Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-03-22
PICTURESQUE AMERICA,
MUCH BITTERNESS MAY Be AROUSED

Circumstances that Indicate an Unusually
Interesting Time at the VI. T.. Confer
ence, This Week, at Saiisbury-City
Churches at War Over the Subject of
Pasiors--The Bishop May Smash States
and Arrange 4 Appointments to Suit Him
self
The Goth annual session OF the Whining
ton NJ. Il. Conference is being held at Sails.
bury, Md.
From present indications the session viii
60 on record us the liveliest in the history
OF the conference. The sessions held at
Centrevllle and Crisheld. ii is asserted, will
be considered mild in comparison with the
session of 1894. 1t is expected that
the assignment Of pastors will create con.
siderable bitterness. Bishop Vincent. IL is
stated. will be harassed by delegations al
the prediction is made that be will smash
the states and arrange the appointments to
suit himself.
MORE POLITICAL THAN RELIGIOUS,
1t is freely admitted that the Methodist
Episcopal Church is rapidly drifting from
the itinerary. Persons who have the best
interests Of the church at heart deplore
TIE methods which are resorted to in many
cases 10 secure pastors. Some Of these
methods SAVIOR more Uf politics than of re
hgion and create strife which lasts for
years. The amount of selfishness ex-
hibited in extending some pastoral invita-
tons is marvellous. The proceedings Of a
recent quarterly conference are said to
have been disgraceful. The preacher was
present and the remarks made about him.
1t is said, were ungentlemanly as well as
unchristianly. Some of the men, It is as.
serted, 'combed each other from head 10
foot" made charges and countercharges
ana nnally became so hot under the
collar that they drove the minister and
several officials from the meeting with
tears in their eyes.
At Union Church matters are in bad
shape. There is volcano beneath the
surface, ana the slightest agitation will
create an eruption. The Rev. ]. L. Amos
has been invited to return, but there is a
strong opposition to his coming back. AT
the last quarterly conference effort was
made to rescind the action of the pre-.
eeding quarterly conference. but the effort
was defeated. The vote was very close. il
standing Is to 10. 1t is said both sides
secured the town to get men to attend, and
it Is charged that one side had present an
officer who had been in the church only
twice during the last three years There Is
strong feeling that some of the members
OF the church are not acting properly
towards MIR. Amos. Out of courtesy, il
for nothing else, it is claimed, he should
ne unions pastor next year. Many of
lHose VINO oppose MS return admit that he
is good preacher, and say that from a
social standpoint he is a splendid man,
The chief objection to him seems 10 NJ
That he is decidedly unlike the Rev. L. L.
Hubbard, the late pastor. Those who
oppose Mr.. Amos return want the Rev.
Harvey w. Ewing. The church will send
TO Salisbury two committees, one in behalf
Of Mr.. Amos and the other in behalf of
Mr.. Ewing.
Last week it was stated that the Reys.
John France and Isaac Jewell will return
10 scott and Epworth, respectively, not
withstanding those churches have asked
for other pastors.
Most OF the business transacted at Salis.
bury will be of routine nature The
toilowing propositions will probably be
considered: To change the constitution Of
the General Conference so thar there may
pc an equal number of lay and clerical
delegates in that body. to reduce the ratio
OF representatives from the annual con-
ferences. from the present minimum Of
for every I5 to a sliding scale of / for any
larger numher up to gu. and to change the
day Of meeting of the General Conference
Wednesday in May.
The following churches, additional to
those previously mentioned, have invited
their pastors to return next conference
year Middletown. N. NJ. Browne; Sea-
ford, G. w: Prettyman; Church Hill d.
y. White; Easton, W. Il. Avery; CLAYTON.
II. Z. Turner; Cecilton, D. II. Corkran:
Queenstown, W. 0. Hurst; HiIlsboro, W,
W. Sharp. :"