Destitution in the West.
By James White
THIS is a subject that demands immediate attention from officers of State Conferences and from the General Conference Committee. Brethren Butler and Haskell are on, or very near, the ground. We are a thoroughly organized people. The officers of the Iowa, and the Kansas and Missouri Conferences should promptly act with those members of the General Conference Committee, and see that suffering is relieved, and that means are appropriated properly. This duty must be done by those on the ground, and not left as a burden to any one at the REVIEW Office. General calls through the REVIEW and arms-length appropriations cannot properly meet the case. Our more wealthy people should give of their abundance. The poorer brethren should not be allowed to give of their scanty means. None should give for this general relief who would do any less to sustain the cause of Christ. In stating in the REVIEW some weeks since that our people in the destitute localities should feel relieved from their pledges for the general good of the cause, we had no reference to the payment of systematic benevolence. We meant any such pledges as for our institutions located at Battle Creek. It was to encourage the ministers, and also the members of the Kansas and Missouri Conference who are able to pay s. B. that we gave $100 to their treasury. We see that others are following our example. It will be expected of the officers of that Conference that this means will be used by those who gather souls into the ranks. We now give $25 for the relief fund for our poor in that Conference, to be appropriated by the officers of that Conference, or by proper persons appointed to the work. Our people are very benevolent, and the greatest care should be taken that their confiding liberality be not abused, and decreased by unreasonable calls and bad appropriations. JAMES WHITE.