Evening journal., 1916-03-29
Or. MORGAN issues
NORDTO ME-. LAIMEN
Urges Lay Conference TO
Defeat Memorial on Bishops
Veto Power
MINISTER'S ADOPTED
1T AT LAST SESSION

The Rev. Dr. S. NJ. Morgan today
Issued a statement. addressed to the
lay members Of the Wilmington Meth
odist Conference. I'm which he analyses
some Of the proposed changes in the
Discipline of the Church, as involved
In memorials TO be acted on by the
Lay Conference when IL meets on Fri
day. The same memorials are TO come
before the ministerial conference. too,
vays:
ITO the Members Of Our Lay Elec-
toral Conference:
when you meet in Lay Electoral
Conference session this week in
Union Church, this city. YOU will have
before you for your consideration and
action three proposed amendments
TO the constitutional law of our
church. One Of these proposed amend
ments Is known as the Wilmington
Conference veto proposition. This
proposed measure originated in our
own Conference at the session held
in Laurel last spring. It having been
adopted by the body by a vote some
what in excess of one-half Of the vot-
ing membership, the remaining part
OF the membership not voting.
"If this proposed measure were 20
receive a constitutional majority in
the general church. it would gife to
the board of bishops. under certain
specified restrictions. the power to
veto such legislation by the General
Conference as would be thought by
them TO be unconstitutional. (See
Conference minutes. page ,42D.
"This proposed amendment accord
ing to required constitutional pro
cess has been submitted to the con-
ferences. ministerial and lay cleo
toral. in our great church. Only a
few have not yet acted upon il. Your
lay electoral conference is one OF
that nu~her
"The nit Of this submission o.
The amer tent at the present writing
as reported in the Christian Advocate
last week. is in substance as follows
Rhe number OF ministers in the con
ferences voting in favor. LAG; votinl
against, 2,429; the number of .aymeI
I'm the lay electoral conferences voting
IN favor, 143; voting against. 7S6
There is. therefore. Of this vote Of thu
ministers a majority or 1883 agains
the proposition, and Of the vote OF thu
laymen a majority OF 643 against II
The ministers, in other words havl
pronounced against it by more than
twO-thirds majority. and the laymel
have pronounced against it by NOR
than a four-iifths majority. The com
bincd vote Of ministers and laymel
aggregates majority OF 1872
against the proposition.
For this proposition to have re
ceived authorization from the annua
and lay electoral conferences OF tn
connection you understand IL TO b
necessary that there should be a ma
jority Of two-thirds OF those presen
and voting OF each division of author
ity, ministers and laymen; and the
for il TO be enacted into law. and {
take its place in the constitution Q
the church as such. il must win
tvO-thirds vote OF the General Confer
euce membership present and voting
tSe General Conference next ensu
ng" (See Discipline, Paragraph Az
ut is clear, therefore. that IN
e'Jrch at large does not want the WI
60 ngton Conference amendment propC
ion to become a law OF the churcl
borrower. this amendment propOsitio
% already passed upon by ministeril
aud lay electoral conferences and r'
iccted by them by such an omphati
m ajority win have no standing as sue
before the General Conference, 500
to convene. And II il could have stanC
ing and consideration. it is reasonabl
10 conclude that it would be rejecte
by just as emphatic majority. tn
membership of the General ConferenC
will be constituted OF representative
selected by these very conference
ministerial and lay electoral. that hay
already rejected the proposition by II
pronounced majority above stated.
is to be presumed that these repr'
eentatiyes OF this constituency. in u
General Conference, WIN think largel
as their constituency have registers
themselves as thinking; and. furthe
more, that they will feel impelled
represent that constituency accordir
to their indicated will i'm the case.
"A word may be added OF value. pc
haps. touching the veto proposition {
it was passed by our Conference la
spring. It is frank to say that ] adv
Gated Il as Il was originally offered.
was opposed as then drafted by son