Evening journal., 1901-04-06
CLERICAL PLUM TREE

Methodist charges, and get away from
the place of meoting with nothing but
Methodist good feeling following him.
is n diplomatic marvel in clerical sarb.
Every conference has it's presiding
elders and wire-pullers who are Mt
upon obtaining the choicest places for
themselves and their friends and sup
porters. Every conference has its
large number OF ministers who feel
that they are qualified in all respects
TO hold and enjoy those same choice
places. and who resent the hard fate
which keeps them in obscurity and
comparative penury There is little DIFF
ference between church politics and
ordinary politics. There Is the same
plum tree, and everybody wants b
shake It, and the men with the pull"
usually do IL.
Il Is the bishops business TO do his
best and leave tho rest AS a general
thing he knows little personally OF the
politics of the conference, and less
about the relative qualifications of It's
many members. Somebody must have
his ear and guide his action, and that
Is where the rub comes In, for the
plum -gatherers appoint themselves a
steering committee, and work to have
things come their way There are few
things more merciless than church poll
tics. as the poor fellow in some obscure
charge we'll knows, and la many CON
ferences there are rings which pass the
plums from hand to hand by process
OF rotation, and keep oil Others in the
background The bishop may act In
perfect good faith and with the best
possible intention. but the ministers
who are kept In the background make
no allowance for his Ignorance of -
cal conditions, and the burden OF re.
sponsibility rests on him and the pre-
siding elders.
Bishop Joyce. who presided at the
Methodist Episcopal Conference at
Stroudsburg, Pa, a few days ago per
haps recognizes the force OF these
statements. At a meeting OF Methodist
ministers held In Philadelphia this
week he and his cabinet were made the
subjects of much unfavorablo criti-
cism.
The meeting was presided over by tn,
Rev. w. +. Mckinney, who said: 81
have often asked myself the question
What are presiding elders good for?
and l hope this meeting will take thl
matter up and give me some sort of {
satisfactory answer was sorel,
tempted TO take snapshots at some o
the amusing things l saw ON the street,
at Sroudsburg. At one place l saw
crowd OF clergymen with threateninl
gestures, voices. and looks surround
Ing a poor meek-loOking presiding 81
der. and on another corner the pnesid
ing elder was a big. stern-lOOking man
wth a front like Jove. and he was sun
rounded by poor, weak ministers In
supplicatory attitude. and again
asked myself. What are presiding q
ders good forg"
Dr. kirkpatrick followed, and said
Il ann firmly convinced that bishop
ought to be elected every FOUR or oigh
years. II that were the case. perhaps
they would believe that pastors hay
some rights which they are bound I
respect Presiding elders ought 10 1
elected, not nominated as they al
now, and the time is coming whe
they will be-"
Or. Sayres said: 1T is always easi'
20 criticise than TO do the work, but
don't believe that it is right for al
one man to come here and statiS
men regardless Of the wishes Of d
peoplc. Bishop Joyce is a deeply r
Mgious man--blessings on him Cd
risive laughter all over the hall aud
voice. Look me i'm the eye and s.
that } but he doesn't know ever
thing" resumed Or. Sayres. after {
laughter had subsided with rega
20 the election of presiding elders,
not clear whether the time has .
come for that. I'm afraid we wol
have more trouble then than now"
Dr. T. B. Neely, in his usual ca
logical manner OF speaking, made
position Of bishop. clergy. laity, 1
me individual church plain. He sp
of the difficulties in the way OF bi
ops and presiding eldsrs. and said Il
while they sometimes make what /
pie call mistakes in their appO
ments. those mistakes often turned
blessings. He believed that the Il
had the right to go to the bishop '
a ps,iton, and predicted a sad day
the church If ever the time came "
that right was denied.
Then came the turn Of the presil
elders. DIR. Gray spoke first. and S
81 sometimes wonder how long
system can stand the strain u
which II labors. At other times l
there is no danger II is not cas-
make the appointments to suit el
body. but under all our shortcon