The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-21
He Tells Them why the PubIfcntion
Department Of the Book Concern
In Not Prosperfng.
TOO MUCH "OLD F0GYISM'
RESULT OF YESTERDAYS BALLOT
ING FOR BOOK AGENTS.
Needed Reforms I'm Various Quarters
Pointed 0ut-Reports ON Amuse-
ments and Temperance.
Special TO the indianapolis Journal.

TIC IOlulllllltt vi tic DOoh 1UICtln ~ y
good place TO spend an hour or so IL you
wish to get into the secret workings Of one
Of the most effective pieces OF the machin-
cry of Methodism-dts publishing depart
ment. 1t is unique In It's origin and In ITS
purpose. and without parallel in It's ac-
comphshments. Little did that preacher In
Philadelphia who borrowed $500 on his own
credit TO begin with comprehend the mag
nitude of the future Book Concern. yet that
$500 was the foundation OF an institution
which now has net capital Of more than
100000 and whose total sales for the quad
reniurn last closed were S. .z5e, ,zs2. with a net
profit OF more than a million dollars, out
of which an average OF 900 has been dis
tributed annually to the relief of the
WORKOUT preachers. the balance going into
the enlargement of the plant for s<zll
larger work. Another unique feature OF
this institution is that it belongs exclusively
to the travelling preachers, as such, so that
whenever anyone ceases TO be q member
of the travelling connection he forfeits all
his interest In IT, having no right to dictate
its policy or share in ITS profits. The fact
that laymen are on its boards and may take
part jim so much of its management as In
here's in the General Conference does not
change the paramount fact that travelling
their property, founded by them on that
borrowed 5000. and managed by them in all
its details. the church. as such, never having
contributed a cent towards it except as 1t
has contributed to the capital of any other
publishing house by the purchasing OF ITS
output.
THE PERIODICAL DEPARTMENT.
The special matter under consideration
yesterday was its periodical department.
The report and discussions revealed an un-
pleasant, but, to my mind, not an unac-
countable condition. 1t was stated that
the increase of a million members had not
shown any increase in the circulation OF
the church's periodicals. and. of course. an
exhortation followed to greater diligence I'm
getting subscribers, instead Of a careful in
trospection to see why all this. Had they
kept silence and asked your correspondent.
he could have condensed much that was
said about existing facts into the real
cause of this relative decline Of
circulation. 1t is simply that dogged
determination to adhere to old meth
ods under new conditions which
handicaps Methodism at almost every turn
falling to recognize that the religious press
is back number as TO religious news, which
is picked up now by the ubiquitous reporter.
and flashed across the continent 6y lightning.
they play at religious news-gatherings and
come along a week or a month after a hum
dred later items have been read In the daily
papers. Nobody reads a religious paper now
for church news, even as to General Confer
ence. hence by so much as 1t drags along In
the old ruts IL is a back number, that the
average Methodist has no use for. They tall
TO recognize another thing that worldly wis
dom ought to suggest. 1t costs no more to
carry a paper from New York to San Fran
cisco than to Albany, and no longer than n
took when the Advocate was started to
carry il to Buffalo, and that pine-tenths
| Of what is now proper matter Tor =
religious paper Is just as readable in san
| Francisco as N New York, and just -
| fresh ten days after 1t is printed a. ten
month. Why, then, duplicate these articles q
half dozen times in as many local Advocates!
| Why have half dozen or more Advocates
| when one would answer? Then there Is en-
attempt to force relatively inferior papers
upon unwilling patrons. Instead OF encour-
eo ps,sn them to the wall whenever an at
| tempt IS made to establish one, ana thus
usually succeeds by furnishing sort OF
general, but a bad compound OF both, ut
| terly out Of harmony with the demands or
the church But the church Will come 70
much tribuiation, as 1t has reached other
conclusions.
| of light upon the question which would pro-
duce good results were not the windows 10
conviction so closed by tradition, The
local paper. and one was started In De-
| troit, TO be assailed in every possible way
by the official papers out the a Metnoosts = oi
the attacks. and is now one OF the best
papers. Of the church. furnishing 2 hand
ed. A like success would attend a like de-
mand everywhere were II not that every
possible impediment Is thrown IN It's way
wili not take But there were Indications
OF tendency II the right direction. There
we're liberal subsidies offered TO several IN
but are at the point to die wnen
may. prolong their lives awhile. but the ex-
%pas ed and u the Methodist periodical Or press - win
/ take the front rank ID Is entitled to- More
than once the thought was expressed that
| dividends were not 10 be considered as the
chief end Of the periodical press
METHODIST ECONOMY.
The discussion on a report from the COM
| mittee on temporal economy touched both
sides and the kernel OF one Of the most deli
| cate questions In Methodist economy In the
beginning Methodist preachers had every
| thing so In common that they kept an item
lied account even OF the socks and shirts
they might receive as personal presents.
and of marriage fees and other perouisites.
that they might divide with those who were
less fortunate, and they took up collections.
! called In early Methodism the dfth collec-
| fion the other four being at the quarterly
meetings, for the relief Of superannuate:
| preachers. and those who had received little
or nothing on their circuits These colisc-
tions were meager. Duf taey helped amaz-
ingly and the occasions for them were num-
| merous and pressing To these were added
the profits of the Book Concern and later the
interest from fund called the charter
| fund In all early Mefhodlsm the division OF
this fund was prorated by the size OF tbs
preachers family. without regard 10 the
| financial condition of the recipient. the
| healthy and weil-to-do sharing equally with
the more unfortunate, and II was found that
very few ever relinquished claim In favor
| OF The more needy This condition con-
tinued down TO within forty years or so and
was departed from only after thorcuxl
| discussion, with many protest from those
whose income was 10 be reduced thereby. %
that now only the most nccessitous case1
receive aid from this fund This. OF course.
subjects every claimant TO the humiliation
OF having his or her domestic affairs more
or less inquired into. and often cuts o0
some who have rendered long and efacIe1j
service. but who are not In real want. Whtl<
4 a. <.c~ <~I1.x.<oa "a, ofhuru wrh0 han