gh Conference, and The Rock River Conference. Protest was
made against the admission of these delegates on the ground that the
admission of women delegates was not in accord with the constitutional
provisions of the Church, embodied in what are termed the Restrictive
Rules. A special Committee on the Eligibility of Women to Membership in
the General Conference was appointed, consisting of seventeen members,
to whom the protest was referred. On May 3d the Committee reported
adversely to the admission of the four women delegates, the report
alleging "that under the Constitution and laws of the Church as they now
are, women are not eligible as lay delegates in the General Conference."
From the discussion following this report, and lasting several days, the
following six addresses, three in favor of and three against the
admission of the women delegates, are selected and presented, with a few
verbal corrections, as published in the official journal of the
Conference.

ADDRESS OF REV. DR. THEODORE L. FLOOD.

I am in accord, in the main, with Dr. Potts and Dr. Brush in what they
have said on this question, unless it may be where my friend who last
spoke said that these ladies, these elected delegates to this body,
ought to be admitted. My judgment and my conscience before the
Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Restrictive Rules
is that these women elected by these Electoral Conferences are in this
General Conference.

Their names may not have been called when the roll was called, and yet
it was distinctly stated by the Bishop presiding that morning that they
would be called, and the challenges presented with their names; and
afterward demanded it, the names of these delegates who were not
enrolled with the others were called, and the protests were read. Their
names have been called as members of this body, and they are simply here
as "challenged" members. From that standpoint this question must be
discussed, and any disposition of this case under the circumstances must
be in this direction. These women delegates must be put out of this
General Conference if they are not granted the rights and privileges
of members here. It is not a question of "admitting" them. Before this
report, before the bar of history, we stand, and will be called upon to
vote and act, and millions of people will hold us responsible, and I
dare say that our votes will be recorded as to whether they shall be
"put out" or "stay i