the more powerful inflectional tongues of foreigners; that the former will become extinct as such, new languages being built up, modified, as in the past, according to all the rules we know to have affected the changing speech of mankind-by necessities, environments, and the strength of the characteristics residing in the peculiar native sounds; and that the areas of these new tongues will in turn be enlarged by conflict and conquest among themselves. In short, the partition of Africa among the nations of the earth has brought this powerful factor of language as a compelling force in all the movements. Africa, on its way to a higher civilization, must and shall tread in the footsteps of Europe, only that the onward march will be a more vigorous and attractive one, lighted up by the arts and sciences of the present high civilization of the intruding powers which have transferred their tongues to its shores; and so, at length, the ancient glory of this continent, so long asleep, shall return to it with all this added modern splendor, so that it shall vie with America, the two being the greatest theaters of future events, as the trend of the present flow of immigration, on the one hand, to America, and, on the other, of conquest and new possession in Africa, would clearly indicate.

W.S. Scarborough.

ART. V.-OUR MEN AND WOMEN: MAY, 1892, AND BEYOND-AN IRENICON.

IN a former paper we passed in review a few of the salient facts in our Church history illustrative of the status and activities of women, and then examined with care the action of the General Conference in 1888. It remains to review with like care the not less noted action of the year 1892, and then to inquire whether there be not a more excellent way to the attainment of harmony in sentiment and action than has as yet been adopted. In investigating the action of 1892 we shall find it conducive to clearness to resume the time-honored method of legal inquisition by question and answer. It will also facilitate reference if we continue the numerical series instead of beginning a new one.

41. Why was it proper for the General Conference to reopen the question of eligibility of women? Because by memorials and resolutions new action was asked for by influential representatives of the majority both of the ministry and laity of the Church.

42. What emphasized this obvious propriety? The fact that at the last session the General Conference had expressed a desire to hear from the Church; and now the Church, having shown its sentiments, desired to hear from the General Conference.

43. In order to intelligent new action of any kind, what needed to be settled beyond all controversy? The precise legal effect of the unprecedented action of 1888 and of the later action of the Annual Conference membership.

44. What resolution, adapted to effect this end in the most orderly and appropriate way, was referred to the Judiciary Committee? The following:

Whereas, A number of women were chosen by Quarterly Conferences as lay delegates to the Lay Electoral Conferences, and the Lay Electoral Conferences so constituted have elected lay delegates to this General Conference; [and,] Whereas, The names of two women appear upon the rolls of this Conference as reserve lay delegates; therefore, Resolved, That the Committee on Judiciary be, and hereby is, instructed to inquire and report at an early day, not later than May 20, whether the terms "lay delegates," "laymen," and "member of the Church in full con

nection," as used in paragraphs 55 to 63 inclusive, express or imply distinction of sex.

45. What was the full report of the Committee? The following:

Understanding that we are to declare the meaning of the words, and not to express an opinion as to the wisdom of the law, and applying the well recognized rule of construction, that the intent of the lawmakers in using the language must govern, and that the meaning to be put upon the words by us must be the meaning put upon them by the General Conference and the Annual Conferences at the time they were adopted, and in the light of the history of the Church bearing upon the subject up to the time of the adoption of the provisions in which the words under consideration occur, and in the light of the discussions had at the time of their adoption, and of all the surrounding circumstances, and in view of the fact that the last General Conference, acting in its judicial capacity, after a very exhaustive discussion, definitely decided that women were not included in these provisions, and that the Annual Conferences and the Church have accepted and acted upon that decision, we are of the opinion that said words, as used in the paragraphs aforesaid, do not apply to both sexes, and that they include men only.

46. Was the report adopted? No. Dr. D. H. Moore, a member of the Judiciary Committee, presented the substitute reprinted farther on. Then, to give the whole remaining process in the exact language of the official record,

J. W. Hamilton presented an amendment to the substitute. W. I. Cogshall called for the previous question, which was ordered. Amos Shinkle, a layman, called for a separate vote on the substitute and its amendment. J. B. Faulks moved to lay the amendment to the substitute on the table, which did not prevail by a vote of 172 to 226. The question of a separate vote being taken by the laymen, it was not sustained. The amendment to the substitute was adopted by a vote of 234 to 174. A. B. Leonard moved that the question be divided at the point where the substitute ends and the amendment thereto begins, which was ordered by a vote of 206 to 169. A. B. Leonard moved to lay on the table the first part of the amended substitute, being the paper of D. H. Moore, which was carried by a vote of 280 to 100. The question being put on the second part of the substitute as amended, G. H. Bridgman, a ministerial delegate, called for a separate vote. The question of a separate vote being put to the ministerial delegates, 77 sustained the call. A count being made of all the ministerial delegates present, there were found present 289, and the separate vote was not ordered. The substitute was then accepted. On the question of the adoption of the second part of the substitute, it was adopted by 241 to 160.*

*Journal of the General Conference of 1892, p. 359.

47. What did the highest court in the Church assume when it directed its Judiciary Committee to inquire into the meaning of the term "lay delegates," and especially when it entertained the report and arguments of the majority of said committee? It manifestly assumed that the meaning of the law on this subject was legitimately open to question and in need of clearer determination.

48. What would have been the effect had the report of the Judiciary Committee been adopted? It would have settled beyond all legitimate question the meaning of the law, and in a sense adverse to the eligibility of women.

49. What was the effect of the entire omission to adopt the report and the actual adoption of Dr. Hamilton's paper? By this course the General Conference left the main question still open; and so it must remain until the completion of the voting authorized.

50. What was the use of the fifth resolution in the paper adopted? It was of no use so long as the paper was attached to the Moore substitute as an amendment.

51. Would it not have been better tactics in the majority to have laid it on the table instead of the Moore paper-that is, if all voters had been clear as to their bearings? Undoubtedly, since then the parallel between the new action and that of 1888 would have been complete in form as well as force. Several of the friends of woman's eligibility voted, or withheld their votes, in accordance with this view.

52. What, then, is the difference between the act of 1888 and that of 1892. Simply this: to its referendum the former prefixes, while the latter postfixes, a construction of the law, a construction that must govern in future elections in case the proposed amendment fails. If, therefore, the action of the former year was defensible, that of the latter year was defensible. If the action of 1892 was a burlesque on all right judicial procedures, no less can be said of the action of 1888. The one cannot be repudiated and the other defended. Their order in time alone constitutes a real distinction. The one was an original, the other a copy, slightly modified in form, but not in principle. Whoever, therefore, feels called upon sternly to reprobate the principle common to them both should remember that in manifest fairness we should direct our reprobation

primarily and chiefly toward the unprecedented act at New York rather than toward the precedented one at Omaha.

At this point it will serve a useful purpose to present in parallel columns, stage by stage, the essential agreements and the comparatively unimportant variations of these two famous actions-probably the two most peculiarly related inversions of proper legal processes to be found in the whole history of Christian jurisprudence, ecclesiastical or civil. We will call the thence arising conspectus

1888.

A BINOCULAR VIEW.

1. In consequence of the election of women during several quadrenniums as reserve delegates, and at last, also, as regular delegates to the General Conference of 1888, and in view of a certain protest against the latter action, the question of the eligibility of women under the existing law was raised by the bishops.

2. Taking into account the conscientious convictions of the bishops and the formal protest addressed to them, one can hardly see how they could have done otherwise.

3. The elections challenged by the bishops were referred to a special committee, seventeen in number, appointed by the bishops.

4. The committee reported adversely to the eligibility of women.

1892.

1. In consequence of the renewed election of women as reserve delegates, and in view of weighty memorials and petitions, and also in view of the ministerial and lay majorities just given in the Church at large in favor of impartial eligibility, the General Conference of 1892 renewed the bishops' question.

2. Taking into account the conscientious convictions of the General Conference and the credentials and memorials addressed to it, one can hardly see how it could have done otherwise.

3. The eligibility question, renewed by the Conference, was referred to the Judiciary Committee, fifteen in number, nominated by the bishops.

4. The committee reported adversely to the eligibility of women.

5. According to our uniform 5. According to our uniform usage and under our unwritten con- usage and under our unwritten constitution, a decisive vote of the Gen- stitution, a decisive vote of the General Conference, sitting exclusively eral Conference, sitting exclusively in its supreme judicial capacity, in its supreme judicial capacity, either adopting or rejecting the re- either adopting or rejecting the report of the committee, would have port of the committee, would have been entitled to full acceptance by been entitled to full acceptance by all parties as legally and properly all parties as legally and properly settling the due interpretation of settling the due interpretation of the law for the time, and also as the law for the time, and also as