The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-04-22
METHODIST CONFERENCE
Over 800 Delegates Expected to Be
Present at Baltimore May 6.

Baltimore April 20-The quadren-
NAL session of the General Conference
of the Methodist Episcopal church,
which opens In this city May U, Will
be one of the most important In the
history of that denomination.
1t will have especial historical I'M
portance because 1t will mark the
centennial of the organization OF the
general conference at "Light-st par
sonage," and will recall that the Meth
odist Episcopal church was organized
in Baltimore at the Lovely Lane meet
ing house In 1884.
There will be more than 800 dele
gates, most of whom will bring their
wives and children, so that the enter
tainment committee Is calculating on
the coming OF about 1000 from diner
ent parts of the world. In addition
20 900 Methodist visitors are expected.
Several thousand will come from
New York at times during the months
sessions and as many more are ex-
pected from Philadelphia and points
In Pennsylvania. The western and
New England states will also be large
ly represented
In order not to have an unwieldy
body the basis of representation there
will be one ministerial delegate for
every As preachers Of the annual con.
ference and one lay delegate for each
ministerial delegate. 1t is possible
that the future meetings Will be on a
still Smaller basis, although SO far the
conferences that have voted on max
ing the basis one In so. one In 70 and
one In 80 have stood up for the pres
ent basis.
The gathering involves large out
lay Of money. Baltimore Methodists
will have to 90 down deep into their
pockets to pay for the glory OF having
the meeting here. The delegate has
nothing to pay.
There are fourteen standing commit
tees, in whose hands great problems
have been placed. Comprising q
number from each of the annual con.
ferences, of which there are 1874, these
committees have been holding annual
meetings since the last conference.
These meetings. almost approaching
the Importance OF general confer
ence, have not smOothed out the kinks
or reduced to cut-and-dried form the
action for the general body to take
There are seven commissions. each
engaged in some particular work, as
we'll as six boards. which form per-
manent executive bodies.
Besides the business that will come
before the body from its regular az
encies, there is clause which per-
mits any member of the denomination
to present subject of business by a
memorial There will probably be
hundreds of these memorials.
Eight bishops will be elected.
Among those whom 1t is understood
will be elevated to the episcOpacy Is
Rev. DR.. William Alfred Quayle Of
Chicago Doctor Quayle is one OF the
most prominent ministers OF the
church and he will likely receive the
support of large majority Of the
delegates on the first ballot He 10
now pastor of ST. James church, Chi
cago. and is regarded as one OF the
preachers in the denomination.
The great fight of the session Is ex.
pected to be over the amendment for
the election of race bishops. Many Of
the most prominent Methodists. both
/ lay and clerical, have announced them
selves as opposed to the amendment.
1t will be remembered that by the ac-
tion of the general conference OF 1904
the annual conferences Of the Metho-
dist Episcopal church were required
to vote at some time during 1907 or
1908, prior to May /, on the constitu-
tional question relating to the cleo
ton of bishops for work among par
ticular races and languages, limiting
their episcopal jurisdiction to the same
respectively
The proposed amendment was adopt
ed by the late general conference by a
more than twO-thirds majority, but
this action vas taken Saturday night,
May %, In the closing session. As
now regarded, this was a most un.
fortunte time for the consideration OF
such an important transaction. for
There was no time for careful and
thoughtful discussion. and besides
much business of various sorts had to
be crowded into that session which
continued until nearly midnight.
Bishop John W. Hamilton of San
Francisco, has recently taken a strong
stand against the amendment. Speak
ling of the negroes he points out that
the amendment is not desired by them
that II did not originate with them
and that 1t would be a step backward
to the position taken by the general
conference of 1872. which said that
there was nothing In race. color, OF
former condition of servitude thai
would bar election to the episcopate
It would add election to the two ex
listing orders of bishops, lone OF which