The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-05-06
ASSEMBLED IN THOUSANDS IN
CITY OF BALTIMORE.
IN QUADRENNIAi CONFERENCE
Questions to Come before This Body
Are Most Momentous II Has Ever
Had to consider--Tight Bish.
ops Are to Be Elected.

Baltimore, May tSpecial) l)-Balu-
more is today a city Of Methodists.
For the moment all other interests
have been subordinated to the proper
reception and entertainment of the
denomination, bishops, clergy and lai.
~. who are nocking from an over thh
land into the metropolis ON the Chesa-
peake. People of all sects and OF
none have joined In welcoming the
Methodist hosts and the spirit ot
Maryland Hospitality Is everywhere in
evidence. Nearly all OF the 500 dele
gates are now here, and, a. most OF
them have brought their wives and
children, the task of providing ade
quate accommodation has not been
small one. In addition to the regu-
larry accredited delegates, thousands
of other visitors are In the city and
more are constantly arriving 1t Is
believed that 10000 will be here dur
ing the month.
Baltimore will have TO 20 deep into
it's money bags today TO pay for the
glory of entertaining the quadrenninl
session OF the general conference. Tn,
delegates are expected to pay moth
ing As they travel in good style and
stay at good hotels, the cost of en-
tertainment will be no small sum.
There has been no great competition
among the Baltimore hotels for the
Methodist patronage, owing to the
fact that the delegates are abstemious
in their tastes, and at the hostelries
where the delegates are stopping the
bars are gloomy and deserted.
This morning was largely occupied
with the registration OF the delegates
and the transaction of the preliminary
business OF the conference. 1t Will
likely be several days before the
wheels OF the conference, which is
the supreme body of the Methodist
Episcopal church, will be working
smoothly, All of the sessions will be
held at the Lyric, the largest of Bal
timOre's theatres. The selection of
playhouse as the place of meeting is
looked upon as significant, in view CT
the fight that will be made in the con-
ference to remove the ban on theatre.
going, as well as card playing, dancing
and other amusements now prohibited
by the Methodist discipline.
The present conference gains IN
Significance because it marks the cen
tennial anniversary of the organiza-
tion of the general conference. Spe-
cial services to commemorate this
event will be held. There will also
be a series Of public lectures during
the conference, the first OF which will
be held Friday night, when Bishop
Charles Is. Galloway of the Southern
Methodist church will be the speaker.
His subject will be IL. Q c. Lamar,
the Great Pacifcator,'' and he will be
introduced by the Rev. Dr. James NJ.
Buckley of New York. On May 10
William jennings Bryan will deliver
his well known lecture The Prince
of Peace" He will be introduced by
Governor Frank Hanley Of Indiana,
who is prominent in the councils of
the Methodist church and a leader in
IN prohibition and local option asi-
tation. Othr lecturers will include
the Rev. William Alfred Quayle and
the Rev. Robert Mcintyre of Los An
geles The mus. al feature OF the
conference will be the rendition, on
May 22 of the oratoria The Mes
siah," by the Baltimore Oratorio so.
ciety.
| The questions that will come he
fore the notable body will be the
most important il has ever had 10
consider. Discussions at the annual
conferences, at special gatheriuGa
and in denominational papers have
not had the effect of bringing into
crystallized form the opinions OF the
leaders on these questions. Tons Of
publications have been devoted to
them, and the opinions of the leading
men of the denomination have been
others who have been thinfing hard
and saying little, who will have
their say here. Great de-
bates are promised.
There are fourteen standing com
mittees, in whose hands most of the
great problems nave been placed
Comprising a member from each Of
the annual conferences, Of whic,
there are 1874, these committees have
been holding annual meetings since
the last conference These meetings