The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-05-24
Delegates Who Thought They Would Have
Picnic at Omaha Find Plenty TO Do from
Breskfast Time 10 Almost Midnight
The Woman Question Sprung Again to
the Evident Annoyance of Dr. Buckley.
Adjournment Fixed for Thursday Of This
Wesleyans Also Troubled over the
Matter of Admitting Women Delegates.
A BUSY CONFERENCE.
Delegates to the Methodist Quadrennini Have
Had No Time for Play.

Special TO the Indianapolis j JournaL
OMAHA. Neb.. May 2S.-Last week reg
istered the high-water mark of interest IN
the Methodist Episcopal Quadrcnnial Con-
ference; 1t was election week. One OF the
delegates inquired significantly when the
conference first opened: what are we
here fort" and it would seem, from surface
indications. as though this question bad
now been answered. No: that the confer
ence is convened solely for the purpose OF
filling the offices. 1t has many other func-
tions. The elections, however, occupy az
least one-fourth of it's time. and If one may
Judge from what 10 seen ana heard con-
stantly in the lobbies. they monopolize 81
much of the thought of many of the dele
gates as TO preclude the possibility of any
other matters receiving serious atte ntion
until the great battle of the ballots has
been fought out.
This is the first conference since 1876 at
which no bishops have been elected. At
first thought 1t would seem as though the
exclusion from this contest OF such prize
as tho episcopacy would detract consider
ably from the excitement attending It, As
1t turned out, however. thedeclsion on the
bishop question. by the fact that IL lett on
the field an increased number or candi-
dates for the subordinate offices. gave u
new element OF interest TO this battle ne
expectation had been that among the pos
sible elections to the eDscopacy two or
three would be drafted into service who
had previously filled other influential posi-
tions Hence there had been for couple
Of weeks maesing OF forces toward these
positions in behalf of nsw men. AT last.
therefore. the question arose, what Is TO
be done with these new candidates. And
as it is always easier TO get man started
.f& - nat arFa9 haE
trail when game has been scented. the sitn-
alton became somewhat complicated. In
tries were In great abundance Tor some or
the Offices and the results. In a few cases.
were not quite what the present lncum-
bents either expected or relIshed. What
these results were your readers learned
from the daily press reports.
ANYTHING BUT A PICNIC.
If any new delegate came here expecting
to rest, or to have time for visiting friends
and seeing sights. how rudeIy must his
pleasant anticipations have been shattered.
Either that at least. OF he must have found
time for other things by the hagrant neglect
of duty. Three meetings a day, the first OF
these lasting four solid hours, with numer-
Gus smaller conclaves between times. the
routine of engagements beginning after
early breakfast and lasting until about ID
at night-this has been about the average
bill of fare so fer; and il any man thinks
it is any picnic to be delegate TO the Gen.
eral Conference be should try it. Doubt
less many would be glad TO try IL II they
could only get the chance, for 1t Is the
same in this matter as in the scramble for
ecclesiastical Office. The work Will be
great. but willing workers are by
no means few. Fortunately there are
always at hand. both in the annual con-
ference and In the General Conference
those who are ready TO sacrifice themselves
for the good of the church.
Still. q General Conference involves no
end of exhausting work. The scene when
the body is in session is a perfect bee-h hive
of industry, and this figure would bold,
perhaps. even as regards the buzZing;
yes. and without excepting the occa-
sional sting; for these religious folk.
somehow. can be as sharp and cut
ting in their remarks when they want
to hurt q man who Is In their way, or stab
. movement which fails 10 enlist their
sympathy. as the rest of mankind. But
overlooking any of the weaknesses they
may have, see how these men labor OF
the bishops who preside 1t Is literally
true that they moro than have their hands
full. One of them lost the head from his
mnllet twice at one session. and II was
feared by some that Bishop Newman, who
seemed bent on having peace. even If he
had to fight for IL. would not only break
the gavcl but split at the came time both
the table he was pounding and the ears OF
his brethren. Still, he didn't; and perhaps
his vigorous administration was just what
was needed.
A VERY BUSY MAN.
The secretary, who was almost unani-
mousIy elected for the third time, is DIR. ID.
s. Monroe. of Altoona. Pa. He is q most
efficient officer. and, fortunately, is blessed
with a stentorian voice. How much work
ne has to do may be inferred from the fact
that. 70 get through with IL in proper
shape. he has had to call to his aid no less
| than eighteen assistant secretaries. The
Daily Advocate. whose circulation is about
fifteen thousand. has two editors. DE-. q.
w. Gray and DR.. A. *. Sanford. with as
sistants to the number of perhaps dozen.
| This paper gives daily verbatim report
| OF the proceedings. besides O large amount
of other matter. The eficient business
MANAGER is ID. ID. Thompson, of Cincinnati.
ana it 10 an occasion of constant remark
that with such limited facilities. the paper
| ehould be SO satisfactorily conducted.
| Imagine. now. on and around the platform,
the tables necessary for all this work. and
as many NOR more as are needed by about
| press. with all the labor involved,
| remembering at the same time that the
scene closes In the conference-room proper
only to reproduce itself In great committee
meetings at nearly all the churches and
at several of the hotels. and that all this
goes on with scarcely any abatement for a
full month, and you will then have an idea
| OF Wnat Ueneral conference Is 0nQ oil the
burden it entails both upon the members
themselves and upon the town which un-
| dertakes TO accommodate it.
Really il Is too big an enterprise for o
city no larger than Omaha. The people
have done their best. bat the thing has
been beyond their capacity. 1t was with
considerab migiving that the commission
which had To decide the matter consented
| finally to have the conference meet here.
Such body ought never 10 convene IN O
| place having NO moro THAI 10000 of popu-
lation. with halls, hotels. churches
and other conveniences only in pro-
portion thereto. But the growing
West was bound to have IT'S way.
and Omaha made such great promises that
she could not be resisted. Moreover. many
q bigger place might have done no better
than she has In carrying out these prom
ises. and perhaps, after ali. when every
thing is considered. there is less TO COM
plain of and more 10 bs thankful for i'm the
situation than may at first have appeared.
One cause which has made little or no
progress 10 that OF organic union. spite OF
resolutions declaring IN favor of It. and
though even a commission be- appointed to
stand sponsor for such movement the
simple truth is that the speech of DIR. John
J. Tigert, the fraternal delegate from the
NJ. T.. Church South. fell upon the warm
hearts and budding expectations of tho
| brethren like the prOyerbial wet blanket