Evening star., 1898-03-04
METHODIST LAYMEN
Inaugural Meeting Of the Association
Of the Maryland Conference.
PROMINENT CHURCHMEN PRESENT
Equal Representation With Minis
tiers in Conference Demanded.
OTHERBUSINESS TRANSACTED

The first annual meeting of the Lay
mems Association of the Baltimore confer
er ce was held at 10 o'clock this morning
at Trinity NJ. E. Church. 9th and D streets
southeast The most important business to
be transacted at the meeting was the
adoption of a memorial for the enforce
n,ent Of equal representation of the lay
men in the conference sessions. There
was a large attendance.
E. F. Simpson read an address Of well
come to the delegates on behalf Of the
Washington faymen, he being one Of the
latter, after which the roll call of dele
gates was made by the secretary of the
association, Walter Kirwan The meeting
vss presided over by the president of the
ass ociation. J. 8. Rawlings. of Baltimore.
HIS remarks at opening were followed by
the call for credentials, and those which
lad not been turned in were collected.
Officers and Committees.
Mr.. G. w. F. Swartzell of Washington
vas nominated and elected assistant Sec
retary to the meeting. Mr.. Alexander Ash
ley offered an amendment to the constitu-
ton that the representatives Of the differ
Iarly elected. be made accredited delegates.
This was adopted. The motion was made
that the president md five vice presidents
be a fraterna. committee to represent the
association at the conference, and it was
adopted.
The following committees were appointed.
one member being from each district:
Resolutions-Washington s. H. Walker:
Baltimore, T. l.. aLeyhill East Baltimore.
v. Emory Gardner; West Baltimore, ]. E.
Ingram; Frederick. T. R. Carskaddon.
Observation-Disclosures district, John S.
Deale: East Baltimore, William T. Conn;
Frederick. D. p. Miller; West Baltimore,
E. NJ. Hoffman; Washington, E. F. Simp-
son, chairman.
Debate on all subjects, except in the case
OF invited speakers, was limited to five min
utes.
Demand for Recognition.
A memorial to be presented to the con-
ference. prepared by the executive commit
tee. was read. 1t will be voted upon during
the present conference. 1t was read by DR..
David Carroll who was instrumental in
having it prepared. 1t was in part as fol-
lows:
Tine Laymen's Association respectfully
and most earnestly petition the members
OF the Baltimore conference to sanction, by
their votes, the proposition coming before
the conference at this session. to amend the
restrictive rule, so that the general con-
ference shall be composed Of an equal num-
Der of lay and ministerial delegates.
The principle of lay delegation was
magnarimous;y conceded by the ministry
In 1872 when lay delegates for the first
time were admitted to the general confer
eEce. Since the question Of lay represen-
tation has been admitted 1t is now not q
question Of principle, but of plan. The
question Is. shall the present plan Of not
more than two lay delegates from any an
nual conference be continued. or shall 1t
be SO changed as to allow the $500. 900 lay
members delegates equal in number to
the delegates sent by the IL 600 ministers?
Present System Unjust
The present plan of ministry representa-
tion Is unjust to the conference" continued
the memorial. 'in that 1t gives to sixty
seven conferences equal representation and
to hfty-f1ve conferences unequal, when the
sixty-seven conferences, with their ninety
one lay representatives. have only about
100000 members. ani the fifty-five confer
ences. with their 10 representatives have
over 2,0OO.OO members.
Is not this the opportunity to settle the
question as far as the Baltimore confer
ence Is concerned? With religious earnest
ness we appeal to you, dear fathers and
brethren. to give your generous support to
the proposition TO change the restrictiv.
rule adopted and sent around the confer
ences by the unanimous vote of the Rock
River conference last session. May We not
hope that the Baltimore conference, the
first of the large eastern conferences to
vote on this proposition, will favor it. if
not by a unanimous vote, at least by the
constitutional majority? Thus sent on its
mission to other conferences, we have
strong reason to believe 1t will receive the
unselfsh support of our ministry, upon
whose generous treatment we are depend
ent for the favor we seek
Addresses and Reports.
The president made his address, which
received q vote Of thanks from the dele
gates. The committee on resolutions re-
tired to consult in regard to the memorial
and other resolutions, and the report of
the secretary was read and adopted. An
effort was made to have the memorial in
dorsed by the association, but 1t was
thought best to let 1t go through the reg
uiar channels.
motion was made by Mr.. Ashley that
the association elect delegates to the pro-
posed national convention to be held in In
dianapolis in September. 1t was offered,
Mr.. Ashley said, simply that the associa-
ton could fail in line in the convention
matter, II 1t was found a practical course
to pursue, and this was received with ap-
plause. 1t was laid over till the afternoon
session.
Bishop Hurst FnvOFs Equality.
Bishop John F. Hurst was introduced to
the association by President Rawlings, the
delegates acknowledging his presence by
rising to their feet. His address was on
the subject Equal Representation in the
General Conference"
"One Of my first acts" the bishop said,
was to vote for lay representation in the