The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1906-05-24
Southern Methodist Church Is
Strengthening It's Episcopaey
VERY ABLE MEN ARE ELECTED
On First Ballot at Birmingham Dr..
John j. Tigert. Secretary Of the
General Conference, Is Chosen: on
Second, Seth Ward, of Texas; on
Twelfth, DR.. James Atkins, of
Western North Carolina Confer
ence.

Birmingham, Ala, Sp,cial.-Dr.
John J. Tigert, secretary of the Gen
eral Conference of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South, was elected
bishop on the first ballot taken by
the Conference. No other bishop was
elected on the.f ballot.
The count of tellers showed the vote
on the first ballot to be: j. J. Tig-
ert, 100; J. C. Kilgo, 100; Seth Ward,
IS; Collins Denny, "a; W. E. McMur-
ray, "A; James Atkins, 20; W. F. Til
lett, "a; w. B. MURRAY. "a; E. w.
Anderson, a.
These were the leaders, with scat
tering votes for 49 others. DR.. Tigert
at once resigned as secretary Of the
Conference, and Assistant Secretary
A. + Watkins was elected secretary.
There was no election of bishop on
the secord ballot.
Seth Ward. Of Texas, was elected
a bishop on the third ballot.
At the afternoon session of the
Conference, ballots, numbering four,
five and six, were taken for the third
bishop to be elected by the present
| Conference, but no result following,
recess was taken until evening, when
| the contest was renewed. One hum
dred and thirty-seven votes being nee
70 oh
during the afternoon. The strength
Of 116 votes for Rev. DR.. J. C. Kilgo
on the fifth ballot was the nearest
approach to decision that was reach
| ed.
Pending the counting of the diff
ferent ballots by the tellers, consid-
cradle other business was brought
before the Conference. A resolution
extending greetings to the Southern
Presbyterian Assembly, in session at
Greenvsille, S. c., was adopted. The
matter of Church members being
connected in any way Or degree with
the work of State dispensaries was
also discussed, but no formal resolu-
tions were passed upon the subject.
DIR. James Atkins, Sunday school
editor of the Methodist Episcopal
| Church, South, was elected bishop
on the twelfth ballot.
Sketch of DR.. Atkins.
DR.. James Atkins, one Of the three
bishops elected by the General Con-
ference Of the M. E. Church, South, is
member Of the Western North Caro-
lima Conference and has been Sun
day school editor of the Church since
1896. He was born at Knoxville
Tenn, April Is, 1859, being a son of
Rev. James Atkins, for many years
member of the Holston Conference
He was educated at Emory and Henry
College, Emory, Va, of which insti-
tuition he was president for many
years, 1897 1913. He entered the
Methodist ministry in 1872 as mem
Der of the Holston Conference, hold
ing pastorates from 1872 to 1879
when he became president of Emory
and Henry College, Va. He resumed
the presidency Of the Ashville Fe-
| AiaIc SOllcSc LII 400 anu IeLudIIlet
there until 1896 when he was elected
Sunday school editor. His home il
At Waynesville, n. c..
Sketch of DR.. Tigert.
Rev. DR.. John James Tigert, elected
a bishop of the M. E. Chunrch, South
by the General Conference in session
at Birmingham, Ala, is book editor
of the Southern Methodist Church ane
E titor of The Quarterly Review, hav
ing been elected to those position!
in 1894. He was born in Louisville
KY, November 25, 1856. He wa
educated at Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tenn, graduating in 1877
From 1881 to 1890 he was professo
of moral philosophy in Vanderbilt
University. From 1890 to 1894 Dr.
Tigert held an important pastorate il
Kansas City, Mo. DIR. Tigert IS tn
author Of quite a number of books
among the number being "Handbool
of Logic,'' Theology and Philoso
ply" GA Voice From the South,
Constitutional History Of America
Episcopal Methodism' and Others
He resides at Nashville, Tenn.
Vice President Fairbanks address
ed the conferenceson Friday as tn
fraternal representative of the MOI
thern branch of the Methodist churc
and made very able and well re
ceived speech. His address was o
the dangers of socialism and the dut
of the church in combating the Sc
cialistic tendency of the times.