Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-10-08

the vacant places.
This is good advice. but will ii work any
change in the methods TO be pursued?
l fear not. I'll give the reason why.
From now on, until May !, 1910, when the
conference will begin its sessions, there
will be strenuous methods used which
might give tips TO political ring-masters
in the political government Of the people
OF these United States in every presiden-
tial campaign.
When the general conference meets We
shall doubtless see assembled as we have
seen in the past, great lot or preachers
delegates who were elected as delegates
in the interest of one man or set OF men,
who are candidates for the highest posi-
tions in the NJ. <. church, south. 1t is
the same thing in the northern church.
and / m ght add, truthfully. both have been
initiating in some degree the action OF
Catholic cardinals when they meet to
elect a pope. after that office is become
vacant at the vatican I'm old Rome.
When electors must be chosen in either
church or state to choose ambitious men
In religious or civic organizations there
viii be more or less of log-rolling and
wire-pulling. Of vote swapping and COM
binations to elect some and defeat others,
but 1 agree with Editor Lovett, of the
Wesleyan Christian Advocate, that the
total disregard of decency in the ad-
vertisement OF men who will be candi-
dates before the Asheville general con-
ference is ''unseemly and cruel"
Bishop Seth Ward we'll became the Of
fee OF bishop in the southern church. He
was a dignified and consecrated Christian
minister before he was elected bishop
four years ago.
His death was peculiarly sad. in THAI
he passed away in far of Japan, while
his grief-stricl1en wife and daughter were
at their home in America and could not
see or soothe him in his dying moments.
When these sorrowing ones, now read OF
the beginning of the scramble for Bishop
Wards shoes. before his remains are put
on shipboard to be brought to Houston.
Tex, 1t must make chills OF contempt
pass over them, even while the fires of
indignation possess them. because Of such
unhallowed ambitions and disregard Of
their grief-striclSen household.
The wesleyan editor rebukes the secu-
lar reporters for writing up such reports
and making such premature nominations
for the high office of bishop. but the edi-
tor must not forget that the elections
which took place at the last general con-
ference were in the south. because these
elections conferred largely about the an
tagonisms and combinations of that ter
rible publishing house claim, that was
deception and lobby money and was con-
dcned and accepted by a majority vote
in the conference.
This hullaballoo about electihg new
bishops at Asheville is the natural out
come that strange condition Of affairs,
as were exposed. deplored and deprecated
four years ago by a deeply grieved MEM
bership. but which were overridden and
trodden down by ambitious and self-seek-
ing men who were clutching and holding
fast TO pelf and power. growing out Of
the methods used and money obtained to
get that publishing house claim through
the national congress.
+ But for a very strong combination of
tricky men who organized and entrenched
in correctional offices the Southern Meth
odist church would have relieved itself
OF the odium, that deed which will now
forever attach itself to the reputation of
the religious organization which accepted
and retained that claim money, a deed
that had been stamped by the infamy
OF Staplman's large lobby fee. and was
disgraced and branded by a denial made
by certain men who put old Ananias and
Sapphire TO the blushi
This advertisement OF coming bishops is
only another leaf on the same subject,
another chapter in the same book, anoth-
er plot OF the same dark color, and an
other scheme for the aggrandizement Of
self-seeking. ambitious men.
All the same, IL is unseenly, indecent
and disgusting.
It is forerunner Of what will get there.
II is a signal overhead to show what will
happen. And 1t is fast weakening the
hold that genuine Methodism once held
on southern Methodists.