The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-08
CANDIDATES FOR BIsHoPRICs.


CHICAGO, May 7.-As the time ap-
proaches for the settling the question of
how many bishops are to be elected by
the Methodist General Conference. the
sentiment is growing among the delegates
that none Of the present occupants Of the
high Office should be retired and placed on
the su%perannuated list. 1t seems probable
that, because of the advanced age of sew
eral members of the Episcopacy, the COM
mittee on Episcopacy will recommend the
election of five additional bishops. Three
will be for work in this country and two
to supervise the missionary work in Asia.
This is the programme in favor with a ma
jority os the member of the committee on
e~piscopacy. The committee to-day began
active work on the questions re-
ferred to 1t by the conference. Chairman
Buckley was authorized to appoint sub
committees on tenure of office, missionary
bishops. districting of bishops. Episcopal
residences and general reference. A score
of memorials were read and referred to
the appropriate committees without dis
cussion.
There are twenty or more avowed candi-
dates for the high office of bishop. not
w~ithstanding the fact that 1t is not likely
that more than five additional to the pres
ent board Of episcopacy will be made.
Among those most prominently mentioned
for bishop are: DR.. J. W. Hamilton, of New
York; DR.. j. F. Berry, of Chicago; DR..
Henry Spellmeyer, of Newark; DIR. T. B.
Nicely. of Philadelphia: DR.. William f. Nc
Dowell. of Colorado. and DR.. W.. ". Kelly,
OF New York. 1t is probable that much
opposition to the election of a colored
bishop will appear when the matter is
Z .tNen up by the conference. The Southern
.'legates. 1t Is said, will vote solidly In
favor of the innovation, but hundreds of
representatives OF Northern conferences, 1T
is said, will oppose it. The great number
of white candidates for bishop, il is be-
iieved, will operate against the chances OF
DR.. j. E. Bowen, of Washington, the lead
ing colored aspirant. and several prominent
delegates declare that the election of DR..
Bowen by the present conference is by no
means certain.
Members of the committee on temporal
economy listened to the reading of a mass
of memorials and resolutions suggesting
changes In the management of the church
and affairs. Chairman King was In
structed to appoint six subcommittee
and the different documents were referred
to these subcommittee without being dis
cussed.
to the reading of several memorials re-
ferred to 1t by the General Conference.
One memorial condemned President McKin-
ley for laxity In enforcing the anti-canteen
law di0 was 6ChCiui1 0ioCucScds "a nv
action taken. Another recommended
amending the Book of Discipline so that
members of the church, who rent property
for saloon purposes, may be brought to
trial. They were all referred to the sub
committee for consideration.
A many-sided movement to increase still
further the powers of laymen in the Metho-
dist Church organization can be marked
as the standing committees Of the General
Conference settle down to business. 1t
Is the outgrowth of the new equal repre-
sentation of laymen and ministers and the
admission of the provisional lay delegates
to the conference, and while no one feature
of the programme Is of such striking i'm
portance as that accomplished on the first
day of the present session, the total of the
individual reforms planned will mean a
great progress towards church democracy.
These are some of the proposed reforms in
this direction: The admission of laymen to
the annual conferences. A constitutional re-
Quirement for a majority vote OF the two
orders separately on all constitutional
changes. The seating Of lay delegates to
the General Conference in a body, separate
from the ministerial delegates, so as to Sc
cure greater independence for the laymen.
The election of stewards and trustees Of
church by the church members in their
quarterly conferences. instead of the ap-
pointment of them by the pastor.