The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1910-09-08
Graft and Corruption R0mity Throughout.
Public Service, Declares Mr. Watson In
HIS Speech I'm atlanta, F1ida1

trained nurse to work among our own destl-
tute and afflicted until all are provided for
Then, if we have any surplus doctors and
nurses left, send them abroad. There are
$4,000 negroes in Africa, Chinese in China,
japanese in Japan, and Hindus of India on
the payrolls of the churches; the salaries paid
them are drawn from the congregations of
American churches. / cannot believe that
such system is authorized by the Scriptures.
Salaries of Ministers
The average salary paid to ministers of
the gospel in this country is $633. AS the
cost of living in our country is greater than
anywhere else in the world, most of our
preachers have to live very simply. In thou
sands of cases the wife and daughter have to
do all the domestic work. Human life can
any other country on earth. Necessary food
for the average family can be had for less
than one hundred dollars per year. In China
the missionary gets six hundred for himself,
and another six hundred for his wife-a dis
elimination against the American preacher,
who gets no such bounty on marriage. In
China, the married couple gets hundred
dollars per year for every child born to them.
When the child reaches Is years of age, this
bounty is increased to hundred and fifty
dollars. The American preacher gets no such
encouragement to raise large family. 1t is
no wonder that the forei On missionary lives
in the finest house in the city with house
full of servants, with handsome equi pages
and naphtha launches to travel about in, and
with beautiful mountain homes in which to
enjoy his three months vacation in summer
This discrimination against the American
preacher, adding, as it does to the heavy
burdens already placed upon the shoulders of
our people, seems to me to be unjust, and not
founded on the Bible. I am heartily in favor
OF forel On missions, as carried on by the I'M
mediate disciples of Christ and His followers
for the first 1900 years after His death.
What I am opposed to is the modern innova-
ton, which ocers to the heather such tempt
ing inducements to change his religion, that
it is almost impossible to tell what motive
prompts nina change of heart, or lust for
our money. What | am struggling for, is to
get the churches to do more of their work at
home and less abroad
[ implore the ministry to study my work
with more care and less pre- udice My line
parallel with theirs. They want to improve
social conditions, and so do I. They want to
see the spread of morality, and so do /. They
want men and women to live clearly in pub
lie and private, just as I do. They want to
see an increase of happy homes, and restor-
alton of purity to the public service; there
fore, the preachers and [ are natural allies,
and I do most earnestly hope and trust that
after tonight they will quit abusing me.
God knows the country sorely needs the CO.
operation of every patriot. Prevailing con-
ditions are horribly bad. During the last ten
years the consumption of fermented liquors
increased from 39,OOO0OO barrels to $685.
III barrels. Could any statement be more
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