Omaha daily bee., 1892-05-18
THE GENERAL CONFERENCE
Methodists Select Men to Fill Some Soft
Berths in Church Work.
SCRAMBLE FOR PREFERRED POSITIONS
Some Charges the side Concerning tho
Anairs of tho New York Book
Concern-Discussing the
Itineracy Problem.

larry departments OF the church. These
officers are elected every four years. They
are positions of honor aud responsibility, IN
addition to the fact that they command sal
aries that arc not to be sneczet at.
The first officer considered in the election
today was that of tho two agents for the
New York book concern, IN institution hay
Ing a capital of S!,O0J,0OO. DR.. Sanford
Hunt and DR.. Homer Eaton who have been
the agents during the past quadrennium,
were unanimously elected to succeed them
selves.
Dr. Earl Cranston was elected as one OF
the agents of tho Cincinnati hook concern,
and Chaplain McCabe, DIR. j. o. Peck and
DIR. A. B. Leonard were reelected as the
three missionary secretaries. The elections
were not completed.
Discussing the Itineracy Problem.
After the preliminary exercises DR.. Moore,
OF the Central Christian Advocate, wanted
TO take up tho matter Of allowing the bishops
to select their residences with reference to
their seniority. The conference would not
depart from the regular order which was the
calling of committee reports.
The committee on itiueracy brought in
report recommending the abolishment of
the hve-year limit OIL appointment of pastors.
The report favored the idea of permitting
the bishops TO appoint pastors every year
without reference to the place to which the
minister had been assigned the year previous.
AS the church law has stood for many years
pastor could not remain at one place longer
than five years In succession.
motion prevailed to make the report the
special oruer for 10 o'clock Wednesday,
The Manner of Elections.
The committee ON temporal economy re-
ported adversely on tho question of making
change in the manner of elections.
Adopted
Tue order of elections was taken up. Dr.
Lam IA To n n
orderiu which the elections were to be taken
up. The resolution provided that nomina-
tions should ue made IN open conference, and
all elections should be ma dc in opcn court
Dr. Gouchcr moved that tho election of
the secretaries Of the trecdmen's Aid society
be postponed until next Thursday because
the committee was not ready TO report. DR..
Lanahan's resolution with DIR. Goucher's
amendment was then adopted.
The order of elections will be follows:
Agents of tho book concern ut New York,
agents of the book concern at Cncnna'L
secretaries Of the missionary societies. secre-
tarics of the Freedmen's AID and Southern
Educational society editor OF the Methodist
Review, and then the editors of the Advo-
Gates at New York, Cincinnati, Chicago and
San Francisco.
Denounced Southern Outrages.
The committee on the state Of the church
brought in a report that fairly bristled oil
over with denuuciation of the outrages prac-
ticed upon the colored race in tho south. 1t
cials, the Methodist church aud all good citi-
zens to arise in their might and abolish the
indiPnities and outrages that are heaped
upon the colorcd people, and all White people
who dare to work for the elevation OF the
colored race in the southern states.
The resolution declared that the colorod
people were treated shamefuly on the rall-
way trains and at hotels ana in every way.
They were shot down like dogs and the law
of the land was trunped under foot by peo-
Pile who despsed the colOred race.
The resolution stirred up tremendous en-
thusasm.
DR.. Queal, DIR. Payne and others made
vehement speeches. calling upon the great
Methodist church TO sound the alarm ana
stand firmly for the rights OF the colored
race.
Dr. Miley ADVISED the conference to be
moderate III the language employed. 1--WE
ure not perfect ourselves, brethren, except
ing IN words" said Dr. Miley.
The report was adopted by rising vote,
every delegate in the conference rising to
his feet
a Bomb that Was Not Exploded.
The order of the day was then called. 1t
was the election of officers, aud according to
the plan adopted the election of The agents
for the book concern at New York was first
taken an.
DR.. Miley nominated DR.. Sanford Hunt
ard DIR. Homer Eaton as the agents for the
New York book concern. These gentlemen
have been the agents Of that concern for
several years. Tho nominations were
seconded by a dozen delegations.
Mr.. Field Of Phlladelphla wanted to ask
some questions. The chairman decided that
he was out of order He persisted in the de-
mand that he should be heard on question
of privilege. He was called to order by the
chair. Ii he had been given the floor he
would have exploded bomb. 1t was bust
ness affair touching tho management of tho
New York book concern.
MIR. Field had figures IN his possession
showing that the great book concern at New
IA tNtt nj Df e "A had
made n net profit of $4,000 per nunum
during the past four years. Mr.. Field
wished to ask if that was considered good
business ability. Would it not bo better TO
invest the money ut pcr cent in the west,
and secure an income from it of Sl20OOO per
annum. Another strange fact in the
business of the book concern so Mr.. Field
holds is that while the house did business
of $500 0OJ last year. the amount of money on
the books ana uncolectedIwas $500, 900. In
- other words, two-thirds OF the business OF
the year is still outstanding. The concern
also shows debt of s2OD, 900.
Dr. Hunt says he could explain this
matter TO the satisfaction of all
reasonable men if he had bearing.
large amount of the capital of tho
New York book concern, he said, is locked
up in building that is used by other depart
ments OF the church and brings in no rent.
He says that the whole capital OF the concern
has been made from nothing by the concern
and the debt does not represent any money
sunk.
Agents Elected.
The first ballot for the election of agents
for the New York concern resulted in the
election OF Eaton and Hunt with practically
no opposition.
The nominations for agents OF the Ciucln-
natl book concern we're as follows: DR.. W.
r. Halstead, DR.. Lewis Curtis, Dr. Earl
Cranston, DIR. w Il. Stowe, Dr. Samuel
Pemberton, DIR, j. ID, Hammond. DR.. l.. A.
Belt, Hon Samuel Dickey and Samuel Ii.
High.
Tho whole number of ballots cast was 479.
1t required 2i2 to mako choice DIR. Earl
Craustou received 405 votes, ana was the
only man elected on the Grst ballot The
others received votes as follows; Halstead,
80, Belt, Al; Curtis, las; Dickey, 80;
Hammond "A and the rest We're scattering
Mr. Knox, a colored man from Kentucky,
got one vote. Ho withdrew from the contest
laconically. DR. Hammond was the other
colored man IL the race.
DIR, Cranston was elected and a second
ballot was ordered TO elect the second agent.
The second ballot on the election of book
agents for the CINCINNATI book concern was
then announced. IL stood as follows
Stowe, 20i; Curtis, POL Halstead, SO: Belt,