Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-06-02
METHoDlsTs IN CONFERENCE.


Proceedings of the Twenty-fourth Quad
rennzaI Conference Of the Methodist
Church at Omaha, Neb.-Close of the
Sessions Work.
BISHOP ANDREWS presided at the Methodist
conference at Omaha on the 21st, DR. ". N
Swfndeu leading in the devotions- DrS a J.
Kynett and W a Spencer were elected secre-
tar5es of the Church Extension society. The
report OF the Epworth league showed 1000
branches with go 0co members. Drs ]. c.
Hartzeli and J. ". Hamilton were elected
secretaries of the F'reedmen's Aid society.
Discussion took place over the attitude the pre-
siding elders and other of1cers OF the annual
conferences should assume toward the Young
Peoples Societies OF Christian Endeavor and
other young peoples societies in the church
not belonging 10 the Epworth league It was
finally decided that ali young peoples societies
connected with the church. whether Epworth
leagues or not. should come under the jurisdjc-
ton of a presiding elder The committee an
nouncements were then made ana the confer
ence adjourned for the day
BISHOP WARREN was in the chair on the
opening Of the Methodist conference on the I'D
Many visitors were present DR.. Hunt intro
duced resolution to appoint the bishops o
board to appoint the various boards Of control
for the different auxiliary departments Car
ried The anti-capttal punishment resolution
was tabled It was decided to draw the pay of
the missionary bishops from the missionary
fund instead OF from the episcopal fund The
woman delegate question was laid over to await
the report Of the committee having the consu-
tutiOnal question in hand a resolution of sym
pathy with Russian Jews was passed Ad-
journed-
BISHOP HURST occupied the chair at the Il
E. general conference a: Omaha on the 24th
DE-. Soper, OF Japan, leading the devotions.
The committee on judiciary reached very i'm
portant conclusion upon the meaning OF the
word laymen'' in the discipline, where it pro-
yided for lay representation The committee
was of opinion shat the word did not include
women, but meant men only. The Epworth
league matter discussed at length a lively
debate arising over an effort to deprive the
league of q secretary of its own. Tie special
secretary wing Of the conference, however. Won
the day. After adopting the rules relating to
the Epwortn league, the conference proceeded
to elect Dr. J. F. Berry editor of the Ep-
worth Herald The report of the committee on
itlnerancy was taken up After animated
discussion the minority vas adopted by q vote
OF 29S for to leg against and the five year limit
will remain as it is. report from the com
mittee on temperance was presented 1t was q
vigorous statement of the well known attitude
Of the Methodist church toward the liquor
traffic. 1t denounced the liquor traffic as a
business full of diaboliSn1' and that it could
never be legaliZed without sin Judge Law
renee offered substitute for the report He
said: 1.-The Methodist Episcopal church cannot
afford TO indorse the prohibition party or an7
other political party.1 His substitute was de-
feated bv 30 to 20l The resolution was then
adopted with proviso that it did not mean the
| Endorsement OF any political party a report
was aCCptSd QeuOuncing the Chinese exclusion
| act Adjourned
| IN the Methodist conference at Omaha on the
18th the report on the Columbian exposition
matter demanding Sunday closing was present
| ed soon after the session opened The report
| was accepted second part recommended the
appointment Of commission to make church
| exhibit This excited some discussion. but was
finally adopted The committee lay repre-
| Sentation reported in favor OF equal lay and
| clerical representation in the general confer
| erce one layman and one ministerial delegate
| for each forty-fve ministers in the annual CON
| ferenceS- A spirited debate ensued, followed
/ by decidedly close work in ballots The result
stood follows: Laymen for, 142: laymel
against. IL; ministers for 1917: ministers aeanst
| I0S-a victory for the laynen- The only mat
tiers OF Importance handled at the Afternoon
| session Of the conference was the report of the
| committee on episcopacy. touching the actions
| OF Bishops TAYLOR and Thoburn in irregularly
ordaining missionaries and deaconesses a
lively contest took place the effort TO unite
| the Order of DeaconeSseS and Wornen's Home
| Missionary society By placing the deaconeSS
| work under the supervision OF the miSsionar!
| society The matter was left as 1t was
THE Methodist general conference closed it.
| deliberations at Omaha the Goth The las
| day was devoted TO clearing up of business. Al
| effort to take up the woman question out OF il.
| order failed Of a two-thirds vote greatly 10 tn,
] disappointment Of the galleries, which wers
| filled with women Later the report of TIT
judiciary committee brought the matter 10
| focus. and an amendment by Dr. Hamilton wa.
| adopted-23i to "a providing that IL the wore
| ''laymen'' applied TO delegates IS not inter
| preted by two-thiris vote of the annual con
| ference and three fourths vote of the genera
| conference 10 mean exclusively males, womer
| shall then be admitted as lay delegates. GTea
| applause followed. and the conference ADJOURNED