The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-10-31
ADVERTISEMENT

beats. The effect Of cutting in half, the sp,en-
oid revenue and enormous endowment funds of
these noble institutions by debasement OF the
currency can scarcely be realized.
The1e is still another view to be taken of this
subject. In its relation to foreign missions and
the support. not only of missionaries, but of
schools. hospitals and other benevolent institll-
tons under the care of mis- ,onaries. The
m0ney collected In this country and sent
abroad is In the form of gold drafts upon Lon
don. The man who drops silver dollar In the
contribution box knows. when he does so, that
his dollar is worth one hundred cents In gold.
and will buy exchange ON London to the same
amount as If he had given a gold dollar. just
as soon as this country Is upon silver basis, his
dollar will buy only half dollars worth of gold
exchange in London, so that the contributions
OF the churches intended for the support of for
eign missionary enterprises will be diminished
by one-half, even although they should be fully
reported In our Church journals at their present
figure.
The effect of all this disturbance of values up-
on humane and philanthropie work, and upon
the cause of Christ IL particular 1t is appalling
to contemplate. 1t means an increase In the vol
ume of aggregate suffering 10 the world. 1t
means a diminution In the alieyi alton of hu-
ing off in the supply OF educated Christian min
listers. 1t means the closing up of many of our
churches, the stoppage in large parts of the re-
lisious press. and a general decline of organized
effort for suppression of vice, crime, and inf
deity by purely moral agencies. 1t means So
clal decentralization, and the deprivation of the
civil power of Its most effective support in the
moral sense of the community represented in
this Institution OF government.
Never, since the question of African slavery
was upon trial before the people of the United
States, have ethical questions entered so deeply
into politics as at the present moment. Never
before have politics and m Orals been SO identI-
fed with each other. so that it is almost impos
sible to distinguish them, even In thought. The
moral sense of the nation is opposed to the free
coinage OF silver. for the owner of the silver
bullion, at any ratio which is not commercial
ratio first, because of the Injustice to indiyidu-
ais which would follow In the payment of debts
second, because Of the instructive opposition of
every sensitive soul to the ruin of human lives
and human happiness involved in he proposed
change, without due notice and preparation. of
our existing monetary standard; and third, be
cause of the apprehended influence of such
pc lev upon the interest of the Churches and of
the institutions f0Stered and promoted by them
This is why probably nine-tenths of the mem.
bership of the Christian Churches Of / lis land IL
In opposition to the election of Mr.. Bryan, not
withstanding his personal blamelessness OF lifa
and hls eminently respectable Christian char
acter.
An attempt has been made to make il aDpear
that the Issue is not. after all, one of the coin.
age of silver at this or that mathematical Al ratio
10 gold, but OF the rights of the poor In OpposI-
ton to the oppression of the rich. The cry mas
been raised of mammOn and anti-mammon If
this were true, the Church would not be upon
the side OF mammon. But is not true. II iches
and poverty are not question of gold and silver,
False political economy is opposition to the
truth. and opposition 10 any truth Is Opposition
to ali truth. IL is the duty Of all intelligent an
lghtened, well informed men who love their
country and their kind, to protect the poor
against their own ignorant and foolish Impulses
and against the mis.ea ling advice Of their falss
friends.