The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-06
MEN FROM ALL nations
GATHERING OF
METHODISTS IN CHICAGO AT
THE CONFERENCE
WORK HAS SCARCELY BEGUN
Recognition Given Laymen One of
the First Important Acts of the
Gathering-Revlew Of
the Week.

CHICAGO, May 4. - Especial Core
spondence.l-T eyes of the Methodist
Episcopal church of the world is centered
upon Chicago at this date and will be
for the whole of this month There are
gathered at this general council lay and
clerical delegates from 127 annual con-
ferencea and twenty missions. They are
from all countries. Scandinavia, Ger
many, Italy, Africa, India, China. Japan
and the new American possessions are
represented, as well as many other coun-
tries
This is the great legislative body of
that denomination, and its deliberations
will effect many features of the disci-
pline. Some of the work will be of the
revolutionary kind; in fact, an evidence
Of this is already in the forefront, as the
very initial step Of this BODY, taken on
Wednesday morning. was the election of
laymen to equal representations. This
matter has been discussed for a quarter
of a century, and eliminated at the first
session of the conference, the clergy
champiOning the movement, as they have
from the beginning. 1t is a strange
thing that in this, as well as nearly all
advance steps touching the government
form, and that the conservatism has al
ways been furnished by the layiety in
whose interest the clergy have so ur-
gently worked. This new step will very
likely effect every business interest, as
well as philanthropic, by placing a lay
man
IN COORDINATE TRUST
with a clergyman. Heretofore all the
vast enterprises Of the church have been
conducted by the clergy. The book room
interest. involving the expenditure of
millions of dollars annually. The mis-
sfonary department, In its home and for
eign fields. disburses upward of s., 100000
yearly. The Freednen's Aid and South
crn Educational society, and the board
of education, all these in the aggregate
equaling the investment of the mission
airy society. In all these connections a
layman will nave equal voice. BY the
action of the first session-of the general
conference the pew holder has been placed
into a very responsible position and lift
ed to an efninence from which he will
be able to survey the field of the church
of his love with a concern that hereto
fore he had never contemplated The
preacher and pes holder will be In more
sympathetic relations than ever before.
There is no manifestations of excite
lnent as yet over the election of bishops,
general secretaries, book concern agents
and periodical editors, any one of which
offices to men of capability Is considered
a plum. splendid spirit has prevail
ed in the conference since the opening
session. The business has been moved
along with dispatch and faithful consid-
Grafton. Perhaps greater body of
brains and oratory meets nowhere in the
world.
All great ecclesiastical bodies have
their
DISTINGUISHED MEN.
So has this body now in session, and
the manner in which some of them han
ole themselves in the discussion of 1ues-
tions and rules Of order is SUI lprising to
the most acute observer or stud mt of
parliamentary practice. Debates that are
not equaled in any Legislative or dal!ber-
ative bodies are carried on in ecclesiasti-
cal conventions, and this is MT behind
any of them from any point of view
Great men. specialists. If we may use the
term. in their different fields, arr ere.
Pastors, preachers, editors book concern
agents. general secretaries. etc. Above
them all towers in giant capacity the
school OF bishops, who, because cf their
worldwide travel and scholarship and
administrative ability, have been place
high III the esteem of all the church
Such an aggregation of varied 'alcnt
makes an extremely Interesting body.
CHICAGO'S EFFORT.
Chicago people certainly have done a
great deal for this conference They have
placed at it's disposal the great Audito-
rum building for all it's regular sessions.
1t has a seating capacity of 5000 with
every seat In full view of the speaker.
and not too far away for any one to
hear. Besides being engaged for all
the regular day sessions, it is secured
for ten nights and four Sundays The
Auditorium managers furnish a corps Of
fifty trained ushers. doorkeepers and
cloak room attendants. For this per-
formance the hall costs 81 600 In addi-
ton to this Studebaker hail. with a fine
organ and a seating capacity of 1900
persons, has been engaged for fourteen
nights at an expense of $2,S00. Recital
hall, with $50 chairs, has been engaged
for the entire month for committee meet
ings. Besides the halls, whose aggregate
seating capacity is $500, there are for
committee use seven other halls and
audience rooms within walking distance
of the Auditorium, which together seat
Il, 500
Besides these named there have been
secured a fine suite of rooms directly
connected with the Auditorium hall (aud
recently occupied by the Paris commits
siOn), as headquarters for deaconesses
members of the Woman's Foreign and
Woman's Home Missionary societies.
and alumni of all Methodist educational
institutions. Private rooms have been
engaged for the bishops, general secre-