The Portland daily press., 1895-10-30
MRS. BAsHFoRD A DELEGATE.
Wife of a Former Portland Clergyman
Elected to the Methodist Conference.
PHILADELPHIA Bulletin. }


Mrs Jane Field Bashford. wife of
President J. W. Bashford, of the Ohio
Wesleyan University Delaware, Ohio was
elected on the first ballot by the Ohio
Methodist Episcopal Conference as one of
it's lay delegates to the Methodist Episco-
pal General Conference, and expects to
take a seat in that assembly as lay
delegate.
Mrs. Bashford shrinks from notoriety,
is of a retiring, modest nature, but pos
sesses strong personal character, that
carries with it force and leadership
without display or ostentation. Her
home is attractive in hospitality, and an
air of intelligence and culture pervades
it; it is accessible to the most humble
life as we'll as to those who attain q
higher social and intellectual plane
Mrs. Jane Field Bashford is a native
of Wisconsin, with puritan ancestry. She
graduated at the University OF Wisconsin
where her acquaintance commenced with
Dr. J. w. Bashford. After graduating
she taught in the high school of Madison,
was an active spirit in the creation OF the
Madison public library. and for time
served as librarian. She spent year
in educational work in Boston, where she
married DR.. Bashford, who was then
entering upon his pastoral work in that
city. Together they each soon won
merited and distinguished success. She
has twice been abroad with her husband.
The great interest she takes in the cause
of women in no way detracts from her
social relations. Her work in the church
is unceasing. She occupies the position
of steward Of ST. Paul's Church, where
she worships is a member of the quar-
terly conference and is wise and syste-
matte church fnancier. She visits the
sick, relieves the distressed, exercising
Christian simplicity in all her church at
tentions In welcoming strangers and
bringing the congregation into close
Christian fellowship she has few equals
On being asked whether she expected
to be allowed to take her seat as dele
gate, Mrs. Bashford said:
II cannot say ] will be permitted,
though | expect to be. Women reserve
delegates were frequently elected and
were carried on the general conference
rolls. In 1888 five women, duly elected
as lay delegates, presented themselves for
admission to the general conference sit
ting in New York. The vote to admit
them was SO narrow that change of one
lay vote would have seated them. Th
conference, acting in its judicial capacity,
decided against these five women dele
gates, and they were excluded; but their
names had previously been denied place
on the rolls. 1t will not likely occur
again The names of women elected as
lay delegates will probably be placed
unon the rolls of the general conference
AS the conference of 1898 decided that
women are constitutionally ineligible,
the judicial authority, by a majority,
sent down a proposition to amend the
constitution so as to remove all doubt as
to the tlegibility of women as delegates
The amendment was carried by large
majority of the laity; but TO adopt the
amendment required three -fourths of
the total ministerial vote cast, which it
did not receive. But with this majority
in favor Of the amendment, l think it
DE- obable that women delegates will be
admitted to the general conference. -