Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-05
A. N. {. conference
Quadrennial Session Opened
at Norfolk, Va.
5000 NEGROES PRESENT
Bishop wesley J. Gaines, Presiding
for the Fourth Time.
SOME RELIGIOUS ADDRESSES
Senator Foraker Expected to Speak
1t Mass Meeting Friday Night.
Bishops to De Elected.
SOME RELIGIOUS ADDRESSES

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NORFOLK, Va, May 6-Three thou
sand negroes witnessed the opening Of
the twenty-third quadrennial session OF
| the general conference Of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church yesterday
| Bishop Wesley J. Gaipes % Atlanta, Ga,
presided. Bishop Henry M. Turner. the
senior bishop, and James A. Handy Of
| Baltimore were absent on account OF ILL
| ness. Bishop Evans Tyree. d. D., M. D..
| of Nashville, Tenn, preached the quad
| renniai sermon. He discussed the
| Progress and Joy Of the Ministry"
Bishop A Grant, assisted by Bishops C. s.
| Smith. Moses B. Salter and L. ]. Coppin,
administered holy communion.
The conference is attended by 1000 dele
gates and will be In session three weeks.
The question Of admitting women to
membership in annual conferences and
| come up for discussion.
-Four new bishops will be elected. The
most prominent candidate Is Rev. e. w.
hampton, D. D.. of Washington, D. c.,
financial secretary Of the church. He is
one OF the strongest ministers in the
African Methodist Church.
omcers Elected.
The general conference organized by
electing the following officers:
w. d. johnson, IT,, Of Georgia. chief
| secretary; Joseph Stiles. Pennsylvania:
J. N. Avery. North Carolina: w. D. But
Ter, Ohio; 8. D. Arts, Illinois; q. ". Titus,
Puget Sound: r. M. Howard. Georgia:
T. NJ. Townsend. Mississippi: B. A. BIZ
| pi: G. r. Norman, Arkansas: J. H. Lynn,
Texas: J. Shippman, Michigan. marshals.
Last night Mayor J. G. Riddick OF the
| city delivered an address Of welcome in
| the progress made by them in the past
few years. and urged that they continue
along the practical lines. 1T is a pleasure
for W to have In the city the representa-
tives Of your race" he said. land we trust
that you may accomplish much. The peo-
pie OF Norfolk are delighted to have you
select this city for your meeting"
Bisnop Wesley J. Gaines. DID,. well
| coined the conference to Virginia, the
the past four years. His address while
short was full of good advice to members
| OF his race and the ministers.
Rev. q. ID. JimmerSon. represented the
ministers Of Norfolk in an address Of well
Bowling. d. D.. who represented the Bap-
lists Of the state and city. 1--WE are clad
| to have you In the city because OF what
you are doing for God and the race" he
0~sNs O1AN "otI ~ ASOOI0 you Iu8t We
are glad to welcome you in the city which
| Is surrounded by water. and IL you want
| to be baptized. here Is much water"
w. NJ Reid, young negro lawyer, rep.
resented the colored citizens. The ad-
Evans Tyree. DID,. Of Nashville Tenn. |:
Fr0f. John II. Hawkins. Am, of Kittrell.
n: C.. commissioner Of education: R. A.
Adsms. BID: of Greenville, Miss, and
]. L. Mitchell Of Providence, r. 1.
Senator Foraker Nay Speak.
There will be big meeting held FRI
day night. at which time it is expected
| that Senator J. b. Foraker OF Ohio will
deliver an address.
Much interest Is being manifested in
the election Of bishops. which will prob
ably not take place before next week.
There are q number Of candidates. and
the friends Of each profess to have in
dates stand. No matter how conditions
ara now. favorable or otherwise. changes
are aable to take place between now and
next week.
bishops are committed to the election Of
not moro than three bishops; there are
| some who think that the episcopal COM
mittee will recommend four However,
there Their is strong feeling that not more
prominently mentioned are Rev. =. W:
LamptoO the present financial secre-
tarS Of the A. NJ e. Church: Rev.
DR.. H. Blanton Parks Of Kansas sec.
retary OF missions; Rev. DR.. J. Albert
7: johnson OF Philadelphia. editor OF the
Christian Recorder. the organ Of the
church: Rev. Dr. W. b. chappep. secre.
tarv OF the Sunday School Union: Rev.
Dr Joshua A. Jones. president Of Will
M: Conner. a prominent southwestern
presiding elder, and R. H. w. Leake OF
North Carolina.
Feature Of This MORNINGS Session.
The feature Of the session OF the con-
ference this morning was the episcopal
quadrennial address delivered by Bishop
w. B. Derrick. DID,, Of Flushing, N. Y.
In speaking on the state of the country
Bishop Derrick said: This government,
founded in the divine ideas Of liberty
and equality, must continue to be the
defender and propagation OF all that con-
conduct Of national affairs in the main
| Is just. progressive and tend to SECURE
the highest good Of the country, and
there Is much which promises the
tons. It is also true that there arc
forces at work which threaten the over.
throw Of this great temple Of freedom.
Efforts have constantly been made
OJ the le8lBl8COtS Oh t0O COuutIy 10 p0S6
laws which would open the places Of
drunkenness and crime on the Lords
day. likewise discriminating against q
certain class Of helpless individuals. de-
barring them from enjoying certain
rights and privileges to which they are
entitled. We enter our vigorous pro-
test against any legislation that would
in any measure deprive men and women
of their ordinary rights.
Crime, lawlessness and lynchihgs were
in strong language condemned by the
bishop.
Bishop Abfam Grant Of Kansas City.
KAN presided today. Rev. M. s. Bryant
Of Missouri conducted the opening.
LIFE SENTENCE FOR BLUNT.
Murdered His wife's Parents and
Rejoiced Over It.
BATTLE CREEK. Mich. May 6-Jo-
seph B. Blunt, q liquor salesman OF this
city, who last Saturday morning shot and
killed Mr.. and Mrs. Homer Jones. his
wife's parents. In their home here. was
sentenced to life imprisonment in the
state penitentiary at jackson. Blunt said
| Much obliged" when the Judge passed
sentence on him. Before going to the
court he declared he never felt better in
~. us>. thet h> vas now cOntentAd and