The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-02-17

A White Elephant on It's Hands.
since the publication in The Herald
Oh the story of the building of the
ne" church in the town of Livingston
IN orangeburg county, South Caro-
iina' the full lime light of publicity
mas been turned on it, and all the
facts in connection with it have been
made public.
Inc story as published in The
Herald Is fully substantiatea. but has
led to a peculiar situation. The
church (building) is now rejected hv
the church (organization) and the lit
tie town finds itself with a white ele-
phant on its hands in the shape of a
handsome and well appointed church
building.
"A dispensary is being operated in
the town, and the profits arising from
1t were so great that after paying for
all the municipal improvements a
considerable sum remained. What to
do with this money was a question
that worried the town authorities NOT
a little, until finally some one pro-
posed that 1t be applied to building a
church. A proposition was made to
the members Of a country church
near the town, to build a church and
give it to them, which was accepted.
after the pastor had consulted with
his presiding elder and obtained that
ofhcial's sanction to the plan.
The members of the church agreed
to aid in the building, but as the work
progressed so we'll and they were not
pushed to put their hands down into
their jeans, they gave no further aid
than that which accrued from pat
ronizing the dispensary, and the
church was paid for wholly with dis
pensary money. 1t is completed now,
the handsome pews having been put
in during the past week, and it is
ready to be opened for divine SER
vices.
But now it appears that there will
be trouble in getting these services
started.
The Southern Christian Advocate
questioned the truth of the story as
published in The Herald, and called
upon the Methodist preachers to ex-
plain. This has been done in a letter
from Rev. c. B. Smith. the presiding
elder of that district, who states that
The reports as sent forth in the
newspapers are largely true" He in
Inmates that building a church with h.
dispensary money is no worse than
building school house with such
funds, but he adds that mo Meth
odist preacher shall ever preach in it
while 1 am on the district" unless
the niger authorities will now give
their consent.
This they may not do. The- no
Methodist pastor will be allowed TO
preach in it, and of course the other
denominations cannot afford to take
less exalted position. And SO this
handsome, commodious and comfort
able church must remain closed. and
the people be compelled to attend
some less attractive or convenient
church, or perhaps unable to attend
any church at all.
NOW isn't this a curious complica-
ton? Here is a nice church. which
the church authorities will not ac-
cept because they claim that figura-
lively the devil built it, But whar
shall be done with it? Having been
built it should and will be put to some
use. 1t might be converted into a
school house, but shall the children
be taught in a house which the
grown-ups fear to use because it was
built out of dispensary profits? So
eventually, because of this would be
logical, it may be converted into q
dispensary. One of the finest and
most attractive buildings in the town
being a dispensary, while congrega-
tions worshipped in much inferior
buildings, would again be perplex-
ing condition So would Il not be
best for this house, now that IL is
built, to be accepted and used by the
church, lest it be used for a less
worthy purpose?
is not Sam Jones's illustration ap-
phcapie In this case that, if you find
the devil going your way, don't hesi-
tate to ride him, if that will be a helm
TO you in serving a good cause ?-Au-
gusta Herald.