Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-04-16
The CONFERENCES.
LAST THREE ANNUAL CHURCH
MEETINGS.
before the General Conference OF
the Methodist church--some Inn
portant Questions to be voted on
In the General Session.
New york. April ZINC Herald thls

New York. April 15.--The Herald this
MOI ming says:
The last three annupl conferences of
the Methodist church which viii be
held previous 10 the general conference
on May !, viii begin this week in
widely separated districts of the coun-
try. One Will be the Troy, N. Y, cen
ference, the second is the East Maine
conference, the third is the North Da-
kota conference. with the completion
of the work of these bodies It Will be
ference will have to do with the ques-
tlon Of woman suffrage as applied to
the admission of women as delegates to
the central and quadrennial assembly.
From the advices received from the
Methodist book concern, from all parts
OF the country, 1t would seem that the
women have won parliamentary VIC
tory In the annual conferences and that
all that is needed TO secure them the
fruits of their long struggle VIII be
equal success In the general conference.
The constitution requires that the vote
on subjects similar TO the change in
representation In the annual confer
ences shall be decided By a three
fourths majority.
The Methodist book concern has pre-
pared a table showing the result OF the
voting in the spring annual conferences
on the three subjects which will have
to be decided next month. These
propositions arei
/. To amend the second restrictive
rule so that the amended clause shall
read Nor OF more than two lay dele
gates for an annual conference and del
egates must be male members"
2. Amend the second restrictive rule
10 that the amended clause shall read;
''Nor more than two delegates for an
annual conference, and said delegates
may be men or women"
3. To substitute "sixty-hve" for for
ty-fve" in the paragraph OF the dlscip-
line describing the basis OF ministerial
representation.
Judging from the showing made in
this table. the conferences in favor Of
the admission of women need only a
few more votes 10 give them the re-
quired three-fourths majority.
Those favoring the admission of WOO
men delegates are almost certain to get
this work, and so will bring the matter
directly before the general conference.
In that assembly 1t is believed in the
Methodist book concern they are al
most certain to win. because. with few
exceptions, the lay members are In
favor of the proposition to admit wo-
men.
AS though to bring the matter TO an
issue, three conferences have already
chosen women delegates and will de-
mand recognition. one Of these dele
gates is Mrs. Jane W. Bashford. wife
OF President Bashford of Wesleyan col
lege. She was chosen by the Ohio
conference. Her husband win go to tho
general conference from Ohio ana viii
be called upon to vote upon his wife's
eligibility, Miss Lydia l.. Trimble is
another delegate, elected from Chino
and Mrs. Il. w. Parker and Mrs. V.
Butcher are from India, where their
husbands are missionaries. Their hus-
bands are also delegates to the con-
ference.
There is very general feeling In the
book concern that, while the conserva-
tives will be certain to oppose their
ladies' admission to the conference as
delegates on the ground that they had
been Illegally elected, the cosference
VIII seat them and permit them to en-
ter Into its councils.
1t Is said that the sentiment regard
ing church women suffrage IL so strong
that there Is little doubt that these
pioneers will not only gain their VIC
tory, but that their sisters in the fight
for a general recognition will also be
victorious.