The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-04-29

The general conference OF the Methodist
Episcopal church meets but cnce In four
years II has full power TO nsnke all rules
and regulations for the Methodist Episcopal
church. subject only to few constitutional
restrictions. 1t meets this year In Chicago.
on the second day of May. and will probably
continue throughout the month. Ii will be
the largest gathering of the kind ever held
The last one had $40 members and this one
WIN begin with possibly twenty-five to forty
more One Of the first questions that will
meet it after organization wiz be that of the
admission of provisional lay delegates"
uRtif 1872 the conference was made IN en-
tirely OF ministers. AT that time. after half
a century OF agitation laymen were admitted,
but only in limited numbers. Where an
annual conference had but one or two min
isterial Representatives the lay men were In
equal numbers with them. but although some
conferences have as many as eight ministerial
representative and large proportion OF
them from Xour TO six. vet none of them
have had more than two lay representatives.
For many years unsuccessful efforts have
been made TO secure an equal number of
laymen with thnse of the ministers from all
the annual conferences. The last general
conference submitsed TO tho annual confer
ence an amendment to the constitution. maxi
Ing the lay equal to the ministerial repre-
sentation, and authorizing the lay electoral
conferences In case the proposition was faY
orably acted upon bv the annual conferences.
10 appoint an equal number Of laymen for
this general conference. This proposition
failed before the annual conferences. Dur
ing the auadrennium another started with
the same general import. but without the
proposition for eleeting the laymen at this
time This carried. and Immediately the
question arose. shall the full riumher OF lay
men be elected for this conference. or must
they await the action OF this general con-
ference TO enable them to comeiin in 1901:
Presenting that the general conference de-
sires an equal plumber OF laymcn admitted as
COON as possible all the Law electoral con-
ferences that have met thus far have elected
the usual number--one or two-and have
selected enough additional persons TO equal
the number of ministers. The persons thus
selected are called provisional delegates.
As soon as the conference is orraniGed this
matter will be forced unou its attention,
There are those who streuuousiy insist that
as they were elected before the constitutional
change legalzinE their election was COM
nleted. which could not be done until the
general conference concurred. therefore. they
were not legally chosen and can nos be ad-
mitted at this session. Bus the sentiment OF
the church seems to be overwhelmingly In
favor of their Immediate admission. and II is
very likely thar that viii be done.
complication that may become serious has
arisen w connection with This matter.
For twelve wears the question: shall
women be eligible to membership in the
general conference has agttsted the church.
Thus far they have not been admitted, and
this time some OF their warmest champions
have advised that they he not chosen 70
this conference as their presence might
ieopardize the immediate consumnation Of
equal Law representation. Il was supposcd