Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-06-02
END OF THE SESSION,
OMAHA METHoDIsTs HAVE
ADJOURNED
The Conference Considers the Woman
ouestion-To Iie Settled Eight Years
Hence Poiygamy observation-disclosures
OF the Church ON Temperance.
Have FInIsh@d Their work.

speech was unique. He crowded into
i've minutes more than another man
could into fifteen minutes. When he
finished he was roundly applauded by
all. John Field, of Philadelphia. made
a telling speech. He said that IL the
women came into the conference and
thereby crowded out the men, to them
would be due the results. Men did not,
as rule, care to NEEDLE In the church
business, and the best thing to force
them out was for the women to take
hold OF the government. This would
leave nothing for the men to do, and
the women and preachers could run the
church TO SUIT themselves.
The other acts OF note during the day
were as follows: The conference
adopted q report condemning polygamy
in any nation, and demanding that NO
one, be he in India. China or Africa,
who practices polygamy be allowed TO
partake of communion.
Endowment to colleges Of post
graduate work was asked by The edu-
oational committee, and the conference
joined In 1t by adopting the report.
1t was decided to appoint committee
to organize an insurance company,
somewhat on the plan of the British
Wesleyan, and report TO the next gen.
eral conference.
"A resolution was heartily adopted
congratulating the House of Represent
atives'on its recommendation to aid the
Worlds Fair on condition OF excluding
intoxicating liquors. At 2:20 In the
afternoon the conference adjourned
sine die.
Work OF the Conference.
The work of the conference has been
productive of much good. says an Oma-
ha dispatch. The most important ques-
tons considered during this session
were the report of the Constitutional
Committee on the revision OF the con-
stitution and discipline. After four days
this important matter was indefinitely
postponed, and as no commission or
committee was appointed before adj
1ournment, nothing will be done toward
revising the laws of the church before
the next general conference in 1896.
The next important question, which, by
the way was settled, as far as the gen.
eral conference is concerned, was equal
representation of lay and ministerial
delegates. It now requires two thirds
vote of the annual conferences to carry
into effect the action OF this body.
While the final action Is far off many
warm friends of the laymen predict that
will not indorse the plan. 1t Is said that
the German and African conferences
will be against it, together with the
weaker conferences, which, being now
equally represented, would not be BEN
Gifted by it.
The next important step was the wom-
an question, which, after hard
| fight, resulted in a slight victory for the
ladies. DR.. Hamilton is the Moses who
led the women out of the wilderness Of
obscurity. His resolution requires that
In order to constitutionally settle the
matter a proposition be referred to the
annual conferences whereby the words
who shall be men only" shall follow the
words "lay delegates" In order to in
| terpret the words in that manner three
| fourths OF the annual conferences must
| so vote, then two-thirds of the next gem
eral conference must concur In that in
depreciation. 1t will thus be seen that
the women, who control majority of
the conferences, will win the day in the
next general conference, although they
will not be able to be seated until eight
years hence.
Another important piece OF legisla-
ton was the refusal to remove the time
limit on the location of preachers. The
provisions remain as they were enacted
at the last general conference, five
years the maximum location. The re-
| fusal to increase the number Of bishops
or to locate q residence In Europe and
japan were other features Of Importance.
The powers of the bishops were cur
tailed in two instances. The conference
is given the power of rejecting the ap-
pointment OF a judiciary committee
which passes on appeals, and the bish-
| ops were denied the right to appear be-
fore the book committee to argue in ia
vor or against an appointment to fill q
vacancy. The proposed change in the
| discipline relating to amusements died,
failing to be brought before the confer
ence, as also did the resolution of DR..
| Hanlon asking the church to put itself
on record In reference to its position on
the controversy between capital and Ia
Dor.
Despite the assertion Of the bishops
that the church has no place in politics
the conference adopted the report OF the
| Committee on Intemperance, which
pledged support to all organizations
banded together to suppress the liquor
traffic. Later on q resolution declaring
that the conference did not construe its
adoption of the report to bind 1t to any
political party passed without dissent
| The practice of polygamy was de-
nounced in unmistable language, and
| the Federal Government asked to in
crease the duty on opium to such an ex-
tent as to prohibit traffic in it.
The church put itself on record as
favoring the Worlds Fair and favoring
appropriations only on condition that
tho gates should be closed on Sunday
and that no intoxicating liquors
should be sold on the grounds. 1t
further appointed commission to de-
termine the advisability of participating
In a general religious exhibit and to en-
gage In one IL found practicable.
Union of Methodists North and south.
A commission to meet the Methodist
Episcopal Church South to negotiate an
organic union of the two was appointed.
The bishops were given authority to
appoint ministers TO the pulpits of
churches, whose doctrines and laws are
the same as the Methodist Episcopal
| Church. Two Secretaries instead of
one of the Church Extension Society
and Freedmen's Aid and Educational
Society were elected. The Epworth
League was made constitutional part
OF the church, and Is now the only rec
ognized society Of young people in the
church. It's headquarters will be in
Chicago, where the official organ, the
Epworth Herald, will be published.
The Rocky Mountain aid Nebraska
Advocates were authorized to become
official papers OF their patronizing con-
ferences. A message was sent to the
President demanding that he refuse to
NJ -.