The Washington times., 1905-03-31
'LAYHEN DEMAND
SEAT AND VOTE
IN CONF ER[NCE
Protest Against Exclusion
From Sessions of
Methodist Clergy.
EXACT EQUAL RIGHTS
Say Support of Church
Basis for Repre-
sentation.

While the ministers of the annual Bal
tinlore Methodist conference were i'm
executive session today in Foundry
Church, with the doors closed against
all laynen, Judge Anson S. Taylor. OF
this city. laid before the Laynen,s AS
sociation of the Baltimore conference.
assembled in the Sunday school hall OF
the church, red-not resolution express
iLg the belief Of the laymen that they
ought to be given the right 10 sit with
the ministers in the annual conferences
OF the Methodist Episcopal Church.
1t was the ninth annual meeting of the
Laymen.s S Association. When notice was
given by its president, Lewis NJ. Bacon.
OF Towson, Nd, that resolutions could
be offered with the understanding that
they should be passed on by the reso-
lItions committee, Judge Taylor was
the first on the floor to make a resolu-
ton
Rights for Laymen.
lie said that, under the rules. he
could rot read his motion before it had
gone before the committee, but that he
gave notice of its tenor. which was to
accord TO Iaymen greater rights in the
annual conferences
= ne preamble reCltSS IhaJ-
The Methodist Episcopal Iaymen OF
the Baltimore conference believe them
selves worthy of, and they should be
accorded. ali the rights enjoyed by lay
men in other evangelical bodies, to w.t.
a seat and vote in equal numbers with
the ratsors in charge, who sit and vote,
ir all gatherings for the regulation OF
the chuTch's Welfare.
We believe the claim that annual
conferences have TO do exclusively with
ministerial matters IS not borne out by
the facts. II IS the layrnea,s loyalty and
gifts TO the church, not the ministers
alone. that have made it possible for
MethodiSm to exist
Should Have Equal Rights.
1--WE believe that, when editors, agents,
college and seminary teachers and su-
pernumeraries, none of them in charge
of churches, are admitted to annual con-
ferences, laymen should have the same
right granted them
Except in the Methodist Episcopal
Church, no body of white Methodists
in America excludes Iaymen from the
annual conferences
eve are satisfied that the time has
fully come when we should advance our
cause in this respect. After long Strug-
gle the fight has been won in the gen.
eral conference, and SO it will be here,
but not while we content ourselves with
a one-day laymen's conference, which
is the cause OF so much ministerial wit
because we seem SO pleased with g
something that is a nothing"
Laymen in Earnest.
The body of the resolution is:
THAT we pronounce ourselves in
earnest in endeavoring to secure at the
next general conference the opening OF
the annual conference to membership
for laymen in equal numbers with the
ministry.
1t also provides for the appointment of
a special committee to correspond with
all the other lGymen'S associations in
the tinted States looking to concerted
action in the matter, and its presenta-
ton 10 the general conference IN Isos-
association this afternoon from the COM
rnittee on resolutions
Committees Appointed.
The following committees were nonai-
mated and confirmed by the chair upon
the assembling Of the association;
Proctor, D. H. Carroi, John F. Neff, and
J. T. HerShner.
Resolutions: John Thorney, G. b
Tinanus J. Hershner. j. w. Young.
and John Simpson.
Fratarnal relations: Messrs. Gannt,
Thomas. Stone. Jacob Eversole, and DR..
Richard Fingsman.
Nominations: Messrs J. Lane Taney-
hill, SanderSon. Merritt. z. T. Dickson,
and j. H. Entresol.
Expenses of Pastors.
E. ). Westcott, of this city, gave no.
tice that ne would submit a resolution
calling on the churches TO pay the ex-
penses of pastors going to conferences.
The recording secretary, T. Reese Ar
mold, reported that $50 delegates had
been elected TO the meeting by the I5i
Charges in the conference.
President Bacon made an address. in
which he called attention to the TACT
that 10 years ago there We're only eight
known MetGcdiStS in this coUntrv and
that now there are 5.000. 900 in the United
States. He maze a TerveNc apuea.
his hearers TO work for the cause Of
MethoGiSm. and not TO !eaVe all the baI-=
tie to be fought by the ministers.
Laymen Should Work.
I'VE should have family prayers" he
said. attend church. the prayer meet
ing, aud toe Sabbath school The Law
II an should do his share OF the great
work.
This afteraoon the Hon. Leslie NJ
Shaw. Secretary of the Treasury, who is