Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1880-08-19

From the New York Sun.
On entering a Roman Catholic church
on Sunday, during the celebration Of mass,
nigh or .ow, visitor to the city is sur
prised to sec u table ordinarily heaped
high with coin and notes in toe vestlbulc
or within the threshold. He is still more
surprised if he does not explain TO them,
in Sunday black, surrounding the table,
that he IS Il stranger, to find that he is cx-
pected to deposit small sum Of money
upon the table, receiving in return, ordi-
narily, an oblOng red or blue ticket, en-
ttlng him to Il seat in the church. lust
within the door he meets an usher, who
takes the tickct from his hand and escorts
him to a seat, 4 payment for the privi-
lege Tor occupying the seat within is
made, so far rs is known, at the door Of
every Roman Catholic church in this city,
with the exception of st. Andrews church
on Duane street. The payment varies ac-
cording to the location Of the church. In
the poorer quarters it is generally ten
cents, and in st. PatrCk's cathedral 1t is
generally raised to twenty-five cents, On
an occasion like the dedication of Il church
it may be as much as five dollars That
price was obtained for tickets emitting
purchasers to seats during the decoration
Of St. Patrick cathedral. The payment,
however, does not, in every case assure a
seat in church, for 50 great is the pres
sure for admission, the ushers cannot find
vacant seat long before the beginning
of the service. Many Roman Catholics in
this city object to the custom Of making a
payment Mt the doors of their churches, as
an undesirable innovation, not consonapt
with their church.
mo one regrets the necessity for max |
ing a collection at the doors OF the CathO- |
lie churches of this city said priest ol |
Stephens Roman Catholic church, more |
deeply than the priests. But the necessi. |
ty exists and it must be dealt with rca-
sOnably for the present. To meet the |
need Of the growing Catholic population,
churches had been constructed before there
was cash on hand tOmeGt the cost Of their
erection. To-day, an Obseryant visitor to
Roman Catholic churches in this city, on
Sunday, CannCt fail to see that the mum.
Der Of worshipers in them taxes then
to the extreme 1t was an una.
voidablc circumstance in erecting the
needed churches that debts, to large
amount III the shape of mortgages in favor
of banks OF this city, should be contracted.
About ten years ago it was seen that the
revenue Of the churches from the ordinary
sources was inadequate on account Of the
large demands for interests upon the debts
to meGt the expenses. Then the plan of
making a special collection at the doors Of
the churches was determined upon as the
most feasible way of getting rid Of the
difficulty. In Europe, particularly on the
Catholic churches have, in
many cases, no pews or movable seats
II visitor desire to be seated during the
services, he must 20 to II person outside,
usually an old woman, who rents chairs
FOR sou each. 1t was thought that those
who attended Catholic churches in New
York would not offer any objection to
)aylng a small price for the aCcommoda-
ion of seat during the services. A
,harge that has varied, according to the
ocaity from ten TO twenty-five cents was
instituted. But it is rot ior admission to
Any one is free to enter
catholic church in this city, but should he
,bicct to paying tride for the accomm0- Z
iatiOn Of a seat?'