Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-05-07

sixteenth conference in 1872 It prom
lses to be a notable gathering of &C
tive, vigorous workers, in an active
and vigorous organization This is the
first general conference that has ever
been held in Cleveland. Of the twen-
ty-one general conferences held be-
tween the years 1884 and 1892, ten
have been in the city of Baltimore. The
remainder have been in Boston, Buff
falo, Pittsburg, indianapolis, Phila-
delphia, Chicago, New York and
Omaha. There were present at Omaha
four years ago 315 ministerial and 189
lay delegates, a total of 504 The ex-
act number that will be admitted to
the convention in Cleveland will ap-
proximate 600, and it is possible that
measures will be taken to keep within
that limit at all general conferences
hereafter.
The principal interest in this CON
vention will center in the question OF
women delegates whether they are to
be or not to be. 1t is not new, by any
means, but it has never been fought to
a conclusion DIS it promises to be
fought now. The contest will be even
more spirited than the great battle in
1872, when lay delegates were for the
first time admitted and the Woman
Foreign Missionary society was recog-
nized. The New York conference
showed how it felt by voting 80 for
and SO against admission of women as
lay delegates. The ladies who are
proposed for places in the general
conference are Mrs. Jane Bashforj
wife of J. W. Bashford, president of
the Ohio university; Mrs Parker, q.
missionary, whose field has been in
India, and Mrs. Lydia A Trimble, who
has been a faithful worker in China.
AS rule, western women favor the
change, eastern women oppose it.
Bishop Fitzgerald is leader for the
women. In fact, Fitzgerald is the rad
zeal bishop of the denomination. The
leader on the conservative side is Rev
James NJ, Buckley, D. D., editor of The
Christian Advocate, the official organ
Of the church. In the debates on the
woman delegate question which took
place in the general conference eight
years ago, DR.. Buckley greatly dis
tinguished himself Miss Willard is
not, the anti-Womep leaders say, the
power she once was n the Methodist
Episcopal church. Her persistent hob
nobbing with Lady Henry Somerset
and the aristocracy of England has
hurt her with the Methodists, who, as
a body, are intensely democratic.
A momentous practical question 10
be decided is whether or not the time
limit of the itineracy shall be changed
or modified. At present no minister
can remain in charge Of one congrega-
ton or circuit longer than five years.
City pastors and congregations are in
many cases opposed to the mainte-
nance of this as an imperative rule,
contending that it is prejudicial to the
interests of Methodism in the centers
of population. Previous to the year
1888, the limit was three years, but the
victory of the city interest eight years
ago will not be followed, it is expected,
by any radical change this year.
The delegates will come from every
Methodist conference on earth, the
countries represented being the United
States, including all its states and ter
ritories, Mexico, South America, China,
japan, India, Norway, Sweden, Ger
be representatives from Austria,