The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-05-06
NE THOO|S7s Of NATION MEET
Thousands Of Delegates Registered at
the Opening Of Conference.

Baltimore, May Baltimore is
today city of Methodists. For the
moment all other interests have been
subordinated to the proper reception
and entertainment of the thousands
of members of the militant denomi-
nation bishops, clergy and laity
who are flocking from all over the
land into the metropolis on the
Chesapeake. People of all sects and
of none have joined in welcoming
the Methodist hosts and the spirit of
Maryland hospitality is everywhere
in evidence. Nearly all of the 500
delegates are now here, and, as most
of them have brought their wives
and children, the task of providing
adequate accommodations has not
been small one. In addition to the
regularly accredited delegates, thous-
ands of other visitors are in the city
and more are constantly arriving. 1t
is believed that 10000 will be here
during the month.
Baltimores will have to go deep
into its money bags today to pay for
the glory of entertaining the quad
rennial session of the general con-
ference. The delegates are expected
to pay nothing. AS they travel in
good style and stay at good hotels,
the cost of the entertainment will
be no small sum. There has been
no great competition among the Bal
timore hotels for the Methodist pa
tronage, 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 occu-
fpied with the registration of the
delegates and the transaction of the
/ preliminary business of the confer
ence. 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 ses-
sions will be held at the Lyric, the
| largest of Baltimore's theatres. The
selection of a playhouse as the place
of meeting is looked upon as sig
nifcant, in view of the fight that
will be made in the conference to
! remove the ban on theatrego-
ing, as well as card playing, dane
ing and other amusements now pro-
hibited by the Methodist discipline
| There are four constitutional
amendments to come before the gen
| eral conference, to be decided ac-
| cording to the instructions of the
| delegates to the annual conference
The vote on changing the ratio OF
representative of the Iowa confer
ence from IS to 80 has been 2,47e
for and $3.50 against. On the ques
ton of changing the ratio of the
| Wisconsin conference from to &C
the vote has been 2.246 for and B.,
765 against. The vote on the change
of the ratio of the Illinois confer
ence from 25 to 70 has been / 994
for and 5,776 against.
The great fight of the session i:
expected to be over the amendmen
for the election of race bishops
Many of the most prominent Metho
dists, both lay and clerical, have an
nounced themselves as opposed tt
. the amendment.
Reports presented on the state o
the church show that it has mad,
great strides since the last meeting
in 1904. The growth has Seen par
ticularly great since 1900 For tina
year there We're 2.928,SS3 members
and for 1907, 3,303,221, a gain o
374,33S for eight years. From 1906
to 1907 the gain was 6S,e97. There
has been an increase of 2293 il
churches, and net increase, allow
i, ing for deaths, of 1850 in minis
/ tprS