The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1911-12-12
By West Virginia Millionaire
Who Offers Big Sums
Toward Its

- GQNtGtEQ LIZ
"A west .Vff mia MILL pnaire, who
refJ to contribute owafd the
building OF q new, Mel odist Epis-
cor church in hfs own town on
the ro6nd that there vas no more
need for eight diRereIt churches
there than there was for eight DIFF
sfeFent postomces; 1eHnes he posts
ton and advocates a union OF all
ChristiaH churches, in an open letter
published In the Christian STANDARD,
of Cleveland, O., and the letter Is
Reproduced at the request Of g
yCIarksburg minister:
In common with all other men OF
wealth, I receive great many ap-
pIlcations for help from the
churches. have had pleasure in
giving what i have given in the
past to the religious organizations
or our city sOf Late. however, GER
tain thoughts concerning the
churches have occurred to me that
will govern my actions in the fu-
tupe when similar requests for help
arer made to me. only yesterday a
scommittee from the Methodist Epis-
copaI church came to me with q
III.,uuest that / -cohtffbHt6 towards
kthes ssrectgpu of new building for
the use Of the congregation. In ac-
cordance with the views that have
lust recently adopted with reference
to the churches, / firmly refused to
give anything towards the. erection
of a new building for thesuse OF
that congregation alone. The de-
cision makes it advisable for me to
set forth in this letter my position
on the question OF giving help to
the individual congregations In
town, and especially the question OF
helping the various building enter
prises Of the local churches.
Let me say. in the first place. as
kindly as can, that the churches
in our town are not success from
q business standpoint, and am
first OF all, a business man. There
are eight churches here, and there
is no more need for eight churches
than eight postofRces or eight pub
lie schools. DO you not sing I'm
on business for the G1ing?" But
the methods now in vogue are poor
business methods. No board OF ed
lacatton, would Use them, nor would
any corporation OF my Knowledge
The territory OF the churches over
laps. there is too much friction, too
much expense, to much duplication
OF machinery. and not enough OF
what we business men call results
AS a direct consequence OF the d.
vided condition OF the Christian
people, the gospel PROGRAM OF the
Saviour is not being carried out in
our community nor in any commu-
nifty under the sun. Even the
church members are not being
reached by the services of the
churches. Take an illustration
Last wednesday evening four prayer
meetings were held. had repre-
sentative at each meeting who was
instructed to count the worshipers.
In one church there were SIX pres
ent. At another church the SER
vices were given up, only the pastor !
ana the janItor being there at the
time TOT the pSSAAu4AE "a
vice. At the third church twenty
four. were present, and at the fourth
church there were thirty-seven.
Only sixty-nine in all. OF this
number only. eleven we're men. The
population OF our town is 2,346-
These facts. these companions.
speak for themselves, The Sunday
night services lend themselves al
most as. we'll to the same painful
analysis. Gentlemen OF the
churches there is something wrong
The churches must get together.
There is imperative need OF union.
You must combine forces. The job.
is too big for the Individual church.
and, in fact, it may call for the best
enorts Of the United church. One
thing Is certain. and that is, that
the present situation, is disastrous
and reasonable to the risen Lord
Did not the savIOus pray for
union?
Now the. point. u have certain
propositions to make to the
churches. Although 4 am not
member Of any church. believe In
Chriatianity and especially do be-
Z s. oh