The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1892-06-01
THE METHODIST CONFERENCE
FOLLOWERS OF JOHN WESLEY
Assemble in General Conference at
Omaha. Summary OF Proceedings.

Bishop Hurst occupied the chair. The
Committee upon Judiciary ached a very
important conclusion upon the meaning Of
the word 'laymen" in the discipline. It
provides for lay representation. The COM
mittee Is of the opinion that the word does
not and never had included women, but has
meant and does mean men only.
Politics played part at the Methodist
Conference today report from the COM
mittee on Temperance Was presented. IL
was a vigorous statement of the wellknown
attitude Of the Methodist church toward the
liquor traffic. II denounced the traffic "a n
business full of diaboism," and should
never be legalizcd without sin. The report
declared that the church would accept no
compromise; the liquor business must sur.
render. In conclusion, the report said that
no party had right to the support Of Chris.
tian men so long as that party favored the
license system.
Judge Lawrence offered substitute for
the report. It stated that the church did not
propose to take hand in politics and that
every man mad right to vote as he pleased.
His substitute embraced vigorous and
comprehensive statement favoring temper.
ance in accordance with the address of the
bishops.
Judge Lawrence's substitute was defeated
by a vote Of 300 TO -. The report of the
committee was then adopted amid applause.
The rules were then suspended and the
Conference passed a resolution introduced
by Mr.. Little, of Illinois, stating the adop-
ton Of the committees report did not COM
nit the Church to any political party. The
resolution was passed by large majority.
Vigorous efforts were made by those who
wished to see the time limit removed, but
they were completely outstripped by the
shrewdness of the opposition. The minority
report was adopted by vote of 2D3 TO 2B2
against, and the tiye.year time limit will
remain as it Is. The conference then ad.
journed
WEDNESDAYS SESSION.
Conference adopted the report of the Com.
mittee on Equal Representation by the fol.
lowing vote: Ministers-Aye, l91; no los.
Laymen-Aye, li3, no, IL. II gives equal
representation to the laymen, provided two
thirds Of the annual conference so decide.
The Committee on Judiciary decided that
it required but two-thirds of the whole
number voting, not of each order to adopt
the report of the Committee on Equal
Representation, so that the laymen viii be
equally represented at the next Quadrennial
Conference.
The Conference adopted the report of the
Committee on Episcopacy, which among
other recommendation approved of the
administrations of the Bishops, except as
TO the action of Bishop Foster in the Ken.
lucky Conference, where he refused tc
recognize certain ministers. The limiting
Of Bishops to districts is declared inadvis
able and they remain itinerAnt as now.
THURSDAY (hSD FrSAL) SESSION.
The last session of the Methodist Episco
pal Quadrennial Conference was presided
over by Bishop Fitzgerald. When the com.
mittee on Revisals made its report, excep-
the chairman, the claim being made that
paragraphs relating TO the use of tobacco had
been ommitted without the knowledge Of
the committee, The commissions were added