The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-05-25
OF THE WORK
or tho Quhdrennlal Methodist
Conference for tho Past Week.
HOW THE ELECTIONS WERE HELD.
Dusincss.Iikc Sessions OF u busy
Body OF Brainy Mcn..Tlo Votes
Tint Indicate tho Popular stand.
Ing Of Distinguished Divincs...Ihc
Conference too Much for Omaha.
.pocinl cerro,pondtnN d ~ IatNNMnt.t.

has registered the high water mark Of
interest. One Of the delegates inquired
significantly when tho conference first
opened "What arc We hero for" and 1t
would seem. from surface indications,
rs though this question had now been
answered. Not that the conference is
convened solely for the purpose Of MI.
ing tho Offices 1t has many other
functions. Tho elections, however, &C.
cnpy Mt least ono fourth OF its time, and
II ono may judge from what Is seen and
heard constantly in tho loblios, they
monopolizo so much OF tho thoughtot
many OF tho delegates MS to preclude
the possibility of'any. other matters re.
ceiving serious attention until the great
battle Of the ballots has been fought
out. ~
Thisi the first conference since 1870
ut which no bishops have been elected.
At first thought It would seem rs though
the exclusion from this contest OF such
q prizo us the cpiscopacy would ie,ract
considerably from the excitement at.
tending 1t. As 1t turned out, however,
the DECISION on the lislop question, by
the fact Tint 1t left Oh the field MI In:
creased number OF candidates for, tho
subordinate offices, gave a new clement
OF interest to this battle. The cxpccta.
ton had been that amongst the posi-
Bile elections 10 tho cpiscopacy two or
three would be drafted into service who
had previously filled other influential
positions. Hence there had been for
a couple OF weeks u massing OF forces
toward these positions III behalf OF new
men. At last, therefore, tho question,
arose-"What is to be done with these
candidates. And as it is always easier,
10 get Il man started after 4 good thing
than TO get lin off the trail when game
has been scented, the situation became
somewhat complicated. Entities were
in great abundance for some OF tho
offices, and the results, in 4 few cases,
were not quite what the present incllm-
bents eitherieHpected or relished.
How THE VOTING IS DONE. !
What these results we're your readers
will have learned by this time. : The
methods pursued in general confer
ence elections are marked by groat. care
and by a formality which is rather
tedious. The same time.consuming
routine is observed from first to last.
The election is always by ballot. There
may be only one candidate, but still
the election must proceed in the same
form. Nor is there anything loose or
promiscuous in the way the ballots are
cast. In every case the roll OF the dele.
cations is called, these delegations, as
the secretary announces their name,
being required to rise and answer,
Here" Then their ballots are re-.
ceived, and the teller who receives
them completes the action by shouting,
Voted" This calling OF the roll CON
sumes in each case something
like half an hour. The 'tellcrs
are selected by the bishops. There are
two sets, consisting OF one from each oil
the fourteen districts, and one ut large.
Whllc one set is out. tho other set is
called int,nservice, and when both are
out, the conference betakes itself with
manifest reluctance and pre-occupation
OF mind 10 any other business it NAV
have to do. Then, when the returns are
brought in, everything Immediately
gives way, and while the crowded GAL
lerles. the anxious delegations, the still
more anxious candidates, and even the
distinguished occupants OF the platform,
hold rheir breath and strain their ears
to listen, the presiding officer announces
the vote.
For, the office OF bishop the voting
proceeds without formal nominations,
For tine other offices, the naming OF can
dldates Is allowed, but nothing beyond
that. The merits OF tho brethren arc
supposed TO be sufficiently well known
by the time the ballot comes on, and
formal speeches in their favor are not
in order. This is one instance in which
the conference marks its senseIoi' the
economy OF time, and the only one we
recall at this moment. But there arc
plenty! OF nominating speeches madcain
the lobbies, il none are allowed on the
1loor. In a few cases the friends OF can
didatcs do not scrupic to openly cleo.
tioneer on tho floor Of the conference.
This was done on Tuesday last by the
circulation in behalf OF two men of
printed ballots. This body, however.
holds such methods in holy reprobation,
and, as a matter OF course, these cards,
inr from advancing the interests OF the
candidates whose lame they bore, be-
came simply their death warrant.
NOMINATING SPEECHES.
But as to nominating speeches, willie
We do not have them in form, we surely
got them in fact, Here is where the
fine art OF parliamentary procedure
comes in. When tho IPeaern Christian
Adrotdte came up, and DR.. Chamberlain
sprans to his feet to say that Colorado
threw its hat two miles high in behalf
OF David IL. Moore" followed BY James
n. Gamble, who seconded the nomina.
tion lin behalf OF ali tho lay members
within the bounds OF tho Cincinnati
conference" with much moro OF tho
same enthusiastic sort, DR.. Moore's
nomination was, perhaps, quite as en-.
phaticallv made as though it had been
brought before tho conference in hall a
dozen set speeches. So when DR.. Buck
Icy wasput in nomination by Dr.. G, 81,
Alaina,for tho position he has filled SO
ably Tor a dozen years as editor, OF tho
New York Adro6ate, and there we're so
many on their feet Immediately to sec.
ond the nomination that tho presiding
bis%hop,askcd in despair il he might not
consider DR.. Buckley named for tho
place unanimously, which he was al
lowedto do after Q few persistent broth
rem had insisted upon being heard
hero again the nominating speech was
surely emphatical enough, though it
lackedta little in formality. And these
are but samples Of how the thing was
done in many other cases.
Some OF the elections are notewortby