The Indianapolis journal., 1902-10-01
FRIENDS FIRST SESSION
OPENING OF THE INDIANA YEARLY
MEETING AT RICHMOND.
Division Of the Body VIII Likely BE
the Most Important Matter Brought
Before the Conference.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

RICHMOND, Ind. Sept. 30.-What prom
ises to be one of the most important ses-
sions ever held by the Indiana Yearly Meet
ing of Friends opened in this city this
morning with a session of the meeting on
ministry and oversight, which is composed
of the ministers and elders This is the
eighty-first session of the Indiana body,
which Is the most important Yearly Meet
ing in the world. ranking at the top both
in point of membership and in progressive
ness. Indiana is the mother of nearly all
the Western Yearly Meetings-Iowa, Kan
sas, Oregon. Western and California-and is
looked up to by them when it comes to mat
ters of vital interest to the church at large.
The Jurisdiction of this Yearly Meeting is
eastern Indiana, western Ohio and small
territory in Michigan. The sessions have
never been held anywhere except in Rich
mond, which is the recognized center of
Quakerism in the middle West.
Probably the most important matter to
come up this year is that of dividing the
Yearly Meeting and establishing new one
at Marion, Ind. The petition for this
comes from Fairmount, Marion and Wa
bash Quarterly Meetings. When the Pc
tition was up few years ago 1T was re-
fused. Last year it was renewed, and a
committee was appointed to investigate and
report this year. The committee is ready
with a report, and the matter will be set
tied one way or the other this year for some
years to come. Nothing is known as to
what the report of the committee will be.
1t Is expected that it will be acted upon
early in the session. The Yearly Meeting
is now operating under the new constitu-
ton, which ten of the Yearly Meetings oht
of the thirteen in America have adopted.
This constitution necessitates some changes
In business routine, but they are not OF q
highly important nature.
The meeting for ministry and oversight
held joint session at 10 O'Clock. Rev.
Hedges, of New Castle, the clerks of the
meeting, were present There was a large
attendance of the members from the vari-
Gus quarterly meetings The company OBJ
prayers were offered by various persons
and a talk was made by John Henry
Douglass, of Los Angeles, Cal, in which
he labored to stir up the church to re-
service of the Lord. Mr.. Douglass is a
firm believer in the doctrine that the pow
er that was upon the primitive church
should rest upon the church now. The ven
cradle Francis w. Thomas, of Dunreith
also made fitting remarks Introductory tc
the work of the Yearly Meeting. Harriet
very appropriately. Names of delegates tC
the meeting from the various quarterly
meetings were called, large number OF
whom were present. Words of greeting
were presented by the clerk from Benjamin
F. Morris, minister, who is now sick al
Fairmount.
The clerk read minute for Harriet
Greene from the London Yearly Meeting
for work in America. Credentials for Mar
garet E. Elliott, Baltimore Yearly Meet
ing; Rachel c. Tyler, of England: Thomas
Mn liz 10.
John Henry DOUGLASS, of Pasadena Quar-
terly Meeting, California; Anna B. Sadler
of Baltimore Yearly Meeting; Goldie E
Thompson, of Friends Chapel Monthly
Meeting Illinois; Leanna Hobson, of West
field Monthly Meeting, Indiana; Nathan
and Esther G.. Frame, of Cars Greek
Monthly Meeting. Ohio. and Marcilia Cox
of Pleasant Plain Quarterly Meeting. Iowa
were then read and they were heartily wei
coined to all the sittings of the Yearly
Meeting.
| Pugh, Charles Replogle and Rachel b. Hill
| were appointed 10 prepare a report TO the
Yearly Meeting at large OF the condition
| of the ministry of the church.
! At the session OF ministers and elder:
| this afternoon the delegates reported thai
| Enos Harvey and Emma Hedges shoulC
F. Cox and son Omer. of Vermilion Quart
| eriy Meeting, H., was read. Charles Rep
| logic and wife. former missionaries L
Alaska. were given opportunity to speak
L
| New Garden. Spiceland, Vandalia. Wabash
| Walnut Ridge, Westfield. Whitewater anS
Winchester Quarterly Meetings presented
reports according to the requirements o
the new discipline. giving the spiritual con
dition OF the churches. These reports in
| dicate hopeful condition. This evening
/ there was religious service.
| The session will continue until Oct. Z
| The chief portions of the programme ar
/ as follows: Wednesday-Permanent boart
/ meeting, reading minutes of visiting
| Friends, appointment of committees on re
| London and Dublin Yearly Meetings, re
| ports OF book and tract and peace commit
| tees. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of officers. re
| ports from Whites Institute. Indiana af
| fairs. home missions. temperance. Bible In
| stitute and Southland College, reading o
| epistles from New England New York am
| Baltimore Yearly Meetings. Friday-Per
! manent board meeting, reading epistle
/ from North Carolina. Ohio, Western an
| London Yearly Meetings. reports of statisti
/ cal secretary, trustees and treasurer. repor
| of Indiana and American boards of foreigl
| missions. Saturday-Reading epistles from
Iowa. Canada and Kansas Yearly Meetings
reports from evangelistic and pastora
| committee. Spiceland and Fairmount Acad
/ emies and Earlham College. annual meet
/ ing of Christian Endeavor. Sunday-Re
/ lgious services Misunderstanding epistle
| from Wilmington. Oregon and Californi;
Yearly Meetings. report OF epistolary com
| mittee and permanent board. Tuesdays-
Report OF committees-