Arizona republican., 1904-05-24
Bishop Day, the Last EIeC-
 ted Bishop, Resigns
BUT A SINGLE PRECEDENT
He Believed That His Duty Lay in the Continuance of His Work in Chris tian Education for Which Long Ex- perience Had Fitted Him.

Methodist general conference, at the opening of its fourth and last weeks labor, found itself confronted with a duty almost unprecedented in the his tory of the Methodist church, that of acting upon the resignation of one of its bishops elect.
 Rev. James R. Day, chancellor of the Syracuse university, who on last SS St-' urday was chosen as the last of .he eight bishops elected by the present conference, resigned his place in the episcopal board and was excused, at his request, from further attendance upon the conference.
 Besides acting upon Bishop Days resignation, the conference today heard the report of the tellers on the vote taken Saturday afternoon for three missionary bishops. which showed the election of Dr. I. B.Scott as an additional missionary bishop to Africa, and Dr. Wm. F. Oldham. and Dr. John E. Robinson, as additional missionary bishops in southern Asia
 Dr. c. M. Harris was elected on a ballot taken this morning to the mis- sionary bishopric of Japan and Korea. the new district created by the pres
 
 fixed upon as the date for the con- secration ceremonies of the seven newly elected general superintendents, and four missionary bishops.
 Four hours of today's session were devoted to a special memorial service in honor of the memory of bishops who have died during the last quadriennum and of the late President Mckinley. motion by pr. J. NJ. Buckley to proceed to ballot for the successor to Dr. J. R. Day, resigned, was defeated. and the conference voted to postpone indefinitely the further election of general superintendents. The action of the conference on last Saturday in excluding representatives of local newspapers from press privileges was rescinded upon the motion of Dr. Buckley, seconded by Judge C. E. Loree, of Delaware.
 The resignation of Bishop-elect Day, following closely upon his election after a long contest, furnished the sen sation of the conference.
 The intention of pr. Day to resign was not known to the vast body of delegates as he had confided it only to few of his intimate friends Bishop Foss who was presiding officer at this mornings session gave the first inti- nation of what was to follow when he asked the conference to hear a pre- pared statement by Bishop-elect Day.
 Permission was promptly granted and when Bishop Day arose and walk ed to the presiding officers table with a written document in his hand therc was instant attention. After brief predatory statements, in which he 1 F charge him with acting from motives other than those of an honest, con- scientious and God-fearing man, he read a lengthy statement concerning his intention to relinquish the high official position to which he had just been elected.
 Since my election" he said, 'I have thought of nothing for scarcely a con- scious moment but my duty to the church, of which you are the chosen representatives and I could not more profoundly and sincerely revere your friendship, which has placed me un- der sense of obligation that dwarfs my powers to pay this debt of grati- tude. l have the wit'.ess within my self that I am not influenced by my material advantage or honor. These are too uncertain. evanescent and remote to be considered for a moment as matters of great import. But new factors are in every problem. They solve my duty. I must return to the work of Christian education. It has come to me within the past twentyfour hours as never before that I am not at liberty to lay aside the experience and discipline which ten years have brought to me in this work.
 If you ask me why I did not ap- preciate that before I had put you to the trouble of my election, I can only say that some thing which for years have hung around the circumferenc- of our thoughts in the distance and in dim outline, suddenly come to us as revelations, forcing us to conclusions. l, however, made my decision after opening my mind prayerfully to the appeals of duty from every side and from every source of light possible to me. I cannot conscientiously say that I believe myself moved by the Holy Ghost to. take upon myself the office and duties of a bishop, as our law requires of those who are conse- crated to that holy office and ministry but I do feel myself deeply moved to continue in the work of Christian edu- cation.
 Therefore, with the greatest rever- ence for your wisdom and authority, and with keen distress that l must disappOint those who have elected me to this high office, and regretting to have caused a moments delay in your important business and thanking you without attempting the impossible task of finding words adequate to ex- of Indebtedness tn l submit herewith, most respectfully. my resignation of the office of bishop to which you have elected me. I ven ture to make one request of you. Give me your confidence and belief that have sought honestly to find my duty in the face of God and my conscience"
 There was a distinct sensation