Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, April 25, 1909, Page 41

Page views left: 0

You have reached the hourly page view limit. Unlock higher limit to our entire archive!

Subscribers enjoy higher page view limit, downloads, and exclusive features.

Text content (automatically generated)

WEALTH BENUMBS RELICION Effect of Rich Possessions on Trinity | Church, New York. EXHIBIT OF PRINCELY PAY ROLL ‘An Indletm: t Againat a Chureh Core poration, but Not Against Re- liglon—Results of Lively Amitat Trinity church corporation of New York City, the richest single division of a re- lgious hody In the Unitod States, If not in the world, 18 a source of frequent discus: sion and eriticism in the public prints. Abuses of the rich resources of the cor- poration is the provocation locally, intenai- fied by acts of trus which are re- garded, rightly or wrongly, as a deflance of public sentiment. The nature of case against Trinity ls detalled by Ray Stannard Baker in the current American Magazine, and a glance at some of the evidence offered In support of an “indic ment of the richest church In America’ will be found enlightening: Like many of the great trusts and cor- porations, Trinity has become inordinately wealthy. No church in the world, perhaps, has so much property and such a varied and costly equipment. The value of fts property fs beyond $50,000,000. Of this about two-thirds fs distinctly church property, untaxed: for Trinity parish not only owns the magnificent church which stands in the midst of the =paclous and beautiful (and enormously veluable) old church yard at the head of Wall street, but it owns and conducts nine other churches, some of then: nearly as large as Old Trinity itself. Tt sl80 owns a number of church houses. scheol bulldings, a hospital, and a ceme- tery, all of whieh are included in its list of untaxed church property. This vast machinery of service is controlled by Trin- fiy parish, a corporation similar to other business corporations, except that the di- rectors are known as vestrymen, the gen- eral manager as rector, and the stockhold- crs_Aas communicants. Like many other corporations, Trinity has a large income producing Investment outside of its actual operating plant. About one-third of ita property—to the value of over $16,000,000 (as- séssed value, as given in the Trinity re port, $13.646,200)—1s in rented lands and tene- ments. In short, it Is a big business cor- poration: calling it a church does not change Its character. o An Early Grant. One of the very first things that our fore- fathers Qld upon coming to America was to set up churches: and one of the earliest churches so set up in New York colony was Trinity. It was established in 1607— 210 years ago. It was fostered then, and it has becn encouraged since, exactly like any other public service corporation—only with a greater degree of generosity. In the early days of raliroading, for example, the people were so eager to extend the sarvice of transportation throughout the country that they gave to rallroad corpor- atlons vast grants of “honuses” of land, they presented them with free franchises conveylng special rights and privileges, and they even exempted railroad property from taxation. In exactly the same way Trinity church was bullt up. In 1697 a franchiso wal granted to Trinity to build a church “sit- wate in or near the street called Broad- way and it was ta be “for the use and behoof of the inhabitants from time to time inhabiting or to fRhabit within our city of New York, in communion of our protestant church of England.” Eight years Jater came the “bonus” or grant of land, then called the Queen's farm, which ex- tended plcturesquely along the Hudson river on the west side of Manhattan island. This tract, now densely covered with human habitations, was then practically uninhabited. Since then for over 20 years that part of the property used for church or educational purposes has not been taxed It has been calculated that the remitted tax on Trinity church property for the last 200 years—the free gift of the people of New York regardiess of creed—would amount to far more than the present total value of the property of Trinity. The orlginal grant had heen made, as I have shown, to all “of the inhabitants of our sald city of New York," in communion with the church of England. Naturally other churches than Trinity thought they should have a share of the property; but Trinity would not release its grip. And in 1814, the vestrymen of Trinity succeeded in getting a law passed by the New York jegislature which at one stroke limited the control of the property to “‘members of the congregation of Trinlity church, or of any of the chapels belonging to Trinity cor- poration.” Thié was the first step in a Jong process of centralizing and narrowing the control of the property Chang! Policl After 1814 the policy of the great church began to change. Ipstead of serving all the inhabitants it devoted less and less of its income to the bullding up of outside churches and spent more and more on Its own services. Instead of helping a chapel to become Independent and self-governing, it established chapels and kept absolute control of them. In 1814 it had only twe dependent chapels—8t Paul's and St John's; today It has nine. One of the most remarkable conditions brought out in the Hughes' Investigation of the life insurance companies was the fact that their bpoards of directors were practically self-perpetuating bodies. Nomin, ally they were elected by the pelicyholde and stockholders, but @s & matter of fact few policy holders were ever present, and the elections were controlled absolutely by the men In power. Suchi 18 the case with Trinity corperation. Though there are many hundreds of com- municants entitied to vote at the Trinity the ['seems to afflict those who control election, comparatively few ever attend. At one clection the twenty-two members of the vestry were elected with & total of twenty-three votes. The vestry has beer in cffect a self-perpetuating bedy, controluig \n enormously valuable property, making ST. PAUL, U.S.A no public reports at any time, and oblivious to eriticiem either from within the church or without. What the result of the such a sel -perpetuating, frresponsible boa 4 control of of vestrymen, who could be reached by | no griticism? It is very little different from the result | in other corporations, Perhaps it wi t anything, worse, because there was accountability on the part of the board of directors (vestry). An insurance de- partment at Albany made, at least, a pre- tense of supervising the insurance com- panies, but there was no church department at Albany—no one on earth who had any power to demand any sort of an aceount- ihg from Trinity corporation. And un- limited power over vast unearned property in the hands of a few men, who are not accountable to anyone, can work out in only pne way—whether the men are organ- ized under a churchly name or not. And what is that result? mbing Effect of Wealth A curious,, Insidious, benumbing disease un- earned property. Subtle psychological changes take place within them. One might expect such men to say to themselves: “The people have endowed us with special franchise privileges, they have granted us land to work with, they have buflt up this land and increased its value, they are pay- ing us a large yearly income, they have remitted our taxes for over two hundred years. We, therefore, owe them the most enthusiastic service and the frankest accounting of our stewardship.” Do they say this? Not at all. By the curipus psycholog- fcal change to which I have referred they come to act as though the property which they control was in reality their own. They resent any Qquestions regarding It, they spend the income where and how they like; they make no accounting to anyone. Poople ordinarily expect to pay some- thing, make some self-secrifices for their religious advantages. Some of the most herolc stories in the world are told of the sacrifices of men and women to build up places of worship, but the congregations of Trinity parish get thelr religlous ad- vantages practically for nothing. Accord- Ing to the financial statement issued re- cently by Trinity (the first public report in over fifty years) It costs $30,870 to main- tain the ten churches and the schools of Trinity ‘for one year. Of this vast sum the members of all the churches contribute Just $18210 (In pew rents). All the re- mainder of the expense was met from the rental income from the property owned by Trinity. In other words, the poor people and other tenants on Trinity lands have paid not only for the support of the chapels in the poorer part of town, but they have bullt the rich up-town churches and are paylng practically all the running expenses. Communicants in Trinity wor- ship in churches which they have not bult, and to the support of which they contribute nothing. They are, In short, religlous paupers. Princely Expenses. It is true that the congregations of Trinity churches contribute during ' the year $94,000 for special charities, but none of this money went to the church support, ana even If it had been so applied it would not have begun to liquidate the cost of operating the churches. Music alone cost Trinity last year (in- cluding care of Organs) ‘368,000, or over three times as much as the members con- tribute to the entire support of*the church. There have been many nts of the Trintty w‘jv :fifi 3 Water), but at least ‘the; eat eal of tine musie, also for twenty-eight clergy- men at a cost of $101,67¢ and for thirty-twe sextons and engineers at $26,55. I find 4n item of “fuel and light of churches” of $12,280. The total contributions of Trinity communicants for church purposes (§18,000) will pay that, and some to spare. As In the life Insurance companies, salaries .range high; the rector Is sald to recelve the highest salary of any clergy- man in America, $15,000 o year, and some of the vicars receive $8,000 each—more than || the salary of a United States senator. Be- sides the salaries many of the clergy also recelve free residences (on partial un- taxed property, so that they have no rent to pay—a big item in New York City— and when they retire they are generously pensioned. It was found in the life insurance com- panies that, although keen busin men conducted the operations, some of the real estate owned ylelded & very low Income. The same is true of Trinity. It cost just short of $50,000 for salaries and office ex- penses in conducting the real estate busi- ness of Trinity, and yet the net income la year on $16,000,00 worth of real estate was only about $376,000 (gross $762,- 000)—or a little more than 2 per cent. Tenement house property in New York ordinarily expected to pay from 5 to & per cent net, and other rented property not le: than four, per cent. Losing Its Hold. Complaint has been widely made (especi- ally in New York City) that the church was losing Its hold on the people, that people do not go to church as they once did nor take the Interest in religious affairs that they should. H the position of Trinity with its low standarde of soclal justice and morality had anything to do with that tendency? When the public, and the courts, and the legislature, have to castigate a church to higher moral stan- dards, why should the people go to church for instruction? What Inspiration has the church to give? Spending #6300 a year for music and $340,000-mostly taken from the poor—-to support its churches, it has been willing to let those poor sleep in disease-breeding dark rooms and sutfer for the want of sanitary conveniences. How, under such clrcumstances, can It preach a lowly Savior and the love of man to man? Every Sunday in all the ten churches the usual religious services are held, and there are also the usual Sunday schools and week-day meetings. 1 have attended at various times, most of the Trinity churches. Bome of them are well attended, some not #0 well; and the audiences are just about what one finds In the ordinary New York church. Besides the regular worship there are also the usua! missionary and philanthrople socleties, sewing classes, kindergartens and many clubs for young people. One of the Interesting and valuable activities of St Paul's chapel is a working girl's club which furnishes a meeting and luncheon place in one of the church bulldings. But per- haps the most extensive single department of the activity of Trinky outside of its strict religlous work Is the day schools There are seven regular day schools con- nected with seven of the churches—some- what similar to the parochlal schools of the Roman Catholics. A manual training, cooking and drawing school is maintained in Washington square and there are three night schools. All this work Is free to puplls, the only obligation being that the children shall attend Sunday school. The work follows closely that of the publie schools, save that a certain amount of re- liglous instruction Is also given. School work cost the parish last year $63,765. What does Trinity do for the churches and charities outside of its own parish? As I sald before, the congregations of Trinity contributed $M.000 last year for various charities and benevolences. But Trinity corporation itself. which was chartered to minister o all the inbabltants of New THE OMAHA cluded. All $150 for an Imported Suit worth $225 $15 worth up to $30 the Highest Class. $132 for an Imported We offer these at the mos Suit worth $198 $10 The late York in communion with the Episcopal church, contributed only $45.679 Lo churches and charities outside of the pa:ish—or less by some $17,00 that it paid for music In | its own churches. It also made one | $5,000 to help a church outside of the One of the regular expenses ol every Eplscopal church fs the appointment made | for the general mission work of the church. | Old Trinity was supposed to pay $10.000. It never met this amount; three years ago the geheral church reduced the apportion- ment to $2500, so that Trinity would pay, but never until last year did It meet even | this amount. It has, Indeed, been notorious among the churches of New York for shirking its missionary obligations. Judged by its own statistics, Trinity has | lost ground. It has been unable to main- | taln its membership, in spite of the vast sums of money expended, the costly music the activities of an army of workers. Old Trinity in 188 had 177 communicants, in 1908 1t had 1.340—a loes of 427 members in ten years. The figures for the combined church and chapels (except one, acquired since 189) are scarcely less encouraging. In 1896 the total was 7,220, in 1908 it was 6,909~ loss of 21 members In ten years. Heeding a Protest. St. John's chapel is one of the oldest churches in New York; & beautiful bulld- ing, once in a fashionable quarter of the city, now surrounded by warehouses and tenements. One Sunday last November the | curate in charge read a notice from the! pulpit to the effect that the vestry had | ordered the church closed on February 1, and that the congregation would be ex- pected to attend St. Luke's chapel—a mile further riorth. It came Hke a thunderbolt out of a clear sky. Trinity corporation, probably looking about to reduce expenses, had thus by executive order, cut off a chepel with 47 communicants, and a Sun- day school of 321 members, In & nelghbor- hood where many Of Its tenements were located, and from which it drew nearly all | of its income. Its excuse was that the [ whole matter from being carried inilo the|of the new spiritual impuises which a work, considering the changing character | of the neigaborhood, and the influx of for- elgners, no Yonger paid, that the money could be better expended elsewhere (per- haps on the rich churches up town!), that | the congregation of 8t. John's could casily g0 to St. Luke's and the work of chapels could go forward together A storm of protest at once arose tion from members of St sented to the vestry that thelr committee be granted a Ing ¢nd that St. John's chapel be closed. It was ignored The committee both A peti- John's was pr respectfully asking hear- not also appealed to the bishop of the diocese, Bishop Greer, and finally offered on behalf of the econgre gation to take over and support the church themselves. SUl, Trinity corporation did | not budge. Then . the public began to stir A netable memorial was presented | to the vestry on behalr of John's; it was signed by the most distinguished citizens of New York among them President Roesevell, Secretary Root, Mayor McClellan, ex-Mayor Seth Low, Jo- seph H. Choate, and others. Other memorials were prescnted by * for fashionable apparel. Through our Paris surprising reductions, Each one of these smart suits is made in exclusive style that marks a sample In suit of the better class. The new features of late spring are all represented. fact all the later models that have been introduced in the past Some are severely tailored—others exquisitely trimmed. PRICES MONDAY WILL PREVAIL AS FOLLOWS: Women’s Sample Suits, worth $89, at $59 Women’s Sample Suits, worth $85, at $55. Women’s Sample Suits, worth $75, at $49 Women’s Sample Suits, worth $69, at $45 Women’s Sample Suits, worth $59, at $39 Women’s Sample Suits, worth $50, at $35 Our Elegant Imported Suits Will Be Sold Monday at About Half Their Original Price This includes all Brandeis own Parisian Suits expressly imported for this house. Many of them were extravagantly admired during opening weeks. Der- haps there was one which particularly captivated you. At these price reductions it will be a strong inducement for you to buy Monday. $100 for an Imported Suit worth $150 etc. Our Great Sale of Tailored Suits These are smart, up-to-date tailored suits for women from our big special ‘- purchase from New York manufacturers. KEvery suit is strictly correct in style, and the price reductions are amazing. for your choice.of scores of handsome suits that are .00. for your choice of charming spring suits that are positively worth to $20 Brandeis Spring Hats New York Art commission and the Fine Arts’ league. And finally Trinity spoke. Three de- tenstve statements were made, one by Tr ity corporation itself, ‘one by Bishop and one by Dr. Huntington, rector of Grace church. It is significant that neither the bishop nor Dr. Huntington had ever inves- tigated the condition of the people of St John's nor the work being done there, vet they defended the action of Trinity as belng “in “the Interests of the Christian religion,” to quote from Dr. Huntington. The plain fact is that Trinity a4id not care for the people. And it was not really until the agiitation had grown to such an extent that legislative and judiclal action were threatened that Trinity began to move. Then it was too late to prevent the | astonished, | x weeks are A Great Special Event Monday at Brandeis Stores & Fashionable women invariably come to Brandei 0 western store compares with this one as a style center. and New York offices we secure styles of higher character than other stores have access to, Special sales like this can occur at no other store except Brandeis’. SALE OF WOMEN'S Sample Suits OF EXQUISITE CHARACTER Monday we bring forward 90 manufacturer’s sample suits—all strictly high class and beautifully tailored. It is an event of deep interest to every fashionable woman in Omaha. These Suits Are All Individual Samples of Not One Has a Duplicate b ] | Beautifull; ||severely pleated styles and fine sheer fabrics so m MANY |l styies are th ‘Linen Waists ] " New Lingerie Waists y tatlored Waists in_the Many are very elaborate, all the Brandels| daintiest of new ntylgq are in- i cluded, all sizes, specials— uch in demand. e smartest, at P girl for Yo These hats have that air of elegance and absolutely correct style that makes a Brandeis hat so much desired by the best dressed women. styles that are so chic and becoming, are all included. Stunning suit hats, graceful dress hats and correct hats for every occasion, at spring courts. The people of St John's have ‘l‘llfll'd their case on the declaration that under the charter of ¥4 they were voters in Trinity parish and that the closing of St. John's and the relegation of the mem- | bership to the free misslon chapel of St Luke's deprived them of their franchise rights, and they have demanded redress| from the courts. A temporary Injunction | was immediately issued ordering ‘Trinity | to keep St. John's chapel open for religious services. he Wtigution, however, is lkely to be long continued and very bitter. On the side of the people the cost of the cases will have to be alsed by general subscrip- ton where money is not plentiful; but it will cd8t the vestrymen personally not one cent; they will use the ready money of the church—which comes out of the rentals from the very neighborhood served by St John's chapel. Their chief lawyer 1s hime| eelf a vestryman, paid hy the vestry. Agltation Sev excellent results, however, have come out of the agitation. First, Trinity| corporation has shown the first evidenc n its hist that it fecls any responsibil- ity to the public It has Issued its first public report, defending its position in clos- ing St. John's chapel, and giving its first finanelal statement. It has also declared itsy purpose of doing away with the old tenements as rap'dly as possible, and im- | proving the land with new bulldings. It has also decided to open 8t. John's chapel on week days, and provide noon revival services for the people of the neighbor- | hood I have talked with many of the p ple connected with Trinity In various capaci- ties; I found them all disturbed-—i Illl’.d,{ perplexed, and unable count’ for the extent and violence of the | public agitation. One of them sald it was | Jealousy of the wealth of Trinity:" an-| other blamed the clergy of 8t John's; an- other laid 1t up to “agitatord” They aid not seem to understand, Lo have any grasp to ace | \ §2.50-§2.98-§3.98-54.98 | | | for Graduation and dresses and frocks this season becanse nowhere in town can you have the ad- vantage of such a variety. These dresses are beautifully made in the daintiest, the showing. | |__$1.50-51.98-52.50 ROCKS RETTY F Confirmation We specially feature these dainty lish styles and are specially adapted confirmation or graduation events. u will be attracted by the beauty of permeating our common life~the new | the church, More religion is to be found democracy, if you will—and they are yield- | in our life today than ever before, more Ing just as they have in the past, grudg- hearts respond to its Inspiration; it is ingly, without vision. They are paralyzed | found among the common men and women by thelr own wealth and the pride of thelr everywhere. As ever, It demands, not ob- traditions. They would like to improve servances, nor doctrines, nor a habitation things—but they do not see that the whole|in magnificent temples—but self-sacriffe aristocratic, feudalistic system upon which|and a contrite heart they are operating belongs to a past age, that religion is not charity, but justice and | brotherly love. They arc not ready to make | the self-sacrifice necessary, in the highest | sens life of thelr church. It I, indecd, not at all surprising to| Pointed Parag Constant nagging soon softest heart A llttie money at an auction sale Most of the fun we have in life fsn't the kind we are looking for. hardens the Is a dangerous things to save the hear the clergymen of rich and doctrine| Many & man keeps one eye on a police- bound churches, strike the note of dis-| M#n While boasting of his honesty heartenment. They themselves often work | (it 1 buman natyre to sxmpathise. st the under doz—until he gets liek Hunting in the dark Is the quickest way to find & thing you are not looking for. During the reign of peace on cartn most nations are plotting to secure an- hard, with a passionate earnestness of de- | votion, but they do not get spiritual re- sults. The church is not holding its own; people avold the church. The clergy won-| uther plece of it ¢er why; they ask vainly, “What is the| It sometimes happens that a becaus matier with the church?’ It even seems | » to gome of them that religion itself is de-| man usually gets what he deserves oo s | in the end. buf he gets a lot of good 4 | things that he doesn't deserve in the But religion is not decaying; it is only meantime.~Chicago News. Becoming a motk .. snould be asource of joy, but the suffer- ing incident to the ordeal makes its anticipation one of “BABY , ’ dread. Mother's Friend is the only remedy which re- lieves women of much of the pain of maternity; this hour, dreaded as woman's severest trial, is not only made less painful, but danger is avoided by its use. Those who use this remedy are no longer despondent or gloomy; nervousness, nausea and other distressing conditions are overcome, and the system is prepared for the coming o event. ‘‘Itis worth its weight in gold,”’ saysmany whohave used it §.08 %o hotsitet frag sores; wothers mailed THE BRADFIELD REGULATOR CO. Atlasta, Gu

Other pages from this issue: