Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-09
FOR PEOPLE WHO THINK,

ol principles Dy percentages. ana Jne nrgu-
ments which start from that assumption arc
no less futile rs applied to missions than
they would be were they directed against
the work of the christian church at home.
| We know full we'll that the most truly sue.
| ccssful pastor is not always he who gathers
| the greatest number of now converts into
his church. Tho work of the religious
| teacher in heather lands, as in christian, is
essentially awork Of seedsowing, not reap
| ing. 1t took two centuries for the seed
| planted by John Wycbffe in England to bear
visible results in the spiritual life Of the ma
| tion. 1t is more than eighteen hundred wears
| since Jesus left the earth, and two-thirds OF
| the human race Is still un-christian, while
| his creed, though Asiatic in origin.
| Is practically rejected to-day by every Asiatio
| race. Yet IL would be not more absurd to
| declare christianity failure because of it's
| slowness Of growth than 1t Is to condemn
| Christian missions because its more recently
| planted seed has not already ripened for tho
harvest. Faulty methods of work, extrava-
gance of administration, mistaken concep-.
| tions Of the means to be employed to o given
| end-these are certainly fair subjects for
| agitation until remedy is sought and APP
piled; but to balance the converts for given
| year with the money expended is to copy
| fault which missionary bodies have them
| selves too often commmitned, and which has,
| 1t Is to be feared, led them before now to di-
| rect their enegies less to those spots where
the chief need is than to the peoples whose
| natures have appeared to be more readily
| receptive of new ideas. 1t is a happy thing
| for the missionary societies If they are be-
| ginning at length to see that their labor is
essentially one of preparation-a more
blessed thing II they are beginning to really
believe with their Master that what they
sow will surely ripen, though they them
selves have no share in the harvest gath
| ering.
With the single exception Of the United
| States no country on the American conti-
nent has made such rapid progress in the
past half-dozen years as Mexico, and, with
the same exception, no country has fairer
| future, says the ST. Louis obe-Democrat.
| Its debt is being steadily reduced, its bonds
| arc increasing in value In the money mar
kets of the world, while its credit has
reached point hardly expected by the most
| astute and sauguine of Mexican statesmen o
| decade ago. There are over four thousand
| miles Of railroad in that country, an increase
| of about 25 per cent within three or four
| years. past, and upward of nineteen thousand
| miles of telegraph. In the former 1t leads all
| the countries Of the continent save the United
| States, Canada Brazil and the Argentine
| Republic and IN miles Of wire in operation
| the United States alone is ahead Of 1t. In
| every department of its industry there has
| been o great growth in recent years,
| while its commerce, foreign as well as
| domestic, begins to take on large proper
tions An importance has also been made in
| the number and character of its schools and
| the general level of intelligence of its peo-
| pie. The most striking and conspicuous por-
tion of Mexico's advancement began soon
| after the commencement Of the administra-
tion of its present president, Porfirio Diaz.
He entered office in the latter part of 1884,
and was elected to second term last year.
| The experience of the past fifteen years
shows that insurrectono and revolutions are
| not necessary conditions in the Mexican's
| existence, while the record of the country
| since 1885 proves that Mexico is not incapa-
| BILE of an improvement of highly important
| and fattering character Peace and wise
| government were all that was needed to ena-
| BILE the people to develop the marvellous nat
| ural resources which their land possesses.
I.Peace came in with Diaz's recent predeces.
| sors; wise government was assured when
| Diaz entered into power. Within the past
| five years the public affairs of the country
| have been managed with crcditable degree
| of intelligence, and a fair amount of success
| has been attained.
1t is noteworthy in connection with the
numerous religious conventions held in Phil
adelphia this spring that few, If any, have
declared in favor of prohibition, says the
| Philadelphia Record. While these assem-
blies have harmonized upon questions affect
| ing their denomi national interests and upon
doctrines of religion and morality, they have
accorded the largest liberty Of opinion and
action in regard TO the proposed prohibitory
amendment. This had been q grievous dis
appointment to its advocates, who conf
IDENTIFY expected to give their policy such
semblance of religion and morality as TO CO.
cree the churches into its support in spite OF
the judgment and experience Of large por-
tion of their membership. Instead of being
able to identify their cause with the religious
and moral sentiments OF the people, the pro-
hibitionists find some of the largest and
most influential denominations manfesting
decided repugnance to it. In this situation
the attempt to stigmatiEe the oppo-
nents of prohibition as "drunk-
ards and iue-bibbers" or as "tools
OF the liquor interests" has most signally
failed at the very opening of the campaign.
So far from succeeding with this well worn
polemical artifce the prohibitionists dis
cover that the practical morality Of their
own position has been successfully assailed.
In Kansas the voluntary associations and
agencies for promoting temperance have
fallen into decay under the operation OF pro-
mbition. To the spontaneous reformatory
efforts of society and the gentle influences OF
religion has succeeded harsh and vindictive
penal code, with train Of spies and inform
ers, breeding dissensons among the peopio
and filing the courts with perjurers
and malicious prosecutions. The United
States collector Of internal revenue
in northern Iowa reports that In his district
the consumption Of liquor has enormously In
creased, while its quality has deterioratad
under prohibition. Large wholesale liquor
houses hi ave been established on the border
of the state to supply the increasing demand
| of the inhabitants, and, to crown the whole.
the municipal authorities of some OF the
cities of Iowa license saloons to sell liquor In
| contemptuous defiance Of the prohibitOry
| law How much Is morality among the peo-