Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-07-31
A. QUESTION OF INCOME.
Conducting Church Affairs on Bust
ness Principles.

It was time of trouble with the
Presbyterian Church and society OF
Blanksville. They had come to their
annual meeting and found, just as they
expected, that their assets were not
equal to their liabilities by several
hundred dollars. This was no new
experience but rather an old, chronic
ailment, that had afflicted them for
years. Heretofore they had managed
to tide over the trouble somehow. but
this year the deficit was larger than
usual-it had been growing larger every
year, in fact-and it was agreed that
something must be done about it.
The chairman of the meeting called
upon one after another to propose some
plan of relief or to express his views,
and several gentlemen were not slow to
do the latter, at least.
Squire Boomer took the floor and
said. in his usual methodica1 manner:
'I've made up my mind that it costs a
great deal to run church. What with
the minister's salary, which is the larg-
est item, and the janitor's, and the
organist's, and the insurance and re-
pairs, and the fuel and lights, and our
Sunday-school expenses, to say nothing
of our benevolent cOntribut ions, which
to be sure are not what they should be,
oit costs great deal of money to run
church; more it seems to me than it
ought to cost-more than we can afford
to pay. And 1 think we must contrive
some way to diminish our church ex
penses, so as to make the two ends of
the year meet. If any gentleman can
think of a better plan let him speak out;
but for my part, 1 say we must reduce
our expenses, So as to make our income
cover our outgoes. We must manage
our church finances on business princi-
pies, if we expect to prosper"
Mr.. Snodgrass followed. saying:
Squire Boomer has expressed my mind
exactly. We must lessen our church
expenses; we must cut our garment ac-
cording to our cloth. We know just
about how much we can raise each year
by slip rents; and what's the use of try
ing to stretch the sum two or three
hundred dollars, when we know it can't
be done? Irepeat, we must cut our
garment according to our CLOTH"
Mr.. Mullins endorsed all that had
been said, and added somewhat pomp-
ously, as his manner was: 81 am OPP
posed to all pretense of appearing to be
richer and more prosperous church
than we really are:" and, as if in imita-
ton of Patrick Henry, he exclaimed:
1--WE must retrench. I repeat it, sir,
we must retrench!'
Others followed in much the same
strain. Indeed, there appeared to be
but one opinion upon the subject The
chairman said: ST am glad TO observe
so much freedom in this discussion.
Nearly all present seem to be agreed
upon retrenchment Now. will some
one suggest how and where we shall
begin? Will some one make a mo-
tion?'
There was silence in that room Cor the
space of one minute; then Squire
Boomer arose slowly, and said, sowith
some hesitancy, as if the subject matter
was painful one: I'm order to bring
the matter properly before the house, 1
will move that a committee of three be
appointed to wait upon our pastor and
inform him of our financial embarrass-
ment and ask him kindly to consent to
a reduction of his salary at least $780,"
. The motion was supported by half
dozen voices, and afterward discussed
pro and con (mostly pro) for
an hour. The sentiment was evidently
something like this: that their pastor
vsas rolling in wealth on 81 cooper year.
while they. the people, we're put to all
sorts of straits to raise the money. The
times were hard; several who once
rented pews had moved away, and two
or three rich men had died. 1t was un-
to expect them to pay as
large salary as they did when wheat
sold for two dollars q bushel, and all
branches of business were lively and
and if DIR. Slim was the con-
siderate man they took him to be, he
would look upon the matter in the same
light If not then-but the alter
native was not discussed.
Are you ready for the question:
asked the chairman.
mot quite" said a voioe from re-
mote corner of the loom, and a plain, |
unIettered man, with q snrewd but
kindly face. moved to the front, and IL
was announced that Mr.. Ball had the |
floor.