The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-26
PAY AND SAY NOTHING ABOUT IT.


seats in Catholic churches? Is church debt an
obligation that must be met. principal and interest.
like any other debt and is it not honester and better
to make all lble efforts the debt of
church than to default in its payment Catholic
churches in this city and in all places where the num-
Der OF Catholics in parish make it necessary have
from one to four masses every Sunday morning free
TO al, anu the charge tor seats Is only TO those
who attend the nine and haf-past ten O'Clock masses
and who. judging from their appearance, are well
able TO pay the tring charge for seats Many OF the
people who complain loudly about this trihing
charge spend ten times the amount for amusement
and unnecessary stimulants. Practical Catholics do
not complain OF the system OF charging at certain
times for seats. They take common sense view of
the matter, and either go to the early masses or, If
thcy go TO the later masses pay the trlnng charge
demanded aud say nothing about it, Theatres, rail
roads steamboats, and places of secular instruction
have all to charge tor what they impart whether in
struction, amusement or accommodation; they could
not exist without doing And how churches
to be maintained and their many heavy expenses paid
THE GERMAN CHURCHES HosPITABLE TO THE
POOR.
To THE EDITOR THE HERALD
When read Father FTatterys account of the opin-
ion he formed of Catholics as he them in foreign
countries it struck that he intended to imply
that there were good Catholics except those who
came from Ireland. Now. 1 belong to class of
Catholics who never turn any one from their
in debt and finer the Cathedral excepted, than any
he city. II You will find space for these lew re-
marks you Wall ooiige LEHMAN CAIHoLiC.
THE VIEWS AND EXPERIENCES OF AN Ex-UsHER.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
Having been an usher feel that know the diff
cuties of the position better than your previous
respondents. That money must be raised is fact,
but how to do it is question. synod OF the Amer
lean bishops at Baltimore, few years ago, forbade
the exaction of entrance fee prerequisite of
hearing mass. But the synod did not pay the debts
Of the churches, and could not il they
would. pastor burdened with heavy
church debt has to resort to all possible
means of raising money within the limits of exclud-
ing those who will not and those who cannot pay If
it is wrong to ask persons to for seat it is also
wrong ask persons to pay for by the quarter
Many of the churches incurred heavy debts during
high priced times and is hard to pay them out Of the
small earnings Of to-day. Some of your correspond
ents would complain if the savings banks defauted
in interest principal because the Catholic churches
could not and did not pay interest and prin-
cipsl Of their debts. The churches of this
city, at least many of them. are in
the condition OF many property holders-that is.
they would be better of II they could begin all
again. without debts an without property However
an in ivdual may squirm out of his debts the church
cannot and must pay or stop preaching Although
the church may be robbed she must not rob. There
is much shifting OF responsibility in this matter,
from ushers to pastor, and vice versa Ushers and
doorkeepers should be gentlemen. with knowledge
of the world and the people IN It, Not old and grabbed
the small pay for q half days work done on Sunday
is an object Such men are not apt to know more
than the law allows Alas most OF the ushers and
doorkeepers are Of these classes
Nearly nine years ago the Conference of ST. Vincent
member. preferred their vices as ushers Of the
church to which the conference was attached, the
usual pay to into the treasury OF the conference
for the poor The pastor accepted, with the excep-
ton that he should keep the money to help to
pay off the large hoatng and funded debt of his
church, with promise that he would help us by
lectures &C., which he did until he died. The pastor
thereby secured the best men that can be got tor the
pnrpose-lnen that did no, not need to do SO
enough for themselves and something to spare
for the poor. Some of them were rich, some were
bosses, storekeepers and well-to-do mechanics and
all were friends and servants of the poor. and not
likely to browbeat or i'll use the penniless The
pastor was always az the meeting OF the committee
each month to hear complaints from ushers, to
report complaints of Pensioners and to in
struct then in the duties required for the position,
and to encourage them by reports of fast diminish
ing debt and interest promptly paid. and
there was rotation in the work. none felt
it too severe. The committee received many
always found gentleman to be forbearng and
polite under all circumstances. Other people acted
differently. The writer remembers landing one
(who had tried the patience Of two or three ushers
not only outside the door but tried afterward to find
of pastors are too anxious to reduce the debts
The United States government Is more capable of
paying its debt Immediately or by the same genera
churches Of this city but it is not considered wise
to do so. 1t the generation that fights POUNDS
pays y the s' 1 principal nn Is only fair tSss
their successors should pay the remainder
since it is for them more particularly the fghtiag
to-day free for the simple reason that generations
long ago forgotten paid for them. The people of
countries in Europe have so little to pay for
ligion's sake they seem to care very little for
gon, and that fact has caused clergyman to say
IL he not on Irishnan he would have been in
hdel Perhaps he Is one now. for he does not seem
to know any thing about the sacrament OF penance;
that is. If reporters speak truth.
If this controversy will cause priests to listen at
tentively to humble compliments; if 1t will teach
that redress is TO he found inside the church,
If all persons concerned will understand why money
IL and must be taken ut the DOORS this controversy
will have done good work. The door collection il
the only effective method that can be devised that will
reach every that is in duty bound to contribute
to the church and who I, zp the benefit Of having
church building Onefourth ofthe people i'll Catholic
churches rent pews by the quarter. Is ii fair that
the other three-fourths should go freey Suppose
only every fourth property holder should have to
pay taxes and tine other three lett to do as they
pleased. what nice time would have. Well.
politics would be poor profession tn follow Church
after church has had to adopt the door collection in
order to increase the revenues and equaze the bur-
dens.
II this communication should induce the Confer
ence of st. vincent de Paul take upon themselves
the work of BOOKKEEPING and ushering, the pastors
to be present at the meetings of the committee and
the salaries to be paid into the conference fund
for the poor great good would be effected.
An opportunity would be afforded the rich member,
storekeeper. boss to the money he gives to
the poor, to IL by hard work and work,
too--a labor far more laborious and meritorious
before God than the Singing of pen in making q
check OF hundreds OF dollars for the poor--and ~
their poorer members chance to increase their
tons by little more exertion. You may rely
upon 1t such men will not insult the poor nor
crings to the rich, though they may deal
firmly with sneak when they find him.
Then IL the pastors will did there will be
less cause for complaints and less complaints made
His instructions that IL would be better that
the whole collection he dispensed with than that one
person should not hear for tho Of or the
withholding of i've, ten fifteen cents and to scat
every person who did pay and all who could not pay.
TERRENCE.
Is IT sTMoNY?
To THE EprToR THE HERALp:-