Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-09-16
REpuBLICAN DESPERATION.
An Unprecedented Effort to inn"-
euce Voters.

Richmond. Va, September 10, 1850
To the Editor of the Dispatch:
e,r.-I received this morning a very
rer,arkab,e communication from the
New York headquarters Of the hepupn-
can National Committee. 1t was au-
dressed to me as a Baptist minister, ana
contains what purports to be a detained
statement of the Invested Funds OF ,ne
Ararican BAPTIST Organizations" the
communication then goes on 10 say '""'
1.-The shrinkage of values which are
hound TO come II the free coinage paiE
e. successful" will entail a loss TO the
D.,S,ist church of over S11, 10000. 1t Is
stilI further declared that: The amman
contributions of Baptists Of the united
states for local expenses OF churches,
for missions. and for other religious anu
nbilanthropic purposes is rcckohed al
about $l5,O0O0CO.
az as free-siver men claim, the prices
80 commodities will rise, IL they are
successful In electing their ticket, IL wiz
REQUIRE nearly double this sum, or sSV,-
600 600 as endowments or CONTRIBUTORS
for church and Charitable lhstltuuons'
AS the church membership Is ABOUT 3D.
o.OoO. this represents about - per aniluii
for each member, and as unuer hev
coinage, the annual contributions iol an
purposes would have TO De uoup'e w. Co.
they are now, it would be necessary ior
eocb member to give SO instead or 20.
.These contributions or endowments'
generally speaking, are given by the rich'
S,t ara used for the benefit OF the poor
| as the rich man pays his way at tne
| hosnital. and he never needs the chari-
| tshie home in his old age, nor does ne
| send his children to the orphanage.
TT MEANS DISASTER TO oof'
CHURCH FINANCES.
..1~ha sick the destitute. the orpnans'
tho aged. will all suffer unless we can
| make ND the difference, and we cannot
| shut our eyes TO the fact that 'hls -
an impossibility-that free coinage anu
the election OF Bryan and sewaii niea,,
d,saster IN our church finances, ana VIII
| paralyze our missionary ana all o'hei
| church work." .,a,o.
| IL a. highly probable that similar state
| ynents 10 this have been sent, OF VIII pe
sent, to many other Baptist ila.a
| th,t Nethodists, Presbyerians, Episcopa-
,ians and other Christian bodies VIII DE
| sirnilarly appealed To. II Is the nrst OF
| canized attempt that / have ever known
| 10 align religious denominations win one
| or another of the great polltlcai Pei ieS ,
| / myself am a non-compatant' pul
| feel so sure that the method ADOPTED Ny
| this committee is unfair. ana that ts
| statements are utterly partisan ana un-
t,,,stworthy. that | have no hesitation IN
| calling attention to the communication
| through your columns. On plain ques'
| tion of public policy, such as the currency
| II would be an unspeakaDie misfortune
for religious organizations TO De IN hii'
for one or another OF the great cohtehu
ing parties, and it seems to me that ,hs
man who tries to produce this result does
an injury both to the pubic ana 10 tht
religious body he endeavors 10 use
think l may say for Baptist people thai
they resent any attempt on the part OF
political organizations to use them. lneS
will vote to suit themselves. II. +. II.
The following letter, received by oul
correspondent, accompanied the circulal
given above:
Republican National Committee
New York Headquarters.
Metropolitan Life Building,
New York. September IL. 1886.
Dear Sir: The enclosed statement ma
been carefully prepared by the Republi
can National Committee from the ofiicia
figures of the Baptist Publishing House II
this city. 1t contains facts which, In I'M
opinion OF many prominent Baptsts mere
and in the opinion of the National Com
mlttee should be placed prominently be
fore every member of the Baptist Church
In the United States.
Free coinage means disaster to al
church finances. and will paralyze all be
neyolent and missionary work. as well a
cause a great shrinkage In values OF al
church property and endowments.
The poor will suffer more by the adop
ton of free coinage than the rich. but In
directly all church members VIII be dam
aged and hurt.
The publication of the enclosed statistic
prominently in your paper will be timely
and cannot fail to produce good results.
II is understood. Of course. that this "a
vor, II granted. is without expense TO tn
committee.
JULES GUTHRIDG.