finally the conference, by vote of 125 to
So, decided to have the ballot on admitting
women taken by yeas and nays, with the
privilege to the voters of explaining their
votes in speeches OF not more than ten
minutes.
Debate was opened by the Rev. DR.. W.
McKendree Darwood, Of Yonkers, in
paper with points from firstly to seventhly,
like sermon, favoring the admission of
women. Women should participate in the
church councils, DR.. Darwood argued, be-
cause men and women are one in interest,
in purpose, in conscience. in happiness and
in soul interests.
Some Women Were Prophets.
The Bible shows how some women were
prophets, while others were prominent in
church councils. Some argue that St. Paul
was opposed to advancing women in the
church, but that, in DR.. Darwood's opin-
ion, was because it was considered UnwO-
manly in the East, as it is now, to appear
before men and take part in public affairs.
II women want to he ordained to preach,
why shouldn't they?
DR.. Darwood wouldn't shrink from the
logical sequence OF admitting women to the
General Conference. They have never con-
sented to be deprived of the right of repre-
sentation, and they should have it. There
were no arguments against it worthy of a
Al - vl,,
women" DIR. Darwood added, 81 ask you
sex, and to help us emancipate the weaker
SEX"
The Rev. w. R. Goss said he would vote
to admit women. Women have better heads
than men; they make better teachers, preach
ers and mothers than men. Long
laughter "Dr. Buckley. editor OF the
Christian Aduocate, intimates that woman
ought to stay at home and keep STILL"
Many voices, :'That's SO" and "No, no."
Women Are Like Electricity.
Rev. Mr.. Goss-I don't know what
kind of a wife he's got, but if he had my
wife think she would give him a talking
to. [Laughter.l Women look further
ahead than we do, through their faith, and
it will be 40 years before We will catch up
with them. Women are like electricity,
that recently discovered force. They are
Just coming to be understood, and they are
a power you can't put down. They behave
as we'll as ministers, don tthey? Laughter
They are the majority of the church now. l
don't know what We would do without
them.
The Rev. DR.. George R. Crooks objected
to admitting women, because the constitu.
ton OF the church would be torn to pieces. |
ha 1ad fo int
arena of politics and challenge men to con-
test. The whole Of modern civilization |
would be turned upside down..
The Rev. John Miley opposed admitting |
1t would be revolutionary and |
reform against the nuture OF things. 1t had |
been said that the sex was an accident and |
religion should not be founded on such an |
accident, but DR.. Miley held that there was |
in human life nothing more providentially |
profound than the accident of sex. A |
woman should not be excluded on the |
ground that men were superior to her, but |
because women are not adapted to politics,
either ecclesiastical or civil.
Woman's Place at Home.
The place for women is at home. There |
are very many good women who want to be |
sent to the General Conference, but they are
mistaken.
The Rev. DR.. George e. Strobridge op-
posed the admission of women. There are
|, 500, 600 women in the church in America,
and there were 400, 900 votes cast in favor of
women to the General Confer
ence. That is about Is per cent. of the
whole number and of that 10 per cent the
majority were men. [Cries OF 'ves" and
mo- DR.. Strobridge-All the women 1
know opposed the movement. am sur
orised to know of SO many representative
women opposing it. Only one woman in
my church in New York voted for it. Why
s this opposition? Ill tell you. The
women know you are offering them no
honor. Would Paul, it he was in this
church, have changed his mind as indi-
lated in the inspired word and have women
Is leaders? 1 say no. [Cries of ''yes" and
no" and chow do you know?" and there's
10 doubt of it" mingled with laughter.
Dr. Strobridge-We called women angels
when we were young men, let us keep them
Ingels. [Applause.l The debate was ad-
ourned to tomorrow.