The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-20
BISHOPS HAVE THE FLOOR
THEY ARE MADE TARGETS BY THE
LAYMEN AS WELL AS BY
THEIR OPPONENTS
NEVER SEEM TO GROW OLD
Correspondent Who Tells the Story
Of Conference Work in Spicy
Vein-Lecture on B6er
and BritOn.

CHICAGO, May 17-(special Cor
respondence)-The conference pot is still
boiling. This week 1t has been alto
gether occupied with elections While the
tunes are exciting it passes understand
ing the good nature that prevails amid
such keen rivalry. The expressions Of
the members of the conference concern
ing bishops amount almost to disrespect
One gentleman said: Some of the old
men must have taken stimulants to pre-
pare for the ordeal of the general con-
ference For the past two years the
sight of some of them that are now
claiming no change of relation was one
to excite sympathy"
Another said: In four years a half
dozen at least Will be in their graves.
Time alone is the only power that can
supcrannuate a Methodist bishop"
One would think that during general
conference the most uneasy man in the
world would be a Methodist bishop.
Every oficicious man thinks it is his
innings and the balls for batting are the
bishops. All kinds of throwing is in
dulged in. inner curves. outer curves, up
per and under, are all driven with Won
derOus force. Many of the strikes are
foul Few reach first base and none
the second.
DIT. Buckley said: bishops are des-
politically positive, and I never knew one
To change except to become more So"
After all. these men who at this quad
riennial season are made so uncomfoFta-
BILE by the indiscretiOn of members %e
the very best class of men. Nearly all
of them are so extremely generous that
they, ike Walter c. Gresham, one of
the late secretaries of this nation, will
go to their long home leaving no wealth
behind them. the best possible evil
dence of the spirit of the Master, whom
all great men serve. l send you a veri-
fed statement of the givlngS of one man
alone. who during his life has donated
directly TO the church. as the result OF
his lectures, over 5000
As a partial answer to the men who
have been accusing the bishops of idle
ness Bishop McCabe allowed some of the
facts of his last four years work to be
made public. He has given away to poor
churches and schools $3.50 a month, or
$4,000. from the proceeds of his lectures,
thus saving S250000 worth of property
He has raised $1,000 for churches and
schools. and in addition 100000 for the
Methodist university. besides $146,000 more
in pledges to that institution. He has
attended flfty-fiVe camp meetings. assem-
blies and district meetings. besides many
. REVEALS, at some of which he has helped
TO save thirty souls an hour"
The spirit OF self-advancement is some
what rife among preachers. Wherever a
half dozen or more meet the conversation
grnS on the subject of ''Who can we run
For general secretary, a bishop or editor
etc One would be led TO believe that
the one supreme ambition of the delegate
is to leave the pastorate or professorship
or even the presidency of Il college for
some high office in the church by which
he car get into the swim"
1t is comforting reflection. however,
to know that the statistical strength OF
this great governing body Of Methodism
is made up not Of pastors. out of the
graduated element. and the measure CT
piety or saving strength of the church is
not TO be taken here, nor Is Gov Shaw's
rich advice. Tell the preacher that the
place to gain distinction is in the pastor
ate, particularly forceful In this center
y. POWER OF MONEY. -,-.
Money works its INSCRIPTIONS way into
the church as 1t does almost everywhere
else. and forgets every principle of right
IN the securing of its own ends. There IA
one man in this conference who asks
nothing particularly for himself. but a
great deal for his friends He is a New
York millionaire. One of the children or
his care is a general secretary who, by
his patronage, was landed into that very
important office. This same secretary has
been setting his bait for the Office OF
bishop for the last ten years. and only
recently said to a person unfayorable to
his candidacy: Il would have you know,
sir. that I have 100000 at the back of
my candidacy for the office of general
superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal
church.
When the vote was taken this week this
gentleman developed no strength and will
probably be relegated to the pastorate
again.
Such methods are not sanctioned by the
rank and file of the church. and the
stamp of discount has been indelibly
placed upon even the attempt of MammCn
TO rule over righteousness.
There has been in this conference an
almost irrepressihIe disposition to give
prominence to every thing English. Twice
a motion was made to place the British
flag amid the patriotic and national deco.
rations IN the hall. Each motion. how
ever. met with sudden defeat. This SEN
dment Of sympathy is largely the result
IF the reports brought home by the mis-
SiOnaries from foreign shores. In every
instance they claim that the union jack
mas been their protection as much as the
Stars and Stripes. The reception OF the
British delegates last Monday night slim
ulated feeling in that line The address,
of Rev. Thomas Allen was one of high
class craftsmanship and enlarged the