The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-05-13
METHODIST WORK
Aeviow Of the Dolngs Of tho Great
General Couforonco.
THE MEMBERS GOOD NATURED
Aud Hard ut wOrk.A Conservative
D0dy...AIcinorinls Prcscntcd.-.Now
Societies Wantcd..A Brisk Contest
Over Editorial Honors..sicn Who
Want to Edit tho Church Papers.


Special Correspondence 0f he initiiigtner.
OMAHA, May 0.-""The campaign OF
your debates, the many pitched battles
and the numerous skirmishes" was tho
language used by DR.. AIoulton the fra.
tcrnal delegate from Great Britain, in
charac!crizinathcproceedings oftllcgcn.
eral conference, and surely he was right.
1t is indeed u campaign, and within tho
forsenic arena II would be hard TO con-
ceive OF any battle, or series CT battles,
in which the combatants arc more re.
luctant 10 yield. Tho brethren are good
naturcd enough for the most part, but
they arc also, rs some ono has expressed
it, "drcadlully sot." lssueswhich seem
quito trivial arc contested witha logged.
ness which could hardly be eXcclled II
the interests OF the whole church wcrc
mt stake and with rs little apparent re-
gard for tho lapse oil time as though tho
conference were hero to fight ii ont ON
tho same line II it took all summer.
Points OF order i.are rs numerous as
mosquitoes in western stamp, and for n
motion to 20 through without m effort
: to amend is as rare and pleasant IN oc.
currence as the6icw beams OF warmth
VIC have had so far in this unusually
bleak month of May
! Perhaps, by tho way, the weather is
to blame for it all. Perversity is CATCH
: ing and cold stimulates action. 1t may
DO that the: cantankerous spirit of Old
Probabilities has infected the delegates
TO this conference. Certainly they arc
active enough, il an irrcpressible de.
termination to make themselves heard
may pass for that quality. Those who
witness the proceeding OF this body for
the first time arc amazed. They never
heard it on this wise before. Some OF
the rest OF us, however, take it rs mat.
ter OF course. How it was previously we
do not know, but since class meetings
have gone out OF fashion tho Mcthodists
have always been great takers in tloir
general conferences. 1t seems as though
they must find expression for their pcnt
up feelings somewhere, and really when
we remember that they are great doers
as well as great takers, we may per-
haps excuse them for this weakness.
Many listener has felt like calling
upon some oil them to SHUT up" but no
man could consistently demand that
they Shut UP or put up, because, Ms
world knows, the church they represent
does put up most magniliccntly, both in
money and good works. Hence, ii they
insist once in four years npon being
heard for their much speaking, let them
do it, and let those who listen wait
patiently-or as patiently us they can
to see wha: the outcome will be.
CONSERVATIVE BODY.
AS regards its actions, the conference
at this writing is chiefly remarkable for
what it has refused to do. When that
genial old conservative. DR.. Lanahan,
srid that he rose to speak to the motion
which had Just been tablcd-a motion
TO limit somewhat the prerogatives OF
the bishops-and went on to say that
he heard in Maryland that this body
was going to tear up some things. by the
root, and that the motion which had
met SO early 4 demise was one OF the
ropes by which these radical changes
were TO be accomplished. he scored
point which had more rca! significance
in it than the majority OF the ten min
ute speeches we have heard He was
out OF order, OF course; DR.. Lanahan is
SO gracious, so conrtly, So witty, and so
wise in his remarks. that he is never
out oil order in equity, though lie often
is in law, and on this occasion his tech
nical breach OF the rules was not only a
good hit upon what had already oc-
CURED. but it expressed the Judgment
OF one OF the most discerning men in
the conference rs to what was likely to
occur in the subsequent proceedings OF
! that body In other words. it was his
way OF saying that tho conference had
shown itself to be body after his own
heart, with 4 disposition to make haste
slowly in decrecing changes. in which
opinion your correspondent: is obliged
to concur.
This does not mean that no changes
y will be made, nor that only a few will
DO made, but simply that the confer.
ence is not likelvto make any very
sweeping changes. There are various
propositions already before it, and the
cry is, still they come. For many days
yet will the delegations be regularly
called for petitions, memorials and res
olutions. and ii this body shall be as
productive in such progeny as its pre-.
decessors have been, there will be Of
fered in all about 4 thousand OF these.
With the propositions thus presented,
the dozen or more standing committees
will have to labor, md finally, from
these, and about score OF special COM
mittees, hundred or SO out oil this
possible thousand will be returned in
some form Tor the action OF the confer
Eenco upon them. Then the fun will be-
4 gin, and. metaphorically speaking, the
fur will fly. just how the cat OF decis-
ion--to carry out our last 6gure-wiil'
jump in these matters, we cannot vet
tell, but OF what will come up for con.
siderntion We arc forewarncd by tho
papers handed to the secretary.
OTHER MEMORIALS. p
Several have been put in asking the
removal OF the time system from the
passionate. Several more praying for
the abolition OF the probationary rule
z in regard to membership. Quite q
number ask that bishops be elected Tor
Il term Of years, instead OF for lie, and
many that the bishops be assigned
quadrennially 10 districts. Several
I memorialists want the missionary So
ciety divided into two parts, ono wing
to look after the foreign. the other after
the homo field. Not i Tow petition for
modification, of.the churcli's deliver.
I anccs against popular nmuselncnts. For
a,chanSc that will take from the bish-:
nns. Tho nnlYnr to nnnnint fnrnslIinn al .