The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-06-02
EDSAlL ASKS AID OF
AN ASSISTANT BISHOP

annual council of the Protestant
Episcopal church of Minnesota,
which opened it's session in this
city. He also recommended an in
dorsement of international arbitra-
ton, as urged by President Taft, and
advised the organization of social
service commission for the diocese.
Bishop Edsall says in his report
that while he has experienced a re-
turn of his former health and
strength since February last, when
he suggested that he might need
an assistant in his work, he still
feels the need of such help. He does
not favor division of the diocese,
with st. Paul as the see city of the
new diocese, nor does he feel that
the churches of the southern part
of the state are yet strong enough
for the creation of a diocese with
Faribault as the see city, though
such division may prove practical
BILE in the future.
Work in Twin Cities.
"My experience has taught me-, he
says, chat the twin cities are so
closely related that the church with
in their limits can be worked with
greater efficiency and economy I'M
der the leadership of single bishop.
And as further believe that the
twin cities are growing closer to-
gether, geographically, commercially
and socially, with every passing
year, and are destined ultimately to
be in political union as the one
great metropolis of the northwest,
l am convinced that the Importance
of their continuing ecclesiastical
union will be increased rather than
diminished
AS he heretofore has expressed
himself, he believes that more effec-
tive supervision in the diocese may
be secured by the creation of the
office Of suffragan or assistant bishop
than the election of a coadjutor
bishop.
Asks for a Suffragan Bishop.
eff diocese had a good suffragan,
whom it believed would be the SAT-
est man for it to elect as its bishop,
it could elect him. Whereas our
own diocese if called upon to elect
coadjutor at this time would be
asked to elect man who, if / were
to live to the age of Bishop Whip
pie, would be it's bishop twenty
nine years hence. Is it too. much
to assume that, if I were to live
to the age of Bishop Whipple, that
this council might now find it diff
cult to choose a man who would as
suredly be it's choice for bishop
Twenty-Five years from this date?
'For all of the foregoing reasons,
my dear brethren, l hereby give my
consent to and formally request the
election of suffragan bishop either
by this council or by another ses-
sion of the council to be called dur
ing the coming year. Or, if you
shall not deem it practical to grant
this request l would be content with
the passage of a decisive vote by
which you committed the diocese to
readiness to elect suffragan bishop
at the earliest date when it might
seem necessary, and was deemed by
the council to be practicable.
"On some accounts, it seems to
me that the wisest course for this
session of the council would be to
pass such a decisive vote in favor
of the early election of suffragan
bishop, with the understanding that
we should meet in November or De-
cember for the purpose of making
an election. In this way, we should
all have several months in which,
with the help of the Holy Spirit, to
decide upon the right man for the
place. The man so chosen could be
consecrated in January or February,
In ample time to help me with the
rush of spring visitations."
Endorses international Arbitration.
Bishop Edsall also urged interna-
tional arbitration, as follows:
81 would bring officially to this
council the recent speech of Presi-
dent Taft advocating an unlimited
arbitration of the disputes between
nations, and the substitution of an
international court for the method
of war, with it's necessary burden
of vast armies and navies. And I
would respectfully suggest to the
council the adoption of some resolu-
ton asking our senators from Min
nesota to give their cordial support
to any treaties or agreements tend
ing to accomplish this result which
may come before the United States
senate. If our own country can, as
now seems likely, join with Great
Britain in such an agreement, it is
not too much to hope that the ex-
ample may be followed by all the
civilized nations of the earth. May
God speed the day!
Many of our sister dioceses have
appointed commissions on social SER
vice which are charged with the
duty of giving special study to the
social, economic, industrial and
moral problems of our time, and
with being ready to represent the
church in any opportunity that may
offer. respectfully recommend that
this council make provisions for the