Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-09-14

travelling continually over the state look
ing after danominatlonai interests, doing
q work which one good man with an as
sistant could do. They do not have sep
arate parts Of the state assigned to them.
put they follow each other In the same
track DR.. EcOb alludes to a little village
OF four hundred inhabitants with all the
denominations eager to get foothold
there. Inc Congregational church has
twelve. the Baptist twenty, the Prcsbytc-
rian SIX the Christian church three, and
the place Is probably visited by an Episco-
paiian and q Catholic priest for OCCASION
al services In private houses. DR.. Ecob
declares that this IL no uncommon case
There are. actually. five or six mission
aries to look after this little hamlet and
they. go in Indian file treadlng upon one
anothers heels, when one man could do
the whole work; and the astounding
statement Is made that the salaries Of
these men average. with their expenses.
two thousand dollars per year.
Ii this statement is correct, and we see
diture of twelve or fifteen thousand dol
lars where three or four would be an am
pie sum. OF course each Of these little
churches OF from six to twelve or fifteen
members has n pastor, with further
waste OF time and money five or six fold
above what Is necessary. Again. all these
churches have to be housed when one
edif1ce would accommodate the whole. and
here Is again great waste of money.
All these churches are pauperized and are
supported by the charities Of the church.
es throughout the country. Religion in
this community is really minister of
incarceration. 1t is confidently stated
that II one wishes to see and understand
the condition of the West. so far as re-
ligious matters are concerned, he has but
to multiply this case by thousands and
tens OF thousands 1t would certainly be
good work for the missionary societies
to thin fhaga ehnrchaC ho
plant more.
Some time ago. a number of promising
young men from Yale Seminary were
sent out to this Western field. and it was
trumpeted all over the country as a most
sacrificing work for the yale band"
Two of these heroic young men were sent
into the destitute regions of the West
and great things were expected of them.
TWO OF them were sent to the Pacific
slope. One was assigned to feeble little
church where four or five others were
struggling for existence in fOrlorn lit
tie town. He published a protest in some
paper against his own work. and one of
the officers of a missionary society stated
that II cost his society thirty thousand
dollars. 1t is reliably stated that church.
es are constituted in the West with two
or three members. four is considered
fair number. and eight or ten are thought
to furnish very promising field.
III these statements did not come from
perfectly reliable sources. they could
ne DeHeNeu. IL Is 10 wonder tnat
the churches. upon learning these facts.
withhold their funds. This competition
among the denominations to propagate
each its own theological tenets at any
cost of money and time has come to be a
serious question. and IL Is quite time to
call halt. Unless there is a change on
the part of the government of the mis-
sionary societies. they must expect a
withdrawal of all support. 1t does not
appear that the facts given apply to the
foreign missionary boards. though In the
judgment of some considerable reduc- |
ton might be made in certain kinds OF
expenses there. Eminent talent Is de- |
manded of course among the leading Of |
ticials and they should be well paid. but |
no business man would consent, as re- |
CARDS his own affairs. to the employment |
of men who could not command good sal |
aries in the ordinary pursuits of trade. |
individuals and churches that furnish the |
funds for the maintenance of these So |
cietics and their operations abroad can
not he blamed for instituting inquiries in |
to their management and disposition of |
funds and laborers.