The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-08
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.


CHICAGO. May 7.-Some of the delegates
in the Methodist Episcopal Conference to-
day tried to arouse their brethren out OF
post-sunday lethargy-and they succeed
ed in way. They made the editors OF the
church organs angry and caused other
brethren to raise their hands sn horror
The orthodox Methodist. though he may
like to have his sermons printed In Mon
day paper (the work on which is done on
Sunday. but OF this. of course. he is not
supposed to be aware). does not Ike to
have the Sunday stiffness disturbed by the
newsboy proclaiming his wares Yesterday
some ungodly boys actually stood near the
doors of the Auditorium and yelled Daily
Christian Advocated All about the Meth
odist Conference," DR.. Leonard heard the
cry, and to-day brought the matter to the
attention Of the conference. The manager
of the paper promised II would not happen
again. and the furry caused by Dr. Leon
ards denunciatory remarks subsided. An
other delegate accused the church paper
editors with endeavoring to suppress the
conference. The amusement question was
also discussed for time.
Some marked changes may be expected In
some departments Of church work. A mo-
ton was made on Saturday for the COM
mittee on missions to consider the consoli-
dation of the Missionary and the Freed
mems Aid and the Church Extension socie-
ties. This soon led to instructing each OF
them TO consider the same question, and
finally to the proposition that each general
committee appoint a commission OF FIVE TO
confer together and to report a plan IL the
result Of their deliberations lead 10 the con-
clusion that they ought to be consolidated
1t seemed TO be almost the unanimous
opinion that the consolidation of these and
probably other departments is imperative.
so that IT is only question of time when
II will be done. AS there are many details
to be considered it is even probable that It
may not be consummated at this General
Conference. but will be left for the ADJUST
ment of detail to a commission to act in the
future.
WILL MARK AN EPOCH.
This, when consummated. will mark an
epoch in Methodism, an outcome not OF
revolution, but of evolution. expedited by
the introduction of lay business methods
into the management of church affairs
Now these departments overlap each other
at many points, and at some points con-
iict. When the Missionary Society was or
ganized nothing like church extension
society had been thought Of. and these two
had long worked together in comparative
harmony when events called into being the
Freedman's Aid. and for third of a GEN.
tury they have practically occupied the
same field under three organizations. The
same law OF economics which leads TO the
consolidation OF railroads or combinations
In anything that has a common purpose
lies behind this scheme. Naturally enough
the elimination OF a large part OF the ma
chinery of the three viii not strike those
eliminated out very favorably any more
than the consolidation Of two or more rail-
roads under one management is popular
with those discharged by the consolidation.
To some extent this fact win prove detrf-
mental to the immediate adoption OF the
scheme, but IL was evident from the tenn
per OF the conference IL must come TO this
I'm the near future IL not now.
The patriarch Of the conference is Rev.
John Lanahan, ID. d.. OF Baltimore. Hs
does not know his age exactly. but as he
voted for Van Buren in 1856 ne cannot be
much less than eighty-five He has been
in the ministry sixty-two years. and this
Is the twelfth General Conference he has
attended In succession. the first being the
one held In indianapolis In 1856. No other
preacher in this connection has such a
record. Thirty-two years ago. at the Gen.
eral Conference held In Chicago he was
elected assistant book agent at New York.
ami IL was he that unearthed many busi-
ness irregularities Ia that house which led
TO many reforms In the management OF the