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

that this advice would be needed but al
ready one woman has bean selected as a
provisional delegate. thereby tRngling tne
question OF equal representation with the
woman question. just how Il will BIO ar
ranged no one can now tell. but u is sure
TO create considerable interest II not ex-
OF the women are rather ungallant suggest
ing to the good sister that she refuse to pre-
gent herself! Oh my!
~
IN 1855 the bishops in their address to the
general conference startled the church with
tho question: Have we constitution. and
II so where is il found? That is. in what
part of the Disciplneg" Now tho truth is
that the constituting conference of the Meth
odist Episcopal church which met In Balti-
more In 1854, called the entire discipline
which they produced tho constitutional Of
tho Methodist Episcopal church. But from
that time ON through seventy 1--we years
comparatively little attention was paid TO the
tory provisions. Since 1883 three commissions
have had this matter in charge. Tho tnird
has now published It's report to the church
1t consists OF two parts In the first they
collate the constituting provisions Of the dis
ciplino as they are now found In the book
In the second they propose an entirely new
form. These two parts OF their report will
b. scanned with exceeding close attention
although 1t is doubtful II any general con-
ference Of 700 or 500 members will feel COM
petent away from their reference books and
In the whirl Of the excitement OF such a
body. to hnaily determine such weighty mat
tiers. But progress is being made and before
long. no doubt this great church viii have
well defined constitution Ought tt not to
elected hy the annual conferences, for that
ono Durnosey
Great intere- sill also center in the aues-
ton: Shall the -4sscopacy be strengthened"
II should he ex5iained that the eniseopacy
in the Methodist s.aseenel -Surcs , not like
the eniscopav in It's protestant -.nteS7Dai
church or in the Chureh .. england. The
episcopacy in both these churches is diocesan
while IN the Methodist church Il is connec-
tiona That is. each bishop In the latter
church. instead OF being confined in his
supervision to "A diocese. is a general SUPER
intendent of the entire church. Hence when
hishon dies that death does not create
vacancy in the common acceptance ct the
term. The episcupaey is unit whether II
be composed Of one person or twenty. Dur
ing the last duadrennium only one bishop
has died out OF the sixteen effective men.
But nearly all of them are now well along
In years. TIE average age OF the fifteen
effective bishops is Just two thirds OF a
century and the combined age Is Just 1900
years. Two of them are 70 years of age
seven ara over Go, and the Youngest is 80.
IN view, OF these facts It Is now generally
conceded that there must he some new
bishops elected How many should be chosen
viii be one OF the most interesting questions
before the conference. The consensus Of
oninion is that at least two viii he needed.
hut lions Herald, which is quite conserva-
tive IN this direction. has declared that there
should be four chosen.
49,
As usual about this time there are many
who think that n negro should ne efectcd a