The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1904-05-06
MANI PROBLEMS
TO BE-; considered
METHoDIsTs GATHERING AT LOS
ANGELES FOR GENERAL
CONFERENCE.
QUESTIONS
WILL BE DISCUSSED
Women Delegates TO Have Voice in
Affair for First Time in History Of
the Church-several New Bishops
to Be Elected.


Los Angeles. Cal, May 3.-As the day
for the assembling of the delegates to
the thirty-first general conference of
the Methodist Episcopal church ap-
proaches general interest in the gath
ering of representative churchmen
from all parts of the civilized world
becomes greater, and when Bishop
Steven Merrill calls to order the first
session at nine o'clock next Wednesday
morning 74S out of total of $50 accred-
tied delegates will be in their seats ready
to proceed with the legislative tasks
confronting them.
The delegates will, during the daily
sessions lasting throughout the month
of May, be called upon to solve many
problems of Importance to the growth
and future welfare of the Methodist
Episcopal church.
In the opinion of many high In the
councils of Methodism the quadrennial
session will prove the most important
of any in the history OF the church.
Questions to Be Considered.
Among the most important subjects
are the following:
What can the church do on the liquor
question? What action can the church
take to solve the race question? Shall
worldly pleasures, such as dancing, the
ater-going and card-playing, be con-
doned by the church? With which COM
Blatant in the war in the orient are our
sympathies? What can be done by the
church to prevent, in the good name
Of the country, the crime of lynching!
Shall the itineraries of Methodist minis
tiers be restored? How many bishops
shall be elected and how many be re-
tired2
Other Problems.
proposal to consolidate the three
publishing houses of the church in New
York. Cincinnati and Chicago Will
doubtless cause spirited discussion.
The subject Of the American uni
versity, in course OF construction IN
Washington, is one of the big questions
that the education department Will nave
to decide. The institution, as originally
projected. was to have an endowment OF
* 900 900 and an agreement was reached
at a former general conference that
the university should not be opened I'M
til this sum should be in hand. ABOUT
81. 500 900 has been collected, land mas
been secured and several large buildings
erected. There is strong party In the
conference that opposes the idea OF let
ting this property stand idle for an In
definite neriod. and urges that the school
be opened also.
The educational department will also
have to decide the question OF heresy
in certain theological schools where the
majority of the Methodist ministers re-
ceive their training.
For the first time in the history OF the
Methodist general conferences women
delegates will have seats in the confer
ence and q voice in the direction OF
church affairs.
To Elect New Bishops.
The election of bishops, which will
take place about May 16, is one of the
chief duties of the present conference.
It appears to be certain that no fewer
than four new bishops or no more than
ten will be elected. There are numerous
candidates. AIMING them are: Rev. DR..
James NJ. Buckley, New York; Rev. DR..
George F. Bovard, Los Angeles; Chan
cellor Day, of the University of SYRIA
cuse; Rev. DR.. w. F. Mcdowell. of the
Educational society; President Little, OF
the Garrett Biblical institute, Evanston,
ILL.,; President Bachford, of Ohio Wes-
leyan university; Rev. T. r. Jennings,
Cincinnati, and Rev. DR.. Henry SPELL
meyer, Newark, N. ].
The colored delegates, of whom there
are Is or more. will make strong effort