The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-05-02
Is A GREAT ASSEMBLY
CONFERENCE OF THE METHODIST
EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
A Spirited Contest VIII Follow on
the Woman Qustion-The
Officers, Etc.

Conference or the Methodist Episcopal
church. q body which meets every four
years, whose proceedings will enliven the
city of Cleveland and, to some extent the
country at large, for whole month, be-
ginning with the first of May will consist
of about $50 delegates, One-third of whom
will have been chosen by ballot on ac-
count of some real or imaginary fitness for
this honor, from a denomination which
numbers about two and three-quarter mill
lions, and has a travelling ministry of
only a little less than 1900. These chosen
representatives of a great church will
be gathered out of no less than 40 an
nual conferences and missions and will
hail geographically from every part of the
United States, from the leading countries
in Europe, from the centers of populati IN
in Asia, from South America and even
from Africa
In fratornal way tho Methodism Of
Canada will also be represented. Rev.
John Lathern of Halifax, y. s. will
bring the greetings of that church. while
British Methodism will be heard from
through Rev. w. l.. Wilkinson, q diStin-
guished church editor and the great Meth
odist Episcopal Church South through that
eloquent southerner and prospective bisn-
op, DR.. j. c. Morris. To the words spoken
10y the delegate from the southern church
the conference will listen with unusual
interest; it always does. But at this gath
ering the address will occur, ii may be pre-
sumed, in connection with the report of
committee appointed four years ago on
fraternal cooperation and organic union,
and as there has been latterly in both
churches a growth of sentiment favorable
to such union, some happy developments
may be expected. DR.. Morris, it may De
hoped, will be more cordial than was DR..
Tigert the southern delegate of a quad
md no xrTf11 in nnf hp
more cordially welcomed by the confer
ence of church from which his own sep
arated 81 years ago on the question of
hSlavery.
- WOMAN. LOVELY WOMAN
In this great gathering of Methodists
trouble is expected from a very ancient
cause of trouble-that which is commonly
reported to have cast the first shadow over
Eden-a cause of trouble which. according
TO crusty, but somewhat discerning
king, will be found presumably at the bot
tom of all trouble; for the darby in this
Methodist woodpile, if one may so speak,
will be no other than woman, lovely
woman" In the abstract. 1t will be wo-
man as represented in two-thirds the
membership of the church, who will lie
pleading for recognition. but in the CON
crete the appeal will be made by four
regularly elected delegates of that sex;
Mrs Bashford wife of DR.. Bashford. pres
ident of the Ohio Wesleyan university, and
three foreign missionaries Miss Lydia A.
Trimble of China, Mrs. Lois S. Parker of
India, and Mrs. Ada c. Butcher of india.
To say that these women have been reg
ularly elected is perhaps saying too much
and this is the point which threatens trou-
BILE. 1t is the great divisive point in the
whole controversy, and what makes Il
particularly serious is that in addition 10
driving into a camp by themselves those
who are opposed to women's admission,
it creates still another camp by driving
into opposition those who are favorable to
her admission, but who want her to come
in, as they express it, upon proper IN
Vitation and by the front door"
Just now an element of thrilling interest
is added TO this controversy by the fact
that constitutional amendment proVid-
ing for her admission has failed by some
thing like fifty votes. The ministers have
just finished voting upon II in the annual
conferences 1t could carry only by a
three-fourths majority. Had it prevailed,
and should the conference about to con-
vene have ratified it by a two-thirds ma
jority, as it probably would have done,
the matter would have been settled and
none could have complained, however
sorely they might have regretted defeat,
that it had been settled otherwise than
legally. AS, however, the annual confer
ences in a vote of nearly 10000, have
failed by even so slight margin to pass
this measure the admission of women by
tion-the only proper way, as many of nef
warmest friends hod-must necessarily
wait another four years. That her cause
must triumph then If left to this slow but
sure process, is inevitable from the fact
that whereas four years ago she had lit
tie more than a majority of the minis
terial votes the growth of sentiment and
infusion of new blood have brought heI
now almost the requisite three-fourths ci
these votes.
The great question is. what will the gen
eral conference do with the women al
ready elected? Eight years ago five of the
good sisters of the church were claimants
for seats, among them Miss Frances Will
lard At that time the bishops took the
matter in hand. In calling the confer
=, ence to order they ruled that as womer
4 had not been elected before, and as theii
Y constitutional rights to seats in the
body was questionable. the secretary
should not call their names. and he die
not But Immediately upon organization
the question of their eligibility was taker
up. and after a memorable debate of five
or six days IL was decided not to recog-
nize those who had been elected. but tC
proceed in "A constitutional way to take
the opinion of the church on the subject
Four years ago. at Omaha the womer
were conspicuous by their absence. MOI
a solitary sister had been elected.
IT, however, they were not at the Omahs
conference in person, they had plenty Of
friends to represent them. and the practi
cal outcome was that much discussed
measure 'the Hamilton amendment.
This provided in effect that unless the
ministers declared by majority of three
fourths that lay delegates must be men
the term "laymen'' should be held to in
clude women also. This, whatever its in
tent, was practically a reversal of the
usual constitutional process, and it has