Morning journal and courier., 1892-05-20

| on the other side the argument Tas fha,
 unless black bishop is elected the colored
 membership can have no adequate Episco. pal supervision, and that in the south the
 colored ministers who remain in fellow. ship with the Methodist Episcopal church are constantly deTided by the colored min. isters wno belong to churches of ths;r own, the taunt being cast upon them tba,
 they are mere lackeys for their vhite
 brethren; that, in other words, the church
 they cling to. while it is willing to tolerate
 them as dependents, is not prepared to
 grant them equality. This, and much
 more of the same kind, has been said.
 both in committee meetings and on the
 floor of the conference, and the battle for
 black bishop has been fought out, on the
 part of the colored troops, with an energy
 which is strongly suggestive of the last
 extremity of desperation. Naturally, af-
 ter so crushing defeat, there are rumors
 of a coming defection. It is said that
 large numbers of its colored adherents
 will leave the church. That some will
 there Is no doubt, and amongst these will
 be several, probably, who have held prom
 inent positions. When, however, it is re-
 membered that this conference, while it
 has practically debarred the negro race
 from admission for the present to the
 green pastures of the Episcopacy, has still
 opened to them other desirable grazing
 places, we cannot think that the defection
 will be large, or that it will take away-as
 some have said-any considerable propor-
 ton Of their leading men.
 As a matter of fact, the colored element
 has fared pretty we'll at the hands of this
 body. One of the blsckest faces and
 brightest minds amongst them is Dr.
 Grandson, of North Carolina, who. as sec-
 retary, divides with Dr. Buckley. its
 chairman, the honors of the Episcopal
 committee. And still another of their
 bright hghts-Dr. Hsgood-is secretary of
 the committee on Freedmen's aid. There is chance, too,-perhaps but a remote chance-that a representative of this race
 will walk off with some general confer enee secretaryship; and, of course, a col ored man will continue to sdorn the tripod of the Southwestern Advocate. Thus the
 whale will at least have had little sop thrown to him, even though he has not
 been permitted to scuttle of with the
 whole cargo. Hence he may reasonably be expected to teep quiet and wait in measur- able content for the developments of an- other quadrennum.
 That the latchstring of the Episcopacy should have been pulled in against white applicants, just the same as against col ored, makes situasion which to some of the brethren is rather distressing. It was this probably which moved the Daily Ad- vccste in recent tssue 10 advise the dele. gates to "be religions and have pity on the poor tcandidat-)." This pity, however, should not be bestowed upon the honored men who have been held forth As candi- dates for the bishopric, for as each of these voted against any increase, the inference is that they are not only reconc!led to the situation, but perfectly happy in it. But what is to become of the many disappoipt- ed ones, who, in the event of the promo tion of these men to the Episcopacy, were hopeful of securing some of the subordi. nate places which would thus be left VA cantf Here is where the shoe pinches, and where, if anywhere, pity should be be- slowed One man remarked that he had found a candidate in this conference for every place but heaven, and he was now laboring with the Japanese delegate to see If he could not have him entered as a candidate for that place. But this is an exaggerstion, and if 1t were seriously meant 1t would be & monstrous islander. Still there are far more candidates than offices, and hence, as @ matter of course. some will be left-that is, some of the candidates will be left, not the offices by any means.
 In the matter of legislation scarcely snything has beee done. The general conference consists of wheels within & wheel. First the great wheel turns-the conference itself-bringing forth & varie- ty of propositions, nearly all of which are subjected to systematic grinding by the lesser wheels, viz: the committees. Then, at length, the grist being prepared for it, the big wheel turns again. the re- suit being new laws. new offices per chance, and big batch of elections. Just now the second turning of this big wheel is about to commence How much wholesome wheat it will grind out re- mains to be seen. It is sure, however. to make noise enough, and to leave be- hind 1t, on the table or elsewhere, 6 large quantity of chaff. Propositions have been handed in to the number of about a thousand. Some of these may be wise: but large proportion are probably oth- erwise, and what the fate of at least of them will be has already. we think, been strikingly prehgured by .he doom which fell last week upon that ponderous instrument which the confer ence, after three days of debate, refused 70 adopt as its constitution
 Among the great questions still to be settled are the following: First, what will the conference do abont admitting There are several propositions 'n this subject in the hands of commit tees, aud when these shall be reported pack We may look for a big fight. Sec 'ndly, will it provide for the admission 'f Isymen in equal number with minis .ers! That the committee on lay repre- will report favorably to such a | plan is foregone conclusion, but the | late of this report is problematical The | fact is, the relations between laymen and | ltrfs hav F this conference. Thirdly, what will be done on the temperance questioni-an inquiry | which possesses more than usual interest | just now from the fact that Professor Dicke, who is the leading spirit in third | party movements, is a member of the com mittee having this matter in charge. Fourthly, will the conference take under it's patronage any or all of the four unofi- ,ial papers that are so generously offered to 1.-the Nebraska Advocate, of which | .he gifted DI. Shank is editor, the Metho- list Herald published in Minneapolis. and | edited by Dr. Chaffee; the Pacific Advocate at Portland. conducted by Dr. Harrington, and the Rocky Mountain Advocate at | Denver, whose editor is Dr. Peck.
 Another point to be settled is, what | will be done on the subject of amusementsi | Will the conference eliminate from the | discipline what is called the ''black-list,n D | which includes dancing, card playing and | or will it add to that list | such awful things as croquet and base | oslll Still snother-what will be done, if | looking towards organic union | with the Methodist Episcopal church | south; and what makes this question one of more than ordinary interest is that, in l addition to the presence for several days of | pr. Tigsrt, the regular delegate from that church, Dr. E. E. Hoss, editor of the Nashville Christian Advocate, has come on to watch the proceedings. Fl. T.