Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-07-08
Peter r.. Hyland.

tuhlicly e.. 80 "a u..a-, tie responsibility fo-
the public a q. >o-r...cl be sermon.
Is the rc-..l VT .-a maize head. This -rt.-
c.c. which -.rea-,i in tie Sfrsdarl Of
last week. o.teu,.".y under editorial en-
dorsement. wi,hoa: cur knowledge or eou-
sent.
We protes; aclins: this publication as
offensive TO public dccency. scandal to
Christian charity. and prostitution Of the
sacred oilicc of minister Of Christ to the
qualification Of personal spite AMI resent
men, toward the members of his own com.
munon, and seeking the sympathy and
counsel of enemies of the Church and
scoiscrs at religion in difference with his
own Church. with which he alone is
chargcablc. No persons with a proper
sense of dcccncy will wash their family
dirty linen in public; for clergymen to
do SO is not only an offence to public dc
cency, but disgrace to his high calling
We protest against this publication in
behalf of st. Johns Parish, its Wardcns
and Vcstry as calculated to maisn and
misreprcsent them, to the dctrment of the
Church and the future Of the Parish. No
dissatisfaction was expressed by this man
with his conditions; no public or private
admonitions offered to the members of his
Church for excessive indulgence in friv.
olous amusemcnts," or " irolicking," until
he saw a disposition on the part Of new
Vcstry to take charge OF the financial at
fairs of the Church, make much needed
repairs and pay up some old debts which
had long pended over the Church. Act
ing upon the hypothesis that the Rector
was an honest man, and conscious Of no
unkind personal feeling toward him, the
Vcstry expected his cooperation in move
mcnt so manitcstly proper and necessary
to the business affairs Of the Church, and
were both astunished and scandalized to
learn from public report among the enc
mics of the Church, that he was denounc
ing the action Of the Nestry, and bitterly
vtupcring its individual members, while
persstcntly avoiding personal intercourse
with them for the purpose Of explanation
or the reconciliation of differences.
In his published statement he systemat-
ically ignores the $500 a year stipend
which he received from the Board of Mis-
sions until last year, when it was reduced
to 500 year by the Bishop upon sat
isfactory proof that the missionary was re-
cc;ving sufficient support from the parish
to Justify the reduction Of missionary aid.
Ike makes no account of donations to him
self and family, as Rector, which nearly
every member of the parish knows to have
been much moro in the aggregate than
ever was promised him BY way of salary.
and yet because these manifold and liberal
donations were not specifically stipulated
TO be applied TO the payment Of his salary,
he Gains them as his own means" which
he supplied for his own maintainance and
publicly accuses the people who have lib
orally supplied his wants and chartably
borne with his mental inGrmities-
chiefly, it should be observed, out of re.
spect to his noble Christian wifc-with
having failed in their PROMISES to him and
thereby robbed God" The truth is,
this man, having utterly failed as Rector
Of parish in Portland. was sent here upon
missionary stipend, the members of the
parish promising to contribute towards his
support For some time after he came
here his missionary stipend was RENTED
to Portland to make payments on property
he had purchased there, and which we be-
lcvc he still owns, and the support of him.
self and a considerable family was derived
exclusively from this parish. During the
six years he has been in Olympia he has
paid for his property in Portland, accumu
luated eight town lots in an eligible part of
the town, built and comfortably furnished
handsome residence, without other re-
sources than those derived from his mis-
s;onary stipend and his receipts as Rector
of ST. Johns Church. In his published
sermon" he says: Il have received on
an average about $3.50 per annum" This
is all the receipts he mentions in this doc.
umcnt from any source, thus conveying to
the public the false impression that it was
all he had received for his labors. Prcvi-
Gus to the election Of the present Vcstry
he had assumed and exercised the entire
control Of the business affairs Of the Par
ash, even to the duties Of sexton; and hav-
ing selected his own Vcstry-chieAy from
attendants upon the services of the
Church-and never called meeting dur
ing their term Of office, he appropriated
all money belonging to the Church as he
pleased, recognizing no accountability to
any one When asked by the present
Vestry the aggregate amount of the week
ly offerings for the last six months-evcry
cent of which he had taken-he replied
that it was s1GS. Capt. Percival, Senior
Warden, had taken up, counted and kept
an exact account of each collection for the
same time, and the amount aggregated
1898. When asked what was the agsre.
gaze amount Of the debts Of the Church,
the Rector replied that it did not exceed
SITS. Investigation showed an indebted.
ness Of nearly s4O0, all Of which was at
once assumed and paid by tho Senior
Warden. These little discrepancies show
cd the necessity of responsible manage
mcnt, which it was the duty of the Vestry