The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-11

attract It's attention, so that meetings which
might be the towns talk In Gmaller places
pass by here without exciting the notice OF
any considerable class outside Of those inn
mediately concerned In them. Yet the
societies which call them together report
heavy receipts and keep up the real, gene
rosity, and courage OF their friends by more
or loss satisfactory statistics OF results ac-
eomplished with their money.
The most important OF these meetings so
far held have been those OF the American Bible
Society on Thursday, the American Tract
Society on Wednesday, the American Sun
day School Union on Tuesday, the Seaman's
Friend Society on Monday, and the Home
Missionary Society on Sunday and on We'd
nesday; and this evening the American
Board Of Commissioners for Foreign
Missions will detail their work among the
heathens abroad Meantime, MoY-JNKEE,
q converted Chinaman, has begun mission
airy labors right here In New York. where
there are q thousand heather Chinese who
can be reached at much less expense than
those who remain at home and who besides
enjoy the advantage Of observing the supe-
riority OF Christianity as practised in one
OF the most civilized OF capitals.
1t seems, according TO MoY-JN-KEE that
the Cinnamon are very suspicious OF our
people, thinking they mean them harm
rather than good, and 1t can't be denied
that there Is some reason for their fears,
since, instead OF rejoicing that they have
come hither, where the full food OF religious
light may be poured on them, large share
Of our Christian people urge that they BIO
sent back TO heather China, or that no moro
of them be allowed TO cross the Pacific.
hoY-JM-KEE says the Chinese boys In the
city have tried to go to the public schools to
learn English, as they have a right TO do.
but the Christian boys boot at them and
worry them 80 that 1t Is impossible for them
to remain. SO long as they are treated In
this way, how can We expect them TO prefer
our religion TO the one In which they have
been brought up9 Let the speakers this
evening take hold OF this subject, and
toll us why we should send money TO
China TO convert the heathens, when we have
80 many OF them In our own country before
whom we do not even set an example OF
charity and forbearancc. the prime elements
OF the Christian character.
The business OF making religious tracts
has gone on during the year at rapid rate
over 200, and the expenditures few
thousand dollars less, moro than half the
money going for the editing, manufacture,
and issue of its publications. This society
does some beautiful typographical work,
but how much OF what the types print is
really valuable 2 How much would DO con-
sldered worth printing at all by any other
than an organization which obtained it's
money by gift rather than as return for
value recevedp 1t is also worth asking
whether the supply OF tracts Is not already
in excess OF the demand. But DR.. SCUDDER,
missionary 10 Hindostan, declared at the
meeting on Wednesday evening that tract
containing the Ten Commandments In Hin
dostanee led to the conversion OF an old
Brahmln and all his followers.
The Sunday School Union reports that,
during the fifty-five years Of It's existence,
IL has organized 67,l54 Sunday schools. con-
talning 2,s69,s72 scholars, at a cost Of
s2,47l,62O One of the speakers at its meet
ing said that in nine favored counties OF
this State, out Of 81, 900 children only 10000
attended Sunday school, and that the same
ratio practically prevailed throughout the
United States II, therefore, the Union pro-
crosses In its work at the same rate in the
future as in the past, and the cost keeps the
same, II will take many years before all the
children are brought into the Sunday schools
at an expense OF about one dollar each. This
society has an enormous catalogue OF Sun
day school books printed by 1t, but II
remains a question whether 1t would not be
best to let the book publishers supply such
publications in the ordinary way OF trade.
Then, II charitable people or charitable
organizations wished to distribute any Of
them in large quantities, they could do SO
at less cost and with less machinery than
are now required; and besides, less trash
would be published.
The Homo Missionary Society Is an or
ganization OF the Congregationallsts. It
has had about $50 ministers in it's service
during the year, laboring in thirty-four diff
ferent States and Territories and has spent
about 100000. The number of hopeful con-
versions was about 3,2j0-about $50 each
The Seamen's Friend Society spent $1,000
during the year, and sent out s21 Libraries
to ships, and at its home in Cherry street it
accommodated 1894 boarders, doubtless ac-
complishing much good.
These facts and figures show that the
work of evangelization is going on vlgor
ously, and that even hard times do not
seriously affect tho contributions Of the
pious. But is it managed as economically
as mems private businessY What proper
| tion does the cost Of gathering in the money
| through travelling agents and the salaries
OF the supcrannuated or unsuccessful
preachers who are charged with its distri-
button bear TO the sum given by the pious ?
How many cents out OF IA hundred given by
| the poor widow for the conversion Of the
| heather, for instance, actually get TO the
lands Of darkness? These things are worth
| thinking about, and wo suggest TO the
officers of the societies that they ought to
ascertain the exact factsA
Mr.. Hayes,s Chances for the RcpubIican