The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-05-20
METHOD|STS HAVE
A TAME SESSION
Harmony Members Kept Down
Any Show Of Friction
BISHOPS ELECTION PUT OFF
Once 1t Looked Like the Matter
Would be Taken up and Set.
tied at Once but oPposl-
ton Soon Set In.

Dallas, Tex, May 10, - The eleventh
days session and the beginning of the
third week of the Methodist Episcopal
church conference began rather tamely
and continued so to the end once or
twice there was mild show Of some-
thing other than monotony, but 1t was of
short Duration. The war claim matter
was adverted once or twice, but those
who are struggling for harmony with
the aid of Bishop Cranberry, who pre-
sided, contrived to stop the speakers be-
fore dangerous ground had been trodden
upon.
Once It looked like the new bishops
would be elected at once. The majority
report of the committee on episcopacy
had. after a struggle, been adopted. 1t
provides for the election Of two new
bishops. The matter was tabled, how
ever. and Thursday, May %, at 10 a. M.
was set as the time for election of the
bishops. This, next to the war claim,
will be the most important action of the
convention.
Tomorrow the war claim takes prece-
| dence over other business at 10 o'clock
and the bitterest contest of the confer
ence will doubtless ensue
When Bishop Cranberry took the chair
this morning the roll Of the conference
was called for the hearing of reports.
The committee on fraternal correspond
ence submitted resolutions commencing
| the reports of the fraternal messengers.
Rev. John Reeves, charged with immoral
ity. was exonerated by the committee on
appointments. The conference voted to
take up the report on Episcopacy.
Differences of Opinion.
Three amendments were presented to
the majority report. One was for the cleo
ton of three instead of two bishops, one
for the election of one bishop and third
for no new bishops at all.
All the substitutes were voted down,
and the majority report calling for the
| election of two bishops was adopted.
Bishop Hargrove requested permission to
perform "a delicate duty" With great
| quiet all over the conference hall he read
a paper asking to be relieved Of further
duties as a bishop. He spoke of his grow
| ing inf1rmity, his bad hearing, etc. 1t
had been twenty years, he said, since he
became a bishop, and he thanked God
| that he had the consciousness of having
done his duty.
| The question Of union publishing
house at Shanghai was referred to the
committee on federation. Routine mat
tiers pertaining to church discipline were
| considered for half an hour.
DR.. Sanford. secretary of the National
| Federation of Churches was presented,
| and made a brief speech OF congratula-
! ton. Dr. James Cannon. Jr., OF Virginia,
who submitted the minority report on the
war claim matter, arose to a question
of personal privilege He denied that the
minority report had been prepared till
after the matter had been carefully con-
sidered. DR.. F. Luke Wiseman, fraternal
messenger from England, appeared to bid
| the conference farewell DIR. Wseman
made an eloquent and feeling talk and
was heartily applauded DR.. Brecken of
the Canadian church also made notable
! speech, and Bishop Cranberry replied
cordially.
Made Splendid Impression.
Both the delegates are scholarly men,
! and each made a splendid impression on
the delegates. According to their own
| statements, neither was ever more gra-
| ciously treated than they have been In
| Dallas. They spoke of the cordial rela-
tionship existing between all the English
speaking people and received close atten-
ton and hearty applause. DR.. Wiseman
told a story of two Scotch ministers in
| the Highland dialect with all the brogue
| of the heather. Its accent was its chief
charm and it caused the conference to
| laugh heartily.
Then the calendar was reached and the
| first of the Sunday school committee was
read.
It made several changes In the dscip-
line. The whole report was adopted A
rather sharp discussion was begun just
before adjournment on the question of the
! resolution that the minority report of the
publishing committee had not been print
! ed according to the order of the confer
ence. reason was developed that the
publishing committee of the official or
gan feared a libel suit. The remainder
of today's proceedings consisted of tame
discussions over embarrassing reports. A
point of order was against further ques-
lions and at l o'clock the conference adj
tourned until o'clock tomorrow.
Tomorrow night a special programme
will be followed by the Vanderbilt Uni
versity men resident and visiting, now
in this city.
War Claim Compromise.
At the conference tonight a resolution
was adopted as a compromise measure on
the war claims to be introduced tomor-
row. 1t provides for the raising of $1OS,So0,
the amount paid Major Stahlman by the
government which is to be added to the
remainder of the fund secured from the
government making total equal to
1928, 600. This is to be devoted to the bene-
ficiaries of the fund, and those who par
ticipated in the meeting tonight hope to
bring the opposing factions together in
a final settlement and dropping the mat
| ter on this basis.