The sun., 1896-08-22
CHURCHES HIT BY SILVER.
THEIB EXTENSION ToRK sERIo u.s.
LP INTERFERED WITH.
The Hard Times Resulting from the Free
silver Agitation Making It Impossible
for Many StruEEling Congregations
40 IL.

The Hard Times Resulting from the Free
silver Agitation Making It Impossible
for Many StruEEling Congregations
TO Take Care or Their Church Debts.
Churches and churchnen have always taken
more or less active interest in political con-
tests, and especially in those OF Presidential
year. The Issues which have usually evoked
this Interest In the organized religious element
of society have heretofore boon chiefly such rs
involved questions of morals only. The posi-
tlon of some of the churchmsn this year is
n notable exception. OF course, tho proposition
to pny one-hundred cent debts with ffty-three
cent dollars is a amornl question which might well
arouse the religious element of the nation In
opposition, but that has had less. perhaps, to do
In influencing thom than the business question
which II involves and which Ia seriously affect
ing the great denominations in their missionary
efforts.
Nearly all OF the large religious denominations
have funds which are used in extending tho
work of the organizations into new fields. Tho
Methodists have about Sl,OO0,00O. which is
used for church extension throughout the coun-
try under the direction OF the Rev. Dr. A. J.
Kynett Of Philadelphia This money is loaned
on mortgages on church edinces throughout the
country at low rate OF interest, and rs soon as
the mortgages and interest are paid and
tho money is returned to the fund II
Is plHCcu IN OJner QOhrteTS, anu 20 tn0
is loaned in the West, and the struEyling new
churches have, through the hard times which
mortgage obligations. The result has been that
hindered, and the mission fund will have to re-
main idle to tide the new churches over this
been at a loss to place the blame for this condi-
tion of things where 1t belongs. on the free-sver
The Baptist Home Mission Society. with head.
quarters at III Fifth avenue. has fund which
corresponds to the church extension fund Of the
Psrt!ns. Mr.. Psrsins % said al yostsrday: ' - V"
the United States @ and Terrtorles The letters
received from nearly every place show that the
finances Of the localities tha. It makes il next ext
to impossible to raise money. In endeavoring
to collect our mortgages we are beset with or.
hculttes. Our loans are called in where they
are past due five years In order to recuperate
the loan fund. which is now practically ex-
hausted. to enable us TO aid in erecting other
houses OF worship In new localities where they
have no churches, and no means to erect them.
the silver scare effects the churches in their
work Of collecting money.
The report from the churches is to the ef-
feet that II IL utterly impossible for them In
the present condition of finance, 10 pay these
mortgages and many OF them readily admit
free coinage they will probably be compelled to
yield their church property. unlcss the society
can carry tnem longer ne result ~ tnht tne
society Is greatly crippled In its work. and our
fear is that IL the silver movement shall DO sue
cessful our work will have to largely cease"
What Mr.. Perkins said related only to mission
churches. There are hundreds of others which
are mortgaged to individuals. banks or trust
companies which are experiencing just AS much
difficulty.
Treasurer Campbell of the Presbyterian
Board of Missions said that their work OF
church extension Is similarly hampered us o
result ot the present business depression.
The Rev. Dr. Leonard ~ the Methodist Mis-
sion Board said that contributions have been cut
considerably by the hard times and he added:
" IL We get lfty-three-cent dollars our friends
will have to double their contributions X We