The evening bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1887-1905, 1896-09-26
CHURCH EXTENSION.
EMBARRASSMENT OF THE WORK UN-
DER THE GOLD STANDARD.

Has Been seriously d1uuereu Dy the Dis-
use OF Silver.
| Advocates of the gold standard, In
their attempts to array the church on
their side of the financial issue, are
promptly met by the managers OF
church enterprises themselves in refu-
tation of their claims as to how church
work would be disastrously affected by
the free coinage Of silver We take
pleasure in reproducing in this con-
nection the following article from the
Rev. DR.. A. J. Kynett of Philadelphia
who has charge of the Church Extern
ton 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 the
work of church extention.
Churches Affected by Silver-Their
extension work seriously interferred
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 1t should
be promptly challenged.
An article, under the above heading.
drawing l.le churches in for partisan
uses has been going the rounds of the
papers. We now find 1t quoted, with
implied approval, in lions Herald, of
Aug. rs, from the New York Sun of
Aug. 22d. 1t is too long to quote, but we
feel called upon to refer to certain
passages in it. 1t says:
THE Methodists have about $1,000, 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 a 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-
lions. The result has been that the
work of the church extension has been
greatly hindered, and the mission fund
will have to 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 northumberland
debts with fifty-three-cent dollars is a
moral question which might we'll
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
-l-N l. h. g. iii
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 !
ficially. In matters of opinion, on !
which persons composing the manage
ment may differ. speak only for my
self.
On questions of fact 1 have to say !
that our treasurers reports for years !
past indicate no great change III the !
condition of churches borrowing, I'M
til within the last four years, and, with
the exception of that period, the diff ]
Guilty alluded to has been of gradual
growth There is no greater acuteness
of the trouble perceptible as a result
of free silver agitation" The interest
received on loans was greater in 1895
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 justification for the statement that
"the blame for this condition of things
belongs with the free silver agitators."
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 Extention and 9TH
er benevolent work, arises out Of the
great reduction that has taken place
within the last twenty 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 II 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 impli-
cation, the great body Of the peo-
pie thus embarrassed and seek
ing relief. with dishonesty. or with a
to repudiate any obligation,
personal, corporate, or of the state or
nation. To demand payment of old