The morning call., 1892-05-11
THE METH0BISTS.
The Omaha Conference FaVOrS Closing the
Werld'S Fair On-SaRday.

OMAHA. May 1O.-Bishop Fitzgerald pre-
sided at to-day's session of the Methodist
conference. There seems TO be prevailing
opinion that no Bishop will be elected at
this session. The committee on episcopacy
was not ready to report this morning on
account of the fact that the col0ged breJh-
ren were working hard to secure the elee-
ton of a colOred Bishop. The report will
probably be delayed till Thursday or Friday.
There is a hot contest for the editOTship
of the Advocate at st. Louis between DR..
Marsden Of ST Louis, DR.. Bowman 1Oung
of Kansas City and DR.. Creighton Of the
Nebraska Wesleyan University. For agent
Of the Book Concern at Cincinnati the chief
candidates are DR.. Kurts OF Chicago and
DR.. Maxfeld of Omaha.
The order Of the day was the report Of the
committee on constitution.
After some rather sharp debate on the ex-
pedieney OF calling on the Bishops 70 address
the conference, It was decided to ask Bishop
Merrill, chairman of the committee on con-
stitutlOn, TO explain the changes, but before
this was proceeded with the rules were sus-
pended and the report Of the committee on
the Worlds Fair was called for. The re-
port declares the exposition a meritOri0us
undertaking and that the church rel0ices in
the prospects for its success, but declares it
should be closed on Sunday; that this is
the face Of Providence to open the gate on
the Lords day. The committee heartily
favored the S5,0o0,000 appropriation, but
only with proylso that the gates be closed
on Sunday, and recommend that telegram
bearing the sentiments of the report be sent
to the President and Congress.
After some debate the preamble aud resc-
lutiOns were indorsed, but recOmmltted for
revision, aud the committee Instructed to
send a telegram to Washington approving
the object Of the fair, but protesting against
opening it on Sunday.
The report Of the committee on constitu-
tiOn was then taken up.
DIR. Neeley then took the floor to explain
the meaning of the constitution. He gave
the history Of that document since its adOp-
tiOn, iu 1903, with subsequent amendments.
lie hoped the conference would decide,
once for all, which parts OF the church gov
eminent we're the constitution and which
were simply restrictive rules This defini-
tiOn was necessary to decide what could
and could not be changed by a conference
without concurrent action OF the annual
conference
DR.. Little said the conference should pro-
cerd very cautiously. The admission of
laymen. tOr instance, was a question never
submitted to the annual conference.
II the general conference had no power
10 make changes in The constitution without
the consent Of the annual conference, the
admission Of laymeG in 1872 was uEcOnsti-
tutional and the laymen had no right in the
conference
DR.. Buckley declared tie rights of laymen
were secure Even il they were not admit
ted by constitutional amendment the re-
strctiye rules guaranteed them seals in the
conference
After further discussion Mr. Fields of
Philadelphia moved the whole matter of
changes in the constitution be postponed to
the next general conference. Lost
The explanation by Bishop Merrill was
postponed, owing to the lateness Of the
hour, until to-morroW.