Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-05-10
R|GHTS Of WOMEN
As CHURCH LAYMEN
METHOD|STS' THEME
Interest in Mondays Session
Centered in Petitions for and
Protests Against Granting
Church Suffrage
CONTROL OF VANDERBILT
Is TO BE DETERMINED
CIV Associated Press. }

icy ABsoCldbcO GHcs1sJ
ASHEVILLE, y. c., May 9.-Interes.
in today's session of the general confer
ence of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
South. conferred in the meeting this aft
ernOon of two committees. The commit
tee on revisals to which was referred the
petition of the women for laymens rights
in conference, set the time for hearing
the arguments of petitioners for 8 O'Clock.
At the same hour, the special COMMITTEES
heard arguments in the Vanderbilt uni-
versity dispute.
The campaign of the women for repre-
sensation has been in charge of the Wo-
mems Home Mission society.
MANY PETITIONS.
Petitions signed by both men and wo-
men from every Methodist church in the
south have been presented. There have
been many petitions Of protest filed az
well, while the college of bishops pro-
nounced against the women.
The question at issue in the Wander
! bilt university dispute is whether that
institution shall be taken out of the con-
| troll of the church and operated exclu-
sjvely by the trustees.
In the case of women laymen's rights,
| the bishops declared against the proposed
change.
After reading the journal, Bishop Cam
dler called Bishop H. c. Morrison, OF
Birmingham, Ala, to the chair. Several
reports on minor questions adopted Sat-
urday were reconsidered and recomnlit-
ted. Many kilograms and letters were
read urging the conference to grant the
womens petition for laymen's rights
A telegram of greeting from Bishop ID.
P. Fitzgerald, of Nashville. Tenn, who
is too Ill to attend, was read.
CHANGE MARRIAGE RITUAL.
A resolution was introduced to change
the formal pronouncement after the mar
riage ceremony from Il hereby pronounce
you man and wife, to 81 hereby pro.
nounce you husband and wife, amid q
burst of laughter. 1t was referred to the
committee on revissls
PLAN LABOR SUNDAY.
A resolution offered by the Missouri
| conference approved the plan of the
| american Federation of Labor to set
aside the Sunday before the first Mon
day in September as labor Sunday
On this Sunday the ministers are
urged to preach on labor subjects and
endeavor to get laboring men to attend.
The resolution for the adoption of this
pan was referred to the committee on
temperance and other moral and social
questions. Bishop Honda, of the jap
anese Methodist church, the only Jap
anese Meth odist bishop. and three Jap
anese preachers arrived this morning and
were given seats on the stage. The
Japanese bishop was presented to the
conference by Bishop Hendrix.
One of the Japanese, Rev Hori, is sent
by the Japanese conference all the way
from Kobe to extend greetings to the
southern Methodists.
SUNDAY school REPORT
- I'd -.
the report of the Sunday school comnnit-
tee concerning the excellent condition Of
the church Sabbath schools. The COM
mittee on appeals reported in favor OF
new trial for Rev. r. w. Cow, of the
Missouri conference. Cow was convict
ed by his conference of immortality, and
is awaiting trial in the criminal court On
a charge of manslaughter, in causing tie
death of a young woman. The plysi-
clan who performed an illegal operation
has been convicted in the courts.
The committees reason for the recon-
mendation was that while Cow was
charged with immortality the evidence
was to support a manslaughter charge
only If the conference adopts the re-
port Cow will be tried again by his con-
ference.
The report of the revisal COMMITTEES
against the proposition that stewards be
stead of by the ministers, presented
spirited debate. Several delegates APP
pealed to the conference to make the
church government more democratic and
give the people a voice in 1t. The cleri-
cal members favored retaining the pres
ent system of having the preacher name
his stewards. They argued that they
could make contracts with their churches
and must depend for their living upon
the money collected by the stewards
DEBATE WAS SPIRITED.
The debate grew very spirited at tines,
first the laymen then the ministers hold
ing the floor. Adjournment time came,
but there was no appearance of the con-
ference being ready to vote, so a motion
to extend the time carried. After more
debate a substitute for the committee re-
port was lost and then almost unani-
mously the committee report was adopted
retaining the old system of permitting
the minister to name the stewards TO be
confirmed by the quarterly conferences.
Then the conference adjourned until to-
morrow