, 1891-04-12
NO USE FOR WOMEN.
Denied Admittance to the New
York Conference.
The Proposition is Defeated by
Three to One.
Some of the Reasons Given by
the Brethren.

Yesterday was the stormiest of three
DAYS debate in the New York confer
encc OF the First Methodist Episcopal
church In Yonkers on the question wheth-
er to women who ask shall be accorded
the right to represent their sisters annu-
ally In general conference or electoral SON
ferences. Speeches we're limited to ten
minutes for each speaker, and there
wasn't a minister among the 200 who, if
he had had a chance, would have ceased
speaking for half a day on the subject.
So eager were they to deliver their argu-
ments IN ten minutes that their faces
were pale, and their hands tremblcd in
the nervous haste of their speech and
their gestures. The conference had set
the time for taking a vote at IL 80 a. m,
ment increased, and speakers were inter
rupted with expressions of approval or
disaDproval from the highly wrought
brethren. During the discussion the
rear OF the church aud the gallery was
crowded with women, most of them with
gray hair, who craned their heads not to
lose a word the speakers uttered. When
the vote was taken the brethren ished
pencils and bits of paper out OF their
pockets to keep tally while the secretary,
the Rev. @. E. Willard, from his elevated
seat beside the bishop, proceeded to call
the roll and record the ayes and noes.
1t was whispered among the ministers
before the count was half completed that
the women's champions were worsted in
the fight. At the close of the roll call
there was nc demonstration by victors OF
~vanqulshed. Secretary Willard had been
instructed by the conference not to an
bounce the result of the ballot until today,
but the brethren agreed among them
selves that the result OF the ballot was 60
for the admission of women and 1873
against. Several ballots OF absent mem
bers will be permitted to be recorded be-
fore the result of the voting ia announced
today. The advocates of admitting
women declare that their vote will in this
way be raised to "a or 65.
In the course of the debate yesterday a
good many queer and Interesting things
were said about woman, her place in civili-
E%ation, in the church. and in society. The
Rev. George h. Smith OF North Sing
Sing. speaking in favor OF admitting
women, demanded to know what his
opponents meant by saying that the
scriptures are opposed to women taking a
prominent part in church government.
He was astonished to hear learned
brethren say that st. Paul would continue
to write epistles now sush as he wrote
nearly 1000 years ago if he had lived IN.
til now. What would st. Paul have
been learning in all these years with all
bis enthusiasm for Christianity if he
didn't see how women have been eman-
cipated, " the speaker said. Would he
DOW send back q slave to his master?
Would Christ have made wine at a
modern wedding If he had lived until to-
dayf So far as my W wedding is con-
cerned He would not have made any
great amount OF wine. no matter how
sweet the wine might be. because there
would be few who would drink it.
Some brethren say that the most pro-
found distinction among men and m
is that OF sex, and because the sex is dit
terent their functions in the church must
be different, but | say there is a higher
distinction than that Of sex. 1t is that of
individuality. Some Of the brethren who
would keep the women out seem to be
lleve that God created man according to
His plan, but that GOD created women ac-
cordlng TO mans plans and specifications.
Laughter. Women have been thought
of as animals long enough. In this coun-
try we allow women to walk in front of
us, but in the East, where the Bible was
written, it is denied that she has a soul,
and YOU who argue from the Bible that
she can take no part IN church govern
ment must remember that fact.
The Rev. Charles Fl. McAnney of the
Washington square church in this city an
nounced that he proposed to put a little
electricity into the debate, and he sue
ceeded. Electricity, he said, can be
got out of cats by striking them the
wrong way, There are a good many
ecclesiastical tomcats who have been quiet
when smoothed dJwn, and whose diges-
ton had been wondrously improved by
being stirred up and made to spit a little.
Laughter, and a voice. oh, that's too
strong. | admit a woman's right to do
ANYTHING the pleases. Let her sing bass
if she wants to, but she has no right to
spoil a good soprano voice to make a poor
bass. If God is in this movement her
He can afford to wait four years before
this question will come up again. Do the
IN say we don't love them if
we refuse to let them walk by
our side all along the ecclesiastical high
wav2 A anary bird who argues that its
mistress does not love it because she re-
fuses to let it out to associate with ducks
doesn't know what's good for it. There
are a few croaking crickets in the ~ecclesi-
astical field who say that our women don't
want TO remain knee deep in the succu
lent pasturage chewing the cud of con
tentment, but would have them bawling
over the field hooking down the bars to
get into political life. No mau IN his