New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-04-30
POWER OF THE BISHOPS.
THE METHODIST SYSTEM SET FORTH.
SOME INFELICITIEs ILLUSTRATED wELr.KNOWN
CLERGYMEN EXPLAIN THE CASES


SOME INFELICITIES NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
CIERGYMEE EXPLAIN THE CASES
NOW BEING DISCTSSED
Methodist bishops are called general superin-
tendcnts." said well-known clergyman of the
Methodist Episcopal Church in this city yesterday.
"because they have general charge Of all the
churches OF the Methodist Episcopal Church
throughout the world For the sake OF convenience
the sf-tops twice a year divide the special episco
pal supervision Of the more than one hundred home
and foreign annual conferences between them. each
bsnop having charge for single year OF a given
numbrr Of conferences. \ bishop seldom returns
10 the same conference oftener than once in ten
dozen years.
THE bishops have just been in session In the
city OF Albany for the purpose Of arranging their
plan of episcopal visitation for the fall conferences
The bishops ,laccs Of residence determined by
the General Conference and the bishops have the
chance 10 choose from these places designated In
the order OF th~r election TO the epscopacy.
The Methodist bahoprc is not diocesan, and
therefore "A bishop has authority over the
churches AMI preachers whore he lives unless It 50
happens that for Il single year he Is assigned the
confer nee within whose bounds he lives Interior
cnce 10y resident bishop I'm the appointment Of
presiding elders preachers in the locality whore
he lives Is considered by many Of the bishops and
most Of the preachers a. an lmpertInence. ana it
invariably friction. because IN most cases il
dent b.shop l. indscrcet enough To- exert his in
nucncr IN advance OF an annual conference In the
interests ~ certain for presiding elder. and
thus embarrass the bishop who H. 10 presi1' at
conference and whose right and responsibility "a -
TO appoint the presiding elder.
SON" embarrassing cases Of this kind have
Gently occurred in conferences not thousand miles
away. Tn" administration Of the bishop who pre-
sided ~ the Sew England Conference has been
vigorously assaulted by prominent New England
Methodist paper because he d1 not carry out the
Programme" made for him before he arrived but
u.cl his own iudgm"n, and authority in making
appointments.
"Th" cas" - the Rev Or \ G. Bowlish has
been attracting much attention. who. from an In
irr 81 ne unrr4nt systrm j. noT wIthog,
h. a. cci".l'sti'a and legal right - a church
IA" h'E. Dr Tank. tr"nsf'rTFi from IN, the
Conference" hy bishop Fitzgerald. received by
Bishop Fowler AMI stationed al tin. Hanson Place
church. HfOpklyn y week aftrrW ard the New
f-rrrl nr tow,ii-h 10 tho New.-England Confer
'ncc hu; BISHOP Fitzgerald refused 10 r"cely" him
on account - the crowded condition 81 the con
ference The Neu- York East Conference hal al
journci az! Mr. Bo~ish wa without an appoint
m"uf In r.,hrr conference. hut n" still remained
rn"inber Of ~" Sow York East Conference. with IA
ar"'.ut"l him a. s"",nd preacher - a church In
i;-hoP 'tow.rr ~! now unJoGGirlIy citnrr ma
bounds II the Nsw-Nork East Conference or trans
fer him 20 come other conference. While th"s" In
they ar~ exceptional IN a system that annually pro-
v.dcs o'"s li"H churches with pastors ami pastors
The Rev. Dr Charles ". Mhlarl pastor Of tho
Ma,higsion sgiArr ,hur. n. who mas been s"frr,
r,shirrn y'ars Snh To- irnnnr reporter nat IT,
,i,fy man nst gn2'ed h1t -, iGIih rorr"rny the
In regard 10 the criticisms Of the Now England
Methodist pap,r referred TO-" he aided The
bishop found on his arrival at the conference two
parties ln the arld. each urging the bishop - ap
point Its respective candrai. for Office The
b -I