The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-12
Liberal Brethren I'm Favor of RecoE-
MIXING the GentIer Sex, but 9th
crs Against "Female Rights"
NO FAIR LOCAL PREACHERS
COMMITTEE ON REvIsALs OPPOSED
TO GRANTING LICENSES.
Speeches by Drs. Buckley, McGraw
and Others-Comments of the Jour-
nails Special Free Lance.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
CHICAGO, May lit begins to look as IL
the Methodist Episcopal General Confer
ence feared the 'petticoat question:" as
jocular lay brother alluded TO the woman
delegate rumpus. Everybody expected the
matter to come up to-day and score or
more delegates had primed themselves with
eloquent speeches for and against admit
ting Eve to the church garden. Some of
the most liberal brethren say that now,
having recognized the rights of laymen,
the conference should be progressive
enough to give women their rights, too, but
there are others-those who would spell
''men' in capital letters always and
women in lower case--who are opposed
to anything that savors of female suffrage
or woman's rights, and they say that to
recognize women in the conference would
be equal to recognizing their equality in
everything else. However. they did not
have a chance to air their views to-day, for
the whole question was postponed. 1t will
probably be taken up for consideration next
week, unless a second attempt be made to
shelve II.
Commend me to the colored brother for
improving every possible occasion to get In
a resolution. On Thursday one of the coll
ored candidates for bishop, Rev. DIR. Thorn
as, of Washington, got the floor and went
forward to the platform to read a long
series of whereases,' ending in resolution
to introduce all the ministers of Chicago to
the General Conference given day.
Evidently he had not conferred wit any
body as to the propriety of such waste
of time. and the proposition was such that
no one could afford to even suggest the
impossibility of such performance, not to
mention its impropriety; hence. of course.
it passed. Several times the rival candi-
dates for the colored bishopric have in
troduced something of the kind. 1t gives
them a chance to be seen and to go into
the record. BY the way, to a modest sug-
gestion from white brother that the col
cred brethren should make a selection of
their candidate a most positive negative
was given. They propose to be elected on
their personal merits or not at ALL 1t seems
to an outsider they are even more jealous
of each other, If possible, than their white
brethren, utterly refusing to submit their
respective claims to nominating conven-
ton of their race
SECRET BLOW AT WOMEN.
The conference was not long in getting
to work on one branch of the questions in
volved in the proposed new constitution.
1t was hailed as victory of the ministers
the other day when the suggestion to ad-
NIT laymen to the annual conferences
failed, whereas the laymen are quite in
different to the matter. The question which
was sprung on Thursday was quite diff
ferent one and much dearer to the laity.
In the preparation of the new constitu-
ton the commission purposely used the
words church members" as designating
the voters and '1aymen'' as applied to the
persons to be voted for, well knowing that
by a so-called judicial decision the latter,
in Methodist parlance, applied to men only,
though 1t means persons of both sexes in
everything else, so as to exclude women
from the General Conference. When the
question came up Dr. Moore, of the West
ern Christian Advocate, got the floor and
moved to amend by inserting 'lay MEM
bers" instead of 'laymen." so as to avoid
further controversy in the future over the
meaning of the word '1aymen" His
presentation of the question was clear and
forcible. arguing the propriety of allowing
the '1ay members of the church to vote
for any LAY members they chose to, thus
preciptating at once the woman-in-the-
General-Conference question. OF course.
the motion was opposed fiercely, Dr.. Buck
ley leading His objection was of the stereo-
typed variety. He opposed their admission
on scriptural grounds because Paul, an
old bachelor, had said women ought to
keep silence in the church. and because he
could not bear to think OF seeing a woman
clamor for the floor as some men have to
or never get II, and because it would be
very improper for woman to be thread
ing her way to and from the committee
room after night. And with him it was
conclusive that she ought not now or ever
be admitted because when. thirty years
ago, the question of allowing the women
to vote on the question whether Iaymen
wanted representation some one asked If
this did not mean they should be eligible to
membership in the General Conference
there was perfect storm of noes and
not a single ''yes"
DIR. GRAW'S SPECTER
But ii remained for DIR. Graw. of New
Jersey. to cap the climax. He not only in
dorsed all that DR.. Buckley had said, but
he saw ghost in 1t that DR.. Buckley had
not discovered but easily enough might II
time had not been called on him. IT beat
his specter Of the woman calling at the
top of her voice for recognition or going out
O. nights TO meet with committees. He
(Dr. Graw) saw in the future women
preachers members Of the annual confer
ence. subject to appointment by the bishop.
and one OF them might marry a man
preacher Now. how could either be ap-
pointed to a charge without appointing the
other to the same charge when the church
could hardly support 3ne preacher, much