Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-31
Address on Children's Day.

tDlTty-Slx years O1 dye diiu was III HCdi
Columbus. He is graduate from two uni
versities-the Ohio State University and
that at Delaware, Ohio He at first took
up the practice of law, eventually entering
here highly recommended. His present
church in Columbus is described one of
the largest in that city, having congre-
ga ton of over 800 persons.
The program of the conference this after
noon embraces the anniversary of the Wo-
mans Homo Missionary Society, Mrs. w.
G. Mcdowell presiding Address by Miss
Bertha Fowler of Philadelphia, The
United States as a Mission Field Solo by
Mrs. D. DIN Leech.
This evening there will be celebration
of the anniversary of the Freedmen's Aid
and Southern Educational Society the Rev.
drsses by the Rev. w. P. Thirkield, D. D.,
and Rev. j. o. Spencer, D. D.
In Annual Session.
The ninth annual meeting of the Lay
mems Association of the Baltimore Meth
odist Episcopal conference convened at
Foundry Church at 10 o'clock this morning.
The officers of the association are: Presi-
dent, Lewis NJ. Bacon, Towson, Md; vice
presidents-Baltimore district DR.. H b.
CAN'T: East Baltimore district, Prof j. 5.
Wilmington; West Baltimore district, wal
ter Kirwan; Washington district, Walter F.
Rodrick Frederick district, d. p. Miller;
recording secretary, I. Reese Arnold Glyn-
don, Md; corresponding secretary, Frank
!. Duncan, Towson Md; treasurer, Z. Z.
Gorsuch, Westminster, Nd.
These officers, together with the Hollow
ing named constitute the executive COM
mittee: Baltimore district. j. o. Fowler;
East Baltimore district, j. A. sheridan;
West Baltimore district, G. b. Tlmanus;
Washington district, w. H. Proctor; Freder-
ick district, u. T. Brantner.
The meeting was called TO oroer py res
ident Bacon, and after devotional exercises
the roll of delegates was called. Ihe assoc
citation is composed of delegates from all
the churches in the Baltimore conference,
at the ratio of one delegate 70 eacn MY !t
members of the congregation. Owing to the
delay"in the arrival of the secretary, MI. 1.
Reese Arnold, the president appointed Mr..
John Ash Barker as secretary pro tenn.
Declaration for Equal Rights.
Under the call for resolutions, Judge An
son S. Taylor of this city. who is dele
gate from Union Church, submitted the fol-
lowing:
I'VE believe the time has come when the
laymen of the Methodist Episcopal Church
of the United States should be accorded
equal rights and privileges with the min
istry in the annual conferences, as they
now enjoy in the general conference win
this object in view we announce the 1ol-
lowing program Of action prior to the gem
eral conference of 1905 and request all lay
mems associations and conferences through
out our land to take similar action
we UelleNc lHdl the ldyiiSi VI thO ESACeh-
odist Episcopal Church are worthy of, and
should be accorded, all the rights enjoyed
by laymen in other evangelical bodies, to
wit: seat and vote in equal numbers
with the pastors in charge who sit and
vote in all gatherings for the regulation OF
the church'S welfare.
I'VE believe the claim that annual con-
ferences have to do exclusively with minis
terial matters is not borne out by the facts.
1t is the laymen's loyalty and gifts to the
church, not the ministers alone. that have
made it possible for Methodism to exist.
I'VE believe that when editors, agents,
college and seminary teachers and supernu-
meraries, none of them in charge of
churches, are admitted to annual confer
ences laymen should have the same right
granted them. tt-
Distinction Creates Breach.
There is such a community of interests
between the ministry and the laymen, they
being really but one, that to make dis
tinction between them is to create breach
that should not be allowed to exist; it is to
set up superior enjoyments for one class,
to draw distinctions along class lines, and
to deny to laymen in Methodism what is
right, centuries old, in6ithe evangelical
churches of Christendom4c,
Except in the Methodist Episcopal
Church, no body of white Methodists in
America excludes laymep from the annual
conference. The u Methodist Episcopal
Chursh South and other Methodisms con-
ceue Tie iiSHl OF laynedfr 10 SlttlngS and
votes in the annual body. Il
I'VE are satffied the time has fully come
when we should advance our cause in this
respect. After a long struggle the fight
has been won in the general conference and
SO 1t will be here, but not while we content
ourselves with a one-day laymens confer
ence, which is the cause of much ministe-
rial wit, because we seem so pleased with
something that is nothing.
Substance Of the Request.
1t was resolved First. That we pro-
nounce ourselves in earnest in endeavoring
to secure at the next general conference
the opening of the annual conferences to
membership for laymen in equal numbers
with the ministry.
Second. That. we request all laymens
conferences and associations to take similar
action with our own
Third. That a special committee selected
by this body be appointed to correspond
with the presidents of all laymens confer
ences throughout the United States, looking
to concerted action on this matter, and the
presentation of the same to the general
conference OF 1908.
Fourth. That we request all our religious
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