Morning journal and courier., 1892-05-20
THE GENERAL CONFERENCE.

The Results so Far Are as Predicted
 No Limitation of the Tenure o l the Episcopacy and No Districtins
 of the Bishops-The Opposition fol
 . Colored BIshop-The Question:
 Stil to be Settled.
 | OMAHA, Neb., May 16. To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER.
 We told you so, and hence we are hap
 py. Not necessarily so in the results, fol
 some things might have pleased us better
 had they been ordered differently. But
 from the standpoint of prophet every,
 thing is to our liking, because everything is as we forewarned your readers it would | be. There is to be no limitation of the tenure of the Episcopacy, no districtipg of the bishops, no man elected to the Epis copal office on the sole ground of color, and no new bishops of any description, excepting, possibly, at the last moment, 6 missionary bishop for Europe. There | were many who said that the Episcopacy would emerge from this conference with its wings badly clipped. So far, however, l it has not lost feather, but if anything it has gained in both dignity and strength. These Methodist bishops seem to, carry everything before them. Theoretically they are the creatures of the general con- ference and are entirely subject to its con- trol. But such is their influence, and so unbounded the confidence of the church in their integrity and wisdom, that practi- cally, in many respects, the general con ference is their creature. They have car ried every point so far. Wishing the lay men to have more power, they favored the seating of this order apart from the min isters, and the thing was done. The pro- position to limit their prerogatives in the appointment of the judiciary committee went to the table without 60 much as the lifting on their part of a little finger against it. This was an unsought tribute to that silent influence which the bishops necessarily wield by virtue of their posi- tion and character.
 But in some other matters their influ- ence has not been 8 silent one by any means. Everybody was aware of their opposition to the districting scheme, and there were surely none who did not know that they were decidedly opposed both to the idea of a colorsd bishop and to the el- ovation into full -hedged Episcopal dignity of those previously elected as missionary bishops. It Is not claimed that these measures were defeated solely because of Episcopal opposition to them. We sim ply note the bishops opposition in connec- ton with their defeat as an illustration of the fact that things in this conference are turning out in accordance with Episcopal predilections. So in regard to the abstract proposition 10 elect new bishops. The present incuul bents of this high office, be- ing consulted upon this point, said em- phatically, "Don't do tive are sufficient of ourselves for this work" Such was their opinion, and such has been, or will be, the deliberate conclusion of the body which sits in final judgment upon these matters.
 Of course in all thess cases the action of this conference has been chiefly moulded, not by the wishes of the bishops, but by other considerations. In regard to Will liam Taylor, the missionary bishop for Af- rica, the feeling is quite general since he made his report, that grand as he is in a missionary capacity, he is still, after all, hardly the man to be made a general su- ol luc WuOlc WOIh. Wltn thority co-equsl to that of the bishops who preside over the conferences in the United States. The fact is that Taylor is seen to the best advantage when the church thinks of him as grand old hero away off in the wiids of his great circuit in Africa At long range he is so sublime a personality that the brethren instinctively throw mp their hats for him. But & nearer view brings into such strong light his numer- ous eccentricities that their enthusiasm cools off somewhat. This has certainly been the case since his appearance on the scene of the present conference. A few months ago the prophets would have wa gered their last button that this body would make him every inch n bishop-so far as a regular election could do such a job-whereas nos hardly any one is think ing of such a thing.
 It should be noted here, as a rare in stance of self-abnegation, that full Epis- copal election is not desired either by Bish- op Taylor or Bishop Thoburn. Both these men have said emphatically that they pre- fer to remain as they are. And, further more, it is the wish of their constituents burn is great enough to be a bishop any where. In his case the closer the scrutiny the better the opinion. In his intellectual parts he compares we'll with any man on the Episcopal bench, while in zeal and true Christliness of spirit he is the peer, perhaps, of any minister of the age If he wanted the full power conferred by a regular Episcopal election he could easily get it. But both he and the Methodists of India have asked only to be let alone. The brethren of that great empire want Tho burn for their superintendent, and they want him just as he is. Both he and they affar yaanlfa oftar .l their work being purely of a missionary character, they are properly of the opin- ion that 1t can be most successfully man aged by one who is simply 6 missionary bishop.
 The movement to district the bishops met its defeat in the Episcopal committee in part as concession to sentiment, and partly because of the difficulty of adjust ing the work to such plan. A few thought that a change of this kind could not be made legally till the annual confer enoes had endorsed 1t, and some held that for the same bishop to preside in the same district four years in succession would be inimicsl to the preachers. As it is, if a bishop is unduly hard on any of the breth- ren in the making of the appointments there is hope that the next bishop who comes around will redress the alleged wrong. But under the plan proposed this nopo WOulo nave uo Btouuu to etauo upon. "Before we district the bishops,n said sev- eral of the speakers, Eve must take out of their hands the power of appointing the presiding elders, comforting that pow CT upon the conferences, and must make the presiding elders of equal authority with the bishops in stationing the minis ters." This was the argument, and with many of the delegates 1t had so much weight-supplemented as 1t was by the practical difficulties in the wsy-as to con- | trol their votes.
 In regard to the movement for s colored bishop, that was foredoomed to failure from the start. Not, however, from any lack of urging by those specially interest cd. The oolored delegates were prepared to vote for 1t early and often. In all there are about sixty of these in this conference, and with only four exceptions they pre-. ssnted . united front on this issue. These | exceptions argued that to elect man sole ly on the ground of his color would be e humiliation rather than an honor, and that the proper course was to wait until come rerressntativs of the negro rscs should
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