The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1896-09-25
CHURCH EXTENSION.
Embarrassment OF the Work Un-
der the Gold Standard.
Rev. DIR. A. J. KyBett, OF Philadelphia,
who Has Charge of tho Mothodist
Church Extension Fund. Says the
Work Has Been Seriously Him
dered by the Disuse of silver.

MOIh MOulu tfC UiHb6tiOuohJ @fs'rhNN' ~
the free coinage of silver. We take
pleasure in reproducing in this con-
nection the following article from
Rev. DIR. A. j. Kynett, OF Philadelphia,
who has charge of the church extern
sion work of the Methodist church
throughout the country. The article
Is taken from Christianity In Earnest,
which is published by the church for
the special purpose of aiding tho
work of church extension.
"Churches Affected by Sllver-Their
extension work seriously iuterfcred
with" In heated political campaign
all parties gather all sorts of argu-
mentsein support Of their views. This
is well for an educational campaign"
as intelligent people will be thereby as
sisted to right conclusions. This ro-
quires, however, that when anything
unauthorized or false appears II should
be promptly challenged.
An article, under the above heading,
drawing the churches in for partisan
uses has been going the rounds Of tho
papers. We now find IL quoted, with
implied approval, in Zion's Herald, Of
t,20, from the New York Sun Of
20. 1t is too long to quote, but
, 20 feel called upon to refer to certain
passages in it. 1t says:
1.-THE Methodists have about 81 ,0O0, 900
which is used for church extension
throughout the country, under the d.
rection of Rev. A. ]. Kynett, of Pbila-
delphia. This money is loaned on
mortgages on church edlfces through
out the country, Mt n low rate of inter-
est. Much Of this money is loaned In
the west, and the struggling new
churches have, through the hard times
which have followed the agitation for
free silver, in many instances been
unable to meet their mortgage obllga-
tions. The result has been that the
work of the church extension has been
greatly hindercd, and the mission fund
will have to remain idle TO tide the new
churches over this distressing period.
The churchmen have not been Mt n loss
TO place the blame for this condition of
affairs. where II belongs, OH the free sill
ver . agitntora. OF course
the proposition to pay onc-hundrcd-cent
debts with ffty-thrcc- dollars Is n
moral question which might well
arouse the religious element of tho na-
tion in opposition"
Similar statements are made as TO the
church cdifcc fund of the Baptist Home
Mission society; also the Presbyterian
Board of Missions. The impression
sought TO be made Is that the free sill
yer agitntors arc, by these churchmen,
held responsible for the embarrassed
conditions referred to.
Those in charge of the church funds
can answer for themselves. or allow
the statements to pass unchnllenged.
On questions OF fact, MS related to
Methodist church extension, speak Of
ticially. In matters OF opinion. on
which persons composing the manage.
ment may differ. 1 speak only for my
self.
! On questions of fact have TO say
that our treasurer's reports for years
past indicate no great change In the
condition of churches borrowing, un-
til within the last four years, and, with
the exception Of TINT period. the dtH-
Guilty alluded to has been of gradual
growth. There is no grenier acnteIess
of the trouble perceptible rs a result
of "free silver agitation" The interest
received on lonns was greater In 1905
than in 1894 and the same IL true OF
the amount of loans returned, and the
present indications render II probable
that the receipts Of loans returned and
of interest during 1890 will I've about
equal to those OF 1905, and I'm excess OF
those of 1904. find, In the facts shown
by the treasurer's report, absolutely
no Justification for the statement tint
''tho blame for this condition of things
belongs with the free silver ngitators.
Now, as to questions of opinion. / speak
solely for myself. The difficulty with
our Methodist churches, including those
indebted to us for loans, that has re-
suited In the serious embarrassment OF
missionary, church extension and 9TH
er benevolent work, arises out OF the
great reduction that has taken pluce
within the last 20 years In the
value OF farm lnnds and farm products
and the paralysis N manufacturing and
mining Industries throughout the eoun-
try. Chniches indebted to our loan
fund are chiefly in farming, manu-
factnring md mining communities, and.
OF course, suffer in their ability to pny
debts or make benevolent contributions.
Whatever may have been the cause of
this great reduction II has been CO.
ino;.Ja,t ,,,;tJ, tho dicuca 80 cilyar nn1
the establishment of q single gold
standard. This general condition Is at
the same time the cause of our en-
bnrrassments, and of the free silver
agitation. II IL an outrageous and cruel
wrong to accuse directly or by implica-
tion, the great body of the people
thus embarrassed and seeking relief,
with dishonesty. or with disposition
TO repudiate any obligation. personal.
corporate, or OF the state or ration. |
70 demand payment of old obligations
ip money of ncw and higher
standard OF value Is worse thnn Shy.
lock, for Ii Is not $50 nominated in
the bond" These debts are al pay
phie in "coin" or IN "lawful money of
ihe United States" and the creditor
has no right TO demand payment in
gold. When. in 1909. we were con-
to borrow $4,000 to lend
distressed churches, five out of the sik
at the money lending corporations 10
which we first applied wonted obliga-
tions payable in coin. We simply mn
swered: "Gentlemen, lnwful money OF
,he limited States rs goOd enough for
us, and ought 10 be for you We will
give no gold coin obligations" Such
we haye never asked. and never Will.