Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1896 — CHURCH EXTENSION. [ARTICLE]

CHURCH EXTENSION.

EMBARRASSMENT OF THE WORK UNDER THE GOLD STANDARD. I Rot. Dr. A. J. Kynett, of Philadelphia, Who Hao Charge of the Methodist Church Extension Fund, Saya the Work Bum Been Seriously Hindered by the Dl*. u<>e of Silver. Advocates of the gold standard, in their attempts to array the church on their side of the financial issue, are I promptly met by the managers of | church enterprises themselves in refu- | tatlon of their claims as to how church wi rk would be disastrously affected by th free coinage of silver. We take t h sure in reproducing in tills connection the following article from the Itev. Dr. A. J. Kynett, of Philadelphia, who han charge of the Church Extention work of the Methodist church throughout the country. The article Is taken from Christianity in Earnest, which is published by the church for the special purpose of aiding tlui work of church extention. •‘Churchps Affected by Silver Their extension work seriously interferred with." In a heated political campaign all parties gather all sorts of arguments in support of their views. This is well for an "educational campaign,” as intelligent people will be thereby assisted to right conclusions. This requires, however, that when anything unauthorized or false appears It should ba promply challenged. An article, under the above heading, draw inc, . ,e churches in for partisan uses ha: been going the rounds of tbo papers. We now ilnd It quoted, with Implied approval, in Zion’s Herald, of Aug. 2'i, from the New' York Hun of Aug. 22d. Jt is too long to quote, but wo feel culled upon to refer to certain passages in it. It rays: "Tile Methodists have about $1,000,000 which Is used for church extension throughout the country, under the direction of Rev. A. J. Kynett, of Philadelphia. This money is loaned on mortgages on church edifices, throughout the country, at a low rate of interest. Much of this mondy is loaned In the west, and the struggling new churches have,through the hard times which have followed the agitation for free silver, in many instances, been unable to meet their mortgage obligations. The result has been that the work of the church extension has been greatly hindered, and the mission fund will have to remaih idle to tide the new churches over this distressing period. The churchmen have not been at a loss to place the blame for this condition of affairs where it belongs, on the free silver agitators. • » » • of course the proposition to pay one-hundred-cent debts with flfty-three-cent dollars is a moral question which might well arouse the FeMgtous element of the nation In opposition.”. Similar statements are made as to the church edifice fund of the'Baptist Home Mission society; also the Presbyterian Board of Missions. The impression sought to be made is that the free allver agitators are, by these churchmen, held responsible for the embarrassed cenditlons referred to.

Th<W in charge of the church funds can answer for themselves, or allow the statements to pass unchallenged. On questions of fact, as related to Methodist church extension, I speak officially. In matters of opinion, on which persons composing the management may differ, I speak only for myself. On questions of fact I have to say that our treasurer’s reports for years past indicate no great change In the condition of churches borrowing, until within the last four years, and, with the exception of that period, the difficulty alluded to has been of gradual growth. There is no greater acuteness of the trouble perceptible as a result of "free silver agitation.” The Interest received on loans was greater in 1895 than in 1894 and the same is true of the amount of loans returned, and the present Indications render It probable that the receipts of loans returned and of interest during 1896 will be about equal to those of 1895, and in excess of those of ISM. I find, In the facts shown by the treasurer’s report, absolutely no justification for the statement that "the blame for this condition of things belongs with the free silver agitators." Now, as to questions of opinion, I speak solely for myself. ’ The difficulty with our Methodist churches, including those Indebted to us for loans, that has resulted In the serious embarrassment of missionary. Church Extention and other benevolent work, arises out of the great reduction that has taken place within the last twenty years in the value of farm lands, and farm products and the paralysis of manufacturing and mining industries throughout the country. Churches indebted to our loan fund are chiefly in farming, manufacturing and mining communities, and of course, suffer in their ability to pay debts or make benevolentcontributlons. Whatever may have been the cause this great reduction it has been coincident with the disuse of silver and the establishment of a single gold standard. This general condition Is, at the same time, the cause of our embarrassments, and of the free silver agitation. It Is an outrageous and cruel wrong to accuse directly or by implication, the great body of the people thus embarrassed and seeking relief, with dishonesty, or with a disposition to repudiate any obligation, personal, corporate, or of the state or nation. To demand payment of old obligations in money of a new and higher standard of value Is worse than Shylock for it is not "so nominated in the bond.” These debts are all payable in "coin” or in "lawful money of the United States,” and the creditor has no right to demand payment in gold. When, in 1893, we were constrained to borrow $50,000 to lend distressed churches, five out of six of the money lending corporations to which we first applied wanted obligations payable in coin. We simply answered, "Gentlemen, lawful money of the United States is good enough for us, and ought to be for you. We will give no gold coin obligations.” Such we have never asked, and never will. "To coin money and regulate its value" Is the constitutional right of the American people, by them vested in congress, and should not be Invaded by private contracts or otherwise. f on questions of policy, or the best possible relief from existing conditions, Iwe think and let think. We make no i partisan plea. Our plea is for charity, 1 thoroughness, honesty and courage.

Neither partisan clamor, nor abusive epithet, nor self-assumed and self-as-serted honesty, soundness, or anything of the kind, should weigh a feather with intelligent and patriotic American citizens. The partisan slogan “sound money," "honest dollars” is a bald begging of the question and an offense of millions of men as honest as the sun ever shone on. The intensity of factional and partisan spirit is truely a revelation of the magnitude of the Issue and of the interests Involved. Honest money must mediate Impartially between debtor and creditor. The terms and history of the promise to pay must have due recognition. If the creditor, after the relation is established. acquires control of gold bullion he has no right to ask that coinage be limited to gold. If the debtor acquires control of sliver he has no right to demand freer coinage of silver than existed when his debt was incurred. The law of Immutable righteousness, therefore, requires that the government, under which the relation of debtor and creditor exists, shall “coin money and regulate its value." Money so coined and regulated, whether gold or stiver or both, is "sound” and ’•honest money” and neither debtor nor creditor can justly complain of a law Which makes it legal tender for debts. So far as the administration of our church extension work Is concerned we shall do our best, under the unavoidable difficulties, and will give those indebted to our loan fund the best possible opportunity to meet their obligations. We will most gladly receive in full payment of principal and Interest the so-called “llfty-three-cent dollars," or any other lawful money of the United States. A. J. KYNETT.