The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-08
A PLEA FOR J. D. KNOX.
A Lay Member INDUCES il
Some Remarks
Concerning the Recent COnvie-
tiOn of John ID. Knox
By the Methodist Conference-AN New
Way of Looking at Some Odd Things.
40 the Editor of The State Iourna1.

To the Editor of The State Journal
In your issue of the 5th, we read I'M
der the caption of Trial of Jno. D.
Knox history of that gentleman's
to try him and the late trial with closed
doors at Manhattan.
He is charged with squandering the
money of widows, orphans and super
animated preachers in speculation, and
OF using his official relation with the NJ.
E. church as a means of getting the
same: OF dishonesty, of lying and
fraud and now tonight's paper states:
j. d. Knox was today convicted of the
charges against him and expelled from
the ministry and Methodist church"
Now if it was wrong for Bro Knox to
invest in real estate for the purpose of
speculation lit was equally wrong for
the MethodistS to furnish money for
such investment. At the time these
loans We're made real estate was good
enough investment for anybody's money
]. D. Knox nor anyone else could fore
see the wholesale depreciation of land
values that has since Occurred-nOr
could any man in Topeka have fOretOld
that the Columbian building would not
prove a wise investment
When he was first arraigned the mas
ses of the people did not know the cause
of such depreciation of values as they
do now and were ready to condemn him
but after these years of financial de-
preston and disturbance it does seem
strange that a body of intelligent Meth
OdiSt ministers cannot understand that
that fault of the failure of JnO. D. Knox
& Co., was due to the decentralization of
silver
While the Kansas conference was de-
n0uncing one preacher, they were ex-
tolling to the skies another, President
William Mckinley, who stands in the
same relation to the Ohio conference
that Jno. D. Knox did to the Kansas
conference.
While We consider President McKin-
ley personally, a grand character and
are proud of his stalwart MethOdism-
yet We do cenSure his allowing his wife
to wear pearl embroidered satin gowns
ermined trimmed cloaks and Jewels
which is contrary to the letter of the
discipline and that too on money be-
longing to other people which is con-
trary to the spirit of MethOdiStic indie
tendance. Bro. Quayle had better sug-
gest that they play that William Nc
Kinley enter not into temptation
The members of the Kansas confer
ence are almost to a unit gold standard
men, because they know that a dollar
OF their salary will buy more than twice
as much as it used to do and they don't
want their salaries reduced either. We
notice in the Journal report of the con-
ference that complaint was made of
the difficulty in collecting money and
that yet not one preacher complained
of not getting his salary" We will
venture to assert that not one of them
got his full salary. AS far as we know
not one got more than one-half or two
thirds of the amount assessed. While
that prince of collectors, Elder Billings
ley was nearly one-half short of his.
Why IS this? Is it because the laity is
neglectful, indolent, careless, extrava-
giant or less Jealous in the cause-neith-
er-We know of people who have made
great personal sacrifices and then could
not raise all their apportionment. 1t is
because of the appreciation of the dollar
which is now. mot an honest dollar and
the cause of thiss trouble holds first
first place on President McKinley's cab
met and then too the secretary of the
treasury who is a gold standard man of
sch pronounced type to preclude
all hope of bimetallism.
Within the next four years the mem
berS of the Kansas conference will pro-
badly be in a condition to learn some
thing. 1t will be impossible to get
money where it is not. Some of the
hirelings will leave the church in dis
gust. Others will sue the laity for
salary (as did one member of the COM
mittee who convicted Bro. Knox) and
place judgments for the same contrary
to discipline. When they have learned
their lesson we expect them to accept
their gold standard salaries gracefully
and make an apology to Jno. D. Knox
for having misjudged him.
MRS. IDA NJ. FERRIS
Usage City, KS, A Lay Member
March 9Th. 1887