Methodist Conference Debates Frances Willard's Ten-Minute Address

Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 27, 1880

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 55, No. 22

Methodist Conference Debates Frances Willard's Ten-Minute Address

—Miss Frances Willard, of the Woman's Temperance Association, asked the privilege of speaking ten minutes before the Methodist Episcopal General Conference at Cincinnati. After discussing the question two hours, a vote to hear her was passed by a small majority, but the Conference adjourned without making any arrangement to make their vote practical. On this action of the Conference the Inter Ocean of May 19 thus comments:—.

It seems a little out of place that a body of as intelligent Christian men as are assembled in the Methodist Episcopal Conference at Cincinnati should discuss for two hours the question whether they will grant ten minutes to an earnest Christian woman to speak upon a question vitally connected with Christian work everywhere. The fear that it was a dangerous precedent is hardly well taken. It would almost seem that if such precedents were oftener set it would add to the interest and well-being of such gatherings. The good bishops could hardly argue that because Miss Willard talks ten minutes to-day, the Hon. Bob Ingersoll would have to be given audience to-morrow. “Ten minutes” was a small gnat to strain at, especially when the two hours spent in discussion were a good-sized camel.