The Washington herald., 1908-05-23
DIVORCE HURTS VOTE
DR.. GOOdell Loses Ground in
Methodist Conference.
PASTOR DEFENDS PAST LIFE
Admits Truth of Report of Domestic
Troubles, but Declares IL Political
Move to Defeat His Election to
BishOpric Eight Ballots Taken
without ResuIt-Report Il Adopted.
80 o The WashIngton Herald.

SPECIAL to The Washington Herald.
Baltimore, Nd, May 22-No bishops
were chosen by the Methodist confer
ence to-day, despite the fact that three
mGre ballots, making eight in all were
taken.
I DR.. Charles Leroy Goodell. pastor Of
Calvary Church, New York, was until
to-day regarded as a probable winner of
| a bishopric. Tonight there does not
seem a hope of his election. While the
fifth ballot was being taken, some one
started the query: rs not DR.. Goodell
divorced man?'
Once this question was started on its
rounds, 1t did not take long for it to be
answered. and the result was that Dr.
Goodell lost ground. From S95 votes,
which he obtained on the fourth ballot,
he lost votes on each succeeding one.
and when the result Of the seventh was
announced this afternoon he had received
only 19l, and was considered as out of the
running. It was then that Or. Goodell
made the following statement in refer
ence TO his divorce:
DIR. GOOdeIl Defends Himself.
'I am assured by those who have led
| this movement against me that there is
no reflection in II upon my neral char
acter. The only thing charged against
me is that I am divorced man That
is true But the divorce was granted on
the statutory ground recognized by the
Bible, and 1 understand that at the
time OF my second marriage my first wife
/ was dead For twenty-five years I have
/ lad the fullest confidence Of the N. F.
/ Church. and have filled her greatest pull
/ pits. Ny present church is the largest
Methodist Episcopal Church in the world
The bringing OF this charge at the
moment when my election 10 the episco-
/ pscy seemed possible / regard as a po-
/ litiCai move which is below the dignity
Of the average politician. The fact that
/ il was brought at so late a moment that
/ / could not meet il and that I am not
/ a member Of the general conference and
so have no right To the floor. viii carry
its own lesson to all right-minded people,
and I think that in the end it will prove
a boomerang in the camp of those who
Lhave hurled fl"
/ The seventh ballot was as ffuitless as
the others Those in the lead were Rev.
| ". :. Lewis with l69 votes; W 4
Quayle. 450: Homer C. Stuntz, AZ; Charles
/ " Smith, n9; f. ". Hughes. 4N3, and
/ d. c Downey, 5t5-
I Surprising Gains for StHntz.
One Of the surprising things IN con-
nection with the voting to-day was the
/ great gains Of Rev. DR. Homer c. Stuntz
OF the PHILIPPINE Islands DR. Stuntz
who it is likely viii be one Of those ul-
timstely chosen. was formerly a resident
of Iowa, witch State he left to take up
/ his work as a missionary His vote on
! the seven ballots has been 1M, I22.- -I87.
/ lS5. 80, Sol, and 427
/ one Of the hottest fights of the con-
vention was precipitated BY the action
/ Gf William /. Woodcock. Law delegate
/ from the Central Pennsylvania Confer
enco. when he laid before the body an
/ amendment 10 the report of the commit
/ tee on education. Freedmens and Sun
/ day schools. which provide that the name
/ Freedmens Aid be stricken out, and that
/ the work now being done under that
name be carried on under the supervision
and by the direction Of the Southern
/ Euucdtlonal society. me conference
would not adhere 10 any such suggestion.
and voted down the proposition.
Report Is Adopted.
/ The report Of the committee on educa--
tion. Freedmen's aid and Sunday schools,
4 however later in the day felt the ef-
/ fects Of the pruning knife, Rev. 6. l.
/ Wright. Of The Nebraska Conference.
! offered an amendment providing that the
I Board Of Foreign Missions be allowed 10
control in the future negro missions and
/ institutions of learning In foreign lands
as il had in the past This was adopted.
Another amendment introduced by Mr..
/ Homer Hall, lay delegate from the Mis-
| souri, Conference. provided that the fund
/ known as the Children Day fund should
| be used for no purpose other than to as
/ sist needy students OF the NJ. Z. ChUch.
This was also adopted
/ Senator Doliver. of Iowa, extended an
/ invitation to the general conference to
I hold\ its next session, in 1912, in Des
/ Mcines.