New-York tribune., 1900-05-20
MAY ELECT NO NEW BISHOPS
TWELFTH BALLOT IN METHODIST GEN
ERAL CONFERENCE INDECISIvE.
NOTION TO POSTPONE INDEFINITELY DE-
MISSIONARY BISHOPS CONDEMNED.
Tgy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBUNE.l

MISSIONARY BISHOPS CONDEMNED.
TBy TELEGRAPH TRrBUNE.l
Chicago May i9.-By delegate opportunely
mentioning $3.50 forfeit to-day's session of the
Methodist General Conference suddenly ended.
When the delegate spoke Of the money that
might have 10 be paid excitement suddenly sub
sided and the Conference quickly adjourned but
there is still the possibility that $3.50 may have
to be forfeited. The sessions OF the Conference
usually close at 12:30 o'clock. and under the
contract with the management of the Audito-
rium they must not extend beyond 1 o'clock
under penalty Of the forfeit. But at 20 o'clock
to-day the most exciting scene OF the session
was occurring. The result Of q ballot had just
been made known. 9 motion 10 adjourn had just
been voted down, motion TO take another bal
lot before the house. several other motions
were being made without securing attention,
and delegates on all parts Of the floor were shak-
ing their right arms and shouting to secure the
recognition of the Chair. Suddenly a delegate
IN the rear gained the chairmsns eye for IN
stant and cried out: "Our contract calls for
this hall until ] o'clock If we use it after that
time liable TO a $3.50 forfeit. It is now
twenty minutes past"
At the sound OF the words $3.50 forfeit. there
were loud shouts Of Adjourn! Adjourn from
the men who had just voted down a motion to
that effect. minute later Bishop Merrill was
fpronouncing the Benediction.
TRYING TO POSTPONE ELECTION.
After the result Of the twelfth ballot had been
;Enade known there two motions made to
thave the election postponed. The first was made
by Dr. Manley S. Hard. of Wyoming who moved
that II be postponed until 1904. This did not
sreeeive recognition. and DR.. Summerfeld Bald
win. OF Baltnoore. then moved that It be post
poned indefinitely This YVES voted down Both
LSnP
sznent Of a large number Of the delegates and it
IS whispered about that II the present deadlock
continues until the fourteenth or fifteenth ballot
"a similar motion will be passed
The most remarkable developments Of the
l3our ballots whose results were made known to-
day were the sudden rise of DR. T B. Neelv and
The fall Of DR.. Henry SpelImeyer. From 50
votes on the tenth ballot DR. Neely Jumped to
l235 on the twelfth. and from 372 and 373 votes
1on the seventh and eighth ballots yesterday
when he was far in the lead, DR.. Speltneyer fell
ITO Isl on the twelfth ballot to-day. The votes
fgiven the leading candidates the twelfth bal
Hot We're as follows: DR.. Berry 296; DR.. Spell
meyer. Isl; DR.. Hamilton, 272; Dr. Moore 234
and DR.. Neely. 235. Six hundred and seventy
two votes were cast, with 44S necessary to
elect On this ballot all of the leading candi-
dates lost ground with the exception of Dr.
Nicely The Conference adjourned without TAX
fng another ballot.
The sudden increase of the votes for DR.. Neelv
was due to a speech in which he declared that
there should be no such thing as life tenure
for Bishops: that they should merely hold office
during the pleasure of the Church
Some Of those in touch with the Conference
say that DR.. Spellmeyer IS out Of the race
They also say that IN case the delegates should
find It impossible 10 agree on one man for the
episcopal Office. it is probable an effort will
again be made TO secure reconsideration OF the
report Of the Committee on Episcopacy for the
purpose of adopting the minority report, pre-
sented by DR.. Robert Forbes that four Bishops
instead Of two be elected. In this way It is
thought the deadlock would be broken.
TIME LIMIT DEBATED.
The majority report Of the Committee on the
Itinerancy, recommending unconditional aboli-
tion Of the time limit and the minority report
for ten year limit under certain conditions
as well the amendment to erase the ten year
clause, leaving II that three-fifths vote Of
quarterly conference is required to keep a
preacher after the fifth year, were taken up in
detail, and an immense audience Of visitors ap-
plauded every thrust at the time limit rule.
Among those who favored the entire abolition
OF the time limit were DR.. J. R. Day, Chancellor
Of Syracuse University; DR.. George H. Bridg-
man, Of Minnesota; DR.. George P Mains Of
r..
T. NJ. Bristol.
DR.. g. P. Cadman then obtained the floor but
the report Of the tellers interfered and after 1t
the Conference adjourned.
An advertisement appearing IN THE Daily
iAdvocate" for to-day caused much commotion
in the Conference when the attention Of the
body was called to it. The headlines read:
f-'Too much wirepulling, Many delegates COM
plain Of it and think there are too many politi-
clans IN our Church What we would do" By
degrees the article disclosed the fact that a.
certain firm would sell pulpit suits at a noder-
ate price. II demanded by the delegates
that the management OF THE Advocate" accept
mo advertisements which threw discredit on the
Conference
telegram received from Dr. Nichols of
that delegation be heard by the Conference.
A motion was made that the delegation be
heard on Wednesday.
NO MISSIONARY BISHOP FOR CHINA
After debate in which the eutocracy of mis-
stonary Bishops and the Vanity Of the
episcopal rank received significant and heart
less raps the General Conference decided not to
have a third additional missionary Bishop,
whose field should be China. Japan and Corea.
parliamentarians and pleaders of the great
debate. Reports from foreign lands objected to
missionary Bishops, because they were alleged
TO be autocratic. and men from South America,
China and Japan asked that full fedged Bish-
q o. a "A MA a. q e. RN "a ~ -