The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-25
CREATED NEW ORDER
METHODIST CHURCH TO ORDAI,
DEACONNESSES.
PASSED BY DECISIVE VOTE
SAMUEL d. ADAMS PRAISES SISTERS
OF CHARITY.

Eligible for the Order-Said to BE
the Most Radical and Advanced
step Ever Taken by the Church.
Assignments of Bishops Include
Not Alone the south, But China,
Japan, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, the
Far West and the Middle West.
The $5,GOO,OOO Fund for Superan-
nunted Ministers Decided Upon.
Dallas, Tex, May 24-Another i'm
portant step in the affairs of the Meth
odist Episcopal Church, South, was
taken at to-day's session of the gen.
eral conference, when the order of
deaconnesses was created. After one
of the most interesting debates since
the conference began, the legislation
necessary to establish the order was
passed by the decisive vote of 1870 to
SS. This is said by church authorities
to be the most advanced and radical
step ever taken in the church policy
and discipline.
The newly elected bishops, DR.. E. E.
Hoss and DIR. A. Coke Smith, were or
dained with impressive ceremonies at
the First Methodist Episcopal Church,
South. this afternoon. DR.. Tigert, sec
rotary of the conference, said to-day
that in his opinion the conference
would finish it's labors and adjourn
not later than Monday night.
Bishop Duncan presided at .to-days
session. The new book committee was
announced as follows: 0. E. Brown,
w. c. Dibrell, John Bransom, ]. r.
Morgan, Collins Denny, R. w. Millsap,
Paul Whitehead, James Campbell, j.
R. Hindman, Sydney Bass.
The American Christian convention
sent greetings, which were accepted.
Circuses Under the Ban.
DIR. Tigert at this point said that
the original list of amusements pro-
hibited by the church did not include
circuses. This amusement was placed
under the ban.
Report No. of the Publishing Com
mittee recommended that inasmuch as
the bushes snow conducted resulted in
an annual loss that changes be made;
that the book agents retire from the
book selling business, and that it was
inexpedient to enter upon the erection
of a building at this time. Without
reaching a final vote on the recon-
mendations they were ordered return
ed to the calendar.
The Committee on Episcopacy fixed
the following donations and salaries:
Bishops, $4,000; superannuated bish-
ops, $4,000; widows of bishops, $1,000
per year.
DR.. Tigert, when the question of the
issuance of licenses was brought up,
made a spirited argument in favor of
delegating that power exclusively to
district cohferepce. He compared the
English and American systems in
favor of the former.
Other conference leaders spoke on the
subject, but the body refused to take
the steps desired by DR.. Tigert and his
followers, and adopted the majority
report, which somewhat increases the
Jurisdiction and discretion of district
conferences and correspondingly les
sens the powers of the quarterly con-
ferences.
For superannuated Ministers.
Layman Vandiver of Alabama
brought up, under the head of personal
privileges, the question of superan-
nuated ministers. He announced that
he would subscribe $1,000 to the super
annuate investment fund, which is to
be started with 100000 and is expect
ed to grow to $5,000,00O.
Bishop Galloway said he did not like
to deprive Mr.. Vandiver of the honor
of being first, but that he had a let
ter from friend of 81 years in Louis
lana, who proffered that amount. DR..
Whitehead said the honor was to Mr.
Vandiver. The preachers took hand
when the call was made for subscrip-
tions of 500. Within a few minutes
S1O.5O0 had been raised and the sub
p1OGad with the
nouncement that D. C. Scales of Nash
vile, Tenn, was chairman of a COM
mittee who would receive future sub
scriptions which were to be sent him at
Nashville.
Sisters of Charity EuIogized.
The majority and minority reports
of the Committee on ReviSals concern
ing the proposal to create the order of
deaconesses was laid before the con-
ference.
DR.. Paul Whitehead said he had been
an advocate of the establishment of the
Order of Deaconnesses since 1890. There
was no material difference between the
prejudice against trained women and
trained nurses. Southern prejudice
was against it, but the common sense
of the age and necessities demanded
these women. The swOrk was for them
and they loved to do it, and provision
must be made to train them. 1t could
not be done without a school.
He moved the substitution of the
majority report.
w. r. PEBBLES of Tennessee opposed
the legislation. 1t crushed Individual
ism He would like to see something
done for Methodism along the line pro-
posed without orders. He did not ap-
prove of class legislation and consid-
ering the fact that only single women
or widows were eligible as deaconesses,
the legislation was of the class kind .
DIR. A Coke Smith said there was a
work in cities which only trained wom-
en- could do. You could not pick up
women here and there. When a wom-
an married she legislated herself out,
as she had children of her own to look
out for! st. Paul made the distinction.
The call was pressing and he hoped it
would be adopted.
The Question of DeacOnnesses.
w r. Webb paid a tribute to the Ro-
man Catholic nurses during the war
S. b. Adams followed in a glowing
eulogy on the Sisters of Charity, with
whom he had been associated in char
liable work DIethodism should follow
their steps and he rejoiced in the at
tempt to institute practical charity
Dr. A. J. Lamar opposed advertising
by garb and dress piety. Orders weak
ened church-it had done so to Cath
olicism. Sentiment was beautiful, but
had no place here.
Humorous Pfety."
DR.. j. A. Clifton, Familiarity known TO
the conference and visitors as 1.-THE
South Carolina Irishman," spoke In IA