The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-05-02

encc had 1t under consideration, and ut
one time II looked rs though thnt I'm.
usually aggressive body was determined
to nuke change. Just In tho nick OF
time, however, Bishop Merrill made SO
strong n presentation OF the practical
difficulties in the way that tho brethren
reconsidered and loft tho matter upon
the same basis as before. But the dc.
mandi for change IL now moro wide.
spread than ever, andit 10 neither I'M
possible nor unlikely that the present
Conference, may give effect to this de-
mand. a.
But the great question Is, "Will tho
general conference elect any new bish-
ops, and II any, how many, and whom p
Tho last conference added five to the
episcopal list, besides electing a mis-.
sionary bishop for India. Tho indi-
viduals promoted were Bishops Vim.
cent, Fitzgerald, Joyce, Newman, Good.
sell and Thoburn.. A singular fact in
connection with tho election OF four
years ago is that at different times in
tho contest Earl Cranston, OF Cincin-
natl, was in the lead OF both Newman
and Goodsell. Considering that he
failed OF final election, DR.. Cranston
had M astonishingly large vote, and it
Is safo to say that had it not been for q
peculiar combination OF circumstances,
such rs will probably never occur again,
he wouldrotlave failed, but would have
received the two.thirds majority made
necessary by that conference to an cleo
ton. Ono Of tho best proofs Of mis- su-i
perlor fitness for the place is that on
that occasion so many Of his brethren
cast their votes fol. him, and one does
not need to be prophet to foretell
that, unless all signs and preccdents
shall fnil, his name will DO the first to
receive favorable attention from tho
body now converting The only thing
which could prevent his election, II
any election OF new bishops should oc-
cur, is a fact which. is,immensely,cred-
table to him, viz:sthat his superbtabil-
ity ns book agent may make him, in
dispcnsible, rs tho colleague OF his
present efficient partner, Dr.. Stowe, in
the management OF the Western Book
Concern. %f-f s. "SeiS;. :: t>.'"p
"a > ~ ~ tasl ~
In the east, DR.. G. @. .AlcCabo Glooms
up for episcopal honors, and beyond
the mention OF these two:naInes we for
bear to 60 ut present. To the. writer it
appears quite probable that the Omaha
conference will conclude to leave the
Episcopal force Sin tho same status
numerically in3whIch 1T finds it. AT
the most we cannot conceive OF more
than one or two being added, Those
who clamer for more bishops and fewer
presiding elders would increase the list,
il they could, by u dozen OF. So The
more moderate will ask for an Increase
of four. The bishops themselves will
say, none, and it looks, far more likely
than for dozen years past that in this
conference, the voice Of the! bishops, re-
inforced by that OF the more conserva-
tive OF the delegates, will carry the day
in this matter.
s That any change will be; made in the
Episcopal tenure is exceedingly improb-
able. At present the bishops are elect
ed for life, and the cry OF some is, that
it'the term were, limited to eight or u
dozen years, the bishops would be less
inclined to air it over their brethren,
would be more conciliatory in their adj
ministration, more gracious in their
decisions, more amenable to whole
some discipline, and as awhole, more
laborious and elfectNe.R This-s'is ,rhe
argument. But there is so much to be
said on the other side, and so much, at
the proper time, will be said on that
side, that the conference, unless it
should turn out to be lar more radical
than such bodies usually i.are, Isl very
likely to conclude that ii the Episcopal
office is worth preserving at all it should
be kept as free as possible from church
politics. and as far as possible out OF the
reach OF wire-pulling, and is certainly
worthy OF the unique dignity it enjoys
rs the only office, in tho gift ofthe gem
cral conference which is for life.
Referring once more to things OF
great moment which the conference
will be asked to do, but which il will
probably refuse to do, we naturally
think. OF the effort which sure to be
made to take away all:limity from the
term OF the pastorate.F Originally the
term OF the Methodist minister had no
limit in law; but it was always short
and there was ga common a under
standing that .itaEmust' be- short.
Later, when$ffa Brook vn;;Ss.iN. Y,
pastor named = rsilasi :StIbbins@ had
shown disposition; to- keep .hisEberth
lop1ar III, n I,;s III T. IL
dent, the limit;wIs fixed afS two years.
Afterwurd twas heightened TO three
years, at which poiut'itsremained dur
Ing seven quadrenniums., Then, after
long and persistent agitation, lit was
extended to five, years, the term OF the
presiding eldership being simultaneous
ly heightened to six years. This was
done when the general conference last
met, four years ago. Still, however, are
many OF the brethren dissatisfied, and
it goes without saying that in the pres
ent conference these FESTIVE spirits will
be heard from. What they will ask is
that now the limit be removed alto
gether. This would be radical change
and would almost destroy the timer
ancy. Hence the conference may be
expected to make haste slowly in al
lowing it to take place. In fact, this,
like many other'mooted changes, is al.
most sure to be sent on for final enact
mont or for final burial, as tho case may
be, by some conference in the distant
future. II, T.
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