The sun., 1903-01-18
THE suN. SUNDAY. JANuARY 1s, 1905.

pespars1, They are printed ir bron.s
and gold-ths Government officials hav'
ing required this - Q preventive measure
In case any one should attempt TO use the
stamps for mailing purposes. -,
q stamp book receives q book which con.
tsins 100 places for stamps. Each time
that the child presents ten cents to the
treasurer he receives q stamp which II
pasted In the book, When 100 stamp re-
ceipts have been delivered, the $40 ha,
been contributed. the book is full, and
stamp collection to show for his dimes.
Then there is the League Of the Golden
Eagles. Youthful contributors TO the fund
may become members Of the league and
wear most decorative button on which
q golden eagle soars. There are enter
tainments and amusements provided foI
the eaglets, too. and church charity "
quite a primrose path for the youthful
feet.
For the grown-ups to whom stamp
albums have lost their charm, and to whom
league buttons and red tape cannot ap.
peal, there are facts. logic, rhetoric and
sentiment. -,
sOne must use the argument that will
have most force said prominent Metho.
dist who has been exceedingly efficient
In the fund work.
-Self-interest does not seem especially
noble, but II In very powerful In this old
world and II will move sorne men who
would be moved In no other way.
The church debt fund u raised literally
cations and communities. The useful
ness Of many churches has been seriously
hampered by debt. The income that should
have sone into church charities, &C.. has
gone TO pay interest on mortgages.
.The ministers who should be the spiritual
~ =. - h.. ,x...a rus ftat,
been 70 burdened with financial work and
worry that they couldn't attend TO their
legitimate duties. The New York Metho-
dist Episcopal churches are 500 900 In debt
The thank Offering will free the churches
and give them chance to turn their money
and infiusnoe into the right channels.
Some folk seem to have an idea that much
of this fund u to 60 into building new
churches. Not q cent OF 1t will be used Tor
that. We'd rather make the old churches
efficient.
with the other purposes, self-interest
isn't the lever that moves givers. The
aged ministers fund appeals to the heart
and sentiment.
sThe way we have neglected our super.
annuated ministers b disgrace to our
Church, and when Church folk can be made
to understand the situation they give
readily. II they have any sentiment about
them:
Wny, our mlnNhIb WHO nave kiVoIl
lifetime OF devoted service to the Church
and ordinarily at a salary which is pro-
hibitive Of any saving. are retired on pen
sions which are at the ma ximum 1925 Q
year and at the minimum ti2S. The widows
Of superannuated ministers fare even worse
than that.
sThe thing 10 blot on our Church record,
burning shame. New York does FAR
better by her policemen, 6remen and
teachers than our Church docs by her
servants. This thank Offering must better
the aged ministers case. and our people
see the need when It is put TO them In the
right way We will give 100000 to the
'The St. Christopher Home appeals to
some OF our New York Methodists more
than any other cause We are pleading.
The cry Of a child gcte down into . good
many hearts, you know.
There's always some side upon which
q person IL susceptible. The thing IL to
figure out what is the susceptible point
and then bring the right sort Of force to
bear at that point. We will raise the rest
of our million before our time limit Is up,
and l think we'll get about 100000 over
the million.
we figure that we'll need that amount
for the specific purposes we've laid out +,
and we may as well 60 on with the work
while We arr at II and have II well organized.
THE biggest thing about this thank
Offering isn't the $40, 600 900 collected, but
the movements that money will start and
that will 60 rolling on and on. the forces
Tor good. that fund will sat free. The re-
suits are simply incalculable.