People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-08-24
Rev, J. D. BOlkin Leaves
the Pulpit to Preach The
Religion Of Reform
CHURCHIANITY TOO NARROW
A Powerful Man with Earnest
COnAictiOns and Plain
Expression.

During the past few weeks there
has been a succession Of powerful
conversions to the great cause of the
common people. and hundreds Of
strong men are marching on the way
prepared by Jesus for the coming of
the Kingdom of God on earth. Rev.
]. D. BOtkin, Of Wellington, has
entered the field of POpuliSm in Sum-
ner county this week, and will 60
into the state campaign in a few
days. He wrote a letter to his old
friend State Treasurer Biddle, which
was made public Saturday last
through the daily papers. We give
the letter in full as follows:
WELLINGTON, Aug. 13, 1894.
Hon. W. H. BIDDLE, Topeka.
Ny DEAR BROTHER-As you have
for years taken deep interest in me
and my ministry you will doubtless
be interested to learn that have de-
cided to resign my present charge,
and to hear my statement of the red.
sons for this action.
You may have received the i'm.
preston from press reports that for
NAL charges have been brought
against me. Such is not the case.
No such action has been threatened
or even contemplated, so far as |
have heard. My only real Offense is
preaching politics" While | have
never uttered a partisan sentiment
from the pulpit, | have nevertheless,
fearleSSly denounced public evils, as
every faithful preacher of righteous
reeS must do. This was too much
for the sensitive nerves of half a
dozen Self-cOnstituted dictatOTS in
the church and half score of old
party bosses outside.
The fight was precipitated in the
quarterly conference week ago and
resulted in the overthrow of my enc
mics. ! am assured that fully nine
teen-twentiethS of the 500 members
Of this church heartily sustain my
administration and want it COntin-
ued. | desire to record my sincere
cere sorrow in severing my relation
with these devoted people.
have studied all sides and weighed
all possible results of this action. For
twenty-three years | have received
my appointments from the church
without a word of suggestion or COM
plant. Under God the church has
made me what | am. To drop out of
her pastOrate, even temporarily,
brings indescribable pain. This is
the greatest sacrifice of my life, made
under the conviction that my minis
try here, conScientiOuSly pursued,
would produce more or less diScOrd.
Freedom of conscience and of speech
are yet unSOlyed problems in Kansas.
He who thinks politically outside a
certain old rusty mould is an anarcfl-
ist or disturber who is worthy of os-
tracism and death. In my judgment
one Of the first duties Of Kansas cit
izen is to crush out this spirit of in
tolerance.
There is but one thing for me to do
and that is to take the stump and
preach to the multitudeS the gospel
of reform, of humanity, OF God. We
are confronted by condition that is
appalling. The prices of farm prod.
uctS do not pay the cost of producing,
while labor is unemployed and mil.
lions of our citizens beg and starve in
the midst of plenty. These condi-
tions have been produced by a combi-
nation of causes.
First-We have been protected to
death.
Second-We have given up too
much of the public domain to corpor.
ate and alien ownership.
Third-We have suffered all public
utilities to be owned and operated by
corporations in their own interest.
These corporations have systematic
ally robbed the people to fill their own
Golfers.
FOurth-We have granted to DOW.
erful combines Of capital too many
franchises. Instance the sugar trust
and the whiSkey trust in whose inter
ests the present congress has Just
legislated millions Of dollars out OF
the peoples pockets.
Fifth-Under the sanction and pro-
/ lection Of the government the power.
full liquor traffic filches from the peo.
pie annually 81, $50, 100000 or $40 per
capita.
Sixth-By a system of the most
damnable legislative enactments on
record, beginning more than thirty
years ago, our national congress has
has stealthily proceeded to enthrone
gold, contract the currency and place
the entire monetary system of the
country in the hands of a few men in
whom greed is the only motive and
personal interest the only care.
Under this awfnl system the "rich
are growing richer and the poor are
growing poorer" and 10000 of the
people own more than half the wealth
of the nation" We have already
reached the condition Of a mrnied
aFiStncrari IN ihe rnr nalr IN !:
lsV - u. '..~s"4~ev u tac vLue.