New-York tribune., 1900-05-19
MORE METHODIST BALLOTS.
DR. SPELLMEYER GAINS THE LEAD
NAMES OF DRS. KELLEY AND BOWEN
WITHDRAWN-TIMEL LIMIT
DERATED
rBy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. 7


Newark. N. J.. led in the contest for Bishop to
day on three ballots at the Methodist General
Conference. and is within eighty-four votes of
the two-thirds majority which would elevate
MIN 70 the epscopacy DR. J. T. Berry. OF
Chicago. dropped 10 second place but regained
some Of his lost strength and on the eighth bal
lot had 335 votes, TO DR. Spelmeyer's 373 while
DR.. David H. Moore Editor OF THE Western
Christian Advocate" was third with 2s3 and
DR.. j. w Hamilton had 24S votes.
1t may require several more bailots to give
any one a two-thirds majority. but IL appears
that DR.. Spellmeyer will probably be the first
bishop elected while either Dr. Moore ~ DR..
Berry, both editors and Western men. will prob
ably be the second member added TO the Board
or General Superintendents OF the Church.
DR. Spelmeyer was ahead and gaining the
seventh ballot and had 372 votes but Dr. Berry
who was second regaining some lost votes
and had 294 while DR.. Moore had 21J. DR.. Ham
ilton 235 and Dr. Bowen Al.
DRS. KELLEY AND BOWEN WITHDRAWN
When the result Of the sixth ballot was read.
after Bishop Cranston called the Conference
session to order to-day. IL was generally believed
that DR.. Spellmeyer to defeat DR..
Berry. unless the latter should regain strength
in remarkable way. which at that hour seemed
not at all likely. Or. Berry was only second.
with 264 votes. while DR. Spellmeyer far
ahead, with 300. BUT even he was 40 votes short
OF the necessary two-thrds majority. Dr.. Moore
had 259. and the prophets seemed TO be
unanimous in the opinion that he would be the
second man TO be chosen. DR.. Kelley had
dropped to 168. and Dr.. Bowen. the colored can
didate was in sixth place. with 81 votes.
As soon this ballot had been announced and
before the seventh gathered by the tellers
DR.. J. NJ. Buckley arose. and as chairman OF the
Eas CCy sail hat
DR.. Kelley requested that for family and bust
ness reasons his friends would not vote for him
This, II thought. would clear the situation
and probably result in DR.. Spellnsyer gaining
the support needed for election. DR.. Kelley IS
Editor Of THE Methodist Review in NewYork
After the eighth ballot in which he had only
33 votes, Assistant Secretary Penn. Of the Ep-
Worth League, withdrew the name OF DR.. j. w
E. Bowen, the colored candidate. The ninth
ballot was then taken the result OF which will
be announced to-day.
TIME LIMIT DEBATED.
Shall the time limit Of five years pastorates
be abolished extended TO ten years under
certain conditions? was the great question be-
fore the Conference to-day, and 1t discussed
for time. The ministers will not know the de-
ciscn until the majority minority report Of
the Committee the Itinerancy Is adopted.
which probably will be tomorrow. The report
OF the Committee Itinerancy was brief. but
1t did not spare the old time limit. The COM
mittee simply recommended that Section 3 OF
Paragraph 173 OF the Book OF Discipline be
amended by striking out Subsection 1 and sub
stituting these words:
First-He the Bishop shall appoint the
preachers 70 the several pastoral charges
nually.
The old reading
preacher 10 remain in the same pastoral charge
more than five consecutive years. etc
The minority report stated that abolition OF
the time limit not considered wise or judi
cious except when the quarterly conference OF
a church by a three-fourths majority voted to
request the reappOintment OF a pastor after he
has served five years in charge and the Bishop
deemed It wise. The report further recon-
mended, however. that no reappointment should
be beyond ten years.
COLLYER AND THOMAS AS EXAMPLES
DR.. J NJ. Buckley moved that the ten year
prOviso be stricken out but was ruled out Of
order G. Z. Alderman. Of Alabama favored
the majority report and opposed the ten year
extension. DR. Buckley again obtained the floor
He said:
address the brethren who desire TO go back
to the three year limit. You can't do IL. Uaugh-
teri II you take of the time limit you will be
the most detested General Conference in the
history Of MethOdisrn. Three-ffths Of Meth
odisn Is rural sern-rural. All through the
rural districts the people want the time limit.
| Cries OF NO NOrO
II the time limit is taken off absolutely the
Iaymen will split churches to get rid of minis
ter, whereas now they wait until his time is UP
No man should stay who at the end of five
years cannot get three-fOurths vote OF his
church asking him TO stay. The change will
| encourage competition among churches for pas
tors and the offering Of higher salaries whereas
now people wait until a man must leave a
church because OF the pastoral limit
Robert COIlyer preached at the Wabash Ave
Church. and he was a hereto. The time
limit put him out and he went to New-Jersev
Here he preached heresy. but the time limit put
him out and the Church was preserved. whereas
otherwise d majority Of the church might have
kept him and the church would have been
ruined
Hiram ". Thomas. who has emascrlated
every church in which he has preached. was
moved by tbs time limit and at last il was pos
sible TO eXpel him.
When DR.. Buckley finished there was pro-
Ionged handClapping.
DR.. BUCKLEY QUOTED AGAINST HIM
SELF
DR.. Charles J Little. Of Evanston next OBJ
tained the floor. Both reports he said prac-
tically abolish the time limit. IL DR.. BuckIey's
amendment adopted. The only difference
would be that in one case the quarterly confer
ences would decide it, and in the other IL would
be left with the Bishops. He said further:
An argument to relieve the Bishops OF this
responsibility is an argument against the very
fundamental things Of MethOdism. Those terri
BILE things which happened in Chicago appeared
under the three years rule It may not be
wrong for to repeat conversation I once
had with Dr. Buckley in which he said il was
a question II IT would not be better 10 have a
man do his mischief all in church
The time limit has been abolished for the
Bishops. the editors. the secretaries and the