Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-05-10
BISHOPS TAKEN TO TASK.
The Laity Would LHnit Their
emoIuments.
SHARP CRITICISMS WERE MADE
They Are Charged with Refusing Their
Services Whore Needed and Ilsmed
for Lack OF Increase In Members
Committees Appointed.

|
devotions led by the Rev. Fayette L.
Thompson. The prayer Of the day
was by the presiding bishop. The song
service was led by the Rev. Fl. J.
Cozine, percentor of the conference.
The business session began with
Bishop ]. NJ. Walden presiding. The
calling of the roll of conferences was
resumed. Questions were brought up
and debated on the floor.
In the afternoon committee meetings
were held as follows: Book Concern
at Studebaker building; missions,
audience room of First Methodist
church; education, audience room of
| Wabash Avenue Methodist church; ;
church extension, lecture room of First
church: Sunday schools, 81 Washing
ton street; Freedmen's Aid, Wabash
Avenue church.
The conference dropped suddenly
into the midst of the stirring questions
that are to come before 1t, when,
among the memorials presented there
came from Clayton w. Wilson of Iowa
a resolution denying to bishops and
other general conference officers some
ceiving in their offices. The question
came to debate and final settlement on
the floor, and the resolution was al
most unanimously adopted. The bish-
ops, who have no voice in the confer
ence debates, sat on the platform and
heard in silence criticisms and defenses
of themselves as the delegates dis
cussd the issue. The resolution as
finally adopted was as follows: Re
solved, That no bishop or general
conference officer should receive any
thing above actual expenses for his
services in the dedication and reopen
ing of churches. attending commence
ments of our educational institutions
and such other like services as he may
render the church." Upon this ques-
ton the house divided, the majority
being in favor of placing this safe
guard over the highest officers Of
the church. Those who objected took
the ground that it was an uncalled-for
reflection on the bishops and officers
Criticisms Of the bishops did not be-
come personal. but ministers in the au-
dience testified that they could not get
the services of bishop in their con-
ferences because of the miscellaneous
duties which occupied the bishop. Mr.
| Wilson included in his motion also a
provision that the book committee
should compensate the officers of the
church literally. This part was soon
withdrawn and the discussion was on
the other point. DR.. J. M. Buckley of
New York was the first speaker. He
said: For bishop to refuse call to
attend church dedication unless he is
paid a certain sum l declare before
high heaven and in the presence of
| this great conference is a prostitution
| of a most high calling" Dr. Buckley,
as editor of the New York Christian
Advocate. is conference officer" He
explained that he did not expect per-
quisites He said that there We're hon.
est perquisites. and upon hearing the
word honest" repeated ironically he
turned upon the speaker and insisted
that in the ministerial profession there
are honest perquisites. He then dis
| cussed marriage fees.
Ira S. Locke of Portland, Me. made
one of the most radical speeches. I'm
twenty-five years." he said. there has
been a bishop in our conference Just
four times, outside of attendance at
annual conferences. Why are we not
| increasing in numbers? Because our
| bishops have miscellaneous duties" J.
H. Potts, editor of the Michigan Chris
tlan Advocate, an Independent Meth
odist paper, said he had recently been
severely criticised by one of the bish-
| ops for allowing a letter to appear in
his paper calling attention to this state
| OF affairs. He had letters. he said.
showing that the editors of the official
papers had refused to print such crit
icisms. Excitement during this dis
cussion reached the highest point man.
| ifested so far in the conference There
were speakers who said it was known
that the bishops had received emolu-
ments. From the bishops standpoint
nothing was heard after the session
was over. Bishop Merrill then ex-
pressed himself in an interview as fol-
lows: The expenses of the bishops in
travelling to dedications and COM
mencements at UNCONVENTIONAL col
leges should be paid out of the general
church treasury. By this plan weaker
| churches and organizations would have
no cause to complain that they are
neglected by the general superintend-
ents. The small church needs the
help of the bishop in it's dedication
more than larger one. Extra fees
that may have had have hardly more
than balanced extra expenses"
| Presiding Elder Frank Hardin of the
Rock River conference took the posi-
ti0n that the bishops and book agents
are not the real sinners. The minis
tiers, he said, who offer these "bribes"
to the bishops and officers should be
looked after.
The condition of the official papers
of the church will be thoroughly ill
vestigated by a committee appointed
in the morning at the general session.
The conference expressed itself on the
Sunday question by adopting a Iesolu-
ttion recognizing with gratitude the
action of the president of the United
States in directing taat American ex-
hibits at the Paris exposition be closed
on Sunday. The investigation into the
condition Of theological seminaries I'M:
doubtedly will bring out a fight be-
tween the conservatives and Irogres.
sives, centered about Prof. ii. G.
Mitchell of Boston university, who is
being objected to because of his lean
ing toward higher criticism