The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-05-13
Many Resolutions. Memorials and Propositions
of All Kinds Submitted-The Fun viii
Begin When the Committees Report
Further Consideration of the Revised
Constitution Indefinitely Postponed.
Substitute for the Preamble Of the Report
and That Portion Relating to Lay Repre-
sentatiOn Adopted After Warm Debate.
CONFERENCE GOSSIP.


correspondence OF the Indianapolis Journal
OMAHA, Mob, May 9.-"Ihe campaign OF
your debates, the many pitched battles
and the numerous skirmishes." was the
Language used by DE-. Moulton, the frster.
nal delegate from Great Britain. in char
acterizing the proceedin Is of this General
Conference, sud surely be was right It is
indeed q campaign. and within the To-
rensic arena it would be hard to conceive
of any battle. or series of battles. in which.
the combatants are more reluc tsnt TO yield.
The brethren are good natured enoughi
for the most part but they
are also as some one has expressed it.
''dreadfully sot." Issues which seem quite
trivial are contested with q doggedness
which could hardly be excelled if the inter-
ests of the whole church were at stake and.
with as little apparent regard for the lapse
OF time as though the conference were here
to fight it out on the same line If IL took alb
summer. Points of order are as numerous
as mosquitoes In Western swamp. and for
motion TO go through without an effort to
amend 10 as rare and pleasant an occur
renee as the few beams of warmth we have
had 80 far in this unusually bleak month
of May.
Perhaps by the way. the weather is TO
blame for it all. Perversity is catching.
and cold stimulates to action. 1t may be
that the cantankerous spirit of Old Prohs-
bilities has infected the delegates TO this
conference. Certainly they are active
enough, if an irrepressible determination
to make themselves heard may pass for
that quality. Those who witness the pro-
ceedines of this body for the first time are
amazed. They never heard it on this wise
before. Some of the rest of u.s. however,
take it as q matter of course. How it was
| previously We do not know, but since
class.meetines have gone out OF fash
| great takers In their General Confer
| ences. 1t seems as though they must
lind expression for their pent-up feelings
| somewhere. and really. when we remember
| that they are great doors well as great
takers, we may perhaps excuse them for
this weakness. Many listener has lelt like
calling upon some of them TO shut mp"
but no man could consistently demand that
they shut uD or put uD." because. as the
world knows. the church they represent
does put mp most magniiicently. both in
| money and good works. Hence. II they IN
slst once in four years. upon being heard
| for their much-sleouking. let them do 10,
and let those who listen wait patiently-or
as patiently as they can-to see what the
| outcome VIII be.
| MAhlNG dASlE blONL1.
AS regards its actions. the conference al
this time is chiefly remsrkable for what 10
has refused to do. When that genial old
conservative, Dr. Lanahan, said that be
rose to speak to the motion which had just
been tabled-a motion to limit somewhat
| the prerogatives of the bishops-and went
on to say that he heard in Maryland thas
this body was going TO tear mp some things
| by the roots, and that the motion which
had met so clearly demise was one of tho
ropes by which these radical changes were
to be accomplished, he scored q point
which had more real Significance in 10
than the majority of the ten-minute
| speeches we have heard. He was Qua
| of order of course; but Dr. Lanahan Is SO
gracious, SO courtly. so witty and so wise
| In his remarks that he Is never out of oruer
in equity, though he often is in law, and
on this occasion histechnical breach of the
rules was not only good hit upon what
had already occurred. but 1t expressed tho
| judgment OF one of the most discerning
| men in the conference as to what was
likely TO occur in the subsequent proceed
| Ings of that body. In other words, it was
his way of saying that the conference had
shown itself 10 be body after his own
heart with disposition TO make haste
slowly in decreeng changes. IN which
opinion your correspondent Is obliged to
concur.
This does not mean that no changes will
be made. nor that only a few Will be made.
but simply that the conference is not likely
TO make any very sweeping changes
| There are various propositions already beA
fore it. and the cry is, still they come.
For many days yet will the delegations be-
regularly called for petitions, memorials
and resolutions. and if this body shall be-
as productive In such progeny as its prede<
cessors have been. there will be offered in
all aboat a thousand of these. With tho
propositions thus presented. the dozen or
more standing committees will have TO la
bor. and finally. from these, and about q
score of special committees, n hundred or
90 out of this possible thousand Will be re-
turned In some form for the action of the
begin, and metaphorically speaking tho
fur will fly. Just how the cat of decision
TO carry ont our last fgure-will jump in
these matters, We caDnct yet tell. but or
what will come up for consideration We
are forewarned by the papers handed to
| the secretary.
SOME OF THE PROPOSITIONS.
Several have been put in asking the re-
moval of the time limit from the pastorate.
Several more praying for the abolition OF
the probationary rule in regard 10 men,
bership. Quite q number ask that bishops
be elected for a term of years, instead OF
for life. and many that the bishops be as
signed quadrennially TO districts. Several
memorialists want the missionary society
divided into two parts, one wing TO look
after the foreign. the other after the homo
field. Not n few petition for a modiiica-
tion OF the the church's deliverances
| against popular amusements. FOR a change
that will take from the bishops
the power to appoint presiding elders. and
make that Office an elective one, there are
petitions in great abundance. Some ask
that trustees and stewards shall be elected
by the church, rather than by the quarter
ly conference. and. happily. there have
been presented a considerable number OF
papers urging the conference 10 take such
action the altered times require looking
toward the organic union of the NJ. l..
Church with the NJ. T.. Church South and
other Methodist bodies.
Papers have also been presented calling
for the organization of several new sOcie-
ties. The Christian Advocate said some
time ago that If all the propositions of this
kind which were likely to come before the
conference should be adopted. the church
would have on its hands no less than six
organizations IN addition 10 the large fam
lily il Is supporting already. To the editor
of that journal. and TO many Others. this
prospect was rather appalling. for every