Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-12-19
Church. Deb! Raising.

Thcrt are TWO things that ctn h''
found in almost every viIiagr-th, town
lrunkard and ,hc church debt, tn" latter
| being the NOR, annoying OF tn, TWO. How
I" raise th' debt from the church ~
I,nI,tE ,rk Ha l9r SE,2S ,1ni. i, nrr, d, ~ ,,
tain B'uitt. was III" subject of a meet
| ing which th" author describes as t"'-
lows:
After Il brief Statcmen. hy The paste
concerning the need that the Churcl
should he relieved speedily from the bur
drn Of indcbt. dnrsS. Elder Brown. pIiu,i-
pal Of the public school. asked for sIE
geStionS respecting the best way uf aC-
complishins the object.
one of the ladies proposed an oyster
supper; another thought the community
might Lr willing to endure one more fair
for the sale of useful and fancy articles.
ana Still another urged that 4 concert
with home and foreign talent Won Il nc
z sure m"nrN-mdker. trustee wilkins
inclined to It mdgiC-lantern show. with
some comic pictures say views of the
Holy Land for the main attraction. and
then Il bit OF fun afterwards, or inter
sptrsed with the views.
Puclla Bluitt spoke about the beauty
and usefulness of sef-dcnial. and recon-.
mended that everybody 90 without but
ter and caramels for two months and
nut tn" money equivalent of these art!-
clcs into mite boxes.
When these and other plans for obtain
ing money had been offered and urged.
Davis Cook the plumber. and the libra
purpose of makin, few observations.
Il don want to oppOs" none OF III"
schemes presented here tonight" he said.
'or 10 do anything disagreeaDie 10 tn"
brethren and sisters who are better
Christians than am, and many OF whom
have forgotten more. maybe than ever
knowcd. But have The interests Of this
church ut heart. and as We have been
invited ntr" for the purpose of Citing
opinions, ! think | am free to speak my
mind and hope | will do so without
giving offenSe t. nobody. Each man sees
things different. and ii | cant see '.In
Your WAY. that may not Prove YOU are
wrong; but '" got to tell YOU how | sec
en- or else jest Sc, here and keep quiet
This church WAS organized for thn
worship OF God and Tor the preaching os
the everlasting gospel. 1t ain't no shol
1t wasn't got up for trade or for driving
bargains. II s place where sinners anG
saints come 10 pray, the saints To ii
comfort from the preached word While
the sinners git conversational least we
hope they'll cit ii. The church then is
really a Kind of !ittle Heaven hcrc below.
and when Il man comes INTO i he surely
ought To ,eave worldly things on the OUT
side. Worshipine and dickerine amt got
nothing in common. ThItS the way il
strikes me.
Now it seems to me, continued Davis,
that such organization as that
cughn't to go into the eating house bus-
ness or try To sell notions. Wheu you
have an oyster supper for the benefit
Of the church--and mind you don't
make no WY faces at oyster suppers
just regarded oyster suppcrs-l put
It to you, brethren. II ii isn't Just the
same as saying to the outside world lying
in wickedness, Come and help the work
nj spreading the glorious gospel tidlngs
by stufing your digestive organs with
oysters that you'll have to pay more for
and less of 'cm than you can get any
where else. That's not my idea OF the
way pure religions going to b.. spread
from pole e. pole. II you can bring q
man TO realize that he is 4 sinner BY
selling him for quarter in the sane
tuary an oyster stew, about half aS good
as he can buy in an irrcligious place
down the street for - cents. YOU toiI me-
now the thing works and I'll set right
down and hold my peace.
And as for fairs-weii brethren. I
don't want to speak nothing harsh
against fairs. but it really does seem To-
me that folks that have high spiritual
calling ouehtn't to combine rc isious l.II.-
poses with the business of working off
pin-cIshions and doi-ban ni.s and candy
and lcnlunade and pie and perfectly use
less fancy work on kind-hearted neign-
burS who are Stil! in bondage to- their
sins.
"A magic lantern show ain't much pct
ter. although there is no particular on
lection to 1t. rs Il show. any more than
there is 10 a concert which always like
to hear, although J ain got no ear 70!
music But what don't lIhe. said Da-
Wis earnestly lis tryinS to raise. money
by any nl.in that says to a man: Civ.
your d. liars to religion and you'll get 'em
back quick i'll the shape OF sonnet hing
YOU can carry home in Your pocket or
Your digestive tract Brethren. think
the only way to pay off that mortgage
is for YOU and me to go down into our
pockets and to give the last dolla-
we can spare