Gunnison news-champion., 1920-10-15
OPEN LETTER TO THE
ABLE MEN OF eUIn|s0n

Gunnison as the seat Of the State
Normal School has certain responsi-
bilities to meet, that towns not favored
By q state institution, are not obliged
70 comply with
most respects With hut very few ex-
eeptions her people, both old and
young, are high-minded. decent and
honest Almost TO q man they are
ready and anxious TO do anything that
seems reasonable to promote the
growth Of the school and the welfare
Of the students. II they have 1t any
time or are now failing 70 do what .
community should do to deserve .
state-supported school. their failure
Il due 70 some lack Of knowledge or
Information and not st al to any dis
position to injure the town and the in
stitutions in it.
In spite of this fine attitude Of our
people, however, Gunnison is now lay
ing herself liable to . most serious
charge She is practically q preacher
less town, in SO far rs the Protestant
element is concerned. The Catholic
element is meeting its responsibility in
fine shape. The Episeopalians hold
lCC8t All0 h8bC NAIGhL huAnleSEI klGkG
once q month. The great mass Of
Protestants, however, have been with
out preacher for five months. Where
necessity has created q demand for
the services of clergyman, in many
cases at least, laymen have been oblig-
ed to perform the functions Of the
minister. Possibly we could get along
this way indefinitely, but people do not
like il. When there is Q wedding they,
desire the minister; when there 10 o
funeral, they ought by Ill means to
have fully ordained clergyman to Of
6ciate. Besides the entire county
not merely the town Of Cunnison-has
no preacher; and when one is needed
at Crested Butte, Pitkin. Powderhorn.
or Ohio City, Gunnison Is in no posi-
ton to render assistance. The entire
ranching area Of the county is in the
same fix. It is . shame and dis
grace-not merely an inconvenience.
The question is not, What are the
church members going 70 do about 1t ?
It Is rather, What are al the good citi-
zens among the protestants going to
do about it? It is quite as much the
concern Of the business man or ranch
man who is not church member - Il
Il that Of any deacon who pa0es the
collection plate on Sunday.
There are scores Of the finest boys
and girls in the world who are grow
ing up around here without any church
privileges. They are just psgans, II
the truth wee known. They do not
know the Bible either as literature or
a guide to life; they are quite uncon-
cerned about such things. To some
Of them this may be no serious handi-
cap; but some Of them, at least, would
be better off il they regarded some Of
the simple principles Of Christian liv-
ing as the sanction for their conduct
and their life choices.
Thsn, too there are ths young peo-
pie who come to the school from .
distance. Many Of them are members
Of protestant churches at home. They
eome up here and 1nd No church pri-
vileages. the consequences Is Z general
loss Of the feeling Of responsibility-a
letting down in moral tone, and q
great loss of the most important ele-
1ent IN the young persons life
Christian idcalism. Very soon the
student begins to doubt the worth
whileness Of practically everything.
She becomes q cynic and lack-faith,
with irreparable loss to herself.
The people of Gunnison ought to
know this and ought to exert them
selves to counteract the evils that
ooma from our being . churchless II
NOT Goddess community. The business
men and the teachers alike, the ranch
men and all ought to zee that Gunni-
son has protestant church and . cap
able, efficient preacher. There II only
oae way to do Il; that Ii to get the
things needed and pay for them.
The church budget for the commu-
nifty church in Gunnison is at least
5000. Big Is that looks, II il not
much. Men Of means ought to see
that It Is raised and ayailabls at the
beginning Of each year. Instead Of
giving two dollars ssto the preacher II
he happens to sslike" him, . man ought
to give hundred and two dollarH 70
the church budget because the cpmmu-
nifty needs the church. Poorly rs the
church has been supported in this
county it has made too heavy demands
upon very few; and others, under
or that they didn't like the preacher,
or some other untenable excuse, have
given next to nothing to keep up the
institution. There ought to be fifty
men in the county to give one hundred
. year to the church budget. Let
poorer people give what they can; bat
don't kill the institution by putting The
whole responsibility for It's support up
on the washerwoman who can pay
seventy-five cents q year, or the old
man who can and does pay fve d0llarl
IN the hope that be may have decept
Christian burial.
This town has . number Of business
man who have done well, thanks TO Tx
citizens Of the town and county. From
these same business men tie town md
eeunty have a.riGht q expeet some
thipg BY way a. suppart II the sean-
dard hStitufinns ok avilixn4ioa. Ihey
Anve . right p expect goods roQ1d
!, -, nj . peltsy eiaaIl -el1Dpe exegea
\ = u.dopheadly ts.e tlee - aeyys
sssne g thS pezeng g q ysZs !
4 iareh- II rGllp lpp1n fIj&y II ~
1T - - = - ~