The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-10
Flood of New Business at Yesterday
Session of the Quadrennfa1
Conference.
BAND PLAYING IN EARNEST
"PARSON" GOODwIN's REVIEW OF
THE PROCEEDINGS.
The EfOrt to Patch Up the COnstitu.
tiOn-kneeling mt Prayer No
Longer Compulsory.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
CHICAGO, May 9.-The General Confer
ence of the Episcopal Methodist Church
was flooded with memorials and resolutions
to-day. They covered many important
questions, and some will cause lively de-
bates later on. The committee meetings,
where the resolutions are being considered,
were quite busy this afternoon. The con-
ference had an opportunity to-day to de-
clare itself in favor of communicate kneel-
ing while at prayer. but declined to do so.
The band began to play in earnest early
Tuesday morning. After perfecting the roll
OF members. a committee to which the sub
ject had been referred reported that the
elections should begin Monday. May IA. and
the session should close Tuesday. the 18th.
and that no one should receive his travelling
expenses until after adjournment unless he
would promise to stay to final roll call, and
that no new business should be introduced
after the 18th except such as might be
made necessary by something lone by the
General Conference. This settled, a crank
got the floor and read a resolution that
filled at least $50 with CONSERVATION. 1t
provided that there should be prepared a
blank ticket containing all the offices to be
filled by election. with proper space for the
names to be voted for, so that a voter could
vote for all at once, as voters do at civil
elections. On the reading there seemed to
be a disposition to vote for it at once, when
some one discovered that a special order
was set for that very hour, and the brother
was called down, and what he had done
goes as though he had done nothing. so If
the question is again brought forward 1t
must be as entirely new business. 1t will
be brought up again, for many of the lay
men are struck with it.
The order of the day was the new consti-
tuition, which has practically been ten years
under discussion, being only a modification
of the abortion fabricated about ten years
ago at Indianapolis, and which was
knocked out at Omaha in 1892 and again at
Cleveland in 1896. in each case in the most
summary manner known in deliberative
bodies. This started out swimmingly, and
two or three sections were adopted with
only slight verbal amendments, but when
it reached the composition or the annual
conferences it struck a snag. The section
provided that they be composed of minis
tiers only, whereupon DIR. Little, of the
Rock River Conference, took the floor in
favor of having as many laymen as min
listers In these conferences. He was fol-
lowed on the same side by DR.. Leonard, of
the Cincinnati Conference, and for an hour
the discussion was warm. The amendment
would have been adopted but that a few
laymen from the rural districts, particu-
larly one from away down East in the
State Of Maine, seemed Mortified at the in
gratitude of the laymen who had already
received such a concession from the min
listers as equal representatives in the Gen.
eral Conference. The article was passed by
a small majority, but apparently not
enough to give it the required two-thirds
If this had been the place for applying that
rule. The hour of adjournment cut short
further discussion, and the whole subject
was left over.
The true situation. however, is that this
discussion came off at the wrong place.
That will come up later on. The laymen
took but little part in 1t. because that par
ticular item was one of comparatively lit
tie Importance. Governor Shaw, OF Iowa,
tried several times Intellectually to get the
floor, but failed. He is regarded as one of
the most able and earnest laymen present,
and he has been a leader in the lay move
ment thus far. He will be heard from
when the time comes for speaking out.
The standing committees are beginning to
consider the propositions submitted to
them. Some of these are ludicrously abb
surd, but they indicate the temper of some
people on some things. For instance. the
committee on education is wrestling with a
resolution introduced by one of those who
fear Methodism is going to the bad on ac-
count of heterodoxy in our schools. He
wants a rule requiring every professor in
every Methodist school to be approved by
a majority of the board of bishops as to
his orthodoxy. His frame of mind reminds
me of a good Methodist brother / met on
the Manchester circuit nearly sixty years
ago. He wanted me silenced because some
how 1 had alluded to the earth as being
round.
you don't believe the Scriptures. you
don't. The Bible contradicts you. See
here pulling a Testament out OF his
pocket, and, pointing to Revelation Nv. 1,
he read. 1.-The angel stood on the four
corners of the earth How could 1t have
four corners If it is round?'
You see. ! was in his estimation a higher
critic, smashing the Bible. 1t is not prob
able the committee will the
passage of his proposition.
The canvass wakes warmer and
warmer, even the bishops taking a hand in
il. The other day at the table in our hotel
a gray-headed old man tackled a country
lay delegate. and asked him to vote for
DIR. Palmer for bishop. The modest bucolic
would not commit himself. but listened
with the Difference due to old age. and
when he went out he asked a friend who
that old man was that so wants DR.. Palmer
elected bishop. "Why, that's Bishop Fftz-
gerald" was the reply.
The joke of this hotel just now is on DIR.
Plantz, president of Louisiana University.
He is a member of the General Conference,
boarding at the Leland. This morning ne
called at the office TO settle his weeks bill.
1t was made out, so much for board and
room and "35 cents for bar services The
doctor was paralyzed and protested.
"It must be correct" the clerH insisted.
"our men never make such an entry with
out good authority"
But I'll never pay it," firmly replied the
I aroused guest. II have had no extras since
/ came into the house except a bath"
LET me see." said the clerk. Bath 1t is.
sure enough" and he apologized satisfac-
torily and the bill was settled I. A. G.
NEED O kNEEL.