The herald., 1896-10-12
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!: CHURCHES AFFECTED BY SILVER

In heated political campaign
all parties gather all sorts OF ar
guments in support Of their views. rms
is we'll for an educational campaign,
as intelligent people will be thereby as
sisted to right conclusions. rms re-
uuires, however, that when anything
unauthorized or false appears 1t should
be promptly chd:fcE.seeh
An article under the above heading,
drawing the churches in for partisan
uses has been going the ROUNDS ci we
papers We now find it quoted, with I'M
piled approval, in lions Herald, OF aug @
ust 26th, from the New York Sun of Aug
ust 22d. It is too long to quote, but we
feel called upon to refer to certain pas
sages in it. 1t says:
.'The Methodists have about $1,0OO00O
which is used for church extension
throughout the country, under the dlrec-
tion Of Rev. DR.. A. j. Kynett of Phila-
delphia, This money is loaned on mort
cages on church edifices, throughout the
country, at a low rate of interest. Much
of this money is loaned in the west, and
the struggling new churches nave
through the hard times which nave 1oi-
lowed the agitation for free silver, IN
many instances been unable to meet
their mortgage obligations. The result
has been that the work of church extern
sion has been greatly hindered, and the
mission fund will have to remain IDLE
to tide the new churches over this dis
tressing period. The churchmen have
not been at a loss to place the plame
for this condition of things where 1t be-
longs. on the free silver agitators. {.
OF course, the proposition to pay
one-hundred cent debts with ffty-three
cent dollars is a moral question Whicn
might we'll arouse the religious element
of the nation in opposition"
Similar statements are made as 10 the
Gu, Of 10
mission society; also the Presbyterian
board of missions. The impression
sought to be made is that the free silver
agitators are, by these churchmen, heid
responsible for the embarrassed condl-
tions referred to.
Those in charge or the otner church
funds can answer for themselves, or al
low the statements to pass unchallenged.
On questions of fact, as related to Meth
odist church extension, speak ofhc1ally.
In matters of opinion, on which persons
composing the management may dlHer'
I speak only for myself.
On questions of fact l have to say
that our treasurer's reports for yeas
past indicate no great change in the
condition of churches borrowing until
within the last four years, and, with tne
exception of that period, the dl1llcuiIY
alluded to has been of gradual CROWN.
There is no greater acuteness OF the
trouble perceptible as result OF lree
silver agitation" The interest receiver
on loans was greater in 1895 than III
1894 and the same is true of the amount
of loans returned, and the present 1ndl'
cations render it probable that the re-
ceipts Of loans returned and or interest
during 1896 will be about equal to those
of 1895 and in excess OF those OF 1891.
l find, in the facts shown by the treas
urer's report, absolutely no justification
for the statement that 1.-The blame for
this condition of things belongs with the
free silver agitators."
Now, as to questions of opinion, l
speak solely for myself The difficulty
with our Methodist churches, including
those in debt to us for loans, that has
resulted in the serious embarrassment
of missionary, church extension and
other 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 ana
mining Industries throughout the coun-
try. Churches indebted to our loan fund
are chiefly in farming, manufacturing
and mining communities and, OF course,
suffer in their inability to pay debts or
make benevolent contributions. What-
ever may have been the cause or this
great reduction it has beer. coincldent
with the, disuse of silver and the estab-
lishmenfN of a single gold standard.
This general condition is. at the same
time, the cause Of our embarrassments
and of the free silver agitation. 1t is
an outrageous and cruel wrong to ac-
cuse directly or by implication the great
body of the people thus embarrassed
and seeking relief with dishonesty, or
with a disposition to repudiate any OBJ
legation, personal, corporate or of the
state or nation. To demand payment
of old obligations in money OF. a new and
higher standard of value is worse than
Shylock, for 1t is not so. nominated in
the bond" These debts are all payable
in COIN or in lawful money of the
United States" and the creditor has no
right to demand payment in gold.
When, in 1898, we were constrained to
borrow $4,000 to lend to distressed
churches five out of six of the money
lending corporations to which we first
applied wanted obligations payable IN
gold coin. We simply answered Gen
tlemen, lawful money of the United
states is good enough for us and
ought to be for you. We will give no
gold coin obligations" Such we have
never asked and never will. "To coin
money and regulate its value" Is the
constitutional right Of the American