Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-14
FAIR WOMAN'S WORK.
The Ecumenical Council DeYoteS a
Day to Church Agencies.
FOOLISH FEARS OF CATHOLICISM
Have ShOrn MethOdiSm Heretofore of Its
Female Usefulness.
SOME WOMANS RIGHTS OPPONENTS

WASHINGTON, Oct 13-The Ecumenical
Council this morning proceeded to the order
of the day, the subject, ''The Church and
Her Agencies" being the same as that dis,
cussed yesterday. Rev. j. Travis, General
Missionary Secretary of the Primitive
Methodist Church, England, read a paper
on ''The Place and Power of Lay Agency
in the Church
Rev. D. c. Crawford, of the Methodist
Episcopal Church of New York, was SET
down for an address on the deaconess move
ment, but owing to his illness Bishop Will
lam Y. Minde, of Kansas, treated the sub
iect He said that some knowledge of the
subject had been gained by the Church in
America from the movement in Europe. A
sanity lady without church aid had inau-
gurated a school for deaconesses in the
Western metropolis. The movement had
surpassed the expectations of its sanguine
friends. There were 2t homes and five hos
pitfalls, and many young women were seek
ing to Join the noble sisterhood
In some quarters this movement had been
viewed with alarm. It was said to resemble
papal methods. The Roman Catholic
Church was rapidly becoming protestant
lied in this country.
NOT FRIGHTENED BY P0PERY.
He was ready to borrow from the Roman
Catholics or anybody any good thing that
could be used to advantage. The deaconess
movement was so free from priestly super
vision and other rel}ellant features that it
could not be truly said to resemble its papal
prototype It had been urged that the
movement interfered with the proper
sphere of woman. He recognized the holy
duties of motherhood and of the family,
hat what of the women who were to mother
thousands of homeless ones? We found
her to-day in the shop and factory, and in
the office
There was much talk of woman's unsex-
ing herself and plunging society into con-
vulsions. There were silly women and silly
men. \ representative woman could be
trusted. If We could not trust our mothers
and our sisters, in Gods name whom could
we trust?
Chicago is a sort of storm center-yet a
woman went into the hotbed of anarchism,
organized mission and sought entrance TO
the homes of the people. At first the vre-
PEELED her, but like a sunbeam she stole
into every open door and laid flower on
the dead body, and bv and bv they wei
NNtlltu AGi. oOGlulASt liCl 6iliu NbIllVll ntliu
10 her, "Whatever NAV happen in this city
no harm shall come to YOU Leave aside
dogma. What is needed is the simple,
kindly doctrine of love. Hear, hear.
BRoTHERHooDS AND sIsTERHooDs.
Rev. Dr. w. D. Walters, Secretary of the
London Mission Wesleyan Methodist
Church, spoke of Methodist brotherhoods
and sisterhoods. He said it would be far
more fitting if a sister had heen here
10 present her own cause. He hoped that
al the council a woman would be permitted
TO take her place upon the platform and ad-
dress the conference. Applause. All
protesting Christ should have the brOtherlv
Dad sisterly feeling. 1t has been 10 years
since the establishment OF a sisterhOod in
England in connection with the Children's
Home, and as member of the committee he
could bear witness to the grand success of
the movement There were ten missions
under Rev. Peter Thompson. In addition
there were the Lady Workers. There was
need of some special agency to reach the
depths of Whitechapel and other abodes of
crime.
What is the effect of woman's work?
Changed neighborboods. The landsords
told Of it. The superintendent of the West
ern Branch was an extraordinary man, but
he had an extraordinary wife-Mrs. Hugh
lied the sisters of the People" who man
aged in marvellous way to get in perfect
touch with the people.
A COMPLIMENT To MISS WILLARD.
J. H Lille. Of London, speaking of the
position of women 10 The church, expressed
his qualification at learning of the extent of
women's work in America. He regretted
very much that women were not allowed to
sit here as delegates. A woman had been
elected to sit there. He referred to Frances
Willard, n name beloved on both sides of
the Atlantic.
At this juncture Rev. Dr. Stephenson
made the point of order that it was not in
order for a member from the Eastern Sec
ton TO reflect upon the action of the West
ern Section, which was perfectly competent
to manage its own business.
Mr.. Atkinson, NJ. p, of London, be-
ieved in women. A married man-as was
80 per cent of the Wesleyan ministers are
is bound to say so. They are more intel
ligent in their judgment upon social ques-
tons His own wife and her sisters had
been 40 years leaders, and he would rather
be led by then than by the President of the
Conference himself They would have
more time to think Of what they were going
to say.
In the afternoon session Rev. DIR. Ben
iamin St. James Fry, of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. St Louis editor of the
Central Christian AduocGte read paper upon |
the subject of 'Woman's Work in the |
Church" He said that women among the |
Hebrews were more highly regarded than !
among other nations; but it was not until
Jesus entered upon His ministry that women
were admitted to the high degree of regard
that has since prevailed. There was a min
istrv of women in the Church in apostolic
times.
PRoTEsTANTS' FOOLISH FEAR.
Professionalism has generally failed to Sc
cure the full measure of help from its
women. 1t had been afraid of the charge
of following papal practices. Methodism as
it grew had produced many women worthy
Of association with the mother OF the Wes- |
levs The place where children are born
and raised is not open to men, but when
that fact was realized the women had or
ganzed and sent female missionaries abroad. |
The church could not do the work before it
without the aid of women
Rev. William German, of the Irish Meth
odlst Church, Belfast, made a strong plea
for women in connection with every phase
of church work. Woman might bring all
OF her graces TO the altar but the power of
her speech. She might sing hymns and
work in the homes She might teach her
son to preach. She might, perhaps, help
her husband to prepare his sermon, but she
could not preach. Truly her element was
motherhood. But motherhood was the di- |
the masculine voice
That there should be need for the organi- |
zatiOn of women for the regeneration of |
r-op n raE LOT a IL, NH iah