Of Heresy, Tobacco Chewing, Life Insurance, and $10 A Week

Ohio, 1907

With the East Ohio conference of the Methodist church in session at Cleveland, investigating charges of immorality against one minister, lying, defamation of character and tobacco chewing against another and heresy against a third it is mighty difficult to discover any adequate reports in the Cleveland newspapers as to what the other Methodist conference, the North Ohio, also in session in Cleveland, is doing.

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Zion City, founded by Dowie as the home of the religious cult he established, is to have a race-track and the once holy city is to resound with the names of turf favorites.

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But if, as he declares, the Rev. Dr. King of Uhrichsville, accused of chewing tobacco, has only been chewing licorice, why should he spit out the juice? Our recollection of licorice eating or chewing is that the juice was what was wanted. Else, how would one know he was chewing licorice?

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The Rev. E. N. Middleton has resigned the pastorate of the Tioga (Pa.) Reformed church, where he has been getting $10 a week. "My course is one of absolute necessity," he says. "In an effort to stay here, where sentiment and the spirit of association have so strong a claim upon me, I have even gone to the extent of allowing my life insurance to lapse, thus exposing my wife and baby to dangers which no one could measure. These things I have done in spite of God's teaching that he who fails to protect his family is worse than an infidel. But all my efforts served only to postpone the step I have now taken. Sentiment should always be carefully cherished, but it does not put food on the table."

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Now there is something in that worthy of consideration. The mass of people are very prone to attribute mercenary motives to the minister who accepts a call involving a higher salary. At best the salary of a minister is not high, considering the manner in which he is expected to live, and if one can better himself he has a right to do so and should do so. The cost of living has no sentiment. A minister cannot keep a family properly and educate his children on poor pay. He is entitled to his hire according to his abilities. If one congregation will not pay for what he is worth he should go to another which will. When we see this idea clearly there will be less adverse criticism of the preacher who betters himself by a good call.

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But isn't there something wrong with the minister, who has a family, and preaches for $10 a week, when common day labor brings better compensation? He must have more religion than industry and possibly the minister content with such salary draws more than he is worth.

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—The Mansfield News, Mansfield, Ohio, September 13, 1907, page 4.