Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-07
CONFERENCE COMMITTEES
Important Discussions on Methodist
Church Topics.
Women Delegates Will Retain Their
Seats, 1t Has Been Practically
Agreed-Quesfion of Union.

Inc HrSt important meetings OIL the
standing committees of the Methodist con-
ference at Cleveland were held yesterday
afternoon. The committees were those on
episcopacy, itinerary, boundaries, temper
ance, state of the church. revivals, tenn
poral economy and eligibility.
The committee on epi5copacy considered
many important matters. South America
requested the adjustment of the foreign
missionary bishops. and the establishment
Of bishop with full episcopal powers in
that country. Europe also asked for a
bishop. The Presiding Elders Association
or the central states requested that presid
ing elders be given concurrent jurisdiction
with the bishops in appointing ministers.
The Laymen's Association of Cincinnati
requested that the bishops be assigned 10
certain stations to remain eight years in
each, instead of choosing their own ter
ritory IS now. Chairman Buckley decided
that all those matters should be referred
TO subcommittee, which was done and
adjournment was taken until Friday.
Inc committee on state of the church
considered a communication from the east
Maine conference, asking that the Meth
odist church take up the sui jects of So
GEOLOGY, capital and labor Trusts, munopo-
lies, etc, and deal with tkem in an edu-
cational and moral way Complaint was
received about certain so-called evaneelists
who go about the country falsely repre-
senting themselves to be working for the
Metnouisl cLurch.
Growth of the Church.
The petitions laid before the committee
on boundaries showed graphically the
wonderful vitality and growth of the
Methodist church. Requests that present
conferences be cut in half and two be es-
tablished in each instance, owing to
growth in work and membership, were con-
tained in the petitions from South Amer
lea. Japan. Lexington, KY, conference
tcolored), Louisiana conference (cOlored),
and Delaware.
The committee on eligibility considered
the following propositions a solution
of the woman delegate problem:
That the three women delegates to the
present conference be seated without pref
udice to any further action of this con-
ference, and that the question be again
submitted to vote during the four years
intervening before the IeXt general con-
ference without prejudice to any woman'S
rights in any conference under the pres
ent constitution as any conference may
conStrue it,"
The members OF the committee discussed
this proposition all The afternoon, and ad-
Journed to evening.
There was much chagrin over the unin-
territorial sighting of Rev. DIR. John c.
Morris Of Nashville, Tenn, the repTGSen-
tative of the Methodist Church South, as
ii was feared ii might have Il tendency
to arouse in some quarters the old feeling
OI dHtdSCnlSEl between the TWO great
American branches of the Methodist
church. DR.. Morris arrived at noon Mon
day, and was directed to the HOLE lden
Hotel by a member of the reception COM
m!ttee at the depot, to whom ne merely
announced that he q delegate to the
conference. None of the conference Off
Gals came to him and he went to the
armory alone in the evening. Even when
he delivered his speech there was no one
present who seemed to know that he was
the official representative of the Metho-
dist Church South. Tuesday. this fact be-
came known to some of the leaders in the
conference. and there was hurrying and
skurrying to find him. They discovered that
he had quietly left the city after Gischarg-
ing his mission, which was to formally ask
for the appointment of a commission to
act with similar representatives of the
Methodist Church South. in considera ton
of the possible federation of the two
branches of the denomination. An urgent
invitation will be sent him to come again
to the conference before it adjourns.
Last night, at the armOry, Chaplain Nc
Cabe delivered mis- famous lecture on The
Bright Side of Life in Libby Prison.
Won by the Women.
The -four women delegates will retain
their seats in the Methodist general con-
ference. This was practically decided at
the meeting OF the committee on eligibility
held last night. All but two of the thirty
one members of the committee were pres
ent at the meeting. A long discussion was
INDUCED in behind locked doors, and at
ats conclusion the result was announced
The two reports will be submitted to the
conference in the morning. The majority
report. which will be signed by twenty
five members of the committee, including
DR.. Buckley. editor of the New York Chris
tian Advocate, will recommend that the
women delegates be permitted to occupy
their seats and participate in the pro-
cechings, and that the question of admit
ting women to future conferences be re-
ferred to the annual conferences for de-
cislon within the coming year.
The minority report, which will be signed
by DR.. T. T.. Nicely of Philadelphia, DR..
Rothweiler. DIR. Graw, and one other whose
name could not be learned tonight, will in
sist that the women are not eligible to
seats.
1t is believed that the majority report
will be adopted with little opposition, and
that the question will be disposed of so far
as the present conference is concerned.
At the meeting of the bishops in the af-
ternoon, Bishops Merrill. Ninde and Joyce
We're appointed as members of the COM
mittee to consider the federation of the
NJ. Z. churches north and south. The min
isterfal and lay members of the commit