Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-05-14
BISHOP S. M. MERRILL

The resignation of Bishop Stephen
M. Merrill last week marks the clos
ing of the active career of the dean
OF the episcopacy of the Methodist
Episcopal church. Though it did not
come as surprise to the general con
ference delegates Assem- bled at Los
Angeles, nor to the members of the
church throughout the land, the an
nouncement of his retirement from &C.
tive work as bishop was received with
regret. For thirty-two years has he
held this the highest Office in the gift
OF the church and for twenty-seyen
years previous to that time he served
the church in various capacities from
pastor to editor of one of the church
papers.
Bishop Merrill was elected bishop at
the general conference held in Brook
Ign in 1872. He was born at Mount
Pleasant, Ohio, in 1926. Like many
other men who have become eminent
in the field of thought and action, he
worked in boyhood at the shoemaker's
trade. He united with the Methodist
church at Greenfield, Ohio, in 1912, and
was licensed to preach in 1S45. He be-
gan studying while working at the
shoemaker's bench, and almost from
the beginning of his public life made
the impression of profound thinker
His trial sermon was typical of the
man. He and his friends expected
that he would be overwhelmed with
nervous fright, but, TIC his and their
surprise, he was perfectly calm. His
imperturable calmness has been one
of his distinguishing characteristics
ever since. He had prepared a few
notes to aid him in the delivery of his
trial sermon Without premediation
and in mechanical way, he dropped
his notes into his hat and did not think
Of them again during the sermon. From
that day to this he has never taken
the scratch of a pen or pencil into
the pulpit in the form of notes for
sermon, and always. breaches extern
poraneously. He, is an extensive writer,
however, and his English is classic in
it's simplicity, purity and force
Bishop Merrill is called the John
Marshall of Methodism because of the
striking judicial character of his treat
ment of all questions. He is the high
est authority in the church on ecclesi-
astical law, and as a parliamentarian
has few equals and no superiors. He
first attracted the attention of the
church by his knowledge of constitu-
tional law during the general confer.
ence in Chicago in 1863. The body was
discussing the question of lay repre-
sentation under the rule limiting
speeches to ten minutes.
DR.. Merrill, then a delegate from
Ohio, began a speech which, before
the ten minutes had expired, revealed
a knowledge of the history and legis-
lation of the church and it's bearing
upon the subject under discussion that
impressed the entire conference with
the feeling that this speaker must, for
the sake of the church, be untrammel-
ed and the time limit was removed. DR..
Merrill was opposed to the leaders of
the conference and of the church, but
they were forced by his speech to
change their position. AS a result of
that speech he was elected editor Of
the Western Christian Advocate, pub
lished at Cincinnati, and four years
later was elected bishop. Since 1880
he has been resident bishop of Chicago,
and will in all probability continue to
make that city his home after retir.
ing