The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-05-04


"A Reception to the Bishops.
OMAHA, Neb.. April 2.-The twenty
fourth quadrennial conference Of the Nj,
T.. church was called TO order at Boyd's
opera house this morning by Bishop Bow
man. and Dr. s Monroe was elected per-
manent secretary. The entire morning
was devoted to a discussion of the propO-
sition to seat the lay delegates separate
from the clergy. The question was still
undecided when the noon recess
WAS taken. During the discussion of
the resolution to seat the lay delegates
by themselves, separate from the minis
terial delegates Dr. John Lanahan said he
wished to congratulate the laymen upon
this demand He had always believed
that the laywen would have more in
flueuce and power in the conference by
being seated separately. He believed
that the ministers would be pleased to
have the laymen seated separately ii
they wished to have it so.
MIR. shin<Ie Talks.
Mr. Shinkle of Kentucky vigorously
combatted the idea of separate seating. Il
do not congratulate the laymen upon this
demand for separate seating" said Mr..
Shinkle. 81 know that We had the meet
ing tho other night and seventy-one out
of 100 laymen voted for the separate
seating They wanted the sheep and
the goats separated. Some thought they
should be called sheep and lambs Well,
I want to plead for the lambs. | want
the laymen and the ministers seated to-
eether | want the advice OF the minis
ters and | want the ministers to get ad-
vice occasionally from the laYmen. If
we are seated separately it win have the
appearance of entagonism. The methO-
dist church is not a divided body.
1t is one church for ministers and lay
men. III we laymen are showed oil In one
corner we shall appear TO be interlopers
when we 60 over to speak to the min
isterial delegates. | want equal repre-
sentation in the conference for the lay
men, remember that, but ! am opposed to
the separation of the lay and min
isterial delegates. Please, brethren,
do not separate the laymen from the min
listers. don't want to be separated from
the ministers. l have never yet been ad-
vised In conference to do wrong thing
by minister | hope. brethren, that this
resolution will not carry. Ii is a wrong
step and we shall regret it ii the laymen
and ministers are separated.
The Views of MIR. Murray.
Mr.. Murry of central Pennsylvania, a
lay delegate, said they were glad to do
honor to the ministers, but they wanted
10 be seated by themselves for the influ-
ence it would givethem in the conference.
They had lost their individuality hereto
fore, as the 100 laymen had been inter
spersed between over 500 ministers. One
advantage the proposed order of things
would give would be the possibility of con-
ferring together. They merely wanted to
be placed on an equality with the ministers.
Mr. Field OF Philadelphia said that
there was no thought of arousing an
tagonism between the laymen and the
minister The desire was TO create a
closer union by placing the lavmen
where they could do the most for the In
terests they represented.
DR.. J. NJ. Buckley. editor of the Christian
Adrocate of New York City, then took the
men representation in the conference as
not TO increase the size OF the body, but to
secure the assistance OF the laymen in the
framing of the laws of the church. Had
the laymen been given fair chance 10
exercise equal power with the ministers Z?
Dr. Buckley thought not. He recounted
the story of conference legislation upon
the subject and held five laymen had
been handicapped by failing to get sep
arate vote in the conference when they
had demanded it."
"Nine-tenths of the laymen," said DR..
Buckley, ATTEND but one general confer
ence, but the ministerial delegates usually
go 20 conference after conference, and the
bishops who preside know them. The
bishops are not acquainted with the lay
men, and when they arise on the floor OF
the conference along with half dozen
ministers what is the usual result? the
presiding officer usually recognizes some
ministerial delegate aud the layman sits
down."
Other Opinions.
DR.. Lewis Curtz of Chicago said that it
was simply question of privilege for the
laymen and not of compulsicn. II they
wanted to sit by themselves the ministers
could not do less than to grant their re-
quest.
+. III. Root of Buffalo, layman, spoke
in opposition to the separate seating
scheme. He wished to see harmony and
unity all through, and he believed that
separate seating would result in SEM
blance at least of discord and lack oi
unity of purpose.
Ex-Governor Evans of Colorado stated
that somebody had evidently been scared
before they were hurt. There seemed
TO be little apprehension that
| they were not all members oi
abe same church. He could not under
stand why the ministers were afraid that
the laymen think it wise to condemn q
thing just because it was proposed by the
laymen of the conference, and hoped the
ministers would see that there was dan
ger in voting against the resolution.
After a long wrangle during which
! many attempts at counIermotions were