The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-05-14

|
erning authority in the church. 1t
legislative, judicial, and elective
makes laws, levies taxes, appropriate
money and transacts various othe
matters of importance. IL meet
every four years, inspects the histor
of the church during the period sine
its preceding session and reviews th,
decisions of the bishops. At thi
meeting the boards of the Genera
Conference may be changed if desired
Two matters of interest which will
come up under the regular order O.
business will be the question of estab
fishing an order of deaconesses ant
the question of making the length o
the pastorate indefinite. The order O
deaconesses will doubtless be estab
lished, but the other proposition will
in all probability be turned down. Ir
addition to these two matters there
will be, as usual, vast number OF
memorials from different conferences
On all sides, however, it is recog.
nized that the great absorbing topic al
the conference will be the question OF
the publishing house claim. A great
variety of opinions exists In reference
to this matter, and it will be exceed.
ingly difficult to settle it in q manner
satisfactory to all.
The history of the claim is known
to all Methodists. The publishing
house received from Congress S2SS,
600 for damage done by the Federal
troops during the civil war. No
question was raised as to the fact that
the money was due, but many Con-
gressmen objected when MIR. Stahlman,
the attorney for the agents of the pub
lishing house, received as his share
100000 or more of the money. The
Senate deprecated the diversion of so
large portion of the money from the
church and declared that it had been
DIT ceived.
Then began the trouble. A number
OF ministers wanted and still want to
have the money returned to the United
States; others think the book agents
should be censured, and the matter
left as it stands; still others believe
That in addition to censuring
the agents, they ought to be
required to restore the 100000
paid Mr.. Stahlman, the amount to
be used in providing for superannuat-
ed ministers. This latter class does
not think any of the money should be
returned to Congress, believing that
that body would be perfectly satisfied
If the entire amount were used by the
church. 1T is believed that the upshot
of the whole matter will be that the
present agents will be ousted but no
money returned to Congress. One of
the agents, DR.. Barbee, has already
declined re election, and the other,
Mr.. Smith, though a candidate, has
strong opposition.
The election of two or more new bish-
ops will also be a matter of the greatest
interest at the conference. 1t is gen
orally b' lievcd that DIR. f.. f. Hoss, edi-
tor OF the Nashville Christian Advocate,
will be one of these bishops, and DR..
A. Coke Smith, of Norfolk, the other.
Both DR.. Smith and DIR. Hoss are In
the very front rank in Methodist
ministerial circles. Other names men,
toned in connection W ith the bishops
are those of DR.. John Il. Tigert, editor
of the Methodist Review; DIR. James
Atkins, Sunday school editor, and DR..
w. r. Lambuth, missionary secretary
The first session of the fourteenth
quadrennial conference was called 10
order by Bishop Wilson, of Baltimore
in the old auditorium of the Fair
Grounds. Distinguished churchmen
and laymen were present from all parts
of the South. All the bishops with the
exception of Bishop Keener, of New
Orleans, and Bishop Fitzgerald, OF
Memphis, are in attendance.
After the singing of hymn Bishop
Hargrove, of Nashville, prayed foi
"unity, moderation and conservatism .
III the deliberation of the conference
and hearty amens" punctuate his
words.
Passages of Scripture were read by
Bishops Hendrix, of Kansas, and w
A. Car dler, of Georgia. Another
prayer by DR.. Anson West, of tht
North Alabama conference, wa,
followed by the addresses of wclcom,
of Governor Sayers, Mayor Cabell
Judge e. b. Perkins and Rev. G.. g
Rankin, all of which were enthusias
tically received. The conference theI
settled down to actual work. The rel
call developed the absence of man,
delegates.
BY unanimous vote DIR. John j
Tigert, of Nashville, was elected sec
retary of the conference. He nomin
ated for his assistants Rev. A. i
Watkins of the Mississippi conference
|, and j.. M. Barcus, of the Northwet
Texas conference.
Governor Sayers was presented |
: the conference by Bishop Wilson [
3 make the address of welcome, and TIL
delegates rose to welcome him. I'll
Governor was listened to very after
lively. He devoted most of his speet
to the history of Methodism.
: Bishop G. b. Galloway, of jackson
Miss, replied to the addresses of We
come. He said all were glad to
here. He knew Texas was gre
State and had great people, becau
the best people Of all the old States HI