The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-05-25
Minority Report of the Committee on ItiIer.
ancy, Which Allows Pastors TO Remain in
One Place but Five Years. Adopted.
Prohibitionists Defeated in an Effort TO
Embroil the Church in Politics.
Northern Presbyterians Receive Reports frsm
Boards and Committees. and Oppose Voting
Money to Sectarian SchoOls-0ther Bodies.
NO LIFETIME PAsroRATEs.

OMAHA, May 24-Bishop Hurst occupied
the chair at the Methodist Episcopal Gen.
eral Conference. The committee on judi
ciary reached O very important conclusion
upon the meaning of the word ''laymen"
in the Discipline, where 1t provides Tor lay
representation. The committee is of the
opinion that the word does not and never
has included women. but has meant and
does mean men only.
The Epworth League matter was dis
cussed at length. a lively debate arising
over an effort to deprive the league OF
secretary of its own. Special Secretary
Wing, of the conference. however. won the
day. A rather warm alteration took place
between Mr. Murray. OF PENN
sylvanis, and Dr. Berry. chair
man of the committee, over misunder-
standing The conference was discussing
a section providing that there should be
no effort to disturb the Christian Endeavor
and other young peoples societies in tho
church for the purpose Of planting Ep-
worth leagues in their stead. Secretary
Monroe offered resolution TO strike out
the section. Mr.. Murray held that the
committee had agreed TO this section as
compromise. after a week OF warm discus
ing out the section. DR.. Berry declared
that Mr. Murray had misrepresented the
committee. and. after shooting contra
dictiops at each other for few moments.
they got together and found out that they
were not very far apart after sll.
DIR. Shire was In favor OF giving the Ep-
worth League the full right OF way In the
church. lie thought the section was in
tended to give Christian Endeavor socie-
ties an additional lease of life in the Meth
odist Church. He wanted to see the Ep-
worth League installed as the young peo-
pies society or the church. and all
announcement for the organization OF
other young peoples societies in the Meth
odist Church should be shut of. The motion
to strike out the section resulted In vote
of 265 for to l64 against. Ii was decided
victory for the stalwart Epworth League
A motion was Immediately made 10 have
the section which had been stricken out
attached as foot note. DIR. kynett. DIR.
Leonard and several others made ringing
speeches in behalf of the Christian En-
deavor societies. There were thousands OK
loya young people. they said. in the young
peoples societies connected with the Meth
odist Church and they were perfectly loya al
to the church. They should be recognized.
The section was added as foot note.
$4,000 FOR A CHURCH IN ROME.
Chaplain McCabe aroused the greatest
applause of the day. he aroee TO q aues.
tion of privilege. and announced that he
had Just received q subscription of Sl0.O0d
TO assist in the erection of q Methodist
headquarters in the city of Rome. The
gentleman who gave SO literally was Rev.
q. A. Reeder, of the East Ohio Conference.
Other sections of the rules intended to
govern the Epworth League and other
young peoples societies connected with the
Methodist Church were then taken up.
They provide that the league shall have Of
fhn nfraA and
general conferences. DIR. Buckley held thss
1t would not he wise To ma ke the presidents
of the local leagues members OF the quar-
terly conferences. section providing
must be members OF the Methodist Episco-
pal Church and members of the quarterly
conference was adopted.
Mr. Shaw. of Iowa, made very neat
speech advocating the idea of giving the
young people of the Epworth League the
right TO elect their own officers. rather than
to allow the quarterly conference to assist
the leagues in the election of their presi-
dents. He said: II feel inclined 10 trust
the young people. L would rather trust
your children than TO trust your fathers.
my brethren. L am of the same opinion ae
Robert Burdette. formerly of the Hawkeye:
The world Is better than lt was before you
came into 1t, and IL will be better still
when you get out ofiI.'" Laughter. After
adopting the rules relating To the Epworth
League the conference proceeded 20 elect
DIR. }. K. Berry as editor of tho Epworth
Herald. The election was practically unan-
imOus.
It was discovered that part of the plan
to govern the league lad been overlooked.
An effort vas made TO suspend the rules IN
order TO elect clerk 10 the charge Of the
Chicago office of the league. but the effort
failed.
LIVELY DEBATE on TIE TIME LIMIT.
The report of the committee on timer
ancy was taken up. and j. ~ Caldw we'll. OF
Chicago. got the floor. He held that the
removal of the time limit would wipe out
o good deal of clerical politics. DIR. J. NJ.
King. of New York. declared that the re-
moval of the time limit would be the areat-
est advance step taken by the Methodist
Church in fifty years. After Dr. King half
adozen speakers in succession olamored
for the removal of the time limit
DIR. Buckley now got the tioor and de-
clsrcd that the time limit was first adopt
ed to relieve Bishop Asbury in trying to
get stubborn pastor removed. He de-
clsred that the conference was in too great
hurry TO abolish tho time limit The time
was extended to live years at the confer
ence of 1888, and now. before q solitary
man has had time to live out a fve-year
term. this conference rushes in to remove
the limit entirely. DIR. Buckley spoke with
great power, and held the attention of the
vast audience as In wise. why have we
UHQ no HtIctf III luc Io Askeus
because our ministers have not had an
opportunity to remain long enough TO in
feet the churches with any heretiesl ideas
Our pastors have been obliged TO labor for
the con version of souls in order to show
that they were good for something. I
plead for the itinerancy as it now exists.n
He was tumultuously applauded.
Dr. Riggin. of Montana. spoke in favor OF
the time limit He held that the country
churches were in favor of holding on TO
the limit. Dr. Bridgeman. OF Michigan. Of
fered substitute 10 provide for special
cases In which the bishops might disregard
the time limit The substitute was tabled.
Dr. Bell. of Ohio. declared that nc would
be as sensible 20 pull up trees every three
TO five years and plant them again TO
move the ministers from place TO place
every five years. He wanted the clerk taken
out of the itineraDt plan of the church.
long squahble took place over the clos
ing speech of the debate BY the chairman
of the minority. Tie chairman. DIR. Ed
wards. wanted TO introduce DR.. Palmer TO
make the closing speech. BY n remarkably
shrewd move the friends of the minority
report got the minority report introduced
as a substitute. and it was railroaded al
most 10 completion before tho friends OF
the majority report were aware of it. Wig
orous efforts were made by those who
wished 90 see the time limit removed. but
| they were completely outstripped by the
| shrewdness of the opposition. The minor
L. A. xr<xf.. .<.fs fa1