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SEATTLE REPUBLICAN
VOL. VI NO. 47
METHODISTS IWEET
In Their Twenty-Ninth Quadren
nial at Chicago—Rapid Growth
of the Organization Phenome
nal—Brief History of It.
There assembled at Chicago last
Wednesday, May 2d, the Twenty
third Delegated General Conference
of the Methodist Episcopal church
of the United States. This is the
leading branch of Methodism from
a numerical as well as financial
standpoint, of the world, and its
growth since its first introduction in
the United States has been phe
nomenal. Notwithstanding the fact
that numerous factions have from
time to time broken off from it, the
church today stands front and fore
most of all religious bodies in pretty
nearly every respect. Here is a brief
review of the quadriennial assem
blages since its first organization, as
shown by the church's late year
book:
The First Methodist Conference of
the Methodist Episcopal church was
held in Baltimore in 1874. There
were but sixty intinerants then
present to participate in that con
ference. The presiding officer was
Thomas Coke. It was at that con
ference that the name of Methodist
Episcopal church was consecrated
and was given to the world.
November 1-15, 1792.—Second
General Conference held. Coke and
Asbury presided. Eegular General
Conferences were ordered. Discip
line revised and the organization
took definite shape.
October 20, 1796.—Third General
Conference was held in Baltimore.
There were present over a hundred
members. Coke and Asbury again
presided. Methodist magazines or
dered published. Resolutions op
posing slavery and spiritous liquors
unanimously passed.
** May C-20, 1800.—Fourth General
Conference held in Baltimore. Mem
bers, 116; Coke and Asbury presid
ing. Richard Whatcoat was elected
bishop. Deacons among the colored
folk ordered. Richard Allen was at
that time ordained, who afterward
became the first bishop of the Afri
can Methodist Episcopal church.
May 7-23, 1804.—Fifth General
Conference held in Baltimore. Mem
bers, 107. Coke, Asbury and What
coat presided. Preachers ordered to
not stay over two years continuously
at one place. Book concern was
moved to New York. A motion to
elect a new bishop was lost.
May 6-26, 1808.—Sixth General
Conference held in Baltimore; mem
bers, 129. Bishop Asbury presided.
Bishop Whatcoat had died. William
McKindree was elected bishop. Del
egated General Conference provided
for, the ratio of representation to be
not more than one for every five
members of an annual conference.
May 1-22, 1812.—First Delegated
General Conference held in New
York City. Members, 90, with As
bury and McKindree presiding.
First written Episcopal address pre
sented by McKindree. Preachers in
full connection, for the first time,
admitted to the gallery.
May 1-24, 1816.—Second Delegat
ed General Conference held at Balti
more. Members, 104, McKindree
presiding, Asbury having died. Ra
tio of representation changed from
one to five to one for every seven of
each annual conference. Enoch
George and Robert R. Roberts elect
ed bishops. Methodist missionary
magazine ordered.
May 1-27, 1820.—Third Delegate
General Conference held in Balti
more; members, 89. Traveling and
local preachers admitted as specta
tors. Joshua Soule elected bishop.
Missionary society organized. Re
vised hymn book authorized.
May l-28 ? 1824.—Fourth Dele
gated General Conference held in
Baltimore; members, 125. Josua
Soule, who refused on a point of law
to act as bishop, was re-elected. Eli
jah Hedding was also elected as
bishop. Canadian Conference estab
lished.
May 1-28, 1828.—Fifth Delegated
General Conference held in Pitts
burg; members, 176. Christian Ad
vocate and Journal ordered. "Re
formers" of the organization break
away and organize in November,
1830, the Methodist Protestant
eh urch.
May 1-28, 1832.—Sixth Delegated
General Conference held in Phila
delphia; members 220. New ratio
of representation, one to every four
teen in each annual conference rec
ommended. Bishop George had
died and funeral preached.
May 2-27, 1836.—Seventh Dele
gated General Conference held in
Cincinnati; members, 151. Book
corrcern reported burned. Two
members censured by the conference
for lecturing at an abolition meeting.
Beverly Waugh, Wilbur Fisk and
Thomas A. Morris elected bishops.
May 1-June 3, 1840.—Eighth
Delegated General Conference held
in Baltimore; members, 143. The
six bishops were in attendance.
Bishops given full authority to trans
fer preachers. American Bible So
ciety authorized.
May 1-June 10, 1844.—Ninth
Delegated General Conference held
in New York. Longest session in
history of the church; members,
180. The action of the Baltimore
Conference for suspending F. A.
Harding for holding slaves approved.
Sunday school union organized. Le
onidas L. Hamlin and Edmund S.
Janes elected bishops.
May 1-June 10, 1848.—Tenth
Delegated General Conference held
in Pittsburg; members, 151. Soule
nnd Andrew had broken away and
gone with the Methodist Episcopal
Church South. Slavery question
creates much discussion.
May 1-June 1, 1852.—Eleventh
Delegated General Conference held
in Boston. Bishop Hedding report
ed having died. Levi Scott, Mathew
Simpson, Osiman C. Baker and Ed
ward R. Ames elected bishops. Di
vision of property with the Church
South still a disturbing element and
causes law suits.
May 1-June 1, 1856.—Twelfth
Delegated Conference held in Indi
anapolis; members, 220. All seven
bishops present. Change in ratio of
representation to one for every forty
five in annual conference recom
mended. A missionary bishop sent
to Africa. Slavery question warmly
discussed.
May 1-June 4, IB6o.—Thirteenth
Delegated Conference held in Buffa
lo; members, 221; Bishop Waugh,
deceased. Buying, selling or holding
slaves condemned. Slavery question
chief question in every deliberation.
May 2-27, 1864.—Fourteenth
Delegated General Conference held
in Philadelphia; members, 216.
Pastorial term lengthened to three
years. The church assures President
Lincoln of its patriotism. Constitu
tion of Church Extension Society
adopted.
May 1-June 2, 1868.—Fifteenth
Delegated General Conference held
in Chicago; members, 243. Incor
poration of Western Book Concern
ordered. Freedmen's Aid Society
adopted. "The Church" incorpor
ated.
May 1-June 4, 1872.—Sixteenth
Delegated General Conference held
in Brooklyn; members, 292; lay,
129; total, 421. Lay delegates for
the first time admitted. Woman's
Foreign Missinoary Society recog
nized. Drs. Bowman, Harris, Fos
ter. Willey, Merril, Andrews, Gil
bert, Haven and Peek elected
bishops. Three fraternal delegates
appointed to confer with "The
Church" South.
May 1-31, 1876,—Seventeenth
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, FRIDAY, MAY 4, 1900.
Delegated General Conference held
in Baltimore. Ministerial delegates,
222; lay, 133; total, 355. Twelve
bishops present. Division of mixed
conferences in the South authorized.
May 1-28, 1880.—Eighteenth
Delegated General Conference held
in Cincinnati. Ministerial delegates,
248; lay, 151; total. 399." Nine
bishops present, James, Ames and
Haven having died. Drs. Warren,
Foss, Hurst and Erastus O. Haven
May 1-28, Nineteenth
Delegated General Conference held
in Philadelphia. " Ministerial dele
gates, 261; lay, 156; total, 417. Ten
bishops present, Scott, Peck and
Erastus O. Haven having died. Drs.
Ninde, Walden, Mallalieu and Fow
ler elected bishops. Epworth
Hymnal authorized.
May l-3i, 1888.—Twentieth Del
egated General Conference held in
New York. Ministerial delegates,
288; lay, 175; total, 463. Twelve
bishops present, Simpson, Wiley and
Harris having died. Ecumenical
Conference ordered for 1891. Drs.
Vincent, Fitzgerald, Joyce, New
man and Goodsell elected bishops.
Dr. Thoburn sent as missionary to
India. First secretary to the Board
of Education elected. Methodist
bodies reported being formed in
Japan.
May 2-26, 1892.—Twenty-first
Delegated General Conference held
in Omaha. Ministerial delegates,
315; lay, 189; total, 504. Congress
is requested to pass a Sixteenth
Amendment to the Constitution.
Centennial of General Conference
celebrated.
May 1-28, 1896.—Twenty-second
Delegated General Conference held
in Cleveland. Ministerial delegates,
338; lay. 200; total, 538. The right
of women to take an active part in
the General Conferences was dis
cussed at length, but the question
went over to the next General Con
ference. Drs. C. C. McAbe and Earl
Cranston elected bishops. Dr. J. C.
Hartzelle made missionary bishop in
Africa. Dr. M. C. B. Mason made
correspondent secretary of Freed
men's Aid Society, the first colored
man ever so recognized.
No other church in the United
States has had such rapid growth as
the Methodist Episcopal. One hun
dred years ago the membership was
64,894. It is now 2,871,949. In the
years since the last meeting of the
Quadrennial Conference there has
been an increase of 105,293 members
and an increase of 557 ministers.
But last year there was reported a
decrease in membership of 24,000.
And this fact—that in the eompil
the loss of one member to a church
was recorded to have thrown
some Methodists into a panic.
The statistics presented at the
Ecumenical Conference at Washing
ing of statistics from 25,371 churches
ton in 1891 gave the Methodist Epis
copal denomination in the United
States 22,853 churches and 2,256,463
members; Methodist Episcopal
South, 11,767 churches and 1,218,
--561 members; Methodist Protestant,
2,003 churches and 157,604 mem
bers. Statistics published in 1899
gave the Methodist Episcopal de
nomination 25,371 churches and
2,705,601 members; Methodist Epis
copal South, 13,995 churches and
1,458,345 members; Methodist Prot
estant, 2,263 churches and 180,964
members. • ' .
The library
In the Observation Cars of the
North Coast Limited trains, in
effect on the Northern Pacific
April 29, will make it unneces
sary for travelers to take along a
lot of reading matter with them.
One hundred and twenty-five vol
umes of up-to-date literature on
each of the Observation Cars on
this train.
— ■«■. „
North Coast limited,
Pacific Express and Twin City Ex
press, the Northern Pacific's new
overland trains, after April 29,
will be hauled by Schenectady ten
wheeled engines, driving wheels
seventy-three inches in diameter,
steam pressure 200 pounds. Think
of it.
GUKREfIT GOJttPJIT
Nicaragua Bill Passed By tower
House — Mr. Dole Appointed
Governor of Hawaiia —
Mine Disaster A Negro Paul
Revere Saves Many I,ives.
The lower house of congress has
just passed the Nicaragua canal
bill. If there is any bill be
fore the present congress in which
this section of the country is vitally
interested, it is this one, and it is
hoped by the Pacific coast people
that congress will permit the mea
sure to run the gauntlet of both
houses within the present session,
and thereby open up a new market
for the products of this coast that are
now but partially developed.
; The appointing of former Presi
dent Dole of Hawaii as governor of
the island since it has become an isl
and possession of the United States
by President McKinley will meet
with general public approbation all
over the United States, without re
gard to section or party. Governor
Dole will be able to start the new
government off in a proper condition
and once started properly it will be
an easy matter to continue it in such.
If he. does not thoroughly under
stand the needs of the island, then
no one does, and his past record
demonstrates that he is a man of
worth and reliance, to the extent
that the president can place implicit
confidence in his recommendations.
This island is overrun with Japs,
Chinamen and other kinds of for
eigners, and trouble that might in
volve this country in a foreign war
at any moment might ensue did not
the island have just such a man as
Governor Dole at its head. His ap
pointment will be warmly received
all over the country.
The people of this state can warm
ly sympathize with the citizens of
Utah in its recent mine disaster. At
Pleasant Valley, Utah, an explosion
occurred in a coal mine, whereby
some 300 or more miners lost their
lives. The men were overcome by
the black damp that followed the
explosion. In years past Washing
ton state has had some horrible ex
plosions, but none so extensive as
the one reported from Utah. The
Roslyn explosion some years ago was
the largest ever in this state, and but
forty-two miners lost their lives in
that accident. The next largest was
in Franklin, when some thirty-seven
miners lost their lives. There have
been more or less smaller explosions
from time to time, where miners have
lost their lives in small numbers, but
the 300 number from Utah is the
most appalling mine horror that has
ever been reported in the Northwest,
or any place west of the Missouri
river, in the history of the country.
Conflicting reports from South
Africa continue to pour in every day;
so much so that it is hard to draw
any definite idea as to what the Bulls
and Boers are really doing down
there. One day's report will declare
that the Bulls have a walk away,
while the next day's will declare that
the Boers are dead on to their jobs,
and that they will succeed in event
ually defeating the Bulls. One thing
all seem to agree on, and that is,
there has been fierce fighting going
on down there for the past month,
and that the Bobs are struggling to
make it warm for Oom Paul and his
followers. Another thing all seem
to agree on is that after months of
hard fighting the Bulls have made
no, progress at all toward entering
the Transvaal country, all fighting
still being done on British soil and
for the relief of British towns. Our
congress refused one day this week
to pass resolutions of sympathy for
the Boers, on the grounds that it rep
resents a neutral nation.
E. Heister Guie and his brood of
caucus bolters, in King county, may
after all be resurrected and again be
come flies in the political ointment
of the state. Some of their friends
have undoubtedly read the story
published by the New Orleans
Times-Democrat and are already in
anticipation, puckering their lips to
blow the resurrection trumpet over
the political graves of King county.
The story, as printed in New Or
leans, is that a couple of late work
ers had just dispatched a sma' hour
supper in a restaurant when a preda
tory fly which had been swooping
hungrily about the table, brought up
in a finger bowl. "Now watch me,"
said one of the pair, "and I'll per
form an interesting experiment. To
begin with, I am going to drown that
fly." "Oh, don't kill him!" touched
by the same spirit of mercy that ani
mated Uncle Toby; "take him out
and let him go." "I'm only going to
kill him temporarily," replied the
first speaker, and picking up a sliver
of a match, he proceeded to force the
unfortunate fly under water and hold
him there despite his frantic squirm
ing. Presently the struggles of the
inject became feebler, and at last
the delicate legs ceased to flutter and
were drawn convulsively against the
body. To all appearances the fly
was stone dead.
The experimenter lifted him out
of the bowl and deposited him care
fully upon the tablecloth. He turn
ed him over and over with the sliver
of wood, but there were no signs of
life. "Now comes the resuscitation,"
he said, and poured a heaping tea
spoonful of salt over the inert insect,
burying him from sight. "It will
take some little time," he continued,
"possibly ten minutes, but I feel cer
tain enough of the result to wager
the price of our supper that the fly
comes to life. "I'll go you," said the
other; "that fly is as dead as Caesar."
Both pulled out their watches, and
eight minutes had ticked away when
there was a slight stir in the salt
heap and out walked the fly, as good
as ever. He preened himself briskly,
shook his wings and soared off into
space. "I can't explain it," said the
man who tried the experiment, "but
I've never known the thing to fail.
It would have made no difference if
I had submerged the fly half an
hour; he would have come around
just the same when buried' in the
salt."
If this procedure is effective in the
case of an apparently dead fly, why
may it not be effective in the case of
an inanimate caucus bolter? The
thought is a fearful one. It is to be
hoped no one will be mean enough
to shake the political salt cellar over
the city of Seattle.Tacoma News.
The San Francisco Chronicle in
giving the account of the great flood
disaster in Texas, has the following
to say of a colored hero:
"A few miles this side of the little
town of Webberville lived a colored
man named John Fredley with his
family, wife and four children.
Fredley was on top of a high hill
looking for stray live stock when his
attention was attracted by an omin
ous roar that proceeded from the
west. He looked up the valley and
saw at a distance of about five miles
the mountain of water coming to
ward him. The spray of maddened
waters showered like diamonds in the
sunshine. Fredley realized instant
ly the nature of the disaster, and
with great bounds hurried to his lit
tle cabin, a few hundred yards below
him, and got his family on the
heights. Without waiting to save
any personal belongings, he mounted
a horse and rode off at full speed
down the valley before the death
dealing waters.
"The dam has broken loose; the
flood is coming! Save yourselves!"
was the burden of his cries. The
warning was heeded by the people
along the route. The colored mes
senger rode through the town of
Webberville, and his cries were taken
up by others, and in this manner the
settlers of that part of the valley
were warned in time to save their
lives. This dark-skinned old hero
rode ahead of the floow for many
miles, sounding his warning cries,
and finally, when he saw his horse
could not go any further, he turned
the animal toward the highlands
and had hardly reached a place of
safety when the animal dropped dead
from exhaustion."
» ♦ >
Twin City Express
Leaves Portland via Northern
Pacific at 11:30 p. m., and arrives
at Tacoma at 6:00 a. m.; Seattle,
7:45 a. m.; Spokane, 10:40 p. m..
Puget Sound passengers get a
night's sound sleep on this train.
This train runs solid via Seattle.
PRICE FIVE CENTS
UfIIVEKSITY
POItITIGS
Rival Candidates for Offices In
Student Assembly and Editor
of Pacific Wave Causing a
lively Contest Among the
Students.
Politics at the university are grow
ing more interesting each day as the
time approaches to elect the officers
of the Student Assembly, the editor
and manager of the college paper.
It is claimed, and apparently on good
grounds, that a combination has been
formed between certain members of
the Junior class to rule the roost.
This has roused the ire of some of
the Freshmen and Sophomores, and
they are now co-operating with some
of the ablest politicians in the uni
versity with the hope of beating the
slate of the combine. Elections will
be held the 15th of May, and if the
interest continues in it till then, the
entire student body will be divided
on the respective candidates and is
sues.
The various musical clubs of the
university contemplate making a
concert tour in the near future. The
Glee and Mandolin clubs will go to
gether upon this trip, under the ef
ficient management of Messrs. Kel
logg and McDonald. The first ap
pearance of the clubs before the
footlights will be in Ranke hall May
the Bth. Much will depend upon the
reception which is given the students
at this initial performance, as to the
distance from town they will go. If
everything looks promising at Banke
hall, the clubs will very likely move
upon Everett or Snohomish next.
On the other hand, if the boys are
warmly received, they may go so far
from town that they will be compell
ed to walk back home.
Last Monday morning the Junior
Annual put in its appearance, and
the mad rush to secure copies show
ed the interest which the students
had in the work. Over 110 copies
were sold during the first half day,
-ijo^bjo dq± vi )iud 3[oo; oi{ai .
9SOU> jo 8J « pnteSß udd\ds ipqj
students and their friends admit that
it is the greatest work that has ever
been published by the university.
Besides, they consider that everybody
has been done justice.
Certain contributors to the Pacific
Wave have lately undertook to vent
and at such a rate the present limit
ed number cannot last long. All the
cal contest. Many think that such
was rather unwise and that if a stu
dent in a contest is criticised at all
it should be in a manly and honor
able way, and not in such a fashion
that it would give an outsider the
impression of snarling. This rule
might be applied with particular
force to Mr. J. M. Latimer, of the
law department. Mr. Latimer's ap
pearance in the local oratorical was
the first time any of the law students
of the university had taken part in
anything of that kind and all who
heard him know that there was noth
ing crude about his manner and that
he spoke with much natural elo
quence.
The debating team will accom
pany the athletes east of the moun
tains one week from Tuesday. Then
the track team and many of the fin
est athletes of the institution will go
against similar men at the Washing
ton Agricultural College and at the
Whitman College in Walla Walla.
Manager Remington has great faith j
in the university teams, for the rea- '
son that fhey have been properly
trained during the spring and winter.
All Northern Pacific
Agents will be glad to give infor
mation regarding the new train
service, in effect April 29. AD"
Charlton, A. G. P. A., Portland;
A. Tinling, general agent, Tacoraa,
I. A. Nadeau, general agent, Se
attle; E. E. Blackwood, agent,
Victoria; J. O. McMullen, general
agent, Vancouver*
