The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-06
ELECTION OF NEGRO BISHOP SUGGESTED Resolution Brings Protest in Methodist Conference. ADDRESS OF THE BISHOPS Relations With M. E. Church, South, Are Declared to Be Growing
 More Fraternal and
 Intimate.

Los Angeles, May 5.-The convention of the Methodist general conference held two sessions today, the morning session being devoted to the reading of the quad rennial address of the board of bishops of the M. E. church to the general con- ference, and the afternoon to the receipt and reference of memorials from the var ious annual conferences. The morning session was presided over by Bishop Henry W. Warren and the afternoon session by Bishop J. NJ Walden.
 The various committees got together during the early morning hours and elect ed their respective charmen. and secre- taries, but as there was no business be- fore them, an adjournment was taken until tomorrow. Beginning tomorrow, the general conference will hold sessions only In the morning.
 Dr. George Elliott of Detroit present. ed memorial to the effect that the com- mittee on episcopacy consider the advis- ability of the election of a colored bishop. He said that he believed that the M. E. church had reached a crisis in its rela- tions with the colored race.
 Should Have Some Leadership.
 If we are to hold the 3OOOOO colored membership we now have" he said, i've ought to give them some sort of leader ship in which they understand and trust, and which understands them'
 Charles P. McClelland of New York, 1a. 11Iz tx, fr, Iot. Elliotts motion. MT. McClelland said he was very sorry that this resolution was offered at this time that if the church has a crisis in it's relations with the col ored people, it was brought about by just such resolutions as this. He believed that the race question had been brought before the conference entirely too much. and he said heshoped the political con- ference would put an end to this agita- tion. He was willing. he said 10 see any man elevated to this episcopal honor, regardless of color, when that man should attain to such worth and distinction as would warrant this high recognition. A resolution was offered by Rev. Dr. Horace Jacobs of Central Pennsylvania conference, to request the publishers of the daily Christian Advocate, the official organ of the conference, to withdraw from it's advertising columns all refer ence to Sunday newspapers. One of the publishers of the Advocate gave assur- anees to the conference that if the resolu- ton should be withdrawn, there would be no further cause for complaint on that score.
 Tho dfna of fIa dra to1 aH of the bishops of the Methodist church to the general conference was the feature of the days session. Bishop Cyrus D. Foss of Philadelphia, read the address It elaborately reviewed the statistical re- cords of the past four years, and set be- fore the conference many of the current problems which the church is facing.
 Present Membership of Church.
 The present membership of the church was reported as 3,03l,9 an increase of l3S,0 ,025 during the four years. The Sun day schools include an aggregate mem- bership of 3124,644. The relations be- tween the Methodist Episcopal church and the Methodist Episcopal church south were declared to be growing more fraternal and intimate. common hym- nal, common catechism and uniform order of service, are almost ready for puDncatlOn, ana these VIII urdW lHe Do- dies still more closely together.
 The suggestion was made that some mutual arrangements should be made whereby transfers of ministers and mem- bers from one of these denominations to the other should be expedited and made easy. Warnings were given against the current evils of the time, political cor ruption, the liquor traffic, the tyranny of trades unionsm, the greed of unscrupu- lous employers, lynching, the negro ques- tion, and Mormonism A recommenda- ton was made that new chapter on popular amusements be added to the discipline. admonishing Methodists to guard their spiritual life and to avoid such amusements as have a dangerous or demoralizing tendency. The chapter is intended to take the place of the pres ent paragraph No. 24s, which occasioned much discussion at the general conference at Chicago four years ago.