Omaha daily bee., 1896-05-09
MAKE IT HOT FOR THE BISHOP
Methodists at Cleveland Have a Most BxCit-
ing Session.
cHnR TROUBLED WITH POINTS OF ORDER
Woman Question nobs Up Again and
PIunEes the Conference Into
nm Angry Debate Full
of bitterness.

general conference has now been well
started In the mass OF important business
which is before It,. The lay delegates are
showing their purpose to %curtail, If possible.
the powers vested in the ministers and make
the conduct Of church affairs more demo
cratic. That issue was raised today in one
form in committee and will doubtless be
the cause of more than one hot debate on
the floor of the conference. The general
committees are in session every afternoon
and today was begun the consideration of
the propos ton to increase the number of
bishops. The colored Method!sts want a
bishop of their own and so does China. 1t
is proposed also to tighten the labors of
the four older bishops who were appointed
in 1872.
There was a marked falling off in
the attendance this morning. Bishop
Hurst presided and the devotional exercises
were conducted by Rev. S. w. Thomas OF
Philadelphia. DR.. Alderman of Alabama pre-
sented resolutions thanking the mayor and
city council of Cleveland for the cordial man
ner of their greeting to the delegates.
For all your kind words and loving. fra
ternal deeds" declare the resolutions, 1--WE
most sincerely thank you, and we will ever
pray that upon you and yours the richest
blessing of heaven may continue to descend
and that the already splendid commercial,
social, educational and ecclesiastical achieve
ments of your city may ever be multiplied an
hundred-fold."
No sooner had the resolutions been adopted
by a rising vote than the woman question
came up and caused a good deal of trouble
both to delegates and Bishop Hurst.
Mr.. Morris Sharp Of ono presented a reso-
luton to excuse the women delegates in that
they have relinquished their seats and that
their expenses be paid to the date of their
withdrawal. The resolution also called in
their male reserves
DR.. Nicely of Philadelphia presented a sub
stitute in which the women were invited to
remain as honored guests of the conference
and their expenses ordered paid.
DR.. Cranston rose and asked for a ruling
by the chair as to the present status of
women in the conference.
Bishop Hurst decided 1t was not a point
of order, but was a matter of Interpretation
for the body and ruled that DR.. Nicely had
the floor.
Just after DR.. Nicely began speaking DR..
Frisinger of Pennsylvania appealed from tho
decision Of the chair on DR.. Cranston's point.
Bishop Hurst put the question as being on
the appeal of DR.. Crantson and great con-
fusion existed. A motion to lay the entire
matter on the table was lost by a vote of
21S to 104. DR.. Kynett raised the point OF
order that the question had been improperly
put, but Bishop Hurst held that DR.. Nicely
had the floor and DR.. Kynett appealed.
CONFUSION BREAKS LOOSE.
Bishop Hurst declined to entertain the
appeal, and a dozen men were on the floor
shouting for recognition. Bishop Hurst de-
clined to recognize any one. but pounded
with his gavel and shouted: "Dr. Nicely has
the floor" DR.. Leonard, DR.. Chafee and
others loudly insisted on the appeal being
put. Bishop Hurst pounded until he broke
his gavel. DR.. Frisinger insisted on the
appeal being put, and in this he was Joined
by the entire conference. Shouts to put the
appeal almost drowned out the bishops
voice, and the utmost confusion reigned.
DR.. Frisinger leaped to his feet and said
if ne would not be given the right to appeal
he would resign.
DR.. Nicely made himself heard above the
din and said he desired to withdraw his
paper. Bishop Hurst would not permit this
and the din continued. DR.. Hurst would
had the floor. Finally, forced by the confer
ence, Bishop Hurst said he ruled that both
papers were before the house, and he would
entertain the appeal.
Mr.. Sharp asked to withdraw his resolu-
ton, but he was not permitted to do so. In
the midst of intense excitement the vote on
the appeal was taken. The ruling of Bishop
Hurst was sustained by a vote of 223 to 204.
As soon as is was decided that the papers
were before the house, DR.. Nicely and Mr..
Sharp both withdrew their papers, and the
most violent struggle of the first week of
the conference was over.
The little storm over the woman question
having passed over, j. M. Kings of New
York presented a resolution. The document
was directed against the use of federal money
by the Roman Catholic church and Its read
ing was frequently interrupted with applause,
1t was unanimously adopted without discus"
sion.
ON sECTARIAN SCHOOLS.
The resolution opposed the practice OF sec
tartan appropriations for Indian education.
1t states that this general conference, repre-
the membership and constituency
the Methodist Episcopal church,
reiterates its conviction that the
cure for the sectarian and ecclesias-
teal aggressions is to be found in the adop-
ton of the proposed sixteenth amendment to
the United States constitution, drafted and
promulgated by the National League for the
of American Institutions. 1t is
directed that a record of this action be
promptly forwarded to the secretary Of the
United States senate, the secretary of the
house of representatives and to the secretary
IF the interior at Washington. This general
conference directs that the signatures of it's
and secretary be signed to this
After the transaction of other routine bust
the convention adjourned.
The committee on constitution is con-
sidering a proposed new article of the con-
relating to lay delegates, the gen
intention being to make 1t sufficiently
LIBERAL to meet the wishes Of the general
conference regarding the admission of women.
meeting of lay delegates was held
.onight to discuss the ministerial time limit.
A resolution was introduced providing for a
ieXible arrangement controlled by the bish-
Ups, but after being debated for some timo
t was laid on the table. The same fate be-
ell a resolution to make the time limit
.hree years. The meeting adjourned without
lave accomplished anything.
The platform meeting in the armory to-
light was under the auspices OF the Meth
dist Board of Education. Addresses were
made by Rev. DR.. j, Il. Brown of Cannon
Theological institute, Atlanta, Ga; Rev. DR..
J. II. Payne, the secretary OF the Board of
Bishop Warren, the protector of
Denver University, and Bishop Hurst of the
university. Among the meetings
Il the standing committees this afternoon,
hat of the committee on episcopacy, was
he most important. India protested against
he proposed retirement OF Missionary Bishop
and the placing Of a regular
ishop in his stead. On the other hand, China
nd Japan asked for permanent resident
bishops with full Episcopal authority.
WANT A CoLoRED BISHOP.
The colored Methodists asked for a bishop
I their own, and said they had a man en-
lently fitted for the place. They refer to
DR.. j. e.. Il. Bowen, president of Gam
ION Theological institute Of Atlanta. Ga.
A resolution was introduced providing that