Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-07-23
L the Lsborer worthy Of his Hires

Il the Laborer Worthy OF his Hires
As an abstract question, every per-
son would answer eyes," to this in
quiry, but in practice there are thous-
ands who answer ssNo." We do not
here particularly refer to the exactions
Of grasping employers and hard task
masters, who wiring from humble toll
their own ill-gotten gains. We would
speak for moment Of the great fault
Of Christian communities everywhere,
the inadequate payment of Christian
ministers. Let no one urge against us
a few brilliant and exceptionable cases
which prove the rule. For every in
stance, in this country, Of a clergyman
with an easy position and salary of
FIVE thousand dollare, there are hun
bred others where sacrificing men toll
from January to December for mis-
cradle pittance of two or three hundred.
Their beds are no beds of roses their
churches are no chapels Of ease and,
whether in the retirement of some small
village of New England, or the hustle
of some Western town, their lives are
spent in earnest, ceaseless, and ill-paid
toll. True, the reward of these men is
not of this world. If it we're, their
case would be indeed pitiable. But
Dives is not excused for letting Laza-
rus starve, upon the plea that Lazarus
is going to Heaven at last. We have
been led to think upon this subject by
the numerous accounts which have gone
the rounds Of the papers lately, Of par
ticular instances Of liberality Of certain
congregations to their pastors. The
great revival has had many good effects,
and one of these is an increase Of graf
itude and love in those who have been
it's instruments. These donations have
been in many cases honorable alike to
the givers and to the recipients and
often, we doubt not, they have been
sorely needed and gratefully welcomed
But what are they, after all, except
tardy and partial payment Of what is
felt to be sacred debt? Either our
ministers, generally, are adequately
paid, or they are not. If they are,
there is no necessity of giving them
plates Of silver, and gloves with bank
notes in their fingers. If they are not
it is wretched system which keeps
man upon salary below low-living
mark, and ekes it out by giving him
book marks and pin cushions. Few
things, we should imagine, could be
more CALLING to an intellectual and high
spirited gentleman than to receive that
money as gift which he feels to be
his by ri yht, and which his necessiti.s,
or the necessities Of his family, prevent
him from refusing. Such a practice
seems like dexterous attempt to patch
up compromise between our love Of
Justice and our love Of self to do good
while we fatter our vanity to serve
God, and to serve ourselves. There
are many men, we doubt not, who
coolly place the money they spend for
their pew rent and minister's salary, to
their "Charlty Account, ana look
with no little complacency at the sum
total. If entirely right views prevailed,
no person would sooner think Of con-
graduating himself because he pays his
minister, than because he pays his law
yer and his physician. That such
views do not prevail, is the great cause
Of want Of independence in the cler-
gy. The boldness of Luther and St.
Paul may be commended and admired,
but the bread and butter question must
take precedence after all. We may
laud the men who suffer for conscience
sake, but we cannot expect that they
shall do SO for us. If we wish to hear
only such doctrine from the pulpit as
entirely pleases US, it is very easy to
accomplish the result by keeping the
clergy dependent on our caprices and
generosity rather than our sense Of JUS
tice.-Chicago Press and Tribune.
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