The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-05-13
PERSONALLY PRESENT PETITION
Methodist Women Ask Church for
Observation-Disclosures Of
Bible Societies.

Methodist Women Ask Church for
Observation-Disclosures Of
Bible Societies.
Asheville, N. c., May 9.-It is not
impossible that, had the conference Of
the Methodist Episcopal church,
South; heard the eloquent pleas made
before the committee on revisals this
evening the women would have. won
their plea for laymen's rights.
The committee had announced that
it would hear arguments for and
against the memorials that have been
pouring in under the auspices Of the
Woman's' Home Mission society. The
assembly room of the Presbyterian
church was crowded long before the
time for the meeting and most Of the
audience was composed of women.
The chairman of the committee, DR..
E. W. Anderson, Of the Texas confer
ence, asked if the women had any
plans to offer for the hearing. In an
swer~ Mrs. Macdonald, secretary Of
the board Of foreign missions, stepped
forward and opened a suit case. She
took out a stack Of petitions and an
nounced that Mrs. Luke Johnson
would open for the petitioners. Mrs.
Johnson made a stirring plea for the
women. She said that for centuries
women had been gaining their rights
and that it remained for the church to
be the one institution that stood in
the way.
"The Eternal Question" .
1--WE don't ask for office or posi-
tion," she said5 Tall we ask is larger
place in the service of God. What is
the matter with US? Why can not we
have what we ask? It is because we
are women, because we are your
wives, your mothers, your sisters, your
loved ones. Does all this make us
unworthy to stand by your side and
discuss the great questions of our
church? I never felt so lonely as I
did when 1 found that I was not real
ly member Of the church, but was
merely tolerated as an outer court
connection" .r 49,. =. =. = .-
Mrs. Johnson was followed by Miss
Head, prominent in the Women's For
eign Mission society, who made logi-
cal and humorous argument for JUS
tice. She declared that in many
places women were serving as stew
ards Illegally, because there were no
men competent to do the work, and
that the church was putting the wo:
men in the position Of church law
breakers. She asked that, If for only
this reason, the church make such
work legal. Miss Belle Bennett, presi-
dent of the Woman's Home Mission
society, closed for the petitioners.
When Chairman Anderson asked il
there were any women. present to
speak against the memorial there was
q moment of silence, and the commit
tee went into executive session. Its
findings will be reported to the con-
ference some time this week Or next.
Vanderbilt University Case.
While the revisals committee were
listening to the women, the commit
tee on education listened to the, dis
puted points in. the Vanderbilt uni
versity case. This is the argument as
to whether the Nashville university
shall. be taken out Of tie. hands Of the
chuEch, and made a. national uniVer-
sity, almost non-sectarian in charac-
ter, or whether, the church shall con.
troll On one side are arrayed the
chancellor, DR.. kirkland, and the
board of trustees, who erect their own
successors, and on the other, the Col
lege of Bishops. Instead Of the bitter
feeling that it was expected would
mark the discussion, there was only
the most kindly language used. Bish-
op Hoss opened for the bishops and
Bishop Hendrix replied for the trus-
tees. Several others spoke and Chan
cellor kirkland closed for the trus-
tees. This committee likewise will re-
port later.
Aside from the dispute as to the
method of electing stewards, which
was the first fight on the conference
floor, and which was won by the con-
servatiyes, who favored the present
plan of having the preachers appoint
them, as opposed to the idea of their
election by the church members, the
main matter of interest in the con-
feernce today, was the report Of the
Sunday cohoo1 committee which rec