New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-07
MISSIONS FEEL THE STRAIN.
RELIGIOUS WORK HAMPERED By THE
THREAT OF FREE SILVER
MRS s. I. BALDWIN TELLS HOW THE BLIGHTING
EFFECT OF A POSSIBLE DEPRECIATION
OF THE CURRENCY is FELT BY

EFFECT OF POSSIBLE DEPRECIATION
OF THE CURRENCY is FELT BY
THE CHURCHES
Not only are all the charitable institutions suffer.
Ing from the scare by the precipitation OF the
free silver threat into this campaign. but the MIS-
sionary societies feeling the money stringency
severely as they find It almost impossible to get any
where near their usual amount of contributions
A Tribune reporter visited the home CT the Rev
s L. Baldwin, secretary of the Foreign Missionary
Society OF the Methodist Episcopal Church. yester-
day to earn how the money stringency was affect
ing his society. Mr. Baldwin out Of the city, but
Mrs Baldwin gave some interesting observations OF
her regarding the present crisis and its bearing
on the missionary work Mrs. Baldwin has spen;
twenty years in China and Is as active in missionary
society work her husband. She is president OF the
New-York branch of the Womans Foreign Mission
airy Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church She
said:
Il have a pretty good idea how silver monometal-
llsm works, as / lived in China for about twenty
years and have visited India both Of which countries
are on a silver basis. In China the silver dollar we
used was the Mexican dollar, the principal coin OF
another silver nation. / used to give my cook Mex
lean dollar to go out and market with. and each day
the amount Of Chinese money he could get in ex-
change or the of goods be could buy differed
In India the native rupee is used and this fucuates
even than the Chinese money.
The money stringency and silver agitation have
been serious to our General Board that at its an
nGal meeting in Denver last year it was obliged TO
appropriate $2 900 for salaries. not because SAL
aries had increased or there salaries to
pay, but because the purchasing power Of silver
money had decreased TO tina: amount.
I'VE are feeling the uncertainty that the free-sl-
yer agitation has caused in the size of gifts we are
receiving For instance. in the New-York State
branch we much worried for fear we cannot
raise the $4,000 that are expected TO reach every
year for the cause Our next meeting will be held
in jamestown october u. The present situation
is our one worry. | lie awake nights thinking Of
IT, The General Board is in debt sSO,coo but they
all tell there is no hope of Improvement until
after the election.
The salaries of our missionaries are barely large
enough for them TO live There was a cut OF y
per cent all around last year, and the silver rupee
has fallen so much in value that some or our mis-
sionaries are receiving now only the equivalent OF
500 a year. If free-sver measure is passed and
the American money standard shrinks we cannot
expect as large gifts from people with fixed incomes
and fixed investments, and the result VIII De that
our societies will be greatly crippled.
Mrs Baldwin said she had been much interested
In the visit of Ii Hung Chang.
MANY people thought 1t odd that Ii asked every
body's age. This question is the second question
of courtesy in China The first question Is Have
you eaten rice?' by which they mean are you well
or comfortable. The question as to age Is an
ancient courtesy The Bible tells how Pharaoh
asked Isaac how old he was The years OF my
servant are few and evil replied Isaac"
Mrs. Baldwin told some amusing stories OF the
difficulty Young Americans with boards had In an
swering the age question in China Only aged
Cinnamon have boards .. ,x l., c.,,.
When asked how the missionary work In China
was going on Mrs Baldwin said that the cause ,S OF
Christianity had received great impetus from the
massacre at Ku-Cheng. The missionaries now are
treated better than ever before; MISS NADER ~.
Hartford whose house place OF rescue 10:
those no escaped the massacre, Will san again LOT
China in the same ship by which LII hung |hahg
what this country needs is market for Its
product" said Mrs Baldwin. 'One OF the pest
nossible markets is China. and ! don't think we
rould have done a more stupid tning than to insult
China with our law restricting Chinese immgra-
ton. , s.,o,a,. ,o ,r,s
sionaries in China. He was especially friendly 10
the medical part of work, and SAID tnat we
could accomplish more for Christianity by means
nj that than in any other way. HIS mother gave
81 900 TO establish a dispensary, and Ii hlmselI 80
approved the dspensary idea that he estabiished
one in a Confucian temple. lie told us once that II
we would send medical men among the miners ne
wouId give permission TO convert them to Chris,
tianity and to have the Sabbath observed by theH'