River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-05-07
METHODIST CONFERENCE.
A Great Gathering of ChurchmeQ q
Cleveland-The Woman Question.

WE tf0CtSl SotNF EnEt<OEs
A Great Gathering of ChurchmeQ at
Cleveland Woman Question.
Cleveland, o.. May AIT nine O'Clock
a. m. Friday. Bishop Bowman called
to order the general conference of the
Methodist Episcopal church in the Cen
trail armory. The session will last for
one month. After brief devotional ex-
ercises the roll was called and the dele
gates were seated. There are accredited
to the conference four women delegates.
Cleveland. o.. May 4.-The meeting OF
the Methodist general conference Sat
urday was devoted for the most part &c
the hearing of the pastoral letter of the
bishops. This was read by Bishop War.
rem, of Colorado, who prepared IL him.
self, and it was regarded by the con-
ference as an exceedingly able paper
The features which received the most
interested attention were the sugges-
ton that in exceptional instances the
time limit placed on the pastorates OF
Methodist ministers should be raised;
that it was time Christian nations took
prompt action TO suppress the outrages
in Armenia; that the annual confer.
ences might properly omit requiring
educational examinations in the cases
of college graduates; the recommenda.
tion that the church recognize Epwortb
leagues TO the exclusion of other young
peoples societies, and the outline OF
what was proper and Christian in the
attitude toward one another of CAPT
talists and workingmen. and of work.
men toward each other.
The address favors arbitration in la
Dor and in international disputes, and
urges profit sharing. in considering the
relations of labor and capital. When
Bishop Warren said that no man should
prevent another from working when,
where and for whom he would. he pro
voked the applause of the day. The
bishops declare for national divorce
law; are opposed TO removing the bar
Of the church from dancing. card play.
Inhibition. and want the United States &c
refuse government licenses in prohibi
ton states.
The address shows that the churct
has a membership of 2,706,6ss. a gain OF
$4,000 in four years. The Sunday
schools last year numbered 30,352, 6
gain in four years of 276, and the teach.
ers and pupils numbered 2,93s,350, o
gain of 2s0,000. The conversions In
the Sunday schools in four years were
53,436. The church has added Sill ,60o
600 worth of property to the Si13,OO0,
900 owned in 1892. The gain in pastor,
support has been 100000. partly be
cause of / 400 more pastors. The mis-
sionary funds show substantial gains.
The church has 81 deaconess' homes
hospitals and orphanages, of which /:
are in foreign lands. There are 574
deaconesses, of which 90 are in foreign
work. One hundred are trained nurses
The organization has s641 $50 worth OF
property, which has been mostly given
during the last four years. During the
last four years the deaconesses have
made 262, calls, held IL ,060 religious
meetings and helped to care for 62e
people, either in hospitals or at their
own homes. The Epworth League has
1900 chapels, with 1.350.oO0 members.
Cleveland, o., May 5. Bishop
called the conference to order and
the morning devotional exercises were
led by Rev. DIR. Jesse L. Hurlbutt, sec
rotary of the Sunday School union. The
rules were suspended and DIR. Mailer
was allowed to read his resolution on
arbitration. The resolution deplored
war and asked the United States to help
along the cause of arbitration. After
some wrangling the resolution was
adopted.
Bishop Morrill, announced that the
order of the day was the report of the
committee of eligibility. Secretary
Davis S. Monroe read a communication
from the women delegates from the
North Indiana and Ohio conferences. II
said that while they firmly believed
that women had the right to be admit
ted to the conference. they respectful
ly withdrew their rights in the inter
ests of harmony. They thanked the
champions of their cause, but said they
could not consent to have protracted
struggle over their rights. 1t was
signed by three of the four women dele
gates, and was a stunning blow at the
champions of the women's cause.
Lydia A. Trimble's name was not
signed to the document and the wom-
ems champions rallied. The secretary
read the majority report which de-
clared that women had a constitutional
right to membership in the conference.
Rev. DIR. Medley. of Philadelphia, read
the minority report. 1t said that the
minority had carefully inquired into
the question and had found that the
women possessed no rights in the con-
ference whatever.
Rev. DIR. Medley made fervid speech
in favor of the minority report. His
chief point was that women could only
be admitted by a change in the constitu-
ton. THAT could only be DONE" be
said, "by a three-quarter vote of the
members of the annual conferences and
the approval of the general conferences.