The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-16
General Conference Adjourns Before
the Count Is Completed, but 1t Is
Certain No One Was Elected.
DIR. MOORE IS SAID TO LEAD
BUCKLEY, BOWEN AND HAMILTON
HAVE NEARLY SAME VOTE.
Report of the Committee on EpiscO-
pacy-The Temperance Question
as Viewed by II. A. Goodwin.

citing debate in the Methodist General Con-
ference to-day over the report of the COM
mittee of episcopacy, which recommended
the election of two additional general super
intendents. The report was adopted. as
was also a report favoring the election of
colored bishop. Just before adjournment
for the day a ballot was taken for the
election of a general superintendent. but
the result will not be given out until to-
morrow.
The discussion in the General Conference
Monday meant much more than appeared
on the surface; they indicate unrest
at several points that will not be quoted.
One main question came to the front from
several directions. That main question is
the Book Concern. The question of dis
oficializing several papers belongs to this
general question. Its first appearance came
on proposition to withdraw the Northern
Christian Advocate, published at Syracuse,
N V, one of the very best of the family.
from the official list A scheme for this
was reported which cannot be disposed of
on it's individual merits because it is in
tended as feeler or experiment by which
half dozen or more liable to be tried
at this very session. and sure to be in the
near future, If this works well as 1t
promises. 1t consists in allowing the Gen.
essee and other near conferences to
sumo the management, elect the editor,
fix his salary, and otherwise be-
come responsible. meanwhile securing
the concern for the property the
Northern has which belongs to it, The
scheme has already, so far, received the APP
prevail of the General Conference that that
paper has been stricken from the list that
| is to be supplied with editors by the Gen.
| eral Conference.
Another question brought to the front
| the whole question of the ownership of the
concern and incidentally the question of
who or what constitutes the Methodist
| Episcopal Church as a legal corporation;
| in the discussion of which the usual be-
| cloudedness of the. question cropped out.
| The legal corporation consists of a body
| of trustees to be named from time to time
| by the General Conference; never, of
course. the General Conference is the legal
| Methodist Episcopal Church, but the dis
| cussions spoke of the preachers as the
| owners. They were when preachers alone
| constituted the General Conference, but
now they are only part owners. except that
|
practically the appointees of the pastors,
| by being elected by the quarterly confer
ence, which is creature of the pastors.
| laymen having no voice in the matter
CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE.
| All this grew out of a resolution protest
| ing against the use of the produce" of
| the Book Concern for other purposes than
| the relief of the superannuated preachers.
| their widows and orphans. This brought
| out the fact that ministers as such were
| entitled to relief as well as superannuates,
\ and this justified the use of the produce
| in paying the salaries of bishops for three
| quarters of century and in defraying the
| expenses of the General Conference while
| 1t was composed wholly of preachers, but
| It, could not now be appropriated to lay
| delegates. The whole discussion ignored
| the bottom fact that the whole concern
| belongs to the General Conference, whether
| composed wholly of ministers or only in
| part, and that no restriction" of one Gen.
eral Conference can bind succeeding Gen.
| eral Conference. One brother, bordering on
| approximation himself, talked of enjoin-
| ing the unlawful appropriation of the
| produce" Enjoin whom? Enjoin the
| owner? 1t was, however, a mudde that
| even DIR. Buckley could not satisfactorily
| clear, up on any other theory than that
| the General Conference is supreme and
can do as 1t pleases with its own property.
H.
under the restrictive rule any minister or
anybody else may receive help if the Gen
/ eral Conference chooses to grant it, and
| on any account The Book Concern never
| had just such an overhauling, yet that is
| but the beginning of trouble since lay
| men have become half owners.
The muddle on the bishop question may
| be traced TO the same cause-unrest Even
| as late as the meeting of the bishops at In
dianapolis only the week before General
| Conference at least three, and probably
II 81 .fn1f IL
| "noneffective,'' as the word now goes but
| it is to be "superannuated'' hereafter Be-
/ sides supplying the vacancies thus to be
| made 1t was given out that three or four
additional bishops were to be made, hence
/ the swarm of candidates. But now what?
| Here comes the episcopal committee recon-
| mending that none be retired, and il is
| understood this is with the approval of the
/ bishops themselves, though against the
| protests of several vigorous youngish men
| who hoped to be called to the office: and
| what is still more wonderful, the commit
| tee in its majority report advised only
| two, with two minority reports. one adj
| vising none at all and the other asking for
| four. Why this change? 1t isn't every
body who knows why: perhaps everybody
| need not know, but it is not a surprise to
| some who know what has been going on of
| late.
| THE BISHOPS CRITICISED.
| The simple naked truth is that both min
listers and laymen have been displeased, not
| to use any more offensive word, at the
conduct OF the bishops. Bishop Hurst has
| literally done nothing for four years but
| work for his pet. the American University,
1 holding a conference now and then as
| side vocation and Fastening back to Wash
| ington on the first express train that he
might resume work, and so turning his
/ conference work into university work as to
| get at loggerheads with the local colleges
| that at the meeting of the college presi-
| dents az Indianapolis, last fall, the presi-
dents of other colleges had to read the law
/ onism to the other colleges of the church
| places his university work. as illus
| trated by a local incident which may cast
| n side light, II not a search light. on this
| surprising action of the General Conference
| When the bishops wanted TO hold their
| final meeting before the General Conference
| at Indianapolis they asked the preachers
/ meeting for entertainment In the homes of
/ the members. Ii was cheerfuly rendered to
i all, but Bishop Hurst asked to be enter
/ tanned at hotel. where he might conduct
| his university work unembarrassed by the
/ demands of the social courtesies due from
| a guest to a host. This incident is impor-
| tant only as IL illustrates the present ami
| mus OF the General Conference. and whyf
| To this is TO be added the disapproval
| OF the people OF their right OF official
| duties 10 travel and lecture. Some are in
| the hands of enc more lecture bureaus.
| The amount OF money some realize from
lecturing seems fabulous and not a few