Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-03
VICTORY FOR THE WOMEN
The Committee Now Stands II
to / in Their Favor.
WILL BE DECIDED MONDAY
All Other Questions Before the Methodist
Episcopal Coz See
HAVE BEEN RElEe 81 TO THE REAR
,,.,
Bishop Foster Of on Called the General
conferencet : Ter and Bishop War
rem off = r Read the Episco-
: Al Address.
WILL BE DECIDED MONDAY
HAVE BEEN RELEp 81 TO THE REAR

Cleveland, o., May 2.-The four women
who have been elected as delegates to
the general conference of the Methodist
Fplscopal church and their supporters
claim to have have gained substantial
victory, and the indications now are that
when the question is fought out on the
floor of the conference on Monday the
women will come out with flying colors.
The four district conferences have held
meetings and selected committeeman to
represent their respective districts on the
committee which will report on the eligi-
bility of women to the conference. The
result was a complete victory for the
women. the committee standing II to IL
in favor of the unconditional admission
OF women. Rev. DR.. j. NJ. Buckley of
New York city, the leader Of the opposi-
tion to the admission of women was Sc
lected from the Second district, and he
VIII lead the opposition on the floor of
the conference. From the Eighth dis
trict the clerical representative Is Rev.
X. c. Kynett of Philadelphia one of the
leaders of the womens side The COM
mittee Will make majority and minori-
ty report on Monday, and then the most
exciting session of the conference will
be held. Almost all other questions have
been lost sight of and the business of the
conference will be unimportant until the
woman question Is settled
Bishop Foster of Boston called the gem
efal conference to order this morning
The Rev. DR.. Parker of Indiana led the
deVotional exercises. He prayed that
God might bless the men and women who
take part In the general conference.
Bishop Foster said that the order of
the BODY must be preserved, and to that
end he called upon the delegates to as
sist him in maintaining order. 1t was
carried.
The Epworth league consists Of one
delegate from each annual conference,
and five members of this committee will
be chosen in the same way as the stand
ing committees are chosen.
The Judiciary committee will be chosen
by the bishops.
The conference argued for a long time
over the appointment of a committee on
constitution. The motion was amended
by DIR. c. II. Payne of Cincinnati, pro-
viding for the appointment of a commit
tee of thirty-one on constitution, two
members to be selected from each gem
eral conference district and three at
large.
Bishop Henry w. Warren of Denver
read the Episcopal address. 1t con-
tanned many recommenda tions. The ad-
dress congratulated the church upon it's
advancement, but said that there was
much work yet to be done. The growth
has been 3S6,000 souls, and the Methodist
church is now the greatest in numbers in
the world, save the Baptist and Catholic
churches. Including proba toners, there
are now in the church 2,766656 people.
The Sunday schools have gained durin8
the four years past 280S5S The Wom-
ans Foreign society and the Woman's
Home Missionary society are very pros
porous. The bishop did not recommend
any material change in the time limit or
in the mode of making appointments
but suggested that wisdom might pro-
vide some method by which, under suity
able safeguards, the pastoral term might
be extended TO meet very rare cases of
emergency This was a direct blow at
those who are laborng to extend the
pastoral term, and 1t was greeted with
wild cheering by the delegates. On the
amusement question the address said
that the church was opposed to all pleas
ures that are disspating rather than
recreative Churches have perished by
indulgence in what seemed to be at first
innocent delights"
The report says that the church is OPP
posed to intoxicants and urges the
United States government to so adjust
it's laws as not to seem to legalZe the
liquor traffic in states where there Is
prohibition. The subjects of arbltrati tion,
capital and labor were treated in a skill
full Il. inner. Downtown churches were
commended, and the report said Metho-
dists should be slow to abandon them.
1t was recommended that conferences
recognize Methodist schools by accepting
diplomas from them. The report closed
by saying that from all the world came
signs Of encouragement, and that 1t was
surely marching on to ultimate victory.
conference accented