Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1896-11-11
Clerical Poverty.


where supposed to be generously paid
in the old country as well as III the
new. If numerous statements recently
made In the Times of London are true,
there are many clergymen in England
who might well envy the average work
ingman in that country, and much
more Sc the workingman in America.
In the correspondence printed III the
Times numerous instances of actual
clerical poverty are given. One write"
tells of vicar who died year ago 10
absolute want. His constant depriya-
ton of food left him too weak to resist
disease. When physician was called
he found the vicarage in such a state
of poverty that there was no coal even
with which to make fire. Another
case is related of the daughter OF
clergyman who had not the means to
pay II physician, and therefore would
not call one, although the rule of pro-
fessional courtesy prevails i'll England
as in the United States to some extent
of not charging ministers for medical
attendance. When at the request OF
friend a physician called he said, 1.-THE
girl does not require medicine, but
FOOD Such actual poverty is said to
be more extensive than is suspected
even by those who know of its exist
ence in individual cases.
The reasons for it are declared to be
the small salaries, the excessive taxes
the clergy are required to pay, the Gov
ernmeut claiming q per cent of their
official income in rates and taxes,
though on private incomes the only
charge is 31a per cent; "the multitude
of unnecessary livings and the greater
multitude of unsuitable dwellings; the
diminished interest of the laity in the
services and their unwillingness to
contribute more than they are required
to do; the marriage of beneficed cler-
gymen when they had sufficient means,
but who have since suffered a large
decrease in their incomes and to i'm
provident marriages" Various RENE
dies are suggested, such as a sustenta-
ton fund, and "rector's daughter
thinks it should not be considered scan
dalous for such as herself ito go out
blow struck at the root of that false
gentility which keeps the daughters
of the clergy idle at home when they
might be supporting themselves and
10 tnr nn tn T.
ents." "They seldom marry" she
writes, possibly because the nobler
sex hesitate to domesticate the record
ing angel, possibly, also, because as
clergymens daughters they hang on
the fringe of society to which but few
of them naturally belong, and in which,
consequently. they do not shine, but to
which they are admitted on account of
the official position Of their father.
They seldom mix with the yeoman
class, to which their father probably be-
longed before he became a gentleman
by taking orders, and in which they
might have opportunities of marrying.
AS rule these ladies by birth do not
even undertake between them the
household work in their own homes"
Clerical poverty is not confined to
England. 1t exists in the United States.
At a recent gathering of ministers in
Michigan a number were discussing the
severity of the financial stringency, and
one pastor admitted that he had often
left his table hungry during the last
year so that his children might not no.
for all the family. 1t is not probable
that there are many ministers in such
destitute condition, but there are thou
sands whose income is less than $500
year. OF one of the leading denomi-
nations there are twenty-seyen minis
ters in and around Chicago whose sal
aries during the last year were $500
each or less, and of some the salaries
were less than 5000.
The greatest sufferers are old minis
tiers, whose days of active or accepta-
BILE service are past. AS a class, prea CHI
ers are not money makers or money
savers. OF them the lines of the old
hymn sung by pioneer itinerants is lit
orally true:
mo foot of land do l possess,
No cottage in the wilderness,
A poor, wayfaring man.
Many of these old preachers would be
in the condition of the old horse turned
out to die, except for the sympathy
and generosity of their brethren. Near
ly all denominations in this country
have been raising funds for the relief
of these old ministers and the widows
and orphans of ministers. One denomi-
nation distributes about half million
dollars annually in this way, but so
large is the number requiring relief
that NEST of them receive very small
sum. The time will doubtless come
when each church will provide by en-
dowment, investment and annual con-
tributions for its aged ministers. The
refusal of the salvation army to take
steps for providing for its officers in
old age was the cause of the resignation
of one of its leading officers in the East,
If iS uuitp nroho hla that oUar, 4bia 80