New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-03
cLCrrc1L polITIcS ~ METHODIST

The scandal which is now agitatlng the New
Yorl, Methodist Conference is a most unsay0ry
one The writing Of anonymous letters al
WAYS couardly and contcmptblc becomes a
crime when it is done for tho purpose Of Smirch-
ing reputation. And when minister Of the
Go,pc employs such tactics 10 bring odium
upon a brother minister it IS not easy to ma
words with which 10 characterize It's ba''ncNS.
Presumably. the anonymous letters which the
Conference is investigating were the work OF
ONLY two or three mon but until they are dis
covered and punished the good name of the
whole Conference. and Of MethOdlSm general
". is ar stake the MORE so because other
similar incidents have Come into public view
in the Methodist Church \ few days ago
the presiding elder Of the Dover District OF
MARYLAND was accused Of having aSNallcd the
reputation of some OF his brethren
i'm letters and Of having done many dishon-
orablc things To further his ambition ana
power. And recently lions Herald" Il
Methodist paper of Boston, published a circular
letter on ecclesiastical politics in the Methodist
Church. which was followed little later by
a sensational address Oh the same subject by
DR.. /. +. Townsend, Of Boston Both the
ing and political manipulation are widespread
in the Methodist Church, that men, some Of
them high in the Church, make use of means 10
| strike down their rivals and advance them
| selves, that would be considered dishOn0rable
| even outside the Church, and that as a result
| the good name and repute of the Church are
| seriously impaired. In second address DR..
| Townsend attempted TO read number of let
tors Substantating his charges, but he was not
| allowed to do 50, on the ground that he had not
| obtained the permission Of the writer's TO re-
veal their names.
These and many other incidents, such rs tho
present scandal in the New York Conference.
| indicate state Of affairs in the Methodist
| Church that should give its friends grave con-
| Germ. At the same time, it is not easy To see
| how the evil can be rcmedicd, for il grows out
of the ecclesiastical polity Of the Church and
| even if there was any general desire to modify
| that polty, which there is not, it could not be
! safely or wisely done. lis system of presiding
| cldcrships is an important feature Of its GOV
eminent. Its bishops, having no diocesan func-
| tons cannot have any accurate personal know-
| edge Of the Conferences over which they cXer-
| else jurisdiction. Consequently they are de-
| pendent on the presiding elders for advice and
information, and practically the presiding
elders are entirely irresponsible to any one for
the way in which they perform their duties.
II they are so minded, and being human, some
times they are so minded, they can run the
district over which they preside with little re-
gard to the interests Of the Church. They can
keep disagrecabe rivals from reaching the
promotion they deserve and in a multitude of
ways they can advance their own interests
while acting seemingly in the line of their duty
That this is weak spot in the polity of the
| Methodist Church will not be denied by any
candid Methodist. But at the same time, as
we have said, its machinery is so nicely adj
! justed and balanced that any attempt TO bring
about reform by modifying the system of
presiding elderships might be disastrous.
Nor are presiding elders the only sinners.