Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-03-21
TAKING AND LUSING.

anu nc sHall nave more abundance; pGt VINO
soever hath not, from him shall be taken away
even that he hath.-MATTHEw xIu:12.
It seems to be general principle of the
public to act upon the theory of making the
rich richer and the poor poorer. This has
been the tendency of all legislation for the
past twenty years. To add to the accumula-
tons of corporations, and to rob the ar
tisan of the sum of his earnings seems to
have been the chief aim of CONGRESS for the
past two decades. 1t is also the aim of the
| church, apparently.
In ninety-nine cases out of hundred the
churches are supported by the contributions
of people who can but poorly afford to give.
Occasionally the rich members of the con-
gregation donate prlncey sum for the pur-
pose of erecting handsome church edifice,
or for improving the one in possession
Subject to mortgage) of the organization,
but the cost of the maintenance of the
church and all its ordinances falls, almost
without exception, upon the poorer members
of the congregation. They are literally
MIXED of all they possess above the actual
necessaries of life on the plea that they are
only too ready to heed, that it is their duty
to assist in maintaining the ministrations of
the gospel.
We are ready to acknowledge that it is the
duty Of every citizen to assist in maintain
ing the church. But we do not think, nor
can we be made to believe, that it is the duty
of any man to impoverish himself to main
tain what in these degenerate days passes for
religious observances. We do not believe
that it is the duty of any man,
no matter how devort, to deny his
children the things their appetites crave,
or to refuse them the education they have
a right to demand, that the pride of few
may be gratifed by the erection of palatial
cathedral in which they can occupy back
seats and there worship God. We do no.
believe it is the duty Of any man to wear
shabby clothes that he may be enabled to pay
fashionable preacher an extravagsnt sal
airy for retailing to fashionable congrega-
ton on the Sabbath couple of antiquated
sermons that have, perhaps, been repeated
score of times. We do not believe that it is
the duty of any man, or that the scriptures
prescribe it, to deny himself the comforts or
even tie luxuries of life that he may be en-
abled to give softly cushioned pews to the
more favored members of the congregation
while he himself is obliged to listen to the
exposition of religion from the rear of the
church or from the gallery.
Charity begins at home. He who neglects
to provide for the wants of his own house
hold, upon whatever excuse, is worse than
an infdel. We do not believe that religion
conveys an obligation that will interfere in
the slightest degree with mans duty to his
own family. For this reason we believe thet
the construction and maintenance of ex-
travagant and expensive church establish
ments, the cost of which falls mainly upon
the poorer members, is not only reprehensi-
BILE but criminal. The payment of fancy
salaries to fancy preachers is an outrage up
on those who constitute majority of the
worshipers.
The fact seems to be that few of the |
wealthy church members of church organi-
cations control the majority with an absolute |
sway. They order the construction of q |
costly edihce, and call upon the poorer |
members to iquidate the obliga- |
tions incurred in its construction. |
They order the pews to be upholstered, and |
the rest acquiesce. They decide that pop
ular preacher be called to the pulpit, and |
there IS no remonstrance. The few who as
sumo so much in church management in
reality do the least, though they are able to
do more. The burden falls upon the mass
of the people who would be content to wor-
ship IN humble quarters, but who are COM
PEELED by necessity to pay for luxurious
apartments.
When the churches consent to construct
only such edifces as can be paid for from
the legitimate contributions of the majority
Of the congregations, they will have made
great step forward. They must popularize
their places of worship, but they cannot do
20 unless they place them within the reach
IF the masses. As it stands to-day, it is al
most impossible for men of ordinary means
% be present at the church services, unless
hey deprive themselves or their families of
ome of the needs of life. 4 few churches
If plain construction, in which laboring
nan would not feel out of place, would not
,e bad idea upon which the religious
world could work.
l.
Edward G. Palmer, president of the Louisi-
ma bank, New Orleans, convicted of embez-
lement of the funds of the bank, has been