Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-05-06
METHODIST LEADER
SAYS. SOUTH WILL
KEEP PROHIBITION
Continued from page One

teresting matters that will be brought
before the conference will be the election
of six additional bishops, the demand OF
women for laymen's rights, the control of
Vanderbilt university at Nashville, the
change of the church's name and other
matters
The auditorium, where the conference
is being held, presented an Interesting
scene this morning Places for the diff
ferent delegations had been assigned,
large placards having been posted to
designate them. The advance guards had
arrived Tuesday and practically all OF
the delegates were present when the con-
ference was convened.
All of the bishops of the conference,
except Bishop Fitzgerald. are in attend
ance. These include Bishops Gambler
Hendrix. Wilson, Hoss, Morrison, Key
and Atkins.
Bishop FitZgerald's health is too feeble
to permit him to make the journey to
Asheville. Aside from the devotional ex-
ercises which form a major portion Of
the conference sessions, the main feature
of the program today was the episcopal
address This address is really the re-
port of the house of bishops upon the
condition of the church together with
such recommendations as the bishop may
deem advisable. 1t is a composite adj
dress to which all the bishops con-
tribute.
Bishop Morrison in his opening prayer,
prayed God that 1.-The hand of the AL
mighty had been with the church in it's
fight against the evils of the land, the
whisky curse, the divorce evil, and the
dissertation of the Sabbath
COMMITTEE ON RULES.
Rev. A. F. Watkins. of Mississippi. was
chosen secretary of the general confer
ence and a committee appointed to pro-
vide rules and an order of business.
Pending a report of this committee, the
rules of the last general conference will
be declared in effect.
An attempt to change committees was
opposed by many delegates. Instead of
the committee on temperance 1t was pro-
posed to name one on normal and social
reform, and instead of one on colportage,
one on general church relations
Amendments and substitutes poured in
rapidly, but after some debate the
change, which it was explained was one
in name only, was adopted.
A motion to put one layman upon each
IA standing committees and to provide
that % should constitute a quorum IN
each committee was lost. 1t was ex-
planned that some delegations had only
one layman and that II he were put on
II committees he would be absent from
Is.
! Taking II for granted that he would
attend the most important committee, his
absence from the other meetings at the
same time would deprive them of a quo
rum. A special committee on the lay
mems missionary movement was named
and then the different conferences named
| their members on the IA standing COM
mittees.
HENDRI XREADS ADDRESS.
Bishop Z. r. Hendrix. of Kansas City,
began the episcopal address at HIS. It's
| introduction, couched in the quaint
phrazoogy of the olden days, struck the
interest of the vast audience and held ii
; breathless until the close. 1t was to the
conference what a presidents message
| is to CONGRESSMAN outline of what the OK
ecutive forces of the church desire in the
way of laws from the legislative branch
1t stated the Methodists now number
| ed 100000 souls, the second largest pro-
/ testant church in the world.
1t gives it's gains in the last four years
as 2O7,754. At present over 1000 travelling
! and 1000 local ministers are in service
The church property now owned is worth
so 100000 and 100000 was spent FOR
churches and parsonages during the past
year.
The address treated Of the foreign mis-
sions in detail and showed an immense
increase i nthe value of property owned
by the church in foreign countries.
BISHOP WILSON PRESIDES.
Bishop Wilson called the conference TO
order but II was nearly 10 o'clock before
ne raped for order and the delegates
were in their places. Bishop L. E. Hoss.
of Nashville, gave out the opening hymn
and Bishop Wilson recIted the Apostles
Greed and offered the opening prayer.
Bishops Key and Atkins read the
scriptures, followed by an invocation by
DR. Frank Richardson.