The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1892-05-12
A METHODIST UNION.
AN EFFORT TO BRING THE NORTH AND
SOUTH BRANCHES TOGETHER.

Interloping Laymen Hold Seats In ths
( Conference Only on Clerical sufreraDce
Fair IL Open on Sunday.
OMAHA, May 1t.--An effort is being
made by the Methodist conference tc
bring the church north and south to
gether, and communication has already
been opened with the officers Of th'
church south by the committee on the
state of the church.
DR.. King, of New York, offered reso
lutions requesting the general conference
TO take such action as it may deem besi
to secure the organic union of the Meth
odist Episcopal church, the Methodist
church south and other Methodist
churches. The resolutions were re.
ferred, without discussion, to the com
mittee on the state of the church.
Yesterdays session was presided over
by Bishop Fitzgerald. The COMMITTEES
on episcopacy, to whom was referred the
question whether more bishops are
needed, reported that they had not YET
been able to solve the problem and were
given more time.
A Day Spent in the Constitution.
The special order of the day, the re.
port of the constitutional committee
was called up at 10 o'clock, and imme'
diately there was confusion. DR.. Buck.
ley asked the conference to allow Bishop
Merrill to speak on the question "a mat.
ter prohibited by the rules).
rTrht Ia
conference could not afford to lay down
a precedent and allow the bishops tc
speak, and thus use their influence on
the floor in the interest of legislation.
DIR. Myley, Of New York, thought
that the bishop should be allowed tc
speak. If such a thing imperilled the
good of the church then do away with
the rule.
DIR. Buckley again secured the floo1
and made an extended speech.
Before vote could be taken on the
question the rules were suspended and
the report of the committee on the
Columbian exposition was presented.
The report heartily approved the ex.
position, but emphatically protested
against opening the gates on Sunday.
A telegram was ordered to be sent tc
congress at once heartily approving the
Worlds fair appropriation bill, provid-
ing it be conditioned on Sunday closing.
Laymon's Rights to Seats Questioned.
The report of the committee ON con,
stitution was then taken up and read
and considered by paragraphs, DR.
Neeley taking the floor to explain the
first section. The first declaration was
that the first three sections of the pres
| ent discipline are constitutional. This
was combatted on the ground that il
would compel all acts of the general
conference to be reviewed by the an
nual conference.
DIR. Little, of Central Illinois; DIR
Leonard, of Ohio, and DR.. Curtis, ol
Chicago, discussed the matter in the
negative. They held that portions of the
alleged legislation are merely statutory
laws and not constitutional provisions
Under such holding the laymen legally
could not hold a seat in the conference
and were here by sufferance only.
John Fields, of Philadelphia, offered
a resolution postponing the further con
sideration of the report until the next
general conference in order to give the
| people Of the church an opportunity Il
| canvass and discuss the matter thor
oughly. He made a strong plea for hi
resolution and was heartily applauded
| The substitute was voted down, and s
motion to lay the first part on the table
and take up the second part was alsC
voted down.
An unknown delegate at this juncturt
moved to adjourn, and to the surprise o
all it was carried.