The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-05-15
THE METHODIST
GENERAL LCONFERENCE

N ~ -
Il QuadrcnniaI Session in Dallas
b Texas, Will Continue for
II Month.
The General Conference Of tn
: Methodist Episcopal Church, South
=, ~ the Legislative body of the denominu
- ton, begun its uuadrennial NEE ting il
! Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday, Ma,
,, 7th. The sessions arc held in the all
ditOrum at the Fair Grounds, wher
the Confederate reunion was recent,
held.
Judging from the calibre of the dele
gates this year and the lmportan
questions which will be up for settle
mcnt the conference will be distin
guished one. The session will con
sumo from three weeks to Il month
and will be fraught with the greatest
interest TO Southern Methodism. Each
conference sends one clerical delegate
for each fifty preachers it has within
its bounds, and one lay delegate fol
each clerical. Besides these, how
ever, large numbers OF ministers and
laymen attend as visitors. The ex-
pcnscs of all delegates will be defray-
ed by the Conference.
The sessions of the conference are
presided over by the bishops. The
first day, the senior Bishop, who this
time is Bishop kecner, of New Or.
leans, will occupy the chair. From
day to day the other bishops, among
them Bishops Wilson, Granbery, Har-
grove, Duncan, Galloway, Hendrix,
Key, Fitzgerald, Gambler and Morrl-
son, will preside Bishop Keener is
now eighty. four years of age. He has
held the episcopal office for thirty-two
years and has been for twelve years
senior bishop.
The conference is the supreme GOV
erning authority in the church. 1t is
Legislative, judicial, and elective,
makes laws, lcvies taxes, appropriatcs
money and transacts various other
matters of importance. 1t meets
every four years, inspccts the history
of the church during the period since
its preceding session and reviews The
decisions of the bishops. AT this
meeting the boards of the General
Conference may be changed if desired
Two matters Of interest which will
come up under the regular order of
business, will be the question of estab-
llshing all order of dcaconcsses and
the question of making the length of
the pastorate indefinite. The order of
deaconesses will doubtless be estab-
llshed, but the other proposition will
in all probability be TUNED down. In
addition TO these two matters thore
will be, as usual, Il vast number of
memorials from different conferences.
On all sides, however, 1t is recoy-
nizcd that the great absorbing topic at
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 IL manner
satisfactory to all.
The history of the claim is known
to all Methodists. The publishing
house received from Congress 1888,
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-
gressmcn objected when MIR. Stahlman,
the attorney for the agents Of the pub
fishing house, received as his share
800, 900 or more Of the money. The
Senate deprecated the diversion of 80
large a portion of the money from the
church aud declared that it had been
d. d>ccivcd.
Then began the trouble. A number
of ministers wanted and still want TO
have the money returned to the United
- a .
should be censurcd, 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 5000
paid Mr.. Stahlman, the amount to
be used in providing for supcrannuat-
cd 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 oustcd hut nc
money returned to Congress. One OF
the agents, DR.. Barbcc, has already
: declined re election, and the other
Mr.. Smith, though candidate, hat
strong opposition.
: The election of two or more new bish
ops Will also be a matter Of the creates
: interest at the conference. 1t is gen
orally believed that DR.. T.. Il. Iloss, cdi
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 DR.. IlOss are II
the very front rank in Methods
ministerial circles. Other names men
> toned in connection " ith the bishop
are those of DIR. John IL. Tigert, cdito
of the Methodist Review; DR.. Jane
Atkins, Sunday school editor, and DR.
W. IL. Iambuth, missionary secretary
The first session Of the fOurtecnt