The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-05-11
THE MErHopIsTs.
Proceedings of the Quadrennial ConfsI
ence of the Church at Omaha, Neb.

Chicago, in the chair. The galleries and
balconies were crowded with sightseers,
mostly women. The devotional eXer-
cises were conducted by DR.. j. c. Hart
zell. The selection of seats was then fin
ished and DR.. Neely, of Philadelphia,
offered plan of organization which
was adopted,
Bishop Foss presided over the deliber-
ations at the afternoon session and after
the usual devotional exercises the first
real business came up for real action.
The first of this was q committee refer
ence of the question of the payment of
the expenses of a case where delegate
did not appear until after his alternate
had been seated in his place. 1t was an
awkward question and finally went to
a committee of nine.
Following this DIR. Neely, of the con-
stitution committee, to which the re-
vision of the constitution was referred
at the. last quadrennial conference in
1888, appeared with pamphlet report
of the committee, which recommended
changes and gave several interpreta-
tions not heretofore thoroughly under
stood.
Col. Ray one of the members of the
constitution committee, had minority
report which was also printed. The
minority report went to the extent of
recognizing women as lay delegates.
Both reports were ordered printed.
Various committees were appointed,
among others one ON Epworth League,
consisting of two from each conference
and one at large.
OMAHA, Neb., May 5.-Bishop War
ren, of Denver, presided ut yesterdays
session of the Methodist Episcopal Con-
ference. A committee on memoirs was
appointed. and on motion Of DR.. Buckley,
of New York, addresses were ordered
restricted to fifteen minutes for written
memorials and five minutes for oral.
Two hours time was then given over TO
the Episcopal address, which was deliv-
cred by Bishop Foster. The past quad
anium, the report stated, had been a
prosperous one for the church. There
have been no deaths among the bish-
ops. Fifty thousand assignments of
ministers had been made, with but little
dissatisfaction. Work in the foreign field
had been given special care and numer-
GUS visits by the bishops to foreign lands
had been made with beneficial results.
The book concerns of the church are the
largest in the world There have been
no dissensions in the church, and there
is more intelligence and less bigotry in
the pulpit. The membership during
the past four years has grown rapidly
and now numbers 2.292,614 communi-
cants. Four hundred and forty-two
thousand souls have been added to the
church during the four years by confes-
sion of faith. Churches have increased
2Gl, with an increased valuation of S1s,-
32l,32l. Contributions TO all mission
ary societies have increased 1884, 1885.
Higher education in ministry is
and no man should be
in chairs in our theological
schools whose loyalty to the doctrine
of our church is not stcadfast The
church wants no traitors. The Epworth
League received great praise as a medi-
ator between the Sunday-school and
the church. II has in three years sprung
up from naught to 5000 chapters with
100000 members. The national univer-
sity at Washington is announced as
certainty and liberal endowments asked
for, millions being necessary for its
The women's college in
Baltimore was also commended.
THE church demands an American
lied franchise as well as naturalized
franchise" said the bishop. "The con-
tinuation or foreign languages and
customs in this country is wrong and
we are opposed to the teaching of for
eign languages in our schools. We be-
lieve that the franchise should be more
guarded and foreigners be required to
serve longer apprenticeship to secure
it. We regard the Legislation in con-
gress TO exclude Chinese as inhuman.
and recommend that petitions TO con-
grcss be prepared by this conference to
not pass the measure" The centraliza-
tion of wealth is denounced, and, If it is
not arrested, there will be danger TO
the social and state functions The
church must act. 1t cannot side with
wealth; it must go with the toiling
Total abstinence is imperative
and complete prohibition is urgent.
The report declares that the union Of
the Church north and south is drifting
closer and is not an impossibility, and
the north still holds out its hand of
welcome.
OMAHA, Neb., May I'm the Metho-
dist conference Friday over an hour was
taken up by the reading Of the minutes
and itemizing the many resolutions, APP
peals and memorials presented. The
action Of President Harrison in signing
the Chinese exclusion act within a
few hours Of its delivery to him was
seriously criticized by the delegates.
The committee on Chinese exclusion
split on their reports. Judge Lawrence,
of Ohio, offered the majority, which re-
that as the president had
good reasons for signing the bill, the
matter be dropped. DIR. Swindels said
that the conference must at once take
some steps to protect its missions in
China. Naught can be done to prevent
the law, but something must be done TO
protect the Chinese in the United States
and the American missionaries in China
or there is liable TO be loss of life. Judge
Lawrence moved that the matter be re-
ferred to another committee for further
Considerable discussion
followed. Finally the matter was re-
ferred to special committee, consisting
Of five ministers and four laymen.
Klllnh hx lrhAuInr--