The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-02
WHEN
CLOTHING STORE.
BISHOP TAYLORs AFRICAN VENTURE.
He Declines Pay from the Missionary Fund, and
the Book Committee Refuses Assistance.


Special to the Indianapolis Journal
New YoRK, March 1.-The anticipated trouble
over Bishop Taylor's strange missionary explor.
alton of Africa has already broken out, but not
in the expected manner. The Bishop was
assigned by the Methodist Episcopal Church,
on his own request to the propagation of
Christianity among the savage tribes of Congo
land To the surprise of the authorities, he an
nounced that his expedition was going to be
selfsupporting one except that he would &C
cept the means of transportation to the end of
civilization, and supply of tents and provisions
for use on the march from that point,
thousand miles on foot into the interior OF
Africa. The enterprise was regarded by the
missionary board as wondrously risky, bat the
energetic Taylor got together party of forty
FIVE persons equipped them for the dangerous
task, and sailed from this port in January.
These volunteers we're not all men, selected for
physical as we'll as religious fitness but there
were nine women and sixteen children one of
the latter being babe. The devoted adven
turers are bound for the unhealthy and warning
region which Stanley and Livingtone found so
difficult of penetration, and which the African
International Association of European gov
ernments intends to open up to trade.
Although no official hindrance was
put in Taylor's way, his scheme had the
open disapproval of his fellow bishops and that
he was successful in carrying it out was due to
his perennial iirisuence and ZEAL The Rev. DR..
Wheeler has published his opinion that its lab
surdity would seem to be so evident that its con-
emnation should follow as matter of course, !"
and that IF this theory be true, then
let every land take care of ITSELF"
He further characterized Bishop Taylors self
supporting plan as IAN amazing folly, than
which, if the history of the Christian church
for eighteen hundred years records wilder,
more fanatical one, it would be interesting to
know where the account may be found"
The overt disturbance in this matter comes Of
an unexpected letter from Bishop Taylor, writ
ten aboard the steamer which he crossed the
Atlantic, and asking to be placed on salary as
one OF the regular bishops of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. He says that, although he
has declined to take any money from the mis-
sionary fund, he ought to be pc ,sonally paid for
his services. He argues at length to prove that
the self dependency of his expedition has moth
ing to do with his office of Bishop, and adds
1.-THE amount of compensation / leave to your
swn godly judgmentof the sacrifice and services
to be rendered. Please inform me when and
on whom to draw. and for what sum-
All salaries of Methodist bishops are paid by
the book committee out of the profits of the var
ious church publications, and meeting of the
members has considered the question of pay for
Taylor Their decision reflects the disarproyal
of his peculiar African venture. They have
mailed to him, in time to catch him at Loanda,
on the west coast of Africa, before his outset on
his perilous journey inland, that the book com.
mittee win give no salary to him at all; that
they judge his support ought to "be drawn from
the treasury of the Missionary Society" AS he
has expressly declined aid from that source he
is cut off with nothing