Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-06-03
Laymen and Laywomen.

At the NJ. Il. Conference at Omaha last
Thursday the women delegate question
was the last one disposed OF
The judiciary committee reported tnat
the word 'laymen' in the discipline ana
not mean both sexes but that 1t bad re,
ference to men only. The committee did
not mean to take the ground that the
women should not be admitted, but simply
that the meaning of the word "laymen,
as il was placed in the discipline years ago,
did not include women.
DIR. ID. II. Moore, the woman champion
got the floor and offered a substitute declar
ing that the plan OF lay delegation was not
a constitutional question, but 1t might be
decided bv the action of the General
conference and that therefore the General
conference might decide the right to admit
women TO the General conference without
n constitutional change. He held further
that the word "layman" did mean women
as well as men. The term might have
beon applied only 20 men at the time the
words were adopted, but by all justice and
right the term ought to be applied to both
men and women DR.. A. J. Kvnett did not
agree with the report. He held that the
word "1aymen'i meant both women ana
men. Dr. Hamilton offered a substitute
providing that the annual conferences
| should vote upon the proposition TO make
| the word slavmen" mean men only and IN
case the proposition was not carried Dy
two-thirds vote then the words 'laymen
sbould therefore mean both men and
wamen. This was great hit. 1t was
received with hearty applause.
DIR. J. NJ. Buckley rolled out q vigorous
speech going to show that the word
| stlaymen" never had meant women. Drs.
Hamilton and Moore, he said, were trying
| to get the women into the conference by a
triek. If this effort succeeded it would
place a stain upon the record OF the men
who presented sach scheme and would be
a questionable right granted to the women.
There was great applause at the close oi
his speech mingled with cries OF mo, no,
| By the friends of the women. Df. fleid,
Of Philadelphia, held that the admission oil
women would drive the young men ana
BOYS oas Of the church. He pleaded lor
the youne men, he said, by trging the
conference and all the women oi the church
not to insist upon admitting woulon
DIR. Bristol was opposed by DR.. Hamilton.
nc held that the women should not come
| In by ,iaGg!cry. Let them come in by g
vote of the annual conferences, or not al
all. This he said, was tpe only way oy
viii ch the women can come into the
Grand conference in a constitutional man
nor motion was made to lay ir.
Ua,niiton's amendment on the table. III
was adovted. DR. Hamilton's amendment
provides that the T0Ed ''laymen1 as aP-
plied to lay delegates must mean male del,
epates. and in case this Interpretation OF
the word is not sustained by a thirds
yote of the annual conference and three
fonrths yota of the General conference
then the word .iisypen' shall mean both
voonen and men. and will o! course admit
the women a. lay delegates. ~ iialnll,
ton 8 amendment gas adopted by vote OF
234 to ia. The result was lnnnlluoqsly
applauded. The question was 1lYlped'
Dir. Moore's part of the paper was lald or
the table. DIR. Hamilton's substitute was
then adopted by vote Of 2fl to l6O to
take the place Of all other parts OF the
paper and be Submitted to the annual
conferences The victory %as greeted by
long burst of applause.
A resolution was submitted to ASK the
ANIMAL conferences to reduce the ratio OF
representation from one delegate for each
forty-fve ministers ~ one for every ninety
ministers in the annual conferences. III
was adopted by vote of l67 to ia3. The
object OF this is to make the General CON
ference smaller body. The roll was then
called TO see how mqny OF the delegates
were at the last session, and after the
approyal Of the minutes and the usual
resolutions Of thanks, the conference with
devotional exercises adjourned sine dle'