The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1896-09-29
CHURCH EXTENSION.
Embarrassment of the Work I'M
der the Gold Standard.
Rev. DIR. A. j. Kynett, of Philaste iphia,
Who Has Charge of the Methodist
Church Extension Fund, says the
Work Has Been Seriously Him.
dered by the Disase of silver.

|
promptly met by the managers of
church enterprises themselves in refu-
tation of their claimsas to how church
work would he disastrously affected by
the free coinage of silver. We take
pleasure in reproducing in this con-
nection the following article from
Rev. DR.. A. j. Kynett, of Philadelphia,
who has charge of the church extern
sion work Of tho 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 the
work of church extension.
Churches Affected by Silver-Their
extension work seriously iuterfered
with" In heated political campaign
| all parties gather all sorts of argu-
ments in support of their views. This
| is well for an educational campaign"
as intelligent people will be thereby as
sisted to right conclusions. This re-
quires, however, that when anything
unauthorized or false appears it should
be promptly challenged.
An article, under the above heading,
drawing the churches in for partisan
uses has been going the rounds Of the
papers. We now find it quoted, with
implied approval, in lions Herald, Of
August 26, from the New York Sun of
August %. 1t is too long to quote, but
we feel called upon to refer to certain
passages in it. 1t says:
"The Methodists have about 81 900, 900
which is used for church extension
throughout the country, under the d.
rection of Rev. A. j. Kynett, of Phila-
delphia. This money is loaned on
mortgages on church edifices through
out the country, at 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 obliga-
tons. The result has been that the
work of the church extension has been
greatly hindered, and the mission fund
will have 10 remain idle to tide the new
churches over this distressing period
The churchmen have not been at a loss
to place the blame for this condition of
affairs, where it belongs, on the free sill
yer agitators. OF course
the proposition to pay one-hundrcd-cen
debts with fty-three-cent dollars is
moral question which might well
arouse the religious element of the ma
ton in opposition"
Similar statements are made as to the
church edifice 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 agitators are, 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 unchallenged
On questions of fact, as related to
Methodist church extension, | speak of
ficialy. In matters of opinion, on
which persons composing the manage
ment may differ, / speak only for my
self.
On questions of fact l have to say
that our treasnrer's reports for years
past indicate no great change in the
condition of churches borrowing, nm
til within the last four years, and, with |
the exception of that period, the diff |
Guilty alluded to hHs been of gradual |
growth There is no greater acuteLess
OF the trouble perceptible as result |
of free silver agitation" The interest !
rnpoivnl On lonnc yUoC oraater In ISos |
than In 1894 and the same is true of |
the amount Of loans returned, and the
present indications render it probable
that the receipts Of loans returned and |
of interest during 1896 will be about
equal to those Of 1895, and in excess of
those of 1894. / find, in the facts shown
by the treasurer's report, absolutely !,
no justifica ton for the statement that
"the 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
VI DtucNOleDC WOTk, HTlSeS OuC VI lilc
great reduction that has taken place
within the last 90 years in the
value Of farm lands and farm products
and the paralysis of manufacturing and
mining Industries throughout the coun-
try. Churches indebted to our loan
fund are chiefly in farming. manu-
featuring and mining communities, and,
of course, suffer in their ability to pay
debts or make benevolent contributions. |
Whatever may have been the cause of |
this great reduction 1t has been CO.
incident with the disuse of silver and |
the establishment of a single gold |
standard. This general condition is at |
the same time the cause of our en-
barrassments, and of the free silver |
agitation. 1t is an outrageous and cruel |
wrong to accuse directly or by implica-
ton, the great body of the people |
thus embarrassed and seeking relief, |
with dishonesty, or with a disposition |
to repudiate any obligation, personal,
corporate, or of the state or nation. |
TO demand payment of old Obligations