The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-04-24

III mas been contemporary character
lied by even the warm friends of wo-
mans admission, as an attempt to get
her in by back door; in other words,
by short cut that Is of questionable
regularity. Many who voted for this
measure at Omaha disclaimed it after
wards, and large numbers of ministers
have positively refused to vote eitaar
for or against it,
If the Hamilton amendment is cons.i-
tutional, the women lack now only a
two-thirds majority of the conference
about to convene to make them elig!-
BILE for seats in that body, for of
course, that amendment, in so far is II
has been voted upon, has failed to car
ry-enormously SO; and hence, as lay
man" doesn't mean men only, it means
men and women. But upon this the.e
win be desperate fight, the prospect
being that while the general conference
will be favorable to women, it will not
uphold this Hamilton amendment.
Still, however, the question recurs,
what will be done with the four women
already elected. 1t will be impossible
for the bishops to interfere as they aid
eight years ago, for the last conference
voted that the roll should be made up
of those presenting certificates of cleo
ton. This makes 1t certain that these
women will at least have the pleasure
of answering to their names. There is
talk, to be sure, of an Injunction from
the courts; but this would be resorted
to by the conservatives only in the
event of extreme measures on the part
of the radicals. 1t has been the boast
of the latter that when woman is once
in by the action of Secretary Munroe
in calling her name, they will take pre-
cious good care she shall stay in. But
it is by no means certain they will
have votes enough for this, and rea-
sonable forecast makes it seem proba-
BILE that after roll call the question of
her eligibility will be referred to a COM
mittee, and that this new woman" of
Methodism will have to wait for her
full general conference GROWING until
1900.
To very many of the delegates this
woman question is far less interesting
than the great question, who win be
elected to the various offices. A Meth
odist general conference is unique
among ecclesiastical conclaves from
the fact that, it has within it's gift
twenty-five influential positions, all of
them paying good salaries, and most Of
them being commonly regarded as
stepping stones to something higher.
Of the thirteen editors it is probable
that all will be reelected, though some
will by no means have a walkover for
when a man has been twenty years or
SO in an editorial chair. he is sure to
have enemies if he has grit; and be-
sides, it is so very easy to edit paper
that naturally there is a desire to have
so soft a snap passed around among
the boys.
Still another thing which complexities
the editorial situation is that some who
are editors would not object to be bish-
ops This createsa quasi-opening, and
it sometimes happens that when the
editor returns from his chase after the
Episcopal butterfly, he finds his seat
pre- empted by another. But this
doesn't apply at all in the case of DR.. j.
M Buckley of the New York Advocate,
who probably could be a bishop if he
would, for those who are intimate with
him are saying with an air of authori-
ty that he wouldn't be a bishop though
he could In very truth the grace of
resignation is spreading in this church.
A presiding elder in New Hampshire
berates his brethren for voting for him
as a delegate to general conference.
With a good chance of going, he de-
clines. Less than four years ago DR..
w. N. Brodbeck declined to become
general secretary of the Epworth
league, preferring the pastorate.
About the same time DR.. H. A. Buttz
let the editorship of the Methodist Re-
view pass lightly from his grasp, and
here now is DR.. Buckley emulating
such distinguished men as Wilbur
Fiske and A. G. Haygood in virtually
declining a bishopric
The vacant general secretaryship Of
the Missionary society will probably be
filled by DR.. S. l.. Baldwin, who is at
present supplying the place. Or, fall
ing of an election as bishop, DR.. j. F.
Goucher of Baltimore may capture this
prize, though I'm sure he'll not do it IL
certain aspirants around New York
can have their way. Should Chaplain
(Noh A I r WI l1o