The record-union., 1894-07-21
WAR OR PLAGUE THE CURE.
DR.. Paxton Says There Are Too Many
Persons on Earth to be Fed.
.'Too Many Mouths to Feed" He Says:
$4,000, 900 of Us Ought to Be
Swept Off,

The Rev. DR.. John r. Paxton, the for
mer pastor of the West Presbyterian
Church in Forty-second street, between
Fifth and Sixth avenues, is at the Wind
sor Hotel with his wife and daughter.
He arrived on Tuesday from Philadel-
phia. Yesterday morning he had talk
with several reporters, and in regard to
his health he said:
Ppm better to-day than have been at
any time in thirty years. My brain is
clear, my head is steady, and can walk
twenty miles day with any man. My
physician tells me there are forty years of
life in me yet"
Thirteen months ago, on May II,
1898, DR.. Paxton was mi ssing from his
pulpit. His congregation was informed
that he was unable to preach, and that
he was in the Presbyterian Hospital suf-
fering from a serious mental malady.
The causes of it were explained varlously
to his friends; some said it was overwork.
and some said that it was the means he
had used to recuperate from overwork.
DIR. Paxton said yesterday In regard to
the matter:
''There was a time when / thought /
should go mad. For months / had an
awful pain at the base Of my brain. and
| got no rest. / admit that under the
stress of circumstances [ did things that
[ should never have done. fused stimu-
lents, among others cocaine. That time.
however, is past and gone, and, thank
God | feel no desire to do that now.
II should never have gone into the
ministry" DR.. Paxton continued. 'tThe
strain on me was too great Pm too
much of soldier for that sort of thing
The constant struggle for something
new, which Is as strong III churches as
elsewhere, was what told on Inc. / shall
never preach again. / shall make appli-
cation to the Presbytery TO demit me, and
then I shall be out of it altogether. l ex-
pect to live quietly the rest of my life. l
may work at something, but | shall not
nreacb-at least not in the PreSby terian
Church. My wife would object to my
preaching in any other, however. Any
way, l am a back number. Nobody
wants to hear anything more from me-"
DR., Paxton has been resting now for
long time. He went to the home of his
sister-in-law in Bridgeville, near Pitts
burg. last autumn, and sent in his resig-
nation to his church. The controversy
as to whether or not it should be ac-
cented was long and heated, and there
were charges that he had been forced to
resign. It was finally accepted on De-
cember Slst. For five weeks during the
winter DIR. Paxton was patient in St.
Francis Hospital in Pittsburg, suffering
from nervous trouble.
I'm the period of my idleness," DR..
Paxton went on. 'Pve been looking on
at the proceedings of Coxey and this
Democratic Congress and wondering how
it is all going to end. The rich are get
ting richer every day, and the poor are
hating them harder. The spirit, OF un-
rest is spread all over the land. Two
tramps are not to be feared, but when the
whole army of them get together what a
terrible power that will be! 1t is not yet
assured whether republic is an endur-
ing fact or only theory.
There are too many people in the
world; too many mouths to feed. We are
all wrong in our ideas of mercy and
kindness. We nurse incurables in hos
pitals and criminals in penitentiaries
Sweep 100000 of us off the face OF the
earth. War or pestilence, that's the only
cure"