The Yale expositor., 1896-05-08
THE FOUR QUARTERS
NEWS OF INTEREST FROM ALL
OVER THE GLOBE.
Ouadrcnnial General Conference OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church in Session
at Cleveland with the Woman Question
at the Front, as Usual.

The quadrennial general conference
of the Methodist Episcopal church is
being held during the month of May in
Cleveland, with over $50 delegates
present, representing nearly every
country on the globe. The venerable
Bishop Bowman presided at the open
ing and Il furry was created almost as
soon as the roll call began over the ques-
tion of the legality of the four women
delegates being seated. The question of
admitting women delegates to the con-
ference is one of the most serious puz-
zles which confronts the body, but
Bishop Bowman sliillfully avoided the
issue by declaring that the convention
was not yet organized The same rul-
ing prevented n fight over "a set of reso-
lutions demanding the same rights and
privileges for lay delegates as for the
clergy.
Bishop Foster presided the second
day and DIR. f. W. Foster, of India,
conducted the religious exercises Com
mittees were appointed on Epworth
League, rules, constitution, laymen and
benevolent collections. Bishop Warren
then delivered the episcopal address
which was in the nature of a report of
the board of bishops 1t showed total
membership in the M. f. church of
2,766, ,656-a gain of 1856, 900 during the
quadrennium-30,25 Sunday schools,
with 2,93S,30 teachers and scholars,
and 533, ,4S6 conversions in the Sunday
schools. The church owns $124 600, 600
worth of property; Sl,392, ,632 was re-
ceived for missions from the people.
81, l43, 797 from Woman's Foreign Mis-
sionary society, and S7s6,26 from the
Woman's Home Missionary society,"
grand total for four years of So, 322 ,69i.
The Epworth League has 2l 900 chap
ters with 100000 members, and the
Epworth Herald has a weekly circula-
ton of 100000 copies. The bishop
then touched upon the Importance of
giving the Epworth League the prefer
ence over other young peoples socie-
ties. and of the church standing firm
against harmful amuscments.
The third day was principally occu-
pied by sermon by Bishop Fowler,
who delivered Il powerful arraignment
of the higher critics of the Bible, the
speaker showing by biblical and scien-
tific arguments that the criticisms
passed upon the sculptures were without
foundation.
The woman question" was formally
opened when the committee presented
a majority report in favor of seating
women delegates and minority report
in opposition. There was warm debate
without either side gaining any mate
rial advantage, but considerable excite
ment was caused by "a communication
from the four women delegates present
in which they said that while they re-
gard themselves as laymen and fully
entitled to recognition they were un-
willing to seem to insist upon personal
rights which are in dispute, and would
therefore relieve the conference of the
tension which their presence occasioncd
by relinquishing their rights to await
settlement of the veXed question,
which they were sure would embody
the spirit of the golden rule. A reso-
luton favoring arbitration for all Eng
disappearing countries was adopted,
and copy ordered sent to the Prcsi-
dent of the United States.